Lisa still had me in her arms, not wanting to let go yet as if she was still couldn't believe that I was just fine even though I was clearly standing with my own two feet. She grasped me at the certain parts of my body; around my back just near the shoulder blades while the other arm around the waist. This wasn't the usual embrace she always gave, even the positions of her hands were odd, she never hugged me like this.
I was right about that when she dragged me away from the bathtub with another force that I could say, too physical? It scared me a little though since the movement was rough as I was holding on her neck, stumbling since my steps were all over the floor, trying to catch up with hers.
But I had no idea what she would do this time when the only thing that was preventing me from tripping was my arms that were holding onto her grey blazer, which had different shade at several spots now because of the wetness she got from my drenched body.
Melissa stopped her legs when we reached the bathroom counter and I could see our reflections in the mirror, but she turned around, putting the mirror behind me as I was still confused with what was going on.
I felt her loosen her arms, gliding down until her face reached my chest along with her hand just past my bottom. And she grasped there, giving a push until my legs were no longer on the floor as she placed me on the counter.
She pulled away, forcing me to release my arms from her neck and she stood in between my legs. Her dead eyes were staring into mine, yet still shining by the tears that just waiting to fall.
Melissa started to unbutton her blazer in a slow movement, making my eyes follow what her hands were doing while my heartbeat went all the way up. It was because I never seen her taking off her clothes before. Well, we didn't get the chance to have sex after I got my eyes fixed.
And only now I found out that the act of removing clothes could be so attractive.
She sneaked her hand in, looking like she was reaching for something from the inner pocket and taking it out once she found it. My eyes widened.
Melissa brought her body closer again, whispering. "Give me your hand"
The thing that she was holding caused more tears in my eyes like what it did to hers. I guessed even her sadness was contagious like her laughter or giggles. She owned my emotions so effortlessly in her hands just like that thing owned me.
Her other hand was holding mine now that I gave to her as my gaze witnessed she slide the ring back along my finger.
"I will do as you say, anything you say" Lisa started to talk with her raspy voice. "Don't take this ring off ever again," She said as she kept looking at me. "Okay?"
I nodded without hesitation. "Okay"
She took a step away, creating distance between us as she began to take off her blazer. I closed my legs that were parted previously since I was embarrassed. I was sitting on this cabinet in front of Lisa, naked. Being embarrassed was the expected response I could give. But my eyes trailed down, following how the fabric just glided off her arms until it was over her wrists. She held it with her right hand, still looking at me.
And she slammed the blazer to the floor unexpectedly, causing me to startle by the sound she made with it.
I connected our eyes back and she was still standing there, looking at me.
"I-I'm sorry, Lisa" I said as I was getting nervous when I saw her rough blow of hand, remembering about what that hand already did to my face.
She didn't respond to me, she was just staring with her eyes that were slightly twitching. I didn't know what she was feeling right now, was she mad? Sad? Her eyes were no longer talking.
"What are you sorry for?"
She finally responded, pushing her 3 fingers into the collar of the black formal top she was wearing and started to unbutton again right from the top.
"I said mean things-" My speech was interrupted by how intimidating she looked right now. "I hurt you with my words"
Her hands already reached the last button and she stopped, revealing another layer of fabric inside when the formal top was no longer attached to its side.
Lisa turned her body, walking even farther from me as she went to grab a towel that I hung before.
"That's okay, I already said mean things back"
She made her way to me now with the same eyes that had been staring at me for God knew how long, sending goosebumps all over my skin with an energy in her that I couldn't determine yet.
She placed the towel on the counter and she ran her hand on my leg, pushing into my inner thighs as if she wanted to separate them back.
"But I hurt you with a slap on the face," She whispered while I tried my best to keep my legs closed against the amount of strength she put along her arm.
But I failed.
She got her previous spot, standing in between my legs as I parted them for her, inviting the cold atmosphere to brush against my sensitive part.
"I won't feel better if I don't receive the same pain"
"What?" I asked to show my disagreement about the thing she just said. "No!" I said in a strict tone because there was no way I would hurt her feelings, again.
