Lena woke up to no one by her side. She and Darian had slept together the night before, but now he was gone. She noticed that he had been acting strangely since she told him she loved him, it'd been days since they celebrated their anniversary and she said the words, but Darian had changed towards her.
Even if he would not admit to it, she knew that he was drifting away. She loved him, that was the truth and she didn't know what else to do or how else to go about it, she loved him.
She got out of bed, dragging her feet around the bedroom. She walked out to check if Darian was in his study, but it was empty. She could have scented his cologne if he was around. Lena sighed, walking back to the bedroom, she sighted Tina curled up on one of the couches in the living room. She ambled to the living room to ask if she had seen Darian.
"Good morning, ma'am." Tina greeted when she spotted Lena.
"Tina, how are you?" She gave her a small smile.
"Very well, ma'am. The boss said I should let you know that he has to attend to something important this morning. He left about two hours ago." Tina relayed Darian's message to Lena.
Lena shrugged her shoulders, wondering why he didn't wake her to tell her about it the night before. She sighed when she thought about emergencies, there was always an impromptu meeting for him to attend to.
Thanking Tina, she strolled back into the bedroom with thoughts of Darian on her mind. She always missed him so much, and now she had to stay at home all day because he didn't want something bad to happen to her again, he had pleaded that she stayed home until they were able to resolve the issues they were dealing with in the Mafia and she had accepted to do so.
She grabbed her phone from one of the cabinets and sat on the bed. Dialling her father's number, she pressed the phone to her ear.
"Dad," she dubbed when he picked the call. "How are you this morning?"
"Lena, I was about to call you," Gavin said over the phone.
"Is there a problem?" She asked, twinkling her eyes.
"Darian brought a car to the house, a very good one. He brought in two more maids to help my maid, and I called to thank you for that. I wasn't able to see him because he didn't come by himself, you know I don't have his phone number, but I can call you to thank him." Lena could sense the excitement in her father's voice as they spoke, but she was stunned. Darian didn't discuss this with her beforehand. "Is he there with you? I want to speak to him." Gavin asked his daughter.
"No, Dad. He has gone to work." Her voice was low. "You are welcome daddy, and I will thank him on your behalf too. How is your health?"
"I am good, very fine Lena. What about you? I see you are getting along with him or is there a problem you'd like to let me know about?" He questioned her.
Lena thought carefully. Then she sighed and shook her head. There was nothing she could tell her father about her husband.
"No, dad. We are good, take care of yourself. I will visit you soon." Gavin replied to her and they ended the call afterwards.
Lena tossed her phone on the bed. She should be happy that Darian was taking care of her father, but she was mad, so mad he didn't discuss his plans with her before doing them and angrier that he had been drifting apart since she told him she loved him.
Even though he didn't say the words back to her, she didn't regret telling him because that was her true feelings for him.
She picked up her phone, dialling his number. It rang for some time, but he didn't pick up. She sighed, worried about him. She called again and this time, he picked up.
"Darian, what's going on with you?" She lashed out at him, her voice raspy. She wanted him to feel her fury through her voice.
"Lena, I am in a meeting, I will talk to you when I get home." He said in a low voice, ending the call almost immediately.
"Really? Really?" She ruffled her hair. Dangling her legs on the bed, she muttered cuss words. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Darian!" She was dejected, he was drifting away from her once again and she didn't like it. She laid back on the bed, sobbing lightly.
-
After the meeting with the elders of the Dawson family, Darian headed towards Talia's office, he stumbled upon Amy on his way.
She greeted him with a charming smile attempting to hug him, but he deterred her.
Amy shrugged her shoulders, "How is Lena?" She asked him.
"She's fine," Darian responded curtly.
"She left the casino," Amy pressed her lips together, her eyes ogling Darian's manly features; he was too handsome, too good-looking to be true.
Lena was lucky to have him as her husband, she thought inwardly. She would do anything to have Darian, but since he made it clear that Lena was his wife and he didn't want any other woman, she backed out, believing there were other men out there who would love her the way she wanted to be loved as a woman.
"Yes, she did." Darian glared at her. "I have to leave now." He said in a hurried tone.
There was too much on his mind as he stood there, he had a whole lot of thoughts jumbled up in his head. He just wanted to see Talia and leave the casino.
"Do tell her to visit sometime." Amy smiled.
Darian didn't respond to her, he walked out before she said goodbye.
He arrived at Talia's office, knocking at the door, he was ordered to come in. He slid inside and shut the door behind him.
"Hi, Talia." Darian waved at her, striding to take a seat on one of the armchairs in the office.
"Darian, you look good!" Talia smiled, jerking her fingers at him. "How have you been and how is your wife?" She asked.
"I have been good and Lena is great too," Darian answered her question. "Why did you call me though?"
"It's about Lena," Talia clasped her hands together, lowering them to the desk. She adjusted her glasses and narrowed her gaze on Darian. "Has she started a new job?"
"Not yet, I want her home for now. There has been a lot happening around her." He said.
"Yes, I heard about her abduction and I am glad she came back safe. Sorry about that." Talia smiled. "Why not let her come back to the casino if she wants to work? I mean, it's safer here and she doesn't have to work as a hostess anymore. I will let her choose any position for herself. What do you think?" Her gaze was fixed intently on Darian. He had never refused her offer, she was like a mother figure to him and he gave her the respect of being obedient to her.
"She doesn't want to work here anymore." Darian muttered.
"You can persuade her to change her mind. You are her husband and the Mafia lord. You know, most of the women didn't leave the casino, they still work here and I feel she should be a part of us too, as the Lord's wife." Talia leaned back on her chair.
"Talia, Lena does not want to work here anymore and I won't compel her to do so because I am her husband or the boss. I respect whatever decision she makes for herself." Darian said frantically. He meant every word. He could not coerce Lena into what she didn't want. And even if he tried to, she would always do whatever she had in her mind, that was how stubborn she was. "She's been through so much because she's married to me, I don't want to complicate things, I just want her to be happy doing what she wants."
"Darian," Talia called.
"I have a meeting in the office, Talia. I'd like to leave now." With that said, he straightened up and headed towards the door. He could hear the faint sound of Talia's words but he didn't care what she was talking about, he dashed out of the office in a blink of an eye.
Darian walked through the hallway, responding to greetings from the family's women, the cleaners and every other worker at the casino. He nodded his head faintly to acknowledge them whenever they greeted him.
He got out with Jay by his side, "How is the woman you call my mother?" He asked Jay.
"She's still receiving treatments, her maid said she keeps asking who we are," Jay replied, bowing his head.
"And what did she tell her?" Darian looked at him.
"Just some kind people who have decided to help her. She added a lie that we run an NGO."
"NGO?" Darian smiled, snapping his fingers, he patted Jay's shoulders. "Don't you think we should start one? There are a lot of people out there who need help. That idea is great, note it down, we will start one in future."
Jay nodded his head in understanding.
They turned around and were walking towards the car when Darian's eyes glimpsed someone familiar coming toward them. He halted his steps when she was close to them and asked.
"Thelma, what the fuck are you doing in the Dawsons' family casino?"