The 8th floor

"Do you need anything?"

Charlotte asked, leaning against the wall, her eyes fixed on Leonid, waiting for his response.

Leonid emptied his pockets after tossing his jacket and tie onto the table near the couch. He placed his car key and phone aside. The weight of the previous night's events was evident in the heaviness of his eyelids, but he moved toward Charlotte with a serious look, despite the faint smile playing on his lips.

"I..."

He rested his right arm on the wall and braced his left hand beside her, trapping Charlotte in a narrow space by the bathroom door.

"I don't need anything."

He said it and then leaned closer, whispering softly in her ear.

"But I wonder... would you like me to join you in the shower?"

Charlotte's face froze in shock, and she shouted in disbelief.

"W—What! What are you talking about?"

She instinctively hugged herself as if trying to protect herself from something unseen, her face heating up unnaturally.

Leonid blinked for a moment before covering his face with his left hand, struggling to suppress a laugh that escaped against his will.

Her startled reaction made everything even more amusing than he anticipated. She was like an open book to him, yet he couldn't resist pushing her buttons, creating moments that drew out her unexpected reactions.

"I'm sorry..."

He whispered with difficulty, trying to maintain his composure.

"I was just teasing you, nothing more."

"Huh?"

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, her glossy black eyes narrowing in confusion. She pursed her full lips in annoyance and said.

"That's ridiculous."

"I swear!"

Leonid turned his face, trying to regain his calm, convinced that he had been affected by Dmitri's heavy humor.

"You can leave."

He said, allowing her to go, but turned to face her again with an alluring smile, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush from laughing.

"Unless you liked my joke and want to—"

"Shut your mouth!"

Charlotte yelled at him, her face burning with embarrassment, before hurrying into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. She stood for a moment behind the door, breathing quickly, whispering to herself in a low voice as she tried to calm her shy thoughts.

"Oh my God... This man almost killed me with that joke."

On the other side, Leonid stood by the door, smiling. What had just happened made him laugh more than he had in a long time. He had to admit that being around Charlotte made him feel reborn as someone entirely different.

He turned and sat on the couch in the living room, pulling out his phone from the table. After checking his team's messages for a few minutes, he set the phone aside and gazed at the ceiling.

His thoughts were crowded with unresolved questions and matters, but the comfort of knowing Charlotte was safe and in front of his eyes now brought him immense peace. The drowsiness overtook him, and he dozed off without realizing it.

Half an hour later, Charlotte emerged from the bathroom, still drying her chestnut hair with a small towel. Her pale skin bore a faint blush, as if the warm water had painted a soft rosy scarf on her cheeks. She paused in the small hallway, listening to the faint sound of interrupted snores coming from the living room.

Raising her eyebrows in curiosity, she walked slowly toward the room, spotting Leonid sprawled on the couch. He seemed so relaxed that his sharp features softened, resembling a sleeping angel.

Charlotte blinked for a moment, covering her mouth with her hand, surprised at herself. She had completely forgotten Leonid was still in her apartment. Perhaps the warm water's soothing effect had made her more forgetful than she imagined.

Sighing, Charlotte scolded herself before approaching Leonid. She stood for a while, gazing at his peaceful face, then began trying to adjust his sleeping position.

Noticing that the small pillow under his head was uncomfortable and the buttons of his shirt were straining against his broad chest, she frowned and blushed deeply, as peculiar thoughts invaded her mind.

"Enough of this!"

She whispered to herself, patting her cheeks gently. Then she reached out to adjust the pillow under his head, determined to make his nap more comfortable.

"Come on... come on..."

The plan seemed simple enough, but executing it was an entirely different matter.

Each time Charlotte tried to slowly pull the pillow away, Leonid's head shifted, forcing her to lean closer to the couch.

Her sleeveless dress, paired with a long-sleeved sweater underneath, was rather impractical for movement, especially since it barely reached below her knees. She ended up lifting its hem slightly to move more freely.

Holding her breath, she was on the verge of succeeding when suddenly, the doorbell rang loudly, breaking the tranquility.

"Huh?"

Charlotte froze, her attempt halted. She looked toward the door in surprise before quickly glancing at Leonid, who began to stir, opening his eyes slowly, as if he hadn't been sleeping at all.

"What's happening?"

Leonid whispered faintly, his eyes meeting Charlotte's, who stood frozen in place as if caught red handed.

"Nothing! I'll handle it!"

She said hurriedly, standing and rushing toward the door, her voice shaky.

"You can keep sleeping! I mean... you're still asleep, right?"

But Leonid sat up, running his fingers through his tousled hair, his gaze lazy yet attentive.

"Just answer the door. I'm fully awake."

"Since when?!"

Charlotte grumbled, waving her hands, her face growing redder. The embarrassment overwhelmed her, especially after her awkward position earlier.

