HIS VIRGIN LEECH (16)

I must have done something terrible yesterday because the first thing that went through my head when I opened my eyes was... that I wanted to die.

My head was throbbing so much and my body was stinging all over the place.

Did I drink too much champagne at Phillip's party last night? I still wore last night dress and my makeup was still on too.

The last thing I could remember was me storming out of Phillip's study angrily. I did remember I cried a bit too. But that was it.

For the next fifteen minutes, I tried to remember what happened last night. But the more I tried to think the pain became more and more intense.

What... what happened yesterday?

Did I embarrass myself by getting drunk in front of Phillip's important guests? I stared up blankly while a horrible sense of dread settled on my stomach.

Should I just smother myself to death with my pillow?

I even thought about skipping work today but my never-ending work piles had been waiting for me at the office.

I dragged myself up from my bed and wobbled into my bathroom like an overweight penguin. Maybe a hot shower would help to restore my memory of last night... and my will to live.

But I was wrong. It did relieve some aches in my body, but the stinging... almost made me pass out in the shower.

When I checked my body in the mirror I knew immediately that something was wrong. Big, blue, nasty bruises covered my arms and shoulders and there was a sizable lump on my head. No wonder I felt like shit this morning.

I closed my eyes tightly and vowed to never touch alcohol anymore, for the rest of my life.

Maybe I should send a text message to Arthur later, he must have been the one who sent me home last night.

But there was another problem... a serious one.

"What do I do?" I murmured miserably. I was supposed to meet Sebastian Moran at Magnus tonight, but look at my body! I looked like someone who had tumbled down to hell and back.

I bit my nail anxiously and tried to think more clearly with my throbbing head. Maybe we could reschedule... again? I should swing by Magnus after work and told him that I had an important deadline.

Sheesh. Everything would be easier if I had his number.

***

"Hello there, sunshine, you look awful." Zoey's chirpy voice sent a sting to my head.

I threw my bag into my cubicle before going into hers. "Do you have painkillers? Please say you have them or I'm gonna die."

Zoey nodded slightly before rummaging through her desk drawer. "What happened? Did you have a wild night out with Mr. Boyfriend?"

"God... no," I sighed miserably.

She gave me some painkillers and I drank them without water.

Zoey scrunched her nose at my unholy way to drink painkillers.

"Thanks, you are my guardian angel, Zoey." I smiled at her and leaned my back to her cubicle.

She rolled her eyes annoyedly. "Come to think of it, I didn't see any Daisies this morning."

"Thank God," I muttered lowly before getting out of her cubicle. "Well, I gotta catch up on my reports. See ya!"

"Hey, you haven't told me about Mr. Boyfriend situation!"

I laughed at her retort. "There is no situation, Zoey. The only boyfriend I have right now is the imaginary one."

If only she knew what I did to deserve those Daisies...

I grimaced before sitting on my chair. My headache had considerably lessened after I drank the painkillers, but I still felt terrible. I had never drunk until I got completely blackout like yesterday.

Karma was a bitch, and deserved it. Ah, I should text Arthur to ask him about yesterday's incident.

I pulled my phone from my bag and quickly texted him. I thought about calling Magnus office to reach Sebastian Moran but in the end I decided to go there later, it seemed rude to reschedule our arrangement by phone.

And I didn't want to offend him.

"One step at a time, Ludy," I mumbled to myself and stared at my messy desk.

For now, let's tackled these work piles.

***

Mr. Rochester called me to his office after lunch, he gave me permission to continue my investigative report on Bill Kovach's corruption.

He also appointed me as the exclusive reporter for this news. So if all went well, I would be promoted as the senior reporter.

I was excited, of course, but at the same time, I felt strangely nervous. It was almost scary how easy Sebastian's power could turn my life around. I forgot that he was the same man who held enough power to cover up all Kovach's crimes.

