Charlotte turned her head toward the window, gazing at the quiet streets before sunrise.
Leonid's eyes were still boring into the back of her head. In truth, he was watching her those childish twin braids, the loose white shirt, and the short shorts that barely covered her legs.
Wasn't she cold? In pain?
What she was wearing wasn't appropriate for a woman on her period.
Add to that her neck white and clear devoid of any intimate trace, as if nothing had happened between them, when such marks shouldn't disappear for at least a week or so.
His mocking smile faded. He folded his arms silently. This woman... she stirred his senses more than he cared to admit.
The car glided smoothly along the road as the sun began to shyly rise, painting streaks of gold and crimson across the sky. The air was fresh, carrying a light chill that invigorated the skin and awakened the senses.
In the front seat, Daniel kept his eyes on the road alert and cautious.
Beside him, Lyudmila toyed silently with her phone, having grown bored of admiring the natural scenery.
In the back, silence prevailed.
Charlotte sat motionless, as if trying to disappear into her seat, while Leonid leaned on his elbow, staring out the window with an unreadable expression.
Thankfully, Charlotte finally noticed his gaze had shifted away from her.
Yet still, the weight lingered heavily on her shoulders.
Half an hour ago, instead of calming things down and heading to the back door as he had asked, she had simply flipped him off.
The moment she remembered her reflection in the window glass, she shut her eyes tight and buried her face in her hands.
Her pale skin couldn't hide the blush. She realized too late how ridiculous her behavior had been.
A moment of unjustified anger...
Should she apologize?
Why did she keep making so many mistakes?
And how could she fix what she'd ruined?
"This is so suffocating…"
Charlotte muttered under her breath, but loud enough to be heard.
With those spontaneous words, she broke the heavy silence that had filled the car.
She rubbed her cheeks with her palms, then opened her eyes and looked ahead until something caught her attention.
She turned... only to find Leonid and Lyudmila staring at her.
"Suffocating? Are you feeling hot?"
Lyudmila asked, surprised, despite the cool weather and the mild air conditioning.
"Huh?"
Charlotte fixed her eyes on Lyudmila, then blinked rapidly and covered her mouth with her hand.
Only then did she realize she had spoken out loud.
"Oh... no, no, I didn't mean—"
She stammered, her face flushing red once again.
But what stunned her was Leonid's voice calm, with a tone that was hard to read:
"Am I that suffocating to you?"
Charlotte's eyes widened, while Lyudmila raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile, saying in a playful tone:
"Hmm... how interesting. I wonder... did something happen between you two that we don't know about?"
"No!"
"Lyudmila!"
Charlotte snapped back quickly, as if deflecting a bullet that had hit a vulnerable spot, while Daniel calmly called his girlfriend's name.
Charlotte waved her hand nervously and spoke fast:
"I just... I meant the air, not anyone, especially not you, okay?"
She pointed her index finger at Leonid, her words firm.
Leonid raised his eyebrows and turned back to the window, ignoring the exchange.
In the front seat, Lyudmila was still smiling playfully. She leaned back again, but she wasn't done.
She reached out and pointed to the window.
"Since the air is suffocating, maybe we should crack this open a bit... Charlotte, let the fresh air relieve the tension!"
She pressed the window button and didn't stop. The cold wind rushed inside, hitting Leonid's face and hers first.
Charlotte frowned and quickly lifted her gaze toward Leonid.
He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't angry either. His expression was completely neutral. His hair whipped backward, and the wind revealed his sharp, attractive features clearly.
Despite the force of the wind, he didn't blink.
His eyes, blue like a frozen lake, stared calmly until he turned to Charlotte again and moved his lips.
"Feeling better now?"
Charlotte locked her gaze on his lips. She couldn't hear his voice over the rush of wind, but somehow she read his lips and understood the words.
She was certain his tone had been warm just like the question itself which made her eyes shimmer with held-back tears.
"Lyudmila! Close the window immediately!"
Daniel shouted in annoyance, still focused on the road.
