Chapter Five

(Violet's POV)

“I feel strange,” I state at the top of the stairs. The royal blue dress the maids squeezed me into compressing my rib cage until it was hard to move. Leo doesn't say a word, but instead stares with a strange expression. I grip the handrail as I descend the curved structure, stopping a few steps before the floor.

“You look beautiful,” he comments while extending a hand. I feel the heat rush to my cheeks as I quickly grab it and clear my throat. 

“You look nice too,” I replied and it was true. He wore a classic tuxedo with a bow tie and his hair slicked back. If there was ever a time when he looked the part of CEO, it was now.

The party was held in the penthouse of a presumably high ranking man in the business world. Leo had told me a bit about it, but I was more nervous about the guests than the host.

“No need to be nervous,” Leo comments beside me in the car. I scoff as he smiles with that same false expression.

“There's no need to pretend either,” I shoot back. His smile slowly fades as we stare in the silence, his eyes searching for something in mine. After arriving at the event, a new game of acting began. 

“Ah! Mr. Whitlock, it is a pleasure,” an equally well dressed man greeted us upon exiting the elevator. 

“Pleasure is all mine,” Leo responded, his hand moving from their handshake to mine. “This is Ms. Bennet, my fiance.” I force a small smile and nod my head, trying hard to be polite.

“Oh, she is quite the beauty! I dare say you've found quite the catch, Mr. Whitlock,” the man comments and for a ghost of a second, I see a shadow pass over Leo's face before quickly being replaced by his professional smile. 

“Excuse us, I wouldn't want to hold up the other guests,” Leo states while walking towards the bar, his hand still over mine. As we weave between couples and groups to reach the exquisite looking counter, Leo expertly dodges all the eager patrons asking for his attention. 

“I guess you're really popular, huh?” I inquire with mild amusement at his exasperated facial expression. He glances at my smug face and smirks.

“A prime target is more like it,” he states. I giggle at this new side of him and pause to fully take in the scene. A tall dark haired man, leaning up against the fancy bar in a well cut tuxedo. His blue eyes perfectly reflect the glow from the city lights and I find myself not wanting to look away. 

“Violet! Is that you?” a high pitched voice calls from afar. I feel my blood freeze and the room becomes more blurry than before. I use my hand to brace against the bar as my chest grows heavy, a burning pain stealing away all air from my lungs. 

“I thought that was you!” a bleach blonde woman loudly states in her appallingly short attire. Standing beside her is another woman in similar dress and wicked expression. Leo notices my unstable stance and moves closer to look in my eyes. His concern is clear as I desperately shake my head.

“Oh, I heard about you parents! That is so sad,” the other woman comments with fake empathy. Their scratchy voices only make my nauseous stomach want to expel all its contents and I find myself hiding my face in Leo's chest. 

“That's right,” the blonde continued, Leo now starring both of them down. “It is a shame, but it looks like you got a hot man in return. Seems fair enough!” she laughs while sipping her bubbly beverage. The other girl joins in laughing and I feel like I'm about to pass out when Leo wraps his arm around me.

“Excuse me ladies, but my fiance and I need to step out a moment,” he strongly declares. The two women get faces of disappointment before trying something else.

“Oh, don't let her ruin the mood. Come, why don't we show you what fun really looks like?” the blonde invites with clear implications. Leo grips me tightly and pushes past them, not bothering to spare a glance back.

As we reach the balcony, he gently helps me to a chair before taking off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders. I pull it closer as a chilly breeze passes over us, my mind still threatening to take me down.

“Hey, do you need a doctor?” Leo's gentle tone inquires. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I find myself slowly regaining composure as I inhale the brisk evening air. 

“No, I just need a minute,” I reassure with little success. He raises a brow in disbelief, but sits down across from me instead of saying anything. After some time passes, my heart feels stable again and the world is no longer spinning.

“Thank you for getting me out back there,” I quietly said in the still atmosphere. Leo takes this as a sign to start talking again.

“Do you know those two?” he asks, clearly referring to the two women from before. I nod and take another breath before elaborating slightly.

“Back in college they were my so-called friends. I later found out they were actually talking bad behind my back and so I stopped interacting with them. I never thought I would ever have to see them again,” I grumble in discontent. Leo lets out a short laugh and meets my gaze.

“I guess there are bad apples in every corner of the world, huh?” he jokingly comments. I find myself cracking a smile too and we both sit there a moment, taking in the peace of the night.

After the scene those two caused, Leo made some excuse for us to leave and drove us home. The mansion was quiet as all the staff had departed for the night, leaving just the two of us alone. I nervously spare glances toward Leo as we ascend to the second floor.

I naturally walked to my door and found that he was still next to me. Resting my hand on the knob, I playfully lean my head against the wood and look at him. His face is blank, no clues giving away what he is thinking. 

“Thanks again for earlier, Leo,” I thank once more. Leaning over to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. I can smell the same citrus scent as the day we were supposed to get married. Pulling back, Leo's eyes flicker with surprise at my sudden contact.

I see his eyes shift from my eyes to lips, a possibility hanging in the air. After we stare for what feels like an eternity, I decide to risk it and lean forward. Before I can feel the warmth of his touch, Leo steps back, leaving me standing there awkwardly.

“Goodnight, Vee,” he calmly states before heading for his room. As I hear the click of his door shut in the distance, I'm left stunned and astonished at the events of the day before also calling it a night. 

The next morning is bizarre as Leo seemingly avoids me. “Hey, Leo,” I tried to say, but he was already out the door. He didn't return till that night and swiftly went straight to bed.

The morning after that, I got tired of trying to deal with Leo's ever changing behavior and decided to make some breakfast. Plugging in what looked to be a toaster, I loaded it with bread and set the timer.

“Alright, now it's time for the protein,” I sort out in my mind.  As I left the bread alone, I got started on some fried eggs. 

All was well until I heard the loud ring of the toaster, or at least that's what I should have heard. Instead, the lights to the kitchen momentarily turned off.

“Oh, shit!,” I exclaim while running around the counter. Panicking, I race over to find the bread black and burnt with smoke rising from the top. 

“What are you doing, madam?” the cook questions with a distressed look. 

“I was just making some breakfast, but it seems I over cooked the toast,” I shyly explained with a sorry expression. She shakes her head before quietly cleaning up the mess.

Embarrassed by the incident, I return to my room when a loud thud grabs my attention. I slowly walked towards the door. Loud voices are heard shouting before going silent. I press my ear up to the door, only for it to swing open revealing a fuming Leo.

“Hey! What are you doing?” I ask, taken aback by his scruffy appearance. His hair is half covering his eyes and he’s wearing a white tee instead of his usual suit.

“Did you cause the power outage this morning?” his deep voice growls. Startled by the anger in those blue pools, all I can do is nod. Leo stands up straight and squints, displeasure evident in his stance.

“It was just a small mistake. It's not that big of a deal,” I defend myself. Leo scoffs in a bitter tone, glare once more.

“Your small mistake messed up my alarm and caused me to miss a vital meeting. Because of you, the company just lost millions,” he growled. I understand why he's upset, but refuse to be treated like a screw up.

“Oh, I'm sorry. It would be a shame if your billion dollar company lost a couple million because you didn't have a backup plan!” I rebuttal with my own fury. 

“Violet!” Leo shouts back, clearly reaching his breaking point. The room falls silent as he waits for my shout in return, but none comes. Instead, I find my vision blurring until it fades to black. My limp body hits the floor with a sickening thud, any signs of life buried beneath a shallow heartbeat.