"It will make me feel better, Roseanne"
Melissa didn't want to move from what she stood for, and I knew I might need to stay in here longer than I should for as long as she didn't get what she wanted.
"I'm not going to slap you"
I repeated myself with a much clearer voice, showing how stubborn I could be that only my parents knew it before. So she grabbed me by the wrist, pulling my hand up until I had her face in my grip.
"Lisa-"
"Fix it for me, baby" Her eyes changed this time, turning from empty and dead into some kind of regret. "I don't want to feel like this"
"There are other ways, Lisa. I will do anything to make you feel better," I begged since my wife probably had forgotten about how we used to kiss each other to fix any pain. "Anything for you, my love, but please..." Shaking my head, I felt tears spilled out from the brim of my eyes. "Not this"
"This is the only way-"
"As far as you can't buy valuable people with money," I held her head with both of my hands now. "That's how you can't always repay violence with violence, Lisa"
I tried to make my point because now I saw what was really bothering her mind that I was sure even her psychiatrist didn't see it the way I did. Because this time, I used my heart.
"Each time we fight, you will be yelling" I continued when Lisa's silence gave me the green pass. "Have I ever yelled back?"
"No"
"Exactly," I said. "Because that's not how I love you"
She was silent again as her eyes softened, but it didn't mean she already accepted what I said. She could be planning in her mind of what to say next just to diss my point.
"But it scarred your heart, Roseanne"
"It doesn't scar at all, I promise" I responded to her firmly.
"But-"
"You could've yelled at my dad," I shot her with something that I knew would catch her from her deepest soul.
And her whole face changed.
"You could've said mean things to him because he scarred you in a way that nobody understands" I saw her eyes began to water again as she was becoming weaker. "But you kissed his hands instead. Why was that, Lisa?"
She lowered her head, clenching her jaw to prevent it from trembling.
"Because that's not how you love him, right?"
I trailed my hands down, grasping her wet formal top and I pulled it slightly that caused a light shake to her body.
"You have so much love inside you, Lisa" I pressed my words this time since I already spread my own influence into her brain. "You just choose to show it through anger. We all do, I do too"
I pulled her closer, resting our foreheads against each other. "Let your anger go" I whispered as her heavy breath now clashed with mine. "Show your love through the love itself just the way I call you"
She lifted her head until her mouth reached my forehead, giving me a few kisses there.
"Can you do that for me, love?"
She took seconds before pulling away, making sure that she had a good view of my eyes.
And she nodded.
I didn't say anything else after that because I knew she was already convinced, and there was no absolute reason to keep fighting her anymore.
So I pushed the formal top off her shoulders instead, smiling when I saw how surprised she was by my sudden move.
But she didn't stop me either. She just looked at me with a nervousness in her eyes and I continued to take it off her, revealing the toned muscles around her arms since she was still wearing a singlet.
"Roseanne-"
Melissa didn't get the chance to say what she wanted to as her tongue decided to go against her. My hand ran down from the middle of her chest, settling around her waist as I put 2 fingers in the hem of her office pants and I pulled it towards me with a strong force, forcing her to come closer until our noses bumped.
Blows of her fresh minty breath hit my face. Our lips were just inches apart and I had never felt so attracted to hers before the way I did now. Lisa's lips had always been good just the way they tasted too. But being able to see them now in front of me, along with the strawberry smell that entered my nose, that really put extra temptation to these perky lips of hers.
My hands went for her belt, trying to unbuckle it slowly without even looking. Well, I didn't have to. Melissa on the other hand could probably feel the torture as she was holding herself from kissing me. I didn't help her either since I kept pushing my nose against hers, and I caught Lisa close her eyes every single time as if I would kiss her instead.
No, I would make her.
I pulled the belt off and released it from my grip, causing a sharp, metal sound as it contacted with the floor.
"Lisa..." I called in whisper as our lips almost brushed, and she swallowed her throat.
"Roseanne..."
She gave her usual response while I grabbed her hands, putting them around my waist and she grasped my skin.
"Please continue," I told her to do what she planned to do previously, because she wouldn't pick me up and place me on this counter for nothing. She was about to do something but I interrupted her with my talking.
