Chapter 4
Adrian knelt beside bed. Hand hovered above my shoulder. Didn't touch yet. Tested air first.
I kept eyes closed. Controlled breathing. Slow inhale through nose, slow exhale through mouth. Counted four seconds each. Forced shoulders heavy. Let jaw slack. Tablets pressed against thigh under palm. Hidden between skin and white bathrobe fabric. Sweat made them stick.
He'd left cabin ten minutes earlier. Returned quiet. Door clicked soft. Wood creaked under his weight. Dim warm light from bedside lamp washed his shadow across ceiling. I tracked him through eyelids. Dark shape, slow movement.
"Mahal, wake up, you need some air." Voice low, gentle. Same line as before. Repeated exact. Coaxing tone, not worried tone. Performative care.
I didn't answer. Let breath catch little. Small flutter in eyelids. Then still.
His fingers brushed hair behind my ear. Warm. Lingering. Checked response. I let head tilt with touch. Didn't resist. Didn't help.
"Mahal?" Softer now. Hand moved to shoulder. Shook light. "You didn't take water. You need water with tablets."
He lifted glass from nightstand. Ice clinked. Condensation dripped. Held it near my face. I smelled water, faint chlorine.
I kept lips closed. Breathed through nose steady. Let micro-expression twitch at corner of mouth. Like drugged slackness. Not too much.
Adrian set glass down. Pause stretched. I heard his breathing. Even. Patient. That scared me more than anger would have. Peak calm. Man at peak simultaneous with my contradiction. He thought I swallowed pills. I held pills dry against leg.
He pressed two fingers to inside of my wrist. Pulse check. Skin warm, pressure firm. Counted beats. My heart hammered. Tried slow it. Thought about cold water, about Coron port lights far behind us. Forced heart down by force breathing.
"Good," he whispered. Not to me. To himself. "Getting drowsy, huh?"
He lifted my wrist then let go. Arm dropped heavy onto white linens. Arranged it. Tucked blanket around my shoulders. Tucking trap. Made me look cared for. Made push at 2:00 look like accident. Girl rolled overboard in sleep, sedated.
I cracked eyes fraction. Through lashes saw clock on cabin wall. 12:47 glowed red. Numbers burned. Thirteen minutes since attorney call. Forty-seven minutes until next hour. Seventy-three minutes until 2:00 push.
Adrian stood. Checked phone. Screen glowed brief. Message preview lit his face. He typed quick with thumb. Then slipped phone into pocket of linen pants. Moved to dark hard-shell suitcase still on bed at my feet. Zipped compartment shut. Patted top. Securing evidentiary suitcase. Ensuring nothing left exposed.
He returned to bedside. Bent close. Breath warm on my cheek. Hand pressed lightly on chest. Felt rise and fall. Measured sedation depth.
"Just air," he murmured. Coaxing again. Last test. "We go deck for air. You'll feel better."
I made small sound. Low moan. Lips parted little, eyes still closed. Played groggy. Mumbled incoherent. Then turned face away from him, deeper into pillow. Refusal without confrontation. Passive body.
He waited. Then nodded. Satisfied partial sedation looked enough. Didn't force water now. Didn't need full swallow if he could carry me anyway. Believed pills working half.
"Okay, rest," he whispered. Smoothed bathrobe collar. Stood. "I'll let you rest little more. Then air."
He stepped back. Door opened inch. Hinge groan soft. He slipped out. Left door ajar same as before. Dim hallway light cut line across white sheets. Footsteps faded toward deck.
May you like
I held still three seconds. Then exhaled sharp. Opened eyes. Palmed tablets forward. Two small round white tablets still dry, still whole. Never swallowed. Pressed them tighter. Clock ticked 12:51.
Cover held. Adrian believed sedation working partially. Clock near 1 AM approached.
