I originally thought I would be unable to sleep, yet somehow, lying in his warm arms, I slowly drifted into dreams.
Captian buried his face against my neck and eventually fell asleep too.
At dawn, Captian slowly opened his eyes like a waking predator.
Fresh out of sleep, his gaze was hazy, lazy yet dangerous. Once fully awake, his black eyes sharpened with a predatory alertness, like a beast with claws extended.
"Mm…"
A soft sound slipped from my lips, followed by a small smacking noise as I unconsciously moved in my sleep.
He lowered his gaze. Following the line of his sight, he saw my completely defenseless sleeping face.
I was nestled against the crook of his arm. My cheeks, fair as porcelain, were tinged pink like cherry blossoms, soft, sweet, and fragile enough to stir something irresistibly gentle in anyone who looked.
He stared at me for a long moment, then reached out and brushed his fingers lightly across my cheek.
After that, he stood, dressed, and left the room and then headed downstairs.
Ten minutes after Captian left, I finally woke up.
I lay curled inside the blanket, with only my messy head sticking out like a little dormouse hiding in a nest. I rubbed my eyes and realized he was gone, though the lingering warmth on the blanket showed he hadn't left long ago.
I got dressed and stepped out of the room, stunned at myself, how on earth had I managed to sleep so soundly in his room?
Two nights lying beside him and I was still miraculously intact. Truly… a feat.
Voices drifted from downstairs.
I leaned over the railing and peeked down. Captian was speaking with another man, a young man with red hair, striking features, and bright fox-like eyes.
I recognized him instantly.
He was the one who played cards with Mr. Bailey at the entertainment club, the one Captian had called a "gambling genius."
I pressed my lips together and carefully walked down. My footsteps were light, but they both noticed me.
Captian's dark eyes locked on me immediately deep as an abyss, predatory in the shadows.
The red-haired young man, Domic, looked at me with curiosity.
Their combined gazes startled me so badly I almost missed a step on the stairs.
"Director Anderson, is she our sister-in-law?"
Domic blinked mischievously, clearly entertained.
Captian didn't answer. He kept his eyes fixed on me, the possessiveness in his stare undeniable.
Domic smirked, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
Under the pressure, I walked to the table.
"Director Anderson…"
He responded with a soft "Mm," then reached out to pull my wrist and guided me to sit beside him.
Because Domic was present, I felt flustered, my face burning with embarrassment.
Domic's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Director Anderson, she really does look like your sister-in-law. You two even match extremely well."
Captian shot him a glance.
The coldness on his face eased slightly, there was even a flicker of approval, subtle but visible.
Realizing he had struck the right chord, Domic sat straighter, eyebrows raised in surprise.
He had thought Ronan and the others were exaggerating. Someone like Captian, sharp, ruthless, uninterested in anything, how could he possibly show repeated interest in a woman?
But now that he saw it with his own eyes, he understood.
Captian truly cared about this woman and in a way that bordered on stubborn, possessive obsession.
No wonder he hadn't retaliated after being stabbed because it involved her.
Ronan had told Domic the entire story before, dramatically reenacting it with shocked expressions.
Hearing Domic's teasing, my face stiffened, turning red with mortification.
Are you kidding me?!
Such lies spoken as if they were gospel truth!
"Director Anderson," Domic continued, "last time you told me to trap the Baileys, but after it worked, you returned the shares to Mr. Bailey. Was that because of her?"
I froze.
So Mr. Bailey had lost money gambling because of Captian's setup something I had only guessed before. Now it was confirmed.
But why had he done that?
Was he curious how I'd react?
Was he just bored?
Or… was it really because of me?
I snuck a glance at Captian but still couldn't read his thoughts.
Captian stared coldly at Domic.
"Ryder, unless you stay silent, no one will mistake you for a mute."
The atmosphere instantly froze like ice sealing the entire room.
I nearly dropped my glass of milk in fright.
Ryder blinked, then burst into unruly laughter.
"Alright, I'll stop. But sister-in-law looks terrified."
I glared at him viciously.
Why drag me into this?!
Ryder only shrugged, eyes sparkling with amusement.
Later, when I reached the classroom, I saw Hezze slumped over her desk, face drained of color, clutching her stomach as she whimpered pitifully.
I approached and patted her shoulder.
"Poor girl, what happened?"
"My stomach hurts…"
She looked up weakly.
"Stomachache?"
I rested my chin on my hand. "Did you eat something bad?"
Hezze shook her head with effort.
"No. It's… my period. It hurts so much!"
So it was menstrual cramps.
I nodded in understanding.
"Period cramps can be really awful. Usually drinking something warm like sweetened water, helps. Did you bring any?"
Hezze sniffled.
"I did! But it didn't help at all. Every time I get my period, I feel like dying. I've taken all sorts of painkillers and nothing works!"
I fell into thought.
Some people use OTC pain medication.
Some rely on traditional herbs.
Some respond well, others don't at all.
And too many medications cause unwanted side effects, the body builds tolerance, the stomach suffers, hormones get affected.
I touched my bag, then finally said:
"Hezze… if you trust me, I can help ease the pain using a medical nerve-stimulation technique.
If you don't want to, that's totally fine too."
She stared at me, stunned.
She had heard that last time, I helped stabilize Halley with emergency neuro-stimulation when he fainted. His condition had been extremely severe.
And to perform such things, one needed precise knowledge of the body's trigger points something regular people couldn't do.
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Of course I trust you! Please help me. I feel like I'm dying!"
"Alright," I smiled gently. "Let's go to the restroom."