STEPHANIE

I stand in front of my sister and humbly nod my head at her every criticism. I certainly won't survive the days that follow, but even at this point I'm figuring out a way to ignore her orders.

"A cab is waiting for you in front of the polyclinic. I have to clean up and solve the problem you created," she looked at me sullenly and sighed.

"We'll have a long conversation about this at home."

"But..."Leo tried to say something, but I immediately stepped on his foot, letting him know to stay quiet. Another drop was needed to cross the line of Nicole's patience, after which she would personally drag me to our apartment; and that would disrupt all of my plans.

She angrily walked away from us in the direction of her office. I don't remember ever annoying her like this, but just one look at Leo's bandaged cheek and the bruise under his eye was enough to make me feel a rush of guilt. If I hadn't approached him, he would probably still be drinking his alcoholic drinks and sitting unscathed in that club.

"Looks like this is goodbye for tonight..." He addressed me with a slight smile.

"Don't talk nonsense, I'm taking care of you tonight," I winked at him and led him to the exit.

"Can you go to the passenger seat on your own?" I asked him quietly, glancing at the numerous security guards his friend had brought.

Maximillian ordered them to escort him to the car and not to lose sight of him, because he, like Nicole, was both angry and worried about the situation we found ourselves in.

"You don't think to..."

"Unless one of those huge mens catches me, yes, I plan to run away," I interrupted him and elicited a smile from him.

"Miss Bennett forgot the bag in my car, wait for me here," he addressed the security members dominantly.

"Mr Leo, Mr Maximilian was clear enough..." one of them stepped forward, but Leo immediately thundered at him.

"Do you really think I'm going somewhere with this?" He pointed angrily at his bandaged face.

"Okay, but please be quick," the guard relented, visibly frightened by Leo.

While he was arguing with them, I unnoticedly took off my heels, making sure that none of them saw me. It would be foolish to believe that I would have any chance against them.

Leo moved slowly, and I followed him closely. How is it possible that even beaten like this, he looks more beautiful and attractive than any man I have ever met?

"Are you sure about this?" He addressed me quietly, unlocking his car.

"If I spend a few more minutes here, chances are I'll change my mind," I told him honestly, and he laughed at this.

I should have obeyed Nicole and gone to our apartment, but I could not bear the guilt that would haunt me for it. I had to personally make sure that he would be fine, because I would not tolerate anything else happening to him because of me. I didn't dare to risk any complication, because I got to know him well enough to know that he wouldn't go to the hospital.

He tossed me the car keys and before I went inside and I noticed a wide smile on his face. I quietly prayed that this would work for us, and then I started the car and stepped on the gas pedal. In the rearview mirror, I could see the security running after us, but they didn't stand a chance.

"I forgot to tell you that my driver's license is in my apartment," I finally remembered what I had been missing all night.

"While you're in my car, you don't have to worry about the police."

"I sincerely hope, because my annual income could not pay the tickets for all the offences I committed tonight," I laughed, even though I knew this was all true.

The rest of the ride was unexpectedly slow, he was telling me when and where I should turn, but other than that we didn't talk. He was lost in his thoughts, and I concentrated on the road ahead.

"I can't believe you agreed to spend the night with a complete stranger. You never know; maybe I'm a psychopath," he joked as I parked the car.

"A psychopath would never do what you did for me, but I will consciously take a risk because I trust you," I smiled at him.

We entered the elevator of the building together and I noticed that he pressed the button for the top floor. Of course, he would live on the top floor because he would probably mind if someone walked over his head... The elevator stopped but didn't open before he slipped through the card. The next moment I was stunned again, Leo seemed to own the entire floor.

"Who are you?" I asked him, still not believing what I was seeing.

The apartment was decorated in black and white tones, but every millimetre was planned. Everything exuded luxury and style, from the colours of the walls to the smallest details.

"Leo Anders," he replied simply.

"Who are you and what do you do for a living?" I reformulated the question because he obviously didn't understand it.

