24. RADOMIR

Chapter 24

RADOMIR

The moment I see her, fear wraps its icy hand around my chest. Right before Leigh passed out her eyes went blank—staring past me into a void I couldn't follow. It looked like something has yanked her away from me, leaving only an empty shell behind.

Sabrina’s voice echoes in my head, her warning from the night before. If her memories resurface, they’ll hit hard.

I swallow, trying to steady myself, but the fear in me is growing. Last night, after dropping Sabrina off at her apartment, I had shoved Olive into the dungeon for Gunther to deal with. I had every intention of reading the journals Sabrina trusted me with, but instead, I ended up reading about dissociative amnesia. The words are etched in my mind:

Dissociative amnesia isn’t just forgetting—it’s protecting the mind from trauma so deep, it could break the person.

One of the potential effects was catatonia—a blank, unresponsive state caused by memories too heavy to bear. And for those few moments before Leigh passed out, I'm sure that's what I saw.

“Leigh,” I murmur, my voice softer than I thought it could be. No response. She lies lifeless and it sends a ripple of panic through me, one I can barely control. I approach the bed carefully, not sure wether to wake her or leave her—what if she doesn't wake up?

I climb onto the mattress beside her, my movements slow and deliberate. “Leigh, come back,” I say, keeping my voice calm, soothing.

I’ve faced enemies who begged for mercy, watched men crumble under the weight of their own terror, but what I saw in Leigh's eyes before they blanked—was different. It wasn't just fear. This is something deeper, something that has consumed her completely.

What the fuck did she see or experience that caused this? My mind flashes to the journals still piled on the corner of my desk in the penthouse office. I frown remembering Dolph had said he couldn’t find the fourth one I know I had put in the drawer of Leigh’s writing desk. Fuck! Did she find it? Is this why this is happening?

I sit close, but not too close. I don’t care what my damn cousin thinks. What I’m seeing is not one of Leigh’s tricks in her plight to escape. I’ve seen the flicker of cunning in her eyes when she’s trying to outwit me, the calculated pauses in her voice. There was none of that. Just emptiness.

“Leigh,” I try again, leaning toward her. My hand brushes against hers, and it’s ice cold. “It’s me. Radomir. I’m here. You’re safe.” I move a stray lock behind her ear.

She doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move, and I feel my stomach twist. I gently feel her neck for a pulse and it's there. I sigh in relief as it feels normal.

The silence in the room is suffocating. My mind races for answers, strategies, anything to pull her back. I’m a man who thrives on control, on finding weaknesses and exploiting them. But now, I’m powerless. No amount of intimidation or brute force can fix this.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper. My voice is steady, but my pulse pounds like a war drum. I stay close, not daring to touch her again, not yet. Instead, I keep talking—calm, quiet, familiar words I hope will find her, wherever she is. “You’re stronger than this, Leigh. Whatever it is, you’ve survived it before. You’ll survive it again.”

Still nothing. Her chest rises and falls, but it’s like she’s trapped somewhere far away. I lean closer, studying her face. Her lips are slightly parted, her breathing shallow. I can feel the weight of her memories pressing against the air around us. Whatever she’s seeing in her mind, it’s dragged her to the edge.

“Leigh,” I say again, more firmly this time. My voice shakes, betraying the fear I don’t want to show. “Listen to me. You’re not alone anymore. I’m here. I’ll fight whatever this is with you. Just come back.”

Her fingers twitch, so slight I almost miss it. A flicker of life. Hope surges through me, and I reach out again, this time more firmly, grasping her hand in mine. “That’s it,” I encourage, my voice softening. “Come back to me.”

The silence stretches, but I refuse to move. I refuse to let her slip further away. As I sit there, gripping her hand and speaking words I’m not even sure she can hear, a single thought consumes me: I will not lose her .

My mind races. I know I should call someone—Sabrina, anyone—but I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s so still, so silent, it terrifies me. I’m afraid that if I leave her for a minute she’ll slip even further away. All I can do is keep talking and hope to God she’ll eventually hear me.

Cautiously, I stretch out beside her, not caring if my tux gets creased. My hands clasps hers as I rack my brain for something, anything that might reach her. Then I remember the songs. Her music.

“I’m sorry I snooped in your songbook,” I start telling her. “That was a terrible violation of your privacy. But you are so talented, Leigh. I can see why you wanted to be a songwriter.” I give a soft laugh, idly playing with her fingers. “There was one song in particular that stuck in my mind and I have to admit I’ve found myself humming a lot.”

“It’s three a.m., and I’m wide awake… thinking about the way you left me with a promise you’d never break…”

My voice cracks a little—hell, I’m no singer—but I keep going. “Now I’m lost in the echoes of the words we said, wondering if you meant them, or if it’s all in my head…”

Her eyelids flicker. It’s small, barely noticeable, but I see it. My heart lurches.

