The two of them spent the time quietly, and even after moving to the private wing, Charlotte didn't stop making small conversation, as if she feared Leonid might grow bored of staying with her.
When the nurse brought breakfast, she offered to serve Leonid a plate, but he politely declined. Neither she nor the other nurses missed his gentle, calm demeanor in front of Charlotte, and soon they began whispering to each other that having the one you love beside you could truly change you.
She placed the food down and left, leaving Charlotte with a bowl of rice, vegetable soup, and a green apple.
Leonid stood and poured water into a cup, then placed it in front of her:
"Won't you eat? You need to regain your strength."
Charlotte hesitated before answering softly,
"I'm not hungry."
Leonid smiled lightly,
"Hard to please? Well… I'm not one to pamper others in times of difficulty."
Charlotte looked at him with puzzled eyes,
"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me you're going to force me to eat."
He sat beside her on the bed, rolling up his sleeves and holding the spoon:
"Of course I will. And there's no room for objection."
"No, this—"
She didn't finish, as Leonid pushed the spoonful into her mouth.
Charlotte stared at him with pleading eyes, like a small puppy, but she chewed slowly, while he watched silently, satisfied. With each bite, it turned into a little game; she protested and stalled, and he responded with firm resolve, until she finally ate enough.
When Leonid moved the tray aside and arranged the blanket over her, Charlotte remained quiet, as if focusing solely on digesting what she had eaten. After a moment, she whispered shyly,
"I want to use the bathroom."
Leonid sat on the chair across from her, arms crossed:
"Why?"
Charlotte looked at him in surprise,
"What do you mean why?! Because I want to, of course."
He answered seriously,
"I need to make sure you won't try to vomit."
Her face flushed, and she replied sharply but shyly,
"I won't! How could you even think that?"
Leonid smiled calmly, tapping his finger on his head,
"I can read your thoughts. So, will you promise me?"
Charlotte muttered in annoyance,
"Ugh… why should I ask you when I can get up on my own."
But when she tried to lift the blanket and move, pain shot through her stomach and side. She shivered and groaned, surrendering and lying back down.
"Ah… that hurts."
Leonid shook his head before speaking in a realistic tone,
"Now you're really waking up… you'll feel pain."
Charlotte complained, eyes closed,
"But it hurts so much."
He shrugged calmly,
"That's normal. Now, has your failed attempt ended?"
Charlotte opened her eyes and looked at him for a moment, then replied resignedly,
"Yes."
"Then… will you promise me?"
"I promise."
Leonid smiled with satisfaction, then leaned toward Charlotte, sliding his right arm under her lower back and lifting her smoothly as he drew her close with his other arm.
Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. The bandage pressed on her head, but she didn't complain.
The bathroom was an important part of the room, and the distance was short; in a moment, he had already reached it.
Leonid gently set her down to stand on the bathroom tiles, her bare feet touching the floor.
Charlotte quickly slipped on her slippers while Leonid remained standing beside her.
"Should I stay with you?"
Charlotte raised her eyebrows, her face flushing to her ears, almost about to scream, but Leonid covered her mouth with a smile:
"Okay, okay, just a slip of the tongue. Anyway, I'll wait outside. When you're done, call me and I'll come to carry you."
He left, ignoring her annoyed glances, which hid her embarrassment.
He closed the door behind him and sighed; since Charlotte woke up until now, she had been acting as if nothing had happened, while Leonid knew very well that she was hiding everything inside.
He waited five minutes, then opened the door.
Charlotte stepped out slowly, struggling to carry her own weight. Even her head, which had been numb moments before, began to ache now that she had washed her face.
"What's this? Why didn't you call me?"
Leonid scolded her and reached out his arms, but she stopped him, saying:
"I want to walk…"
He paused for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her to support her:
"You just like exhausting yourself."
He whispered by her ear in a slightly annoyed tone. Charlotte furrowed her brows but tilted her head slightly, avoiding the warm breath that brushed her skin.
She needed to recover… but how could her body and soul heal when she couldn't even walk a short distance?
After lying down and taking a deep breath, the nurse returned with some painkillers. Charlotte accepted them without objection; the stabbing pain in her body was unbearable.
