Whisper Sweet Nothings

"Sherlock, please don't, Sherlock..." Her eyes widened in panic as she pushed the man lying on her lap. Her fingers trailed down his cheeks.

The outgoing and humorous man darkened at the sight of her in panic. However, soon enough, the displeasure vanished, highlighting his handsome features.

"Lena," he said smoothly, raising up to kiss her on the cheek.

"I..." Lena Mu could only bite her lips, looking all too much like a porcelain doll.

"Lena," he whispered again, and his hoarse voice could barely be heard. His lips brushed up against her earlobe, and she shivered.

Lena Mu backed away just a bit, as a hand was trailing down her skin.

She loved Sherlock Mo,

so why was she so uncomfortable around him? The moment his fingers trailed down her skin, it felt as if her stomach was chewing her inside out, and not in a good way.

The close contact was making her skin crawl.

However, she pushed herself to be calm. 'If only Cliff were here, everything would be fine.'

He'd help her, right?

"Lena, listen to me. I mean it." He looked her deep in the eyes, breath fanning her face.

"I won't lie, not to you."

One more kiss. One more take.

Even then she couldn't find it in herself to breathe.

She hated it, hated the feeling of his hands touching her body.

It was like being slithered over by a snake.

Lena Mu shuddered, shoving him out of way. Barefoot, she jumped to the ground like a bunny in panic as she stood against the entryway.

"Sherlock, I can't. I didn't mean it...I was scared..." she rambled, holding up her clothes with one hand while the other was grasped around the brass doorknob.

Sherlock's handsome face turned grim. His shirt was already halfway done and his chest heaved in surprise the moment she jumped off of him.

"Oh, Lena," he drawled out, taking a huge puff of his cigarette. "What's the use of apologizing these days?"

'Was I just dumped?'

He had dated countless of women, and they all seemed to prance around his feet.

Sherlock Mo thought he could get his fingers on Lena Mu too, but it seemed as if his plans were already falling apart.

"Sherlock, I...." She wanted to explain more, but all her words seemed to die at the back of her throat.

Nora once said that if a girl truly loved a man, she'd stand over all the pain.

Yet Lena Mu had flinched at even the slightest of touch. Didn't she love him enough?

"Lena, do you love me?" There was sadness laced in his voice as Sherlock Mo stared at her. There was an unreadable emotion that passed in his gaze.

"I..."

"Is it that hard to answer,

Lena?" he demanded.

'Do I?'

A faint figure flashed at the corner of Lena's eye and she froze.

"We're done here."

Straightening his shirt, Sherlock stomped out of the room, without looking a single glance back at the woman left behind.

Lena simply stared at the retreating figure till he went well in the dark.

However, before she returned, she spotted a man in a black suit underneath an equally black umbrella.

"Lena."

Lena's hair was extremely damp by the rain. However, when she saw him standing by the doorstep, she raced out and embraced him.

Did he come back from a business trip?

It'd been three months since they'd last seen one another.

"Cliff! You're back."

"I'm back," he stated, with a smile,

while half of his body was drenched by the rain.

"Happy birthday, Lena." There were bags around his eyes as his tired gaze fell upon her, but even then, one couldn't deny a hint of emotion that rose in his eyes at the sight of Lena.

"Cliff..."

She felt at loss for words as tears ran down her cheeks. It truly had been so long since she'd seen him.

"What's wrong?" he urged. There was just something intimidating inside his gaze that would make anyone quake in sight.

Lena turned, looking down on the pavements beneath her feet.

"You...today..." She trailed off, trying to gather her nerves.

After a few seconds of leaning into him, she was finally able to raise her head and look him in the eye. "I–I don't love him that much. I think we broke up."

He stood there like a tree, guarding her from the howling winds and harsh rains. His arms enveloped her, pulling her deep into his warmth.

"You'll find a better man," he said softly. His voice was calming, enough to put even a baby to rest. "Don't be so harsh on yourself."

"Really?"

