Chapter 6 SETTLE OUT

Darian Right softened his gaze. His eyes became tender as they met Ilyana's hazel eyes.

"Kiss me."

Ilyana immediately raised her hand, gently holding Darian's cheek and leaned closer, reaching for the thin lips of the stern-faced man. She kissed him warmly, so softly, so peacefully. Darian Right reciprocated by caressing the back of Ilyana's head, his fingertips lightly grazing her scalp, sending shivers down her spine with those faint touches.

Ilyana released their kisses, then gazed into those unpredictable, melancholic blue eyes.

Darian looked at Ilyana, longingly...

"This isn't over, Ilyana. Come up here," he said.

***

Darian Right was already asleep, lying on his stomach, holding onto Ilyana's cheek as he slumbered. Ilyana's innocent body now shared the same blanket with Darian Right. Ilyana's blanket covered her up to her upper chest, while Right's only covered the lower part of his body. Darian Right's muscular back seemed to breathe easily in the open air.

Ilyana opened her eyes and saw that Darian was truly asleep. She slowly and carefully removed the handsome man's hand from her cheek to avoid waking him up. She placed it on the mattress right in front of Darian's face. Darian Right appeared to be deeply asleep in his stomach position, his face directly facing her.

Darian's sleeping face looked different. He seemed more peaceful and slightly better. His sleeping face was more serene than when he was staring at her with his sharp gaze. Ilyana stared at him for a moment, savoring the moment with the man who had just united with her. She took a quick, shallow breath and then, very slowly, she stealthily crept away. She picked up Darian's discarded shirt from the floor, where he had hastily removed it in the heat of the moment.

Ilyana didn't want to be caught. She carefully slipped her hands into the long sleeves of the shirt, covering her body with the oversized garment that was too big for her slender body. There was no time to put on a dress. Using Darian's shirt would make things easier. She was in such a hurry that she didn't even bother to button up the shirt that draped over her back; she just slipped it on and held it in place with her other hand, making it look like she was wearing a bathrobe.

Now, she was standing in front of the door. Ilyana glanced back once more, making sure the man was still asleep. Safe. Darian Right was still sound asleep in his position. Ilyana gently opened the luxurious door, being careful not to make any noise. She stepped out and closed it softly.

But as soon as she stepped out...

"Huhh!!!" Ilyana gasped, clutching her chest as she saw Ryder standing next to the door.

"Miss Ilyana?" Ryder raised an eyebrow, looking at Ilyana.

Ilyana put her index finger to her lips, gesturing for quiet. "Shh... Mr. Right is asleep. I just need to use the guest toilet for a moment," Ilyana whispered.

Again, Ryder furrowed his brow, feeling puzzled. "Isn't there a toilet inside Mr. Right's room?"

"Uh... Well..." Ilyana frowned, her heart pounding. If she was caught leaving when Darian Right had instructed her to 'stay' in the room, she would definitely be in trouble. Ilyana quickly racked her brain to come up with a plausible explanation. "Um... I have a stomachache. I... don't want Mr. Right to hear me when I use the restroom," Ilyana replied, pretending to hold her stomach and contorting her face as if in pain.

Ryder nodded in understanding. His stern expression returned as he remained vigilant as per Darian Right's instructions.

Ilyana managed to get away. Her bare feet moved swiftly on the marble floor as she half-ran toward the guest bathroom in the house. Ryder, seeing Ilyana in a hurry, didn't have any suspicions. He simply thought her stomach was indeed in pain and that she needed to use the restroom urgently for relief.

Ilyana let out a sigh of relief as she reached the bathroom. She held her chest, which was still pounding. Her breath was still uneven, but Ilyana tried to calm herself down. Her intimate area still throbbed, and there was a lingering discomfort. However, all of it was overshadowed by the nervousness she had felt while sneaking out of the room without Darian Right knowing.

Carefully, Ilyana approached the toilet. She slowly lifted the lid of the white ceramic toilet tank. In the middle of the tank lid was a flush button. Ilyana turned it over, and indeed, there was the note she had been looking for. A small piece of paper folded until its sides were only five by five centimeters. The paper was attached using double-sided tape to the top of the lid, ensuring it stayed dry.

Ilyana breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the note; it was safe. With a faint smile, she immediately removed it and took it out of there. Slowly, Ilyana closed the tank lid again. The cover on top of the toilet bowl was still closed when she arrived. Ilyana then sat on it comfortably. She carefully opened her precious note.

Note:

Ilyana, how are you?

I hope you're holding up.

I've just managed to get the person who will help you out of there.

But it seems the incident with Ronan and the new girl will delay this.

We need to be more careful.

I'll still try to get you out of there.

Hold on a little longer.

Oh, I have good news.

Your mother is fine.

She's still in a coma, but at least she's holding on.

Her bodily responses are stable. You don't need to worry.

~A. L~

***

"Heeehhh ...." Ilyana took another long breath. She held onto the note for a moment and then exhaled. It seemed she would have to be patient a little longer to escape from this magnificent palace.

After reading the entire message, Ilyana tore the paper into small pieces. She stood up from the toilet, opened the tank lid, and disposed of the paper inside. She pressed the flush button, and instantly, water swept away all the paper into the toilet. Ilyana double-checked to ensure no paper remnants were left behind. It was clean. She really had to be cautious, or her last chance to escape would be lost.

Ilyana stepped out and walked calmly. Ryder glanced at Ilyana once more. Ilyana cleverly controlled her breathing to hide any signs of nervousness. Nevertheless, reading the message was always the most tense scene for her. It was also the one she anticipated the most.

At least for now, it was safe. Ilyana returned to Darian Right's room. She planned to pretend to lie back in her original position. Everything would go smoothly. No one would be suspicious.

***

Click.

The door opened.

Ha! Ilyana held her breath. As she entered, Darian Right was already awake, leaning against the bed's headrest. He hugged his chest and looked at Ilyana with his sharp, judgmental blue eyes.

That gaze instantly startled Ilyana, freezing her in place.

Was he awake?

DIG!