When Richard Shaw took Crystal Landon for a bath, he found that she had already fallen asleep from exhaustion, with traces of tears still visible on her pretty little face.
The man saw the blue and red marks all over her body, and a trace of regret flickered in his deep eyes. He had somewhat lost control.
Richard Shaw filled the bathtub with hot water, helped her wash, and then carried her to the bed. The bedding was a festive bright red, now utterly disordered beyond recognition.
The man changed the bed sheets, covered her well with the blanket, and only then tidied up the remaining mess. When he lay back down on the bed, he was no longer sleepy.
The sleeping Crystal Landon unconsciously leaned into his arms. Richard Shaw was always calm and self-possessed, but that night he was provoked by her words, leading to a loss of control, which for him was almost unthinkable.