He felt the weight of responsibility; his priority was the car, then the passengers or more specifically, his girlfriend.
If something happened to Charlotte or Leonid, he could probably deal with it. But Lyudmila? He couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt, not even a scratch.
"Close it!"
"Alright, alright… You know, you're a really nervous driver,"
Lyudmila grumbled as she pressed the window button.
The pressure from the air began to drop gradually, and Leonid's hair settled against his forehead in a way that made his features appear calmer and even more attractive.
"I'm sorry."
Charlotte whispered just before the window closed fully, then turned her head to the side, gazing silently out her window as she bit her lower lip, struggling to hold back her emotions.
Leonid was the only one who heard the apology.
And he didn't know…
Was she apologizing for what had happened between them the night before?
Or for the moment she flipped him off?
Whatever the reason, Leonid didn't think she needed to apologize to him as much as she needed to open up to him with a few disciplinary strikes, maybe.
Silence fell again, but this time it lingered until Daniel finally stopped the car and let out a sigh of relief.
"Here we are. You can all get out."
He had barely finished his sentence when Lyudmila quickly opened the door, followed by Leonid, who said:
"Next time, I'm driving."
He offered calmly, then stepped out of the car.
As for Charlotte, she got out quietly, her eyes scanning the place with hesitation, accompanied by Daniel, who sighed at Leonid's tempting offer.
"Daniel, could you bring my bag?"
"Of course."
Daniel nodded and walked to the back of the car, where he pulled out the small suitcase and handed it to Charlotte in silence.
She took it quickly, giving a slight nod of thanks, then followed Lyudmila into the cabin Mr. Aleksei had booked for them for two days.
The cabin was clean and carefully organized, with two floors and a glass front. Its warm wooden details blended perfectly with the cold weather outside.
Charlotte headed straight to the bathroom, while Lyudmila wandered around, waiting for Daniel to bring in the rest of the luggage. She began thinking about setting up some drinks and light snacks.
They were supposed to celebrate tomorrow, but she felt it was necessary to prepare a table that would welcome the newest addition to their friend group.
In her eyes, Charlotte and Leonid's relationship deserved a celebration finally, after a long wait, Charlotte was with someone, and he actually seemed like a decent man.
Outside, Leonid leaned against the wall. He pulled out a cigarette and a lighter, and just as he brought them to his lips, Daniel's voice cut him off:
"Stop. Smoking's not allowed here."
Daniel had just finished unloading the car and looked exhausted.
Leonid raised an eyebrow in surprise and replied in an indifferent tone:
"Not allowed? Are you kidding?"
"Look over there."
Daniel pointed to a sign hanging on the wall. It clearly read: "No Smoking."
The cigarette nearly fell from Leonid's lips, but he set it firmly back in place and said, with exaggerated confidence:
"It's fine… I have special privileges. Trust me."
Leonid muttered smugly and lit the cigarette despite the warning. Daniel frowned with clear displeasure, then exhaled sharply and turned back toward the cabin, suppressing his irritation.
He sat down on the nearest couch, his brows furrowed, and muttered under his breath:
"Special privileges? Is he joking? How does a guy like that get all these perks?"
"Who are you talking about?"
Lyudmila asked as she unpacked and arranged things in the fridge.
Just then, Charlotte stepped out of the bathroom, and the moment Daniel saw her, he jumped to his feet and rushed over.
"Charlotte!"
He called sharply, gripping her shoulders without noticing how tense she had become.
"What's Leonid's job?!"
Charlotte stared at him in confusion, not understanding his sudden agitation.
"His job? He's a government employee, I think."
"A government employee?!"
Daniel repeated, now more baffled.
"How does a government employee get all these privileges? A black bank card, breaking rules like smoking without consequences none of this makes sense!"
Charlotte's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she faltered for a moment. She wasn't used to anyone speaking to her in that tone, especially not Daniel.
"Is something wrong?"
She asked with concern, her eyes glancing at his hands still gripping her shoulders. In response, Daniel took a deep breath and began to explain everything.