Before she could finish her outburst, Jaguar gently placed his finger over her lips to silence her words. He leaned his head down, burying his breath by her ear, whispering in a low, raspy tone,
- Fati... don't be angry, and don't speak today. I just need the warmth of your body.
The image of her hands tenderly rubbing his palms just minutes ago was still vivid in his mind, as he continued his freezing, breathless whisper,
- Just... ignite my frozen skin with your touch. I am freezing to death out here.
Although his body was indeed like a block of ice, Fati did not stir this time. She did not raise her hands to grant him the warmth he craved; instead, the blood seemed to drain from her veins, leaving her emotions at that moment far colder and icier than his frozen frame. Staring into the emptiness, she said in a faint, lifeless whisper,
- Jaguar... please, leave me alone.
Jaguar paid no heed to her cold plea, continuing to press tightly against her, brushing his face softly against hers as if granting her absolute permission to kiss him and return the embrace. Yet, her warm, tender body offered no response, remaining as rigid as a marble statue. Suddenly, a single hot tear broke free from Fati's eyes, sliding down slowly to touch his cold cheek. That small drop was enough to shatter his composure, making him realize in a split second that he was forcing his power upon a woman who did not want him. He slowly pulled away, gazing into her tear-glistening eyes once more, but this time he found no fear only the glaring clarity of a deep rejection, as if she were revulsion-stricken by his touch.
At first, Jaguar rationalized in his mind that she was simply heartbroken because she hadn't found her mother on this trip. Yet, that look in her eyes was not one of sorrow; it was the raw, piercing gaze of someone harboring utter contempt for the person standing before her. Stunned, his usual absolute dominance faltered, replaced for the first time by a strange hesitation as he asked in a low voice,
- Fati... what is wrong with you?
She turned toward the window once more, giving him her back as her eyes traced the falling snow. In a choked, warning tone, she said,
- Please... I don't want to explode at you.
Fixing his eyes on her silhouette, he pressed,
- Explode if it satisfies you, Fati... but say something. Speak, so I can understand!
She turned back to face him, delivering a crushing, cold response.
- I simply do not want anyone in my life anymore. So leave me alone, Jaguar.
Unable to stomach her words, he gripped her shoulders firmly, forcing her around to face him. His unyielding body language declared that he would never let her go, no matter what she did, as he asserted,
- How can I leave you, Fati?! You are my wife
Fati erupted into a bitter, disbelieving cry, violently brushing his hands off her shoulders.
- Am I truly married, Jaguar?! I am married to you... on paper only
Jaguar did not back down. He lunged forward and pulled her into a tight, crushing embrace, attempting to absorb her fury as he murmured against her hair,
- Is that what you want? Then we will turn it into reality... We will live together as husband and wife, under one roof.
She froze within his grip, her voice coming out calm, dead, and delivering a final blow to his wishes.
- You have forgotten one crucial thing, Jaguar... You are late. You are far too late to make such a request.
Jaguar looked at her, his features softening, as he attempted with a calm tone to bridge the deep chasm between them.
- Let's start over, Fati,
He murmured pleadingly.
- As if we've only just met, and were married just yesterday, and here we are now, heading out together for our honeymoon... Where do you want to go? Just tell me your destination, and we will leave.
Her cold response came like a silent slap.
- It is far too late...
Fati uttered those words with a dark certainty embedded deep within her soul; she knew full well that he hadn't married her out of love, but out of sheer hatred and malice. She wasn't naive enough to believe this sudden transformation. Inside, she was screaming with questions: What was his actual plan this time? What new obstacles and thorns did he intend to scatter along her path?
At that moment, Jaguar was masterfully playing the role of a gentle lamb and a devoted husband. Yet, she saw him for what he truly was a ruthless, cunning wolf doing nothing more than stalling and killing time, merely waiting for the perfect, decisive moment to devour his prey.