She leaned in, titling her head and this time it was me who had my eyes closed, eager to feel her lips. But Melissa kissed me at the corner of my mouth instead, probably teasing me back. She was already so close to my lips but so close was never enough.
Her hands started to roam on my back, feeling every inch of my skin as she pulled away again. I was staring at her eyes that were no longer connected to me, because she ran them to my naked body, top to toe.
"I'm just going to check your body" She said as her hands now moved to my front, grasping me by the ribcage. "You are skinnier than the last time I saw you" She addressed her concern again that I already heard when we met in her office. "You didn't eat?"
"I missed you," I whispered, pulling her by the forearm until our noses met again. "Lisa?"
"Roseanne?" She sighed this time as if she could hear my heart.
"Come back to me"
She didn't respond, probably still considering whether or not she should end this taking a break phase.
"We are married, Lisa" I continued to talk since she gave me the space, which I saw as an opportunity. "Whatever you are and will go through, please count me in" I cupped her face softly, trying to get the most of her attention. "We are in this together, right?"
She leaned in as soon as I finished talking, finally closing distance between our mouths.
Her kiss was so calm that there was nothing sexual with it at all. There was softness in her desires too, calling out for the longing, yet no aggression could be found. I had missed her lips in the moonlight, and now she brought the whole moon on my lap to hold.
"Okay" She answered my question in between kisses, causing me to smile as she continued to caress my lips with hers, and I unclasped her pants.
▪️▪️▪️
"Thank you, Jisoo!" I exclaimed as a response to the great news she brought me.
"You owe me big time!"
"I know! Please send my regards to Mr. Wilson"
"Sure, say hello to Melissa for me"
"Jisoo?"
"Yeah?"
"It Is Not All Thorns..."
"What?" She asked in confusion.
"My book title"
I continued to talk to Jisoo for few more seconds before I ended the call. She just called from Sydney, saying that Mr. Wilson had agreed to give me one year to complete my second book, which I would always thank Jisoo for that. I knew she could convince Mr. Wilson on that.
I exited the pantry room where I excused myself to just to answer Jisoo's call, walking back to the chair at the meeting table, while Lisa and Leon were both standing in front of the large window.
"Am I seeing things now?" Melissa asked his brother with both of her hands kept inside her pockets.
"No you're not," He responded. "I can see them too"
"Where do they come from? They weren't here this morning"
"Who would do a riot in the early morning, Lisa?"
Riot. That was what was happening at Maas Corps entrances; front, back, or even VIP one as people were protesting about Melissa's money and bribery scandals regarding the Incheon Bridge case that she didn't even do.
I had seen them too from this meeting room floor, and they scared me.
"I can't believe those bastards managed to stir up the people to hate you" Leon said as he shook his head.
"Well," Lisa took out her hands from the pockets, crossing them against each other. "That's what happen if you messed with politicians"
"If only you didn't mention about that structural damage-"
"Hey!" Lisa nudged him immediately. "Remember what mama taught us, always do the right thing even though you will get hated by it"
Leon was silent as he continued to look down, probably scanning the crowd. But Melissa moved her attention away from the chaos when she turned her neck to face the only sibling she had.
"Do you want to take over?"
The young guy reciprocated her gesture when they were both looking into each other's eyes. I was just staring at them from behind and only now I noticed how identical Leon's face was with Lisa's from the side.
He chuckled. "You are joking, right?"
"No, I can do the power and stocks transfer to you tomorrow if you want"
"And be like papa? Like you? No thanks" He huffed.
"Come on!" Lisa giggled. "I'm not that bad"
"I don't care, I don't want it"
"You know I can do that while you are asleep, right?" Lisa continued to tease him. "Put everything under your name"
"Don't you dare do that to me, Melissa Maas" He giggled too when his sister was doing it. "I don't want to wake up owning a multibillion company"
The door was opened shortly after, revealing Jongnam and other bodyguards behind it.
"Ma'am, the car is ready" Jongnam said as I was looking at him. But he wasn't being his usual self, he looked like he was scared or nervous, which was odd.
"Love?" I called for her. "Shouldn't we wait for the situation to be less crowded?"