She sniffled. There was just something about Cliff Huo that always seemed to put her mind at ease.

"You will," he confirmed.

"I–I feel dizzy." Finally relaxed, Lena's shoulders sagged in relief, almost losing balance at that moment. Her vision started to whirl around her.

Her forehead was already starting to burn up.

It was always like this – ever since they were kids. She'd always rely on Cliff Huo whole heartedly.

As long as he was by her side, she'd be happy. It felt as if the sun was brighter and the stars shone when she was with him.

If Sherlock didn't want her, then she didn't want him either. That was fine!

All she wanted was Cliff, just him, always him.

She didn't really feel anything as she was carried up by Cliff. She didn't have the best immune system ever since she was a kid. As long as it was chilly out or too hot out, she'd always find herself catching a cold. She was always reminded to drink more vitamins or else they'd find her carted into the nearest hospital.

Cliff shook his head, wanting nothing more than to scold her for taking care of herself so poorly. However, just seeing her in this state made him want nothing more than to just simply be with her.

He took care of her the whole night.

The family doctor that he called up left once the whole procedure was finished.

Cliff stayed up all night. The dark circles under his eyes were further emphasized, and his stubble decorated his face. Even if he was exhausted, the air around him was still deterrent yet elegant.

As Lena woke up, she found herself staring into Cliff longer than she anticipated. She froze, turning away.

Nora was right. This was why she never found the right one.

It felt as if a colony of ants bit the insides of her heart.

The man she loved the most was no one other than Cliff.

"Cliff, you stayed with me the entire night?" she whispered.

"I've had a nap. Don't worry about it." Cliff placed a hand on her forehead. Realizing that her temperature finally dropped down, his shoulders sagged in relief.

"I'm fine, Cliff! Please go to bed!" His hand on her forehead made her entire system feel as if it was burning. Her lips twitched up.

Was Cliff like that with everyone else?

"Are you sure?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Trust me, okay?" Lena smiled sweetly.

She finally knew where her heart belonged now. It was with Cliff. It had always been with him.

'Will I finally move on from Sherlock then? Was he just a thing of the past?'

Lena guessed she'd figure that out, as she stared in the distance.

After the rain last night, the air was fresher than ever.

The dark clouds finally cleared out, giving out a mix of colors of bright blue and yellow. The wind blew, its gentle breeze moving the leaves that had fell from last night.

Admiring the view, Lena sat in the balcony with earphones on hand, enjoying the serenity of the moment.

Outside the green grasses, a graceful lady entered with a wide smile. Her posture was slender and thin like a tall willow.

A handsome man sat adjacent towards her. From the way they laughed and looked at one another, one could really feel the love that radiated from them.

They must've known each other for a very long time.

"Sorry, have you waited long?" The woman had a soft voice, like one of those violins you'd hear at the orchestra. There was something so enchanting about her face that one couldn't simply look away.

Lena narrowed her eyes at the view below her, only to freeze at the sight of Cliff with another girl.

'Who is she?

Why is she with Cliff?'

She peered closer. There was so much gentleness in Cliff's gaze towards the woman, and from the way they moved closer to one another, they were already very comfortable with each other's presence.

Lena staggered up, moving down the steps. She needed to find out who the girl was!

Once she reached the first floor, she was already panting. Not being able to recover much from the rain yesterday, her condition was still weak. She leaned over the doorframe, coughing heavily.

Her face flushed red from the adrenaline that pumped in her chest as she rushed down the steps.

Upon hearing the abrupt noise, Cliff turned around, rushing over to Lena's weak body. He patted her shoulder and asked the servants to fetch some hot water for her.

Sadness flashed in the unknown woman's eyes as she moved towards them.

"Cliff," she exclaimed, plastering a smile on her face. "Is this the woman you've been talking about?

It's just like you said. She's truly very delicate.

Nice to meet you, Lena. I'm Sherry, Cliff's friend.

I've known him since we were in primary, even went to the same schools together till college. In fact, we've been studying abroad. He'd been taking care of me this whole time."