Jaguar slowly dropped his hand away from her, realizing with a sense of despair that no matter how hard he tried tonight, and no matter what promises he made, he would never succeed in changing her mind or moving the concrete wall she had built between them. In the past, whenever she rejected him, she had been far gentler, and her eyes had never carried this much blame and harsh fracture. But now, something was entirely different; these stern eyes, harboring absolute contempt for him, were completely new to him. He had never known this side of her.
He exhaled quietly, attempting to soften the tension.
- Fine... fine, Fati. We will talk when you calm down.
She turned to him instantly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.
- No, Jaguar... I don't want to talk at all. I want my freedom
His hand reached out toward her once more, driven by an overwhelming urge to touch her and comfort her, but he froze, stopping dead in his tracks. Her eyes, burning with defiance, completely repelled him. He realized at that exact moment that his touch would bring nothing but further ruin and revulsion, and that he had to stop immediately. He retreated to his seat, pressed the intercom button connected to the driver, and commanded in a loud, hollow voice,
- To the hospital house
And so he remained... sitting right beside her for the rest of the journey without uttering a single word, drowning in a heavy silence, after Fati masterfully imposed her unexpected, fierce rigidity over the atmosphere of that freezing car.
In the dimness of the car, her gaze betrayed her, dropping toward his hand. She noticed the hairs on his arm standing on end from the sheer chills; it seemed his imposing frame was still frozen under the effect of the frost he had endured for her sake. Her instincts as a doctor stirred within her, and she wanted to ask the driver to turn up the car's heating, but she quickly remembered her wound. She harshly changed her mind and finished the journey, staring silently out at the road.
The moment the car glided to a halt at their destination, Fati immediately stepped out, and Jaguar followed her down into the freezing battleground. Fixing her with a calm look, he said,
- You go on ahead to the apartment... As for me, I am going to visit my grandfather.
Her warm, curious instinct almost compelled her to ask if his grandfather had finally woken up from his coma, but she bit her tongue at the last second. With a deadened pride, she decided she would find that out on her own tomorrow during her hospital shift.
She turned around to head upstairs, yet she couldn't stop herself from casting a sidelong glance to watch him as he walked with firm steps toward the hospital building. He was still wearing that light, white cotton shirt in which he had been freezing for hours amidst the snow. She sighed bitterly to herself; he was still exactly the same feigning absolute strength and dominance, refusing to show his vulnerability or his cold to anyone, even if he was gasping for breath in the freezing frost.
Jaguar walked with heavy steps up to the ward and entered the private suite where his grandfather lay. The old man was stretched out on his back, medical monitors surrounding him and wires connected to his frail body, looking exactly as he did before the surgery. Jaguar sat beside him in silence, watching his vacant features, when suddenly... the grandfather opened his eyes. True to the cold nature of their relationship, the old man greeted him in a stiff, mechanical manner, with a casual look as if he had just seen him yesterday. That was how it always was between them—no flowing emotions, no tenderness to break the ice, just words wrapped in a silent reproach, as if Jaguar, in his grandfather's eyes, were the culprit responsible for the loss of his children; Jaguar's father and his late aunt.
The grandfather slowly pulled the oxygen mask away from his nose and asked in a raspy voice,
- Where is my granddaughter? Why didn't you bring her with you?
Jaguar answered flatly,
- She will come to visit you tomorrow... I only came alone now to confirm something. That last phone call that caused your collapse and put you in this state... was it because of Fati's grandfather?
The old man fixed his weary gaze on him and said,
- Yes... he called me during that phone call to tell me the truth. He told me that Fati is my long-lost granddaughter, and I don't even know how my body betrayed me, causing me to collapse to the ground from the sheer shock of it
Jaguar froze in his tracks, feeling as though the ground were vanishing beneath him. There was no threat, no revenge; it was a reunion call that had overwhelmed his grandfather's senses. His pride and feigned strength shattered in an instant. He buried his head between his palms in pure agony, his voice coming out choked and packed with lethal regret:
- Oh my God!... And now... Fati will never forgive me