"You're the first to ask me that, usually everyone knows everything about me," he laughed softly, "I guess you've never heard of Anders Enterprise?" I shook my head, and he continued.

"In short, I do various jobs, mostly building and selling luxury apartments. My job mostly consists of managing the corporation I inherited from my father. I go to meetings, negotiate, solve problems that arise, make final decisions regarding sales and construction," he said. Then, he smiled at me, "That would be short, I believe a beautiful doctor like you doesn't understand too much about business and economics. I wouldn't want to bother you."

"So you're not a criminal?" I asked him freely, and he burst out laughing.

"No, I'm not a criminal." I breathed a sigh of relief at these words, I really didn't judge people based on their occupation and education, but being a criminal would be too much for me.

"I wasn't injured because I deal with criminal activities, but because the job I do is not as perfect as it seems at first glance. To many people, I am a competition, people are like that, they can't stand someone being more successful than themselves," he said seriously.

"I'm going to take a shower, feel like you are at home. my room is the last one on the left, I think you'll be more comfortable in one of my T-shirts than in that piece of fabric you call a dress," he pointed at me.

I don't know what Nicole and he have so much against this dress, because it is one of my favourites; and besides, I'm not the only one who goes out with things like this... However, I decided to listen to him and look for something I could wear.

After three wrong attempts, entering one of the bathrooms and the working room, I finally hit his bedroom. It didn't look any worse than the previous rooms either, the huge black bed was in the very centre of the room, and the wall in front of it was all glass. Although Nicole and my apartment had an amazing view, this one was simply breathtaking. The landscape formed by the lights of surrounding buildings and moving cars best showed why New York is called a city that never sleeps.

"Do you like the view?"

I turned to Leo surprised and he was leaning against the door frame. His hair was wet, and his pants and shirt were replaced with a grey T-shirt and tracksuit.

"I see you didn't follow Nicole's advice not to wet the bandage," I criticized him mildly.

"Doctor, I was careful," he smiled broadly at me then winked at me.

I could feel myself falling for him, but I was trying to get that thought out of my head. He walked towards me, then pressed a button that I hadn't even noticed until then, and after that one part of the wall opened and he came out leaning against the fence.

"This is... amazing," I was fascinated by the view of Fifth Avenue.

I wished that this moment would last forever, but I knew that we would become complete strangers again the next day. He is an amazing man and I am infinitely grateful to him for everything he has done for me, but I am afraid that this evening is all I can give him. Leo is a successful and famous man and I believe that there are at least five girls in his speed dial who would want to spend one night in his bed, but I could never be one of them.

I could feel the cold night wind on my skin, but I didn't pay attention to the cold because I enjoyed the city landscape and Leo's presence too much.

"Come on, I see you're cold," he addressed me and gently pulled me inside.

"You can take a shower if you want."

"There's no need for that, but thank you."

"I wouldn't want to interfere with your plans, but I believe you didn't notice a trace of my blood on your dress ..."

I looked at my dress in surprise and noticed a stain I hadn't seen before. I exhaled and accepted his offer. He led me to a room within his bedroom and I realized it was his closet. I was surrounded by neatly packed white shirts, ties of various colours and black business suits. It looks like he is obsessed with black and white.

While I was looking at the designed suits, he came back from the opposite part of the room and handed me a T-shirt and a tracksuit.

"This is the smallest size I have," he laughed, and the moment I took the clothes from his hand, I understood why.

The T-shirt was at least five sizes bigger than me, and I don't even want to think about the size of the tracksuit. I went into the bathroom and took a shower faster than ever, but when I came out his room was empty again.

I wandered around the apartment looking for him and found him talking furiously on the phone in the living room in a language I believe to be German. He smiled at me and motioned for me to wait for him, then continued to argue. I glanced at my watch and saw that it had been a little over three hours since Nicole had given him that anaesthesia. Since I knew his views on analgesics very well, I took my bag from the sofa and took out two ibuprofen, and then set off in search of the kitchen.

