It was already night when Christian entered the hotel with his sister and Nina, immediately spotting Eva waiting for him at the entrance. And as soon as her gaze landed on him… like a young girl separated from her lover for countless years, she called his name, "Christian," louder than usual, her voice filled with concern and longing. Then, she started running.
She ran toward him with all her might and threw herself at him in a desperate way, so much so that those around them, who were already paying attention due to the presence of all the beautiful women around him, turned their gazes even more. And among them, no small number held eyes filled with envy.
Christian, without caring about them, said, "I'm here," in a low voice, a smile appearing on his face… a smile of relief, as now, he could finally start his growing phase, become stronger, and do things the way he liked, without obsession or revenge to plan for. Then, he wrapped his arms around Eva in a reassuring embrace, holding her for some time before they finally headed to the suite they had reserved.
Once they were in their private space, Christian immediately noticed the glare Eva was sending his sister, who, unlike in the morning, chose to evade her gaze this time.
It was at this moment that he finally understood the reason behind their earlier quarrel. But he chose to turn a blind eye to the tension… after all, they could resolve it on their own. And if anything, this time, he was entirely on Eva's side.
Instead, Christian first took a moment to sit and rest for a bit… or at least, that was what he intended to do—but!
Just as he sat down, he suddenly felt two hands start massaging his shoulders. He opened his eyes, only to see Eva and Annabelle standing there, speaking in low voices. But despite their hushed tones, it was clear that they were arguing.
Christian stared at her for a few second, as she without being flustered or affected by his gaze continued messaging his shoulders, and finally said, "What are you doing?"
"It seems that you were tired, so, I thought I could relieve some stress by messaging your shoulders," without any change in her expression, or even stopping, Nina replied.
Anyway, what mattered wasn't that, but the owner of the two hands he saw when he turned his head back… it was actually Nina.
Christian stared at her for a few seconds as she, unfazed by his gaze, continued massaging his shoulders. Finally, he asked, "What are you doing?"
"You seemed tired, so I thought I could help relieve some stress by massaging your shoulders," Nina replied, her expression unchanged, her hands never stopping.
Christian, feeling like something was off, asked, "Is that your job?"
Nina's simple and immediate reply, given without the slightest hesitation, wasn't what Christian had expected.
So, he started pondering… what exactly was Nina's job?
Last time, she had said she was his property… but setting that nonsense aside, what was her actual role?
But did she even know how to do that properly?
Christian tried to define her job while feeling her stiff massage, which wasn't particularly good, despite how careful she seemed.
In the end, he decided to give up on this particular topic. He could continue observing until he fully trusted her… and then, he could decide again.
Just as he reached his decision, coincidentally, Eva and his sister finished their conversation. As they approached him, Christian settled his gaze on Eva and asked, "What about the house? Did you take a look at it to see how much longer it will take before we can move in?"
"Of course I took a look at it. Just a few more days, and it will be ready, so we can move on." After saying, Eva proceeded to explain to him, the other specific things before she smiled and said.
"Of course I took a look at it. Just a few more days, and it will be ready, so we can move in." After saying this, Eva proceeded to explain the other specific details before smiling and adding, "I even started looking at the construction for the warehouse, with everything you need, as I asked Iris for all the specifics."
Christian shared a few more light conversations, with Damian's name never coming up, as Eva, ever considerate, didn't ask.
He knew, of course, that she had probably already spoken to Iris, which was why she left out the other parts of the story… things Iris likely couldn't know, saving them for later, when he felt more comfortable discussing them.
And it wasn't that he was intentionally hiding anything. Christian was simply tired… mentally and physically. He didn't want to open a topic he wasn't proud of at the moment.
Moreover, there was another topic on his mind… how he hadn't been able to visit his parents' grave after killing Damian.
He had wanted to visit it after killing Damian, but… he wasn't sure anymore. Should he be strict with his decision and go after a few days, or wait until much later, when there were no possible pursuers who might hunt him the moment he appeared on their radar?
It was during this time, when his mind was drifting away from the ongoing conversation with his sister and Eva, that he suddenly heard a phone ringing, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Turning toward the source of the sound, he found Eva looking at the screen of her phone before she said, "I'll answer the call in another room."
Hearing her tone as she excused herself, Christian was sure the caller was Olivia. There was no other person who could bring that kind of smile to her face, especially with him in the same room.
He watched her walk into another room to speak with Olivia, knowing that, no matter what Eva knew about her daughter's situation, she would still worry about her.
Christian couldn't help but think that, if his parents were alive, they would do the same… they would worry about him! They would prioritize his safety above everything else!
And that thought helped him make his decision. With mixed feelings, he chose to delay the visit to the grave.