It was not a kiss of gentle comfort, but one of deliberate, powerful distraction. It was meant to overwhelm her senses, to pull her from the abyss of her fractured memories and anchor her firmly in the present, in him.
For a long moment, she stiffened, the shock of it overriding the pain. Then, a broken sob melted into the kiss as her body went limp against his, the fight draining out of her.
When he finally pulled away, she was breathless, her mind blanketed in a temporary, stunned calm. Her headache had receded to a dull throb, and the sharp edges of the nightmare had blurred beyond recognition.
Seeing her fragile state, Huo Ting Cheng looked up and gave a sharp, silent nod to a guard stationed by the elevator. The man moved with quiet efficiency, retrieving a small, locked case from a concealed cabinet in the office wall. He brought it over, along with a glass of water.
Huo Ting Cheng opened the case, revealing two small, distinctive tablets. He took one, his movements sure.
