A month and two weeks had passed after the incident at the anniversary party. Darian was still trying to find those behind it, but the criminals they caught didn't confess to anything more after that night he met with them.
He had ordered that they be released from the dark room, locked up in the part of the family house that was not in use, and properly taken care of. He had the hope they would help him someday, he had to keep them alive and healthy.
He was working on some office work in the study when the door pulled open to Lena. A small yawn slipped out of her mouth as she walked toward him. She was wearing the same pair of pajamas he was wearing, the slides were the same too. She chuckled when she saw it. She had purposely done that.
"Hello, I was wondering if you'd come back to the room." She combed her hair with her fingers and packed it into a not-too-tight bun, fastening the tip with the band she wore before. She drew out a chair and dragged it next to him, she settled on it and smiled. "Hope you don't mind?" She asked him.
"Er," he scratched his head when he noticed they had the same pajamas and slides on. "I have to change my clothes." He dropped the laptop on the desk.
"Why?" Lena smirked. "Because I am wearing the same?"
"I mean, it looks weird. I didn't know you would be wearing the same. I have to change." He attempted to stand up but she stopped him.
"Darian, we are a couple. Aren't we? And this just looks so cute. I love it so much." She hid her small hands under her sleeves. "Please, don't change your clothes. I know you got this so we could twin, so don't pretend that you don't like it." She beamed with a smile.
"No, I didn't." Darian picked up his laptop, ignoring her words.
He leaned backward on the armchair, his eyes focused on the screen, his finger rested on his chin. He sighed and scrolled down to get a few pieces of information about the company he was working with.
Lena smiled as she admired her husband, she thought of taking pictures of him but she didn't come with her phone. She caught a glimpse of Darian's phone on the desk, she picked it up and switched to the camera. He didn't take the phone back from her, he continued with what he was doing.
"Hey, Darian. Can you–?" She drawled.
"Can I do what?" He furrowed his eyebrows, peering over his shoulder to take a look at her. She quickly took a photo of him, he squinted his eyes and she captured his face again. "Hey, I don't take pictures."
"Now, let's take a shot." She rested her back on his chest and took pictures of them together. She took about five photos of them. Scrolling through, she yelled. "Oh my God! We look so cute together. I have to post this on my Instagram page." She said, lowering the phone back on the desk. "We don't chat online, that's not nice." She pouted her lips. "I doubt if you have any social media apps on your phone." She glared at him, knowing well that he wasn't the type to chat online. He wasn't a social type. If he wasn't spending time with her, he was at the Dawson family house or attending to office matters. He was a busy man. "Do you know what Instagram is?" She asked, handing the phone to him.
"No, what is it?" He played along with her.
"It's a social media app that connects you with millions of people all over the world." She made hand gestures as she explained all about Instagram to him. He nodded his head at some points, she kept on talking when he shut the laptop and stared at her. "Oh, was I talking too much?"
"How can I create an Instagram account?" He gave his phone back to her. "Will you help me?"
"Really?" Lena laughed, she took his phone and demanded the necessary details she needed. When she was done with the creation of the account, she added one of their pictures as his profile picture and showed it to him. "I have sent a friend request to myself. I will let you see my profile when I accept your request."
"I will keep that in mind," he drew her chair closer and took her hands. "Were you missing me so much you couldn't wait for me to come back to the room?" His fingers tinkering her hair, he loosened the band she used in packing her hair.
"I wasn't missing you," she denied. She had missed him so much she had to come to study to see him. "Why do you spend most of your time here?" She asked.
"Because I work here, I work all the time, you know?" He packed her hair tightly with the band. "It looks better now." He let go of her.
"You work so hard, I am envious of you."
"Why? You work too." Darian smiled.
"No, I am not talking about that. You have control over many things and you do them well without mistakes. Just take a look at me, I can't even work well at the casino. Just one job and I can't do it well." Lena grimaced, staring at Darian, she pursed her lips.
"You don't do well at the casino because you don't like the job you do there." He let out. "I wish there is a way I can change that." He had discussed with the members of the mafia at the table about their wives doing what they wanted to do, but most of them didn't agree with his suggestion.
He didn't want to bug them again since they had a lot on their plate right now. He was waiting for the right to bring up the discussion again.
"Maybe you have a point." She crossed her legs on top of each other. "The fraud that happened at the casino. Did you find the culprit?" She asked him.
"Yes, we did. He was fired and the money he stole was taken away from him. We confiscated his properties and sent him to Dallas." He responded.
He recalled the victory that was on Judson's face the day the swindler was caught.
Darian was disappointed, he felt so bad for ever thinking Judson was the one behind the missing money, but he didn't show remorse. He sent the culprit to be punished by Gunther, the underboss Darian assigned to handle the Dawson family affairs in Dallas.
"You didn't tell us about it. Everyone at the casino is curious to know who the thief is." Lena played with the hem of her pajamas.
"We handled it,"
"I see," she nodded her head.
Stillness filled the study, and Darian couldn't take his eyes off Lena. She felt his gaze burning her face but she didn't look at him. She was lost for words, it felt so weird that her heart was beating too fast.
"You should stop staring at me, huh?" She hoisted her head up to meet his eyes. She swallowed hard, "do I have something on my face?" She took his phone and glanced at the screen, she found nothing on her face.
She dropped the phone. Swiveling the chair, she turned to the other side of the room.
"Are you shy?" He asked, the sound of his voice was pleasing to her ears.
"Shy? No, I am not." She shook her head. Turning back to him, "what can I do for you?"
"Two weeks ago, I got a report from one of the men who attacked us at the anniversary party. He told me that some people are after us and we have to watch our backs." He pulled her closer, her eyes flew open when he heaved her up from the chair she was seated on.
"Who are they?" She looked down at him.
He jerked her hands and she fell on his thighs. He smiled. "You are so light, do you eat at all?"
"I eat a lot." She retorted sharply.
"I don't know who they are but we have to be careful. I brought in more bodyguards, but I want you to do something for me, Lena." He touched her face.
"What's that?" Her voice was low.
The effects he had on her were crazy, she almost lost her voice when he touched her. She looked into his eyes, wondering if she had the same effect on him too.
"You just asked what you can do for me right?"
"Yes, I want to know."
"I want you to stay safe for me, that will be alright for me." He cupped her face in his hands. His words pleased her soul. "Just be safe for me." He planted a kiss on her forehead.
Lena stared into his eyes, her eyes were bleary but she wanted to do this before she completely shut them. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him lightly.
Darian chuckled, "do you want to kiss me?" He was surprised she made the first move.
"I want to sleep, Darian." She slowly shut her eyes and rested her head on his shoulders. "I want to sleep here, like this." She said, shutting her eyes and drifting off to sleep in his arms.
Darian hugged her to himself, never letting go of her. He let her sleep in his arms.
When he was certain she was deeply asleep, he carried her to the room and placed her on the bed. He spread the duvet over her, sat close to her, and stroked her hair lightly.
"Don't leave me, Darian." She rolled on the bed and turned back to him. "Don't leave me, let's sleep together." She held onto his hands, hoping to find him in the dreamland.