Luckily for me, I found it easily, and then I took a glass and a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Sorry, I forgot to offer you something to drink..."

"Take it," I handed him the pills and a glass of water.

"What's that"

"Just take it." Without further discussion, he accepted the pills and swallowed them.

"Problems at work?" I asked him.

"Nothing I can't handle," he smiled slightly, but I knew he was avoiding talking about it.

I couldn't pressure him, because I personally didn't like to talk about my job either, and I also knew what confidential information meant.

"When are you taking the antibiotic I prescribed you?" I asked him.

"I don't need it, I'm fine," he said, and I shot him a look.

"Where is it?" I asked him angrily, and he showed me an unopened bag from the pharmacy on the table in the corner.

I irritatedly took it and opened the pills, handing him one, and he didn't dare turn me down.

"How can you be so irresponsible towards yourself? Just because you're good now doesn't mean it will be like that forever," I couldn't help but criticize him for his actions.

I continued to criticize him, and he looked at me amusedly, barely restraining his laughter.

"You know when I think about it a little harder, it's easy to see the similarity between Nicole and you," he laughed, and I shot him a look again.

"Now you're going to the room to rest," I said taking the phone from his hand and dropping it into one of the kitchen drawers." In a couple of hours, you won't miss anything important, and you don't need stress"

He laughed out loud but did not object. He seemed to be feeling well and it was only now that I was somewhat relieved, believing in my sister's words that he hadn't suffered any serious injuries.

"You don't have any questions about my conversation from a few minutes ago?" He asked me in surprise.

"I'm not asking you to tell me about your business, nor am I interested in everything you do, until you expect the same from me."

He went to bed, and I offered to change bandages on his wound from a few days ago. With a lot of effort, I found a first aid kit in his bathroom and a disinfectant.

"Would you agree to work for me?" He asked me pleadingly as I fastened the gauze.

"Don't start with it again, I don't plan to work as your personal doctor, if you want me as a doctor you know perfectly well where you can find me."

What is it with him and the desire to own everything he likes?

"Sorry if Nicole was a little rude to you, she was just worried...", I sincerely apologized to him because my sister is a very difficult person when it comes to my safety.

"Man, that woman silenced Max in a few sentences, who doesn't allow anyone to address him with disrespect. He's a person who thinks everything has to be his way, but with her... He just gave up without too much fighting."

"That's Nicole."

"I can imagine what life looks like with such a temperamental woman;,because she is the only one who put him down like that, without being afraid of him or security...", it seems that my sister has gained a new fan.

I couldn't let him fall asleep, so I took his laptop and played the first of the action movies I found on one of the sites. At first, he complained, saying that the movie was unrealistic, but after about twenty minutes, he gave up and accepted that I did not plan to change the film.

I didn't even notice when I fell asleep, but the falling rain and the sunlight whose rays were only slightly hinted at. I felt something firm under my head and realized that it was actually Leo's chest, and his arm was also possessively wrapped around my shoulder. I was so tired that I just longed to go back to the world of dreams, but then I remembered everything.

He was not allowed to sleep.

I shook him quickly, but he didn't wake up. I checked his pulse and breathing, but everything was normal. I continued to wake him unsuccessfully, but he did not react to my calling his name either.

All of this is my fault if only I was more careful.

I was too scared to think clearly, I had to call an ambulance, but I didn't know where I left my phone, and Leo's phone was at the other end of the apartment. I had to calm down and accept the cold-headed situation, but I still couldn't do it. I grabbed a bottle of water from his nightstand and spilled it on him.

He immediately got up from the bed, almost knocking me off it. He was confused, and I immediately pulled him into my arms as a couple of tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt a relief that couldn't be described in words.

"Why did you do that?!"

"Don't you dare to ever scare me like that again, I thought you were..."

I was so scared of nothing, and he just had a sound sleep.

Seeing my concern, he pulled me into his arms, probably realizing what had just happened.

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Chapter edited by @sweetfirecarmelle