Sherry Mu laughed lightly, beaming at her. She had heard of Lena, obviously. The name could barely stray from any conversation she had with Cliff. Every single time, he always found a way to bring her up.

Lena smiled gently.

In a few seconds, she managed to control her coughing spree, wiping her red rimmed eyes.

"I'm Lena. It's nice to meet you." From the way Sherry Mu had placed it, it seemed she had a stronger relationship with Cliff,

but so what?

Could it be deeper than the ties she and Cliff shared?

Ever since she learned how to walk, Lena had already grown up in the Huo Family. Apart from coming back home every New Year, she always had a room here the Huo Family prepared for her.

However, no matter how sensitive Lena was with these things, she couldn't sense any malice from Sherry's voice. It was just a matter-of-fact one from her.

So what did this woman want from her?

Lena still didn't know.

"Sherry," Cliff warned and Sherry's heart skipped a beat, bitterness pooling over her.

So just like that, he'd take her side?

Why?

Wasn't she good enough?

Wasn't she prettier than Lena?

She was talented, well-educated, rich, and had a pretty stable job. It seemed she should be much superior than Lena.

At that moment, Sherry couldn't help but feel envious of the woman.

However, she hid it well.

"I'm sorry, Lena. It's just that we haven't seen each other in a while, and I'm always the talkative one when it comes to this." Sherry smiled apologetically. "I hope you don't mind."

Cliff, however, didn't return her smile. His gaze was as dark as ink.

'I might as well just take it easy.'

Now that she returned, she'd have loads of chances to get Cliff for herself. And even if Lena was there, she was confident that she'd be able to get him before Lena could.

Besides, at this point, Lena already had a boyfriend.

Therefore, Cliff must be like a brother to her.

Sherry's smile twitched at the thought. That was fine by her then.

"Not at all. It's the first time I've heard about it. I didn't expect that Cliff would have any friends other than Hiram and Jacob.

If I hadn't met you today, I wouldn't have known you at all." She shot Cliff a playful glare. "I guess he just wasn't a hundred percent honest with me." Although Lena wasn't sure what Sherry was trying to say, she'd be dead if she didn't have another retort in line. Besides at this point, she couldn't care less about the woman in front of her.

Sherry stilled at her words, her smile fading just a bit.

It never occurred to her that Lena would be so snappy. Didn't anybody teach her some decent manners?

Given the predicament, Sherry could only wave her hands and laugh. She knew that the more she spoke, the more mistakes she'd make.

"And when did you learn how to snap like that?" Cliff snorted, chortling as he ruffled Lena's hair. "The housekeeper's preparing your favorite soup. Go inside.

You're still not in good condition, so you might catch a cold, okay?"

Lena took one last glance at the two of them before walking in.

Although she was drinking her favorite soup, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to what was happening outside.

Who the heck was Sherry?

Was she Cliff's girlfriend?

If she were then...

Lena shook her head, letting the thought dissipate. No. Cliff was hers.

However, no matter how much she assured herself, it felt as if the shadow of envy had already grasped its claws around her.

She just didn't like the idea of Cliff being with someone else.

Although the sweet soup was supposed to be delectable, she felt the taste go flat as every minute passed. As Lena finished it up, she continued to look at the door.

Soon, Cliff finally returned.

"Cliff..." Lena pouted, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and pulling him next to her.

"What's wrong Lena?" Cliff sat down next to her.

"Is Sherry your girlfriend? Will you marry her?

Cliff, I..." Lena couldn't contain herself any longer. She then looked away, choking, as she tried to contain the tears that were about to fall out.

"My silly girl." He poked her on the forehead, as his thumb wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"She's not my girlfriend, and she definitely won't be anytime soon. Besides, I like someone else."

Cliff was always known to keep his emotions deep in his heart.

'It's not Sherry?'

Lena grinned at the thought. However, it seemed as if the battle wasn't over.

"Then, who is it? Who's the lucky girl?"

Cliff could only stare at her, not saying another word.