Chapter 155 The Embarrassing Morning
The morning light filtered softly through the thin window curtains.
Veyra’s eyes fluttered open slowly. The white ceiling greeted her, and the whole room was completely quiet except for the faint noise of the air conditioner.
She blinked against the dim light and sat up, her long hair tangled around her shoulders and her eyelids still feeling heavy with sleep.
Her eyes drifted straight toward the sofa across the room.
It was entirely empty. The blanket had been neatly folded and set at the edge, and the pillow was fluffed back into shape.
He was gone.
Veyra let out a long breath, not even realizing she had been holding it in.
She assumed he had already left for his business trip early in the morning before she even opened her eyes.
Swinging her legs off the side of the mattress, her bare feet touched the cool floor. She stood up and walked toward the private walk-in closet.
She needed to wash up, change out of her nightwear, and get ready to face the day.
What she did not know was that he was actually still inside the room.
The walk-in closet was dimly lit, illuminated only by the faint morning glow spilling in from the adjacent bedroom. Long clothing racks lined both sides, and wide mirrors reflected the soft morning light.
Veyra unbuttoned her pajama top and let it slip off her shoulders, reaching for a fresh cotton shirt resting on a hanger.
The cool morning air felt sharp against her bare skin.
She had a naturally slender, graceful frame, with long legs, a narrow waist, and defined curves. Her skin was smooth and fair. While her facial features carried an innocent, soft look, her full silhouette was undeniably striking.
She did not pay any attention to it, though. She did not notice how the morning light caught her figure in the mirror. She was simply trying to get dressed for the day ahead.
She reached down to pick up her pair of jeans off the bench.
A sudden prickle on the back of her neck made her freeze. It was that distinct, uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
She turned her head around slowly toward the closet doorway.
Dorian was standing right there in the frame.
His dark eyes were fixed straight on her. His face remained completely still, his jaw tight, and his hands rested loosely at his sides.
He had clearly been standing there for more than just a quick second.
Veyra froze on the spot.
Her arms were still half-raised, the clean shirt dangling from her fingers, leaving her upper body completely exposed to his line of sight.
Time seemed to freeze between them.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat went dry and no sound came out at first.
Panicking, she quickly pulled the folded shirt against her chest to cover herself up. A deep flush of heat rushed all the way from her neck straight to her cheeks.
"What are you doing in here?" she demanded, her voice coming out far higher and faster than she intended. "I thought you already left! I thought you were supposed to be on your flight by now."
Dorian kept his voice calm and steady. "The morning fog delayed the flight. Kaelen called just a moment ago to say the runway cleared up."
His eyes stayed strictly locked on her face, deliberately avoiding looking down at her bare shoulders or waist.
Veyra’s cheeks, ears, and neck were burning a deep, bright red.
"You could have at least knocked or said something," she muttered, clutching the fabric tightly to her chest.
"I was in here all night," Dorian explained neutrally.
"All night?"
"I was working on something. I didn’t hear you wake up."
She stared at him, her heart thumping wildly against her ribs. His expression was completely composed and unreadable, but a brief, subtle flicker crossed deep behind his eyes.
She couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.
Without another word, he turned his body around, walked over to his heavy leather suitcase resting near the wall, and grabbed the handle.
"I am leaving now," he said quietly.
He did not look back at her again.
The heavy door clicked shut behind him, leaving the suite in total silence.
Veyra stood frozen in the middle of the closet for several long seconds, her shirt still pressed flat against her chest and her heart hammering in her ears.
She listened carefully as his footsteps faded all the way down the long hallway. A few seconds later, the distant sound of the front entrance door opened and shut.
He was officially gone.
Veyra let out a deep, shaky breath, her knees feeling weak beneath her.
She quickly pulled her shirt over her head, buttoned her jeans with trembling fingers, and walked out to lock the main suite door.
Leaning her back against the cool wood of the door, her face was still burning hot and her pulse refused to slow down.
She knew she had to take action to make sure an embarrassing incident like this never happened again.
When he finally returned from his trip, she would talk to him directly. She would ask him to keep the connecting door locked from his side or set up clear boundaries so they wouldn’t keep running into each other like this.
She pushed off from the door and walked back into the bedroom area.
The sofa remained empty, the blanket folded neatly and the pillow smoothed out.
Her eyes then drifted toward the small nightstand near the corner.
The small brown bottle was missing from the surface.
Her heart sank a little.
She realized he must have tossed it. The custom essential oil she had carefully prepared for him, the blend meant to help ease his insomnia and head pressure, was gone.
She walked slowly toward the trash bin beside his desk and lifted the lid.
Sure enough, the small glass bottle was resting right at the bottom, sitting among crumpled paper and discarded notes.