"I don't want to wait any longer, baby" She walked to me, taking her handbag and she reached out for my hands. "Come on, let's go"
I was already nervous about this plan to leave the building before, but when I saw Jongnam's face, it added even more worries in me. If Jongnam himself wasn't confident about this whole thing, then we all should be worried.
"I'll see you at home, Lisa" Leon said.
I got up from the chair, wrapping my hand around Lisa's arm and we began to walk out to the elevator. Lisa was quiet all of the sudden, even her face changed too. That was when I realised how serious this thing was going to be.
"Alright boys, on my command" Jongnam said when the door closed, taking us all down.
Melissa placed her hand on that man's shoulder, causing him to turn around to face her.
"On my command," Lisa said and his face turned white right after.
"Ma'am-"
"Formation?"
He tried to argue but Melissa stopped him with boldness, sounding so serious all of the sudden as if she didn't just tease Leon few seconds ago.
"Diamond, Ma'am"
She took few seconds, probably thinking about the escape plan. There would be a lot of people out there, not only the protestors but also the media people.
"Okay, 1 at front 2 meters away to clear the path. 4 in diamond around Ma'am Roseanne, and 1 for me 6 meters away at the back"
"Ma'am," Yuan who was behind us joined in immediately. "Diamond formation is for you"
"Jongnam alone can take me, can you old man?"
He was hesitated to answer and I could feel the tension between them when nobody responded to her.
"I want 4 of you to guard Ma'am Roseanne in diamond, what's the big deal?"
"You will be too exposed and Ma'am Roseanne will be perfectly guarded," Jongnam answered her in one breath. "That's a big deal, Ma'am"
"There are only 6 of you," Lisa said strictly. "And I want diamond for Ma'am Roseanne, 1-4-1 formation is that clear?"
"Lisa..." I shook her hand slightly. "Can we walk together? Side by side?"
The door was finally opened and we stepped out, gathering in front of the elevator as the noises from the riot had became more audible.
"We can't do that, baby" She said softly, pushing the strands of my hair to the back of my ear. "That will draw the danger to you as well"
"But you-"
"I'll be just behind you," Lisa gave me her sweetest, wide smile that I never seen before, and it melted my heart with her hand holding mine tightly. "You go first, and I'll be there"
I sighed. "Lisa, I'm scared"
"I know," She kept on smiling. "But you just have to keep walking, okay? Keep walking and don't stop until you reach the car" She pulled my hand to give it a kiss. "I'll be just behind you"
"Okay" I nodded hesitantly. I didn't feel good about this at all but I didn't want to waste more time arguing with her. She wouldn't change her mind anyway.
Because the longer we waited, the bigger the crowd.
"Guns boys," Jongnam commanded. "Safety pin off"
I heard those clicks they made with their guns, which meant they were fully armed now and my heart was racing so bad as we walked to the entrance door.
"Ready boys" Jongnam said his last command and I knew we would be going out now.
So I turned around, tilting my head to find the space since I was surrounded by 4 big men that were thrice my size just to take one last look of Lisa, and she peeked back, causing me to chuckle.
She mouthed I love you to me, with her eyebrows lifted up that brightened her face in the lights of heaven, and I turned to the front again, taking my step.
I couldn't hear anything except for loud screams and anger. They made noises that trembled the fear along my spine, and I kept my head lowered to avoid any flying object, just like what Lisa told me to do. And I was doing great until I could see an opened door of our car, waiting for me, for Lisa, so I sped up my pace.
But the noises were getting louder, and the crowd kept pushing us as we were walking, weighing my chest even more when I thought about Lisa at the back. I got 4 men with me and I almost tripped for few times already just by the push of the crowd gave to these men.
How was Lisa holding up to Jongnam alone?
I started to feel the relief when I finally reached the car, stepping one leg up and I pushed my own body inside. Just when I was about to sit, I heard something so loud and terrifying, that I would remember for the rest of my life.
A gunshot.
I turned my body straight away in that panic, screaming crowds that were just as surprised as me after hearing that sound, looking towards my back with tears formed inside my eyes.
"Lisa!"