Book 2 Chapter 33

Morning came slowly. Pale light slipped through the sheer curtains of the suite, settling over the room in soft bands of gold. Yalda felt none of its warmth though, she lay awake, turned toward the window, her body still and her mind were still unsettled about the new developments.

She’d barely slept, expectedly.

Her thoughts had churned the entire night, there had been a lot of what ifs in her mind and she'd been unable to stop them; what is Ioannis grew too fond of Mariah and fell for her, after all, he might have still been with her if she hadn't wanted to leave. And what if Mariah on the other hand realized how good of a man ioannis was and decided that she wanted him back?

Ioannis had fallen asleep beside her after reassuring her again that Mariah staying at the villa was temporary, that it was only until she was less of a threat to herself, that she just needed help.

And Yalda knew all of that, rationally. Yet stil, that small, bitter pinch in her chest had refused to loosen. It felt like it had been tired into a lot so tightly she could hardly breathe.

“You're awake." Ioannis said, stepping back into the room.

She inhaled deeply and pushed herself to sit up.

“Yeah. Good morning,” she replied.

He stepped inside wearing black trousers and a charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled back to his forearms. His hair was still damp from the shower, a few strands brushed his forehead. He looked composed as always, but there was a crease between his brows she recognized: concern. He was still worried about Mariah.

“Good morning,” he murmured, walking to the edge of the bed. “How did you sleep?”

She forced a small smile. “Fine.”

He exhaled through his nose, the kind of breath that said he did not believe her. Ioannis sank onto the mattress near her hip, his presence grounding yet heavy on her emotions.

“You’re quiet,” he observed.

“I’m always quiet.”

She knew it was a lame response but she couldn't do better.

“This is different.” He pointed out.. “You’re upset."

Yalda’s fingers twisted in the blanket as she thought about how well he knew her. But what if he knew Maria just the same?

“I’m not upset.”

“Yalda.” His voice deepened, not demanding but anchored. “If this is weighing on you, you can tell me.”

She swallowed.

A small part of her wanted to tell him everything, that she hated how insecure she suddenly felt, that she didn’t like admitting how threatened she was by a woman she barely knew, that she was ashamed of the ugly jealousy burning in her chest. She wanted to say she knew better, that Ioannis had done nothing wrong, that the problem was her.

But the words dried in her throat.

Instead, she murmured, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

Ioannis was silent for a moment, studying her. She felt the weight of his gaze like warm hands bracing her shoulders. Then he asked quietly, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Really. It’s fine.”

He nodded slowly, though he did not look convinced. His thumb brushed her knee, a soft gesture meant to comfort, but it made her chest tighten further.

“Mariah’s coming around noon,” he said gently. “I wanted to let you know.”

Yalda nodded. “Of course.”

But Ioannis could clearly see that she wasn't chill with this, she had suddenly turned gloomy since he brought it up yesterday.

“If you want space; if you want time with the spa or the pool, or you’d like to step out for lunch...”

“You don’t have to arrange anything,” she said quickly. Too quickly. She forced her shoulders to relax. “You truly don't have to worry about me.”

His brows lifted. “Yalda.”

She gave him another smile.

“Really,” she said. “I hope she feels better when she gets here."

Ioannis inhaled as if holding back something he wanted to say. But then he nodded once.

“Mariah is a good person,” he said gently. “She won’t be a problem. Once she’s stable, she'll leave."

“I understand.” The smile stayed on her lips, but her eyes lowered so he wouldn’t see how brittle it was.

He watched her a long moment, then he kissed her forehead, his lips lingered there in a warm and possessive way.

"I love you. You know that right?"

She nodded.

“I know.”

"Alright then. I'll head out first, shower and come down for breakfast. I'll be in my study." He told her.

And she nodded once more.

He left, closing the door softly behind him. Yalda’s smile fell the second he was gone.