Leonid fixed his gaze on her pale skin, then glanced at the wall clock before rising quietly and deliberately:
"The visitation will start now. If Daniel arrives, I'll leave you in his care and go to your apartment to bring what you need. Also…"
Charlotte ignored Daniel entirely, not considering that he might know what had happened. She tilted her head slightly toward Leonid and asked curiously:
"Also… what?"
Leonid smiled lightly, his voice steady:
"I'll bring my bag… so I can stay by your side for the next three days."
Charlotte nodded, then closed her eyes. There was no argument to be had she was the one who wanted him to stay by her side always.
Meanwhile, she tried to give her body a chance to rest.
Leonid sat quietly, watching the time, counting the seconds in silence.
Barely ten seconds passed when the door suddenly burst open, and a familiar voice broke the silence:
"Charlotte!"
Her heart clenched, her body trembled, as if her pain had vanished for a moment under the force of that call.
Charlotte opened her eyes to see Daniel rushing toward her, his face etched with worry, almost falling into her arms if not for Leonid's hand gripping the collar of his shirt at the last moment, steadying him.
Leonid spoke sharply, his eyes unwavering:
"Calm down. No exaggeration, no touching. Understood?"
Daniel turned to him, exhaling angrily:
"You bastard… is this your time to stand between me and her?!"
But Leonid gave him nothing more than a mocking glance, then released his collar, gave Lyudmila a brief nod, and stepped back steadily, closing the door behind him.
"That jerk!"
Daniel muttered angrily, turning back to Charlotte. He wanted to hug her immediately, but Leonid's heavy words still rang in his ears, so he stood close, restraining his desire.
Lyudmila approached quietly, standing opposite Daniel, and asked gently:
"Charlotte, how are you feeling now?"
She replied softly, inspecting their faces with curious eyes:
"I'm fine… but tell me, why are you here?"
Her question carried a hint of hidden worry, as if she wanted to be sure they truly knew what had happened.
Daniel and Lyudmila exchanged a quick glance, then Daniel ground his teeth before beginning to explain what had happened from his perspective, his face tense with emotion as he released the weight on his chest.
The burden didn't just reach Charlotte's ears it pressed heavily on her heart as well.
She hadn't wanted anyone to know what had happened to her, but it turned out they had seen it. Perhaps Leonid's refusal to give her the details was his way of protecting her heart from breaking.
But Daniel's final words pierced her heart like a knife.
It hadn't been Leonid who saved her… it was Kaiser.
Daniel explained what had happened in detail, but Charlotte hid her emotions. She didn't scold Leonid for being late, nor Kaiser for intervening; she was simply surprised and grateful to the police officer and medical team, feeling the weight of the shock on her chest.
While words scattered, Lyudmila arranged a bouquet of colorful flowers in a clear vase, then paused and looked at Charlotte with a question:
"Has that man been bothering you for a while?"
Charlotte ignored Lyudmila's question, while Daniel answered as if trying to organize his thoughts:
"Upon closer inspection… Devin Zorin seems like the one who killed Leonid's puppy. I swear he has the same eye color."
Lyudmila gasped at the word "killed," then turned to Charlotte in surprise:
"How did you keep a secret like that? Does Leonid know?"
Charlotte shook her head calmly, her dark eyes hiding an old sparkle:
"I don't know."
"Will you tell him this time?"
"I don't know… but Leonid said he knows everything."
Lyudmila sighed deeply and scolded seriously:
"Whether he knows or not, you must tell him the full truth. You can't keep it a secret… But wait! How could he know everything?"
She paused, then added:
"Is it because… he's an office worker?"
Daniel shook his head, dismissing that possibility, then suggested in a low voice:
"Maybe his friend told him?"
"Do you mean the one who wears the glasses?"
Daniel thought for a moment and nodded, perhaps it was Dmitri.
Charlotte, however, didn't care about all these assumptions.
She closed her eyes quietly, surrendering to a moment of rest amidst Daniel and Lyudmila's chatter.
"Alright, that's enough. Whether he knows or not, I don't care… the important thing is that that lunatic is held accountable."
"You're right."
Lyudmila agreed with Daniel's words, then looked at Charlotte, who had already fallen asleep, relaxed but tired.
"Daniel, we need to stay quiet… Charlotte is sleeping."
Daniel stepped back slightly, his eyes watching her gentle breaths:
"Oh… I thought she was just relaxed."
Charlotte finally got some rest, a solid three hours of sleep.