Book 2 Chapter 29
Nikos must have sprinted.
Because bir long after the whispering, heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway. That familiar hush settled over the space again and Yalda knew immediately that he was here.
Then Ioannis appeared, his gaze found her instantly. He may have appeared calm and controlled but the look in his eyes told her he was anything but that. He crossed the room in long, purposeful strides.
“Yalda.” he said slipping his fingers underneath her chin to nudge her head up.
She tried to straighten up but she just couldn't, it felt like all her energy had been completely drained.
“I’m okay, I just got dizzy..." She stopped when she realized her words were slurred.
He crouched in front of her.
“You’re pale,” he murmured. “And your breathing...."
“It was just a moment.” she tried to argue.
“Yalda." His voice dropped lower. "Stop."
And she did. She let go of whatever control she had now that he was here, she knew he'd take care of her.
He stood and slid an arm around her waist, lifting her gently to her feet.
Everyone stared, some shocked, some curious, some whispering again. Perhaps they didn't actually understand their relationship, perhaps they thought she was just a fling or something.
“Sir,” Helen began. "You have a meet—"
“Cancel everything immediately,” Ioannis said without looking at her. “Inform whoever needs informing.”
His tone left no room for argument.
Ioannis turned back to Yalda. “Let’s go.”
The hallways blurred as Ioannis guided her quickly but carefully toward the elevator. His grip was steady and warm around her waist.
Yalda leaned into him, the dizziness was returning in brief flashes, she just wanted to shut her eyes and make everywhere stop spinning.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“For what?”
“For worrying you. For dragging you out of work again.” she replied quietly. "I should have listened to you."
“It's not a problem,” he said replied. “But yeah, you should have listened to me."
She felt so stupid, so incapable of taking care of herself. “I’m fine now.” she lied, and perhaps she was just making it worse.
“If you were fine,” he said calmly, “you wouldn’t be swaying.”
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
“I think it's simply because I didn’t eat much yesterday.” she told him.
“You ate nothing,” he corrected.
She didn’t argue, she knew when to stop.
When they reached the car, he opened the door for her, helped her in, then rounded to the driver’s side with controlled urgency.
As he started the engine, he glanced at her again. “Breathe slowly.”
“I am.” she replied.
“Good. Keep doing it.”
She tried nodding but regretted it immediately, it felt like the car was capsizing.
“You make it sound like I forget.” she spoke still.
“When you’re overwhelmed, you do.”
She would’ve argued, but a small part of her knew he was right. After all, he'd seen her through countless breakdowns.
The car pulled out of the lot, and Ioannis drove faster than he'd driven in a long time.
When they reached the clinic, he guided her inside, his aura made the nurses straighten up immediately.
“This way,” one said, recognizing him immediately.
He didn’t let go of her hand once, not when they checked her blood pressure, not when they asked about symptoms, not when they checked her pulse and oxygen levels.
Her vitals were slightly low, and her blood sugar was definitely low.
“Dehydration, stress, and lack of sleep,” the nurse concluded after checking the charts. “The dizziness is a normal response, but she needs rest for a couple of days.”
Ioannis shot her a pointed look and she averted her gaze from his.
“I said I’m fine.” she groaned.
“You’re not,” he said.
“But I will be.”
“Yes,” he replied. “Because you are going to rest.”
She sighed, knowing she couldn’t win this one.
"And the baby?" Ioannis asked the nurse.
"The baby's just fine." She replied smiling.
She gave instructions; hydration, a light meal, reduced stress, and Ioannis absorbed every word like it was law.When the nurse left, he sat beside her on the bed.
“Does your head still spin?” he asked quietly.
“Not as much.” she replied.
“And your stomach?”
“Settling.”
He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know.”
He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.
“Let’s go home and get some rest,” he said softly.
And for once, she didn’t argue.
After sleeping for hours, Yalda drifted back into consciousness slowly. Her body felt warm and oddly heavy, her mind was fogged by the lingering exhaustion that had swallowed her after the hospital visit. The room was dim, late afternoon light filtered through the curtains giving the room a calming hue.
For a moment she lay still, listening to the quiet. There was no nausea, no dizziness. Just a dull tiredness that she could live with.
When she finally blinked her eyes open fully, she saw Ioannis seated in the armchair by the window, his MacBook balanced on his lap. His brows were slightly drawn together in concentration, fingers moved across the keyboard quickly. He looked composed perfect like that, with the filtered light on his skin and how sculpted his features were.
He must have sensed the shift of her breathing, because he lifted his head instantly. His eyes softened on seeing her.
“You’re awake,” he said as he closed the laptop without hesitation and placed it on the side table.
He stood and crossed to the bed. When he sat beside her, his hand slid lightly over her hair, pushing it away from her cheek.
“How are you feeling?”
Yalda nodded, forcing a small smile. “Better. I think I just needed sleep.”
“You needed rest,” he corrected calmly. “Which you’re going to continue having.”
The firmness in his tone made her blink, she wanted to argue, she wanted to tell him she couldn't just sit around and do nothing. “Ioannis...”
“I’m not asking,” he added, his eyes holding hers to let her know he meant every word. “You’re staying home for a few days.”
Her throat tightened unexpectedly, the sudden pressure of emotion rose without warning, catching her off guard. She hated how easily her body betrayed her lately; tears at the smallest provocation, exhaustion at tiny inconveniences, memories of Alexander haunting even the quietest moments.
Ioannis noticed instantly, he always did. His thumb brushed under her eye even though the tears hadn’t fallen.
“Yalda,” he murmured softly, but still his control, his steadiness.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, trying to blink away the tears. “I don’t want to cry.”
“You can cry,” he replied, leaning closer so his forehead touched hers in a grounding gesture. “Get it off your chest."
That only made her eyes burn hotter, which annoyed her more. She inhaled sharply, letting the air cool her throat.
She didn’t cry, but she leaned into him, and he tilted her chin up and kissed her.
It was gentle at first, meant to soothe. His lips were warm, slow, and comforting in a way that made her lean into him even more. His hand cupped her jaw, guiding her without pressure, without urgency. It felt like reassurance, like grounding, like a reminder that she was safe and that he was here.
But when she kissed him back and fingers slid into his shirt and curled against the firm muscle of his chest, the air shifted immediately.
His control wavered. He didn't want this escalating, he simply wanted to comfort her.
He pulled back slightly, his breath still fanned her lips. “You’re not entirely well,” he murmured. “We should stop.”
But she shook her head, tightening her grip on his shirt and pulling him closer.
“No,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
For a moment he hesitated, but then he kissed her again, deeper this time. The softness had vanished, replaced by heat and hunger.
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