She lay back against the pillows, exhaling shakily. She knew she was being irrational. She knew jealousy didn’t suit her. But the ache inside her kept growing, Maria would be here by noon and she'd be here for a while, how would she survived that if she couldn't even bear the thought of sharing Ioannis's attention with her.

~~

The knock came precisely at noon, it was a soft, unsteady knock which made Yalda stiffen on the sofa where she’d been pretending to read. The book lay open but untouched on her lap.

She'd been even more unsettled since Ioannis sent his driver to get Maria, he'd been on an important call and he'd been unable to go get her himself, plus, he'd offered to sit with her in the living room.

Ioannis set his phone aside and rose. “I’ll get it,” he said to the maid who was attempting to get the door.

Yalda's heart lurched even before the door opened. And her breath hitched on seeing the familiar figure at the door.

Except she was not the radiant woman she remembered from the event, she was nothing like the elegant beauty who moved with so much poise that evening.

The person standing in the doorway now seemed like a shadow, like the color had been drained out of her till there was nothing left.

Mariah’s once-glossy hair hung limp around her shoulders. Her skin was pale, almost grey, it was stretched too tightly over sharp cheekbones which were a lot more prominent than they'd been the last time. There were deep, dark circles beneath her eyes which made her look like a raccoon, a very sad raccoon.

Yalda's heart stilled in her chest, the sight was heartbreaking.

“Maria,” Ioannis said softly.

She looked up at him, and the moment her eyes locked with his, her face crumpled. A tremor went through her, and she swayed slightly like she was about to faint. Ioannis stepped forward immediately and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

Mariah clung to him, her arms wrapped around his torso and her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt like she was holding onto the last piece of solid earth.

“It’s okay,” Ioannis murmured, his hand cupping the back of her head, his voice a steady anchor. “You’re safe now. You’re going to be okay.”

Yalda stood frozen as she watched the intimate exchange. And the empathy she'd felt at first shifted slightly till she felt her throat clench. She wanted to step forward and comfort her as well, but she just couldn't, and she hated that she couldn't.

She watched Ioannis hold Mariah, watched the way he steadied her, she listed to how his voice softened for her as he told her she'd be alright and he'd take care of her. And it..... hurt.

Not because he was doing anything wrong, but because she knew Ioannis. Knew him deeply now.

He was drawn to broken things. It was woven into him; this instinct to fix, to protect, to heal. It was a part of his tenderness, a part of the gentleness he rarely showed the world but always showed to the wounded.

It was the same instinct that had drawn him to Yalda in the first place.

He’d seen her shattered, he'd met her when her heart had been cracked open, and he’d taken her into his arms just like this. He’d steadied her, soothed her, mended pieces she thought were beyond repair.

And now… standing before her was another woman, even more broken than she had ever been. Mariah looked like she had been hollowed out by the world, like she'd completely been destroyed by it.

And Ioannis’s arms tightened around her as if he could hold those pieces together himself.

Yalda’s throat clenched completely and she was unable to breathe.

Ioannis finally loosened his hold, though his hands remained on Mariah’s arms as if afraid she’d crumble. “Come in,” he said softly.

Mariah nodded. Her gaze drifted past him and landed on Yalda, and there was no malice there, only exhaustion that seemed to have settled on her soul.

Yalda forced herself to smile. “Welcome,” she said gently, hoping her voice didn’t betray the war inside her.

Mariah nodded faintly, her lips twitched in something like gratitude before her body sagged a little, and Ioannis guided her toward the sofa.

“She hasn’t slept properly in days,” he explained quietly, because Yalda couldn't understand why she kept on struggling to stay upright. “She’s barely been eating.

Shouldn't she be in the hospital then? Nonetheless, she responded.

“I hope she feels better soon,” she murmured in response. But her chest ached with every word. “You’ll be fine.”

Ioannis shot Yalda a quick look caught between gratitude and admiration.

"I'll go get you some water." She said to Maria quietly before she turned around and walked away quickly. She needed to get away from this for a moment.