I keep singing, my voice soft and steady, even as my throat tightens. “It’s a long road back from goodbye, but I’ll find my way. Just tell me I’m not crazy for holding on…”

Her eyes slowly open and she blinks, her brow furrowing slightly as her eyes begin to focus. I take a shaky breath, relief washing over me. She’s coming back.

“Radomir?” she murmurs, her voice faint, like she doesn’t quite know where she is.

I lean closer, keeping my tone calm and steady. “I’m here, Leigh. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Her gaze clears slowly, and I see confusion flicker in her green eyes. “What… what happened?”

I lean a little closer, careful not to crowd her. “You don’t remember?”

She shakes her head slightly, then winces. “No. Just… my head doesn’t hurt anymore. The migraine’s gone.”

I pause, weighing my words. Sabrina had warned me not to overwhelm her, but I need to know. “What set it off?”

Her lips press into a thin line, and she gives me a pointed look. “Probably you blindsiding me with this whole marriage thing.”

I wince, guilt twisting in my gut. She’s not wrong. This is my fault, and I owe her the truth—at least some of it.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “You’re right. This is my fault. I was reckless.” I hesitate, the words tasting bitter as I force them out. “Leigh… there’s a chance you could be pregnant.”

Her eyes widen, and I see the wheels turning in her head. For a moment, I wonder if she’s going to lash out, but then something dawns on her, and she whispers, “Shit… oh, shit.”

Panic flashes in her eyes, and I act on instinct. I lie down beside her and pull her into my arms, surprised when she doesn’t resist. Instead, she curls into me, resting her head against my chest.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, the words so quiet I almost don’t catch them. “I didn’t think about that. When we had sex it was the last thing on my mind.” Her cheeks go a shade of pink.

I stiffen, not expecting that. “This isn’t your fault,” I say, my voice firm.

Her hand clenches the fabric of my shirt, and she shakes her head against me. “It is. I didn’t stop you. I—“

Her words hit me hard, piercing through the walls I’ve spent years building. Gavriil was right. I’m not just falling for her—I might’ve fallen the moment her green-eyed fury stormed into my VIP poker room and turned my world upside down. But I can’t let myself go soft. Not now. There’s still too much I don’t know, too much at stake.

“I have to tell you something. You deserve to know what’s going on.” I tighten my arms around her, speaking softly. “We’re under attack, Leigh. At first, I thought it was a rival family trying to take over. Then I thought they were after you. But now… now I think they want everything. And they have people inside my organization—spies we haven’t identified yet. The stakes are high, and all I want to do is protect you.”

She’s silent for a moment, then asks quietly, “What does that mean for us?”

I take a deep breath. “If you marry me, I can protect you. The weight of my name alone will keep you safe. And when this is over, if you still want to leave, I’ll help you. I’ll make sure you have everything you need to start your career, your life.”

Her head tilts up, and her eyes meet mine. I can see the conflict there, the weight of everything I’ve just told her. Finally, she nods. “I’ll marry you,” she says softly, “but I want to be able to see my friends. And my father.”

Guilt claws at me, sharp and relentless. Mark—the man she believes is her father—is in the hospital. And her real father, Nikolas… I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Not yet. She’s been through enough for one day.

Instead, I pull out the ring. It used to belong to my grandmother, and I know she would have approved. I open the box, a grin tugging at my lips. “Will you marry me, Leigh Dalton?”

She laughs, the sound light and unexpected. Then she nods, her smile soft. “Yes.”

I slide the ring onto her finger, satisfaction and relief flooding through me. But then I glance at my watch and grimace. “I don’t mean to rush you, but we have to do this today.”

She follows my gaze to the dress bag hanging on the closet door and nods. “Then you’d better send Tracy to help me get dressed.”

“You look beautiful as you are,” I tell her, and for a moment, her cheeks flush.

“Give me twenty minutes,” she says, a teasing glint in her eye.

I nod, but I can’t stop myself from pulling her to me for a deep, lingering kiss. My control frays as her lips part against mine, but I pull back before I lose myself completely. “I’ll be waiting,” I whisper.

“I have one more condition,” Leigh says as she pulls back. I can see her shyness as her eyes dart around. “l want to have all the perks of a real marriage.”

My throat goes dry as I realize what’s she’s asking, and my cock instantly starts to go hard as desire coils in the pit of my stomach. “I never thought we wouldn’t.” My voice is gruff as I pull her to me for one more kiss.

I get up and leave the room, my heart pounding. I’m torn between the unexpected excitement of marrying Leigh and the growing worry about what set her memories off.

Tomorrow, I’ll get answers. I’ll speak to Sabrina and figure this out. But today? Today is my wedding day. And tonight? I can’t stop the smile that tugs at my lips. Tonight is my wedding night.