Leah's POV
Leah's POV
My heart was pounding like crazy.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Troy wasn't around and Laura was in her office. If someone sneaked into this SPA room and tried to assault me, nobody would find out.
I stood up from the Jacuzzi and tried to grab my clothes, but I got lightheaded because I stood up too fast.
Just when I was about to faint, a pair of hands grabbed my waist and caught me.
I heard a familiar voice with a French accent-
"Désolé, Mademoiselle Lewyn... I'm so sorry for the interruption..."
"Gaspard?" I asked.
Gaspard Laflamme. The tailor. Why is he here? I thought to myself.
"Oui! Miss Lewyn. I'm..." The glowing light from the window illuminated the chiseled feature of the handsome young tailor. He looked awkward and embarrassed because I was completely naked. He pulled a towel and wrapped me up.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lewyn... I came here to bring you the dress for tonight's Grand Ball. I got lost again. Everything here is big and you're like a princess who's always trapped in a maze..." Gaspard wiped the invisible sweat on his forehead and said.
"But... How did you get up here?" I asked.
"I don't know. Monsieur Cleary told me to deliver the dress to the penthouse of this building. I was downstairs and saw the elevator door to the penthouse was left open. So I came in." Gaspard replied.
My private elevator door was left open with no Royal Guards around. That's weird. I thought to myself.
Then, I heard a rustling sound in the darkness.
I wrapped the towel around my body tightly and shifted my hands into claws.
Gaspard leaned against my body. I could tell that he was shivering like a sift. When his uncle asked him to come to the Kingdom and did measurements for me, he couldn't have expected that his journey would be this eventful.
"Show yourself to me," I said to the darkness in my Lycan's voice. "You've walked a great length to meet me. Now you've finally seen me. Present yourself and get on your knees. I will show your mercy."
A shape of shadow emerged in the darkness, but it stopped right there on the verge of darkness and light, without moving forward. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I knew he was staring at me.
At that time, my phone buzzed. I took a glance at the caller ID and saw it was Darren.
I immediately shifted my claws into human hands to answer the call.
"Where are you?!" I asked anxiously.
"I'm fine, Leah... Just hanging out... and making friends..." Darren panted and said.
I heard a loud bang on the phone as if something heavy was smashed on the ground.
"Leave those poor bastards alone," I said in a calm voice.
"How do you know that I wasn't the one who's being beaten, Miss Lewyn?" Darren asked in a playful voice.
I could see his shit-eating smile in my mind.
"I'll meet up with Alpha Mick Toussaint at tonight's Grand Ball. You'd better not kill anyone before that," I said.
I secretly felt so relieved because Darren was fine. But still, I couldn't forgive him for abandoning me in a van full of dead fish and oysters.
"You know that I can't say no to you, Leah. What are you wearing right now?" Darren asked.
Another loud bang. This time it seemed that Darren had bashed a poor guy's head against the wall.
"I'm in a SPA and I've got company," I frowned and said.
"Oh, really?" Darren panted. "In that case, say my name, Leah. Say it out loud."
"Darren, are you drunk?" I asked.
As soon as I mentioned Darren's name, the shadow in the darkness withdrew. In a blink of an eye, it disappeared. At almost the same time, all the light went back. I found myself standing next to Gaspard, who looked terrified with a pair of giant tailor scissors in his hands.
"When do you plan to come back?" I asked. "I kind of need your assistance for tonight. Troy looks miserable and I decide to give him a break."
"I'm on my way back right now," Darren said. "Lunch is on me. I know a really great place."
I hung up on him.
"What was that?! That thing in the darkness?" Gaspard's face looked pale. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"Nothing," I replied with a faint smile on my face. "Now, show me the dress you've made for me."
"C’est beau, Miss Lewyn. You look beautiful in this dress." Gaspard looked up at me and said. He was kneeling on the floor, busy sewing on the hem of my dress.
I poured more liquid into my throat and put down the glass of water on the table, licking my chapped lips while looking at myself in the mirror.
This dress that Gaspard had made for me was a sight to behold. Its delicate fabric was made from the finest silk, carefully woven by the nimble hands of a master artisan. The garment was a perfect fusion of elegance and comfort. Its flowing form fitted every curve of my body with the ease and grace of a summer breeze.
"Thank you for making this beautiful dress for me, Gaspard. And I'm sorry for putting you through so many events in the past few days." I gently stroked the intricate lace of the neckline and said. It was skillfully crafted to resemble the delicate petals of a peony.
"It's been really a pleasure to work for you, Miss Lewyn. Your family has always been so kind to our family business," Gaspard said.
"Tell me something about your experience in France. I haven't been there for a really long time. Is the bakery shop next to your store still open?" I asked.
Gaspard lifted his head to look at me. His head gently touched the area above my knees. I immediately felt a sense of indulgence wash over me.
"Miss Lewyn," Gaspard said in a low, velvet voice, without taking his eyes off me. "There has never been a bakery shop next to my uncle's store."