His Duchess [Completed]

Chapter 15- Calm Before The Storm [E]

He rushed to her side, "Phaedra, love, look at me! What is it, where does it hurt?" She looked up at him, dark circles evident under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She shook her head and curled herself further into a ball. Julien shook her slightly trying to loosen her up.

"Leave me alone Julien!" She shouted at him. She was irritable and very pale. Julien frowned at her, straightening his posture and crossing his arms over his chest. He stared her down until she looked away and mumbled, "I have very bad cramps, okay?  Now will you leave me alone..?" Her face flushed a bit with color.

Julien looked at her in confusion, cramps?

Then it dawned at him, it was that time of the month. 

He cleared his throat, "I'll inform mother." And walked out closing the door behind him.

His mother will know what to do.  He went in search of her and found her having breakfast with his father and Duncan. He whispered in her ear about Phaedra's situation not wanting the others to hear about her personal business. Kate quickly stood to see to her daughter.

Victor's eyebrows rose and his eyes followed his wife until she was out of sight. His eyes sought after Julien, his eyes questioning. "Phaedra is not feeling well and she asked for mother." He answered the unasked question. Duncan and Victor's faces etched with concern.

"Is it serious?" Victor asked putting down his napkin on the table.

Duncan stopped eating, visibly upset, pushing his half eaten plate to the side and sitting straight, looking from Victor to Julien awaiting his answer. "No. She just needed mother's comfort." Julien lied easily helping himself to eggs and potatoes.

Julien looked up at his father then Duncan, as he took a sip of his coffee, they seemed unsure, only slightly satisfied with his answer. Duncan looked toward where Kate exited, appearing like he wanted to follow her. Julien raised an inquiring eyebrow and thought it odd he seemed deeply effected by the news of Phaedra being ill...
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Julien decided to take his Porsche 911 to work instead of the Porsche sedan his father, Duncan and Kash occupied. He wanted to be alone with his own thoughts. He had been in a sour mood all week as they finally furnished all the offices and the paperwork was filed and organized into place.

Not seeing her since Monday did not help his situation. It has been a torturous and unsatisfying week. He sought Annie out everywhere he went, wishing she would appear suddenly, desperately needing a glimpse of her. He caught sight of her brother several times and Cici here and there but never Annie to his disappointment.

Julien was deprived of the sight of her beautiful face. Only she could calm him, she was the air he breathed and he felt as if he were suffocating without her.

A storm, an inferno was building inside his like a volcano ready to erupt. And it reflected in his mood. Day by day he became angry, desperate and unreasonable. His family didn't try to pry and ask what was wrong with him, assuming it was from the amount of work that needed to be completed.

He wondered if Annie avoided him on purpose. It certainly made sense since he knew she was visibly upset in the sushi restaurant that Monday especially after her conversation with her sister. She excused herself early and left without a backward glance, her stance rigid, the building tension evident in the set of her shoulders as she exited the restaurant.

Shaking his head in frustration he entered the T-building parking structure. He quickly found parking close to the elevators. He looked around the various cars parked but didn't see Annie's car anywhere. She usually was there before her family members and Julien made an extra effort to leave his home early in order to catch. He slammed his convertible's door so hard, the sound echoed throughout the parking level. He suddenly had the urge to break something, clenching his fists and storming off.
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It was six in the evening as Julien made his way into his grand home. He let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing his jaw noticing he had at least two days worth of growth on his chin.  As he slowly climbed the stairs he started to shrug off his suit jacket, putting it over his arm and loosened his tie slipping it off.

Nobody was home yet, the house was eerily quiet, his need to leave work early was strong as he felt the weight of the week upon his shoulders. Again, he didn't spot Annie anywhere throughout the day and as he left, he noticed her car wasn't parked in it's usual space, as if she never came in for work.

He didn't see any of the her family members either. Usually Patrick would drop by his father's office for coffee and a quick chit chat but not today. They must be busy he assured himself just as they were.

He was about to pass Phaedra's room when he remembered she didn't feel well, deciding to check on her. He knocked and knocked, hearing no answer or movement from the other side of the door. He began to worry now, a frown forming on his face. He turned the knob and the door easily swung open.

His sister looked to be in a deep sleep and if it were even possible her face was paler, a parched white, than when he saw her in the morning. She was still curled up like a ball to her side facing the doorway. He became alarmed as he came closer to her feeling her head and face. She felt incredibly cold to the touch and wasn't responding to him as he tried shaking her awake all the while calling out her name.

Julien bit back a curse.  Something was very wrong. 

He felt her pulse, it was weak.  Instantly Julien's survival instincts kicked in, his fatigue temporarily forgotten. He tossed his jacket and tie to the opposite side of the room, they hit the wall with a thump, lightly falling to the floor.

He quickly scooped her up in his arms and descended the stairs to his car. She needed a hospital fast before she went into shock or worse, died...
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Thanks for reading!
-Shaz