"Forget it."

She muttered, striding quickly to the door and opening it without thinking.

"Charlotte!"

Daniel's voice startled her, and she stared at him as he stood at the front, with Kaiser and Natalia behind him, and Hunter below.

"Charlotte, you—"

"Step aside, you brat."

Kaiser gently pushed Daniel's head aside and stood in front of Charlotte.

"You're in your apartment. Good. I thought we'd find you at that scoundrel's place. Luckily, you're here."

Kaiser's annoying voice carried a provocative tone, causing Charlotte to frown.

"It's rude to call Leonid a scoundrel."

Charlotte warned Kaiser in a low voice, but it wiped the smirk off his face.

"You're getting bolder by the day, Charlotte."

Kaiser leaned against the door frame, lowering himself toward Charlotte.

"You're the reason! Ever since I told you what happened, you've been merciless, calling others scoundrels."

"Do I seem merciless now? Don't make me laugh, girl."

Kaiser's amber eyes darkened, his patience wearing thin. Meanwhile, Charlotte was ready to stand her ground, not for her relationship with Leonid but for her honor as an independent woman.

"Enough!"

Daniel's voice rang out as he pushed Kaiser aside, standing between him and Charlotte. Looking into her eyes, he asked, struggling with mixed emotions.

"Charlotte… is it true, what I've heard?"

His gray eyes, hidden beneath his violet bangs, brimmed with tears, causing Charlotte's heart to momentarily soften.

"What are you talking about, Daniel?"

Ignoring the irritation in her heart, Charlotte felt guilty seeing Daniel on the verge of tears because of her.

"Tell me slowly, alright?"

She whispered gently, lifting her hands to caress his cheeks.

Inside, Leonid sat on the couch, quietly observing Charlotte's back and Daniel's tearful face, which was on the verge of crying. He ran his fingers through Hunter's fur, which had sneaked under the others' feet unnoticed, roughly, as he waited for the inevitable drama he had anticipated to unfold.

"Kaiser told me that you…"

"Yes? What did Kaiser tell you about me?"

Charlotte stopped looking at Daniel, glaring at Kaiser with hatred, before turning back to Daniel with tenderness, trying to soothe him as she would her younger brother.

"Come on, you can say it."

She encouraged Daniel, who closed his eyes and blurted out,

"Kaiser said you're in love with a con man! Is that true?!"

"A con… what?"

Charlotte's mind momentarily stopped working; this was the last thing she expected to hear from Daniel.

"A con man?"

Leonid whispered softly, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise.

Daniel began sobbing like a child, prompting Charlotte to quickly hug him and usher him inside her apartment to avoid disturbing the neighbors.

She also let Natalia and Kaiser in, though Kaiser shot a sharp look at Leonid before sitting on the couch.

Natalia joined him, watching Daniel, whom Charlotte had led to her bedroom.

Everyone knew the kind of relationship Charlotte had drawn between herself and Daniel a familial, friendly bond. It wasn't always clear, but Daniel saw Charlotte as a guiding light in his life, just as she saw him.

This made it hard for Daniel to control his turbulent emotions, especially when he believed Charlotte was being deceived by a con man.

The living room grew quiet after Charlotte shut the bedroom door. No sounds of Daniel's sobbing or Charlotte's soft whispers to calm him reached them.

The three sat in silence, each looking in a different direction, until Kaiser's sarcastic voice broke the stillness.

"Man, Daniel's been in that bedroom with Charlotte for about five minutes. Aren't you curious about what's going on behind those walls?"

Natalia was startled by Kaiser's choice of words, whispering angrily,

"Kaiser, you're insane! What are you saying now?!"

Annoyed, she scolded Kaiser, who ignored her completely and stared at Leonid, waiting for a response.

Natalia internally wished Leonid wouldn't engage in the conversation, but she was shocked when he began speaking.

"What should I be curious about?"

Leonid had no intention of involving himself in a discussion with someone like Kaiser, a person he didn't particularly like.

However, he found himself compelled to set a few things straight.

"As you saw, Charlotte is merely trying to ease that boy's overwhelming emotions, nothing more."

Leonid tried to keep his tone calm but added a slight edge to his final words.

"You trust her blindly, as if you've known her for a long time."

"You're right. I trust Charlotte blindly."

Leonid smiled and lifted Hunter with one hand, placing him gently on the couch cushion.

"And as for the long time you mentioned, well, a month might seem short to some, but for me and Charlotte, it's enough to understand each other."

Leonid paused for a moment, raising his icy blue eyes to meet Kaiser's. He could sense some darkness in those amber eyes, setting his instincts on edge.

"That's ridiculous nonsense."

Kaiser smiled after uttering his words in a tone of feigned gentleness.