CHAPTER 5

The morning air in the Romano estate was a delicate blend of citrus scented linen and silence. Sunlight streamed into the master's bedroom through the cracks in the curtains and Lionel stirred from his sleep reluctantly. He didn't want to move, didn't want to break whatever fragile peace this was. Since the accident, most things in his life felt alien. Faces blurred, names misplaced, eyes half closed, he reached across the bed slowly, hoping to brush across Elora's smooth skin. Elora was the only constant now, even if his memory offered no truth of who she had been to him. Still, every time she looked at him, it felt like she knew more than she said. However, his fingers brushed against nothing, the bed next to him was empty. He gingerly opened his eyes then and rose slowly, groaning as he sat up, ribs still tender. Elora stood by the window, already dressed in a cream silk robe that shimmered faintly in the sun.

"You're up early", Lionel noted.

"I thought I'd let you sleep in, you need your rest", she replied, glancing at him briefly.

He watched her a minute longer than he should have.

"I sleep better with you here", he said finally.

Her spine stiffened but she smiled anyway, "I'm glad"

"You should get dressed and ready", she pointed out.

"Why? Are we going somewhere?", Lionel asked.

He hadn't been allowed to go anywhere since he returned from the hospital.

"To the hospital, you have an appointment", she answered.

"With Dr. Peters?", he asked.

"No", Elora shook her head.

"... With Dr. Kessler, your personal doctor, surely you remember him?", she asked.

"Blurringly", he answered.

"Hm, that's good", she nodded before slipping into the bathroom.

~~

By noon, Elora was at Lionel's side as Dr. Kessler explained his therapy schedule.

"Well looking at all your scans, I'd say you're recovering quite well", Dr. Kessler pointed out.

"You should be able to return to work, yeah, I'll say we can start easing you into short meetings next week", he said, flipping through the charts.

Elora interrupted smoothly, "Wouldn't it be wiser to wait a bit longer? He's still adjusting and stress could delay his recovery"

Dr. Kessler hesitated.

"I suppose we could shift things by a few days-"

"No, let's push the meetings and work by another couple of weeks", Elora added, her voice exuding soft authority.

"I- I don't think there's any reason for us to push things that far", Dr. Kessler argued.

"I hope you understand Dr. Kessler that I'm only trying to prioritize his health", Elora insisted.

"Yes but-"

"I think that's fine", Lionel interrupted him.

He glanced at Elora.

"If Elora thinks I need time then it's for the best "

Elora smiled at him.

~~

"Why don't you go ahead upstairs? I'll come soon, I just need to check on something", Elora told Lionel as they climbed up the stairs.

"Ok", Lionel nodded once and headed for their room.

Elora watched him go in and close the door behind him. She looked around and seeing nobody else around, she stalked over to Lionel's study and slipped in quietly. She avoided the oak desk and walked over to his cabinets. She pulled each of them open and rifled through the files until she found the one she was looking for, tucked discreetly in another folder. She quickly slipped it into her bag and quietly left the room. Elora carefully left the house where a rider wearing a black helmet was waiting outside. She slipped the file out of her bag and gave it to him. He took the file and zoomed off just as Elora pulled out her phone and texted a single word: 'Delivered'.

A minute later, her phone rang and she picked it up. Julian Foster's voice came through, low and clipped.

"This is good, it gives me leverage to use at the regulatory conference, not enough to burn them of course, but enough to make them squirm. You've done well", he said.

"I've done what I said I would", she replied coldly.

"Yes but have you forgotten why you started? This is just the beginning", he said, almost amused.

"Don't let his pretty eyes fool you"

Her grip on the phone tightened.

"He's not fooling me", she said through gritted teeth.

"Then keep going, you know what's next"

Elora hung up without another word.

~~

That night, Lionel sat on the bed, flipping through an old photo album Rosa had given him. Most faces were familiar in that strange, dreamlike way, blurry yet stirring something familiar underneath.

Elora entered carrying a fresh cup of chamomile tea.

"Aren't you tired?", she said.

He looked up, smiling.

"I was waiting for you, can't sleep without you", he said.

She stilled for a second, then placed the tea on the nightstand.

"Would you...", he hesitated. "... would you sleep with me?"

Elora blinked.

"I- I don't mean it like that... we'll just sleep of course but like together..."

Elora smiled at him almost patronizingly.

"We already share a bed", she pointed out.

"No", he murmured, his voice more vulnerable than before.

"I mean like we must have before, closer, please?"

The crack in her resolve was small but it widened fast. Wordlessly, she slipped under the covers and this time when he reached for her, she didn't pull away. He curled around her like instinct. His hand slid along her waist until his fingers rested lightly against her navel, Elora's breath hitched.

"I missed this", he whispered against the shell of her ear. His hand splayed wider, pressing against him.

Her heart hammered.

"You don't remember this", she said softly.

"No... but my body does"

A long silence stretched between them.

"I used to touch you like this, didn't I?", he asked.

Her throat bobbed.

"You used to touch me in ways you don’t remember", she told him and his fingers tightened slightly on her waist. "Tell me something about us", he said.

Elora turned in his arms, her face inches from his. "You hated being cold. So I used to warm your hands between mine", she said as she dug deep into the memories of them together she thought she had buried deep inside her head.

"Show me", he whispered.

And she did, cupping his hands gently, letting their heat mingle, her lips trembling as she fought the flicker in her chest. She hated how natural it still felt, hated that guilt bloomed in her chest like a flower.

~~

The next morning, Lionel woke alone. Elora as usual had woken up before him. On the pillow beside him lay a small velvet box. Confused, he picked it up and opened it to find a delicate silver necklace, an infinity loop woven with tiny sapphires. Something about it made his skin prickle.

"Elora?", he called.

She entered from the bathroom, towel drying her hair. Her robe clung damply to her skin, collarbone glistening with droplets.

He held up the box and asked, "Did you give me this?"

She frowned, "No. Why?"

"It was under my pillow", she answered.

She crossed the room, eyes narrowing as she examined the necklace.

"I’ve never seen it before", she said quietly.

Lionel studied her. Her expression was composed but something in her eyes betrayed her surprise.

"Elora, are you sure?", he pressed.

She hesitated a second too long, "Of course"

He nodded slowly, but the knot in his gut tightened. He looked back down at the necklace, it was cold, expensive, impersonal, it was meant to be found.

"Do you think it’s a gift from someone before the accident?", he asked.

Elora turned away, grabbing a brush from the vanity.

"Maybe", she shrugged. "Your admirers never had boundaries"

Lionel didn’t respond, he simply nodded his head then slipped out of the bedroom.

Elora stared at the closed door for a long time coming to terms with the fact that something had shifted, the past was no longer locked and buried in the ground, it had come knocking.