By the way, he really didn't send any Daisies today. Did he finally realize that he was wasting money on those bouquets? I thought about it briefly before continuing my never-ending workloads.

Around three in the afternoon, I thought I heard some enthusiastic murmurs and whispers from my coworkers but I was too focused on writing my last article to notice the commotion in this office. I had to finish next week's editorial and a few articles today.

That, until I heard Zoey's voice calling my name carefully. "Ludy..."

"Yes?" I replied without stopping typing on my laptop.

"Ludy, uh... your Daisies," she continued hesitantly.

"Oh, it finally arrives? Can you help throw them away for me, Zoey? I have to send this article in five minutes."

There was a heavy silence for a few moments before Zoey replied to me again, but this time there was laughter in her voice. "Sorry, today your Daisies came directly with the sender... I don't think I can throw this handsome man in the trash."

My fingers froze on my keyboard and it took a few seconds for my brain to process what Zoey had just said. "What?" I asked before swivelling my chair around.

I could feel the blood draining from my face when I saw Sebastian Moran's towering frame standing behind Zoey with a white Daisy bouquet in his hand.

He was wearing a dark blue striped suit and grey coat, impeccably dashing as usual. Both of his amber eyes were staring at me impassively.

I opened my mouth and then closed it again a few times like a fish.

Zoey looked both confused and curious. She stared at me and Sebastian alternately while her eyes were glinting with hilarity.

"Thank you, Zoey..." I spoke again after controlling myself.

"You're very much welcome," she replied sassily before winking at me and returning to her cubicle, but her eyes still glancing at Sebastian a few times.

I looked at Sebastian again, who was currently inspecting my narrow cubicle with his unimpressed gaze.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered in surprise.

"I was on my way home so I thought I would pick you up today, we have the same destination after all," he replied nonchalantly.

Looking at this big man standing at my cramped cubicles felt a bit unreal and ridiculous at the same time.

"Shall I throw this bouquet, then?" he continued in the same voice, there wasn't any hint of anger in his voice or expression. He didn't look insulted at all. He just looked stupidly handsome and out-of-place.

"No!" I almost shouted. "I... will keep it," I added in a much lower voice.

He handed me the bouquet and I scrambled to put it carefully on my messy desk then I turned around to him again. "Mr. Moran, you didn't have to pick me up. Or at least please let me know before doing anything like this."

"I did mean to call you, but I don't know your number yet, Ludmila," he admitted with a small flat smile.

My heart skipped a beat when he called my name. How weird, he usually called me Daisy or Miss Benson.

"We'd better get going now," he added before extending his right hand to me.

Did he want us to walk while holding hands? In front of my co-workers? Was he insane? I stared dumbly at his big hand while my mind was panicking.

"Actually... I haven't finished my work yet. Do you mind if I catch you at Magnus tonight? Thanks for the flowers by the way."

If you couldn't face your problem, you only had to deflect it. Right now my biggest problem was this man. Why did he show up so suddenly at my office anyway!

"I do mind," he answered with his intense gaze. There was something different about him today. Even though he looked indifferent, I could sense his intense mood behind his casual expression.

Was he offended because of the bouquet? Well, he probably was.

He finally pulled his hand and spoke again. "I'll talk to Mr. Rochester so you can go home early."

"No, don't!" I panicked a little. Gaaaaah.

I forgot he wasn't the kind of man who could take 'no' as an answer. And what would Mr. Rochester think if Sebastian randomly came to his office demanding I could go home early?

I didn't want him to have any weird thoughts about our relationship.

I turned off my laptop in a hurry and slid it into my bag before getting up from my chair.

"Come on." I nodded briskly and walked first before he offered his hand again.

Several of my co-workers looked up from their cubicles as Sebastian passed by behind me.

The man really attracted attention anywhere he went. He had this weird domineering aura around him, if he stood in a crowded room everyone would know instantly that he was an important person... That kind of charisma.

I hoped there won't be any weird rumors circulating around the office after this.