Robert balanced his teacup in his hand as he stared outside his office's window, watching the caterers wrap up the remains of the wedding last night. A dull headache throbbed at his temples as he silently watched the view in front of him. He needed a few minutes of absolute silence and stillness to start his day. After all, what happened last night was something he was too nervous to even pinch himself about. His head spun thinking about the previous day and the variety of extreme emotions he went through by the end of it. He shut his eyes momentarily, feeling the burn under his lids. He sighed as he revelled in that satisfying feeling. Too much had happened, and he felt the weight lift off his chest. It was all too much to process; he could sense the chaos around him, but at the same time, after a long time, he felt like he was allowed to breathe. The best way he could describe it was like the image after the storm; chaos and destruction all around him, but the beauty was prevalent, and the silence was soothing. Never in a million years could he have thought this would be his life in his forties.

Last night the bubbling liquid of suppressed feelings burst out of him; he had no control over himself, his words, his actions and his emotions. It was almost like an out-of-body experience; he had never felt such a heady rush of emotions. He might be wrong, but he was almost sure that Cora went through something similar. Their entire lives were spent chasing propriety and following the rules of the game. While following the rule book, they forgot how to live. And the funny thing was, they did not even realise that they had stopped living until they found one another. A new feeling, a new emotion, a reaction, the dangerous thoughts all reminded them every now and then that it was the start of something new. And new it was but it was also dangerous, and they had spent months abiding by the rules, dodging the danger and staying cautious. However, it did not do him any good. It made him more miserable every day, and he was tired of being miserable, following the rules, and doing what was expected of him. For once, he wanted to live and wanted to breathe. As he did now.

Last night after the fireworks, he held Cora for a few more minutes, cherishing that moment as they watched the sky's normal colour as the fireworks ebbed away and their body resumed normal functioning. The conversation was too overwhelming, and they needed a moment to come back to planet Earth. A few minutes later, or lifetimes – to be honest, he did not know, Valarie called him inquiring about his whereabouts and telling him that Bates was about to leave for the airport. His heart and body protested to detach themselves from the warmth of Cora, but he eventually moved away. He cupped her cheek, kissed her one more time and made his way downstairs. He bid his friend goodbye when he saw Cora walk out to the grounds a few moments later. He had noticed that she had fixed her makeup – her eyes looked less red, and her lipstick covered only the expanse of her lips. Bates and Anna left for their honeymoon, and the last time he saw Cora was when he walked towards his car with Sybil. Cora was busy talking to Phyllis in one corner. He wanted to say goodbye but knew it was not the right time, so he sighed and made his way home. He slept like a baby that night. He felt like a traveller who had been on an intense journey, finally making his way home and sleeping in his bed. After a long time, he went to bed and slept almost instantly. His body knew. Every inch of him felt the release of that bubbling, painful pressure, and he passed out as soon as his head met the pillow. He slept a good number of hours and woke up without wanting to burn the whole world down. He was used to waking up with an urge to scream and punch the first thing he saw but today was different. It was normal, and he had long forgotten how it felt to be normal. He quickly showered and made his way to work. Thankfully, without having to talk to a single person all morning. Smiles and nods were good enough, and he was glad that no one had yet come up to chat with him.

He turned around to look at the chair, her chair. Everything in his office was tidied up, and it almost gave the impression that last night did not happen. These walls did not appear to witness the argument, the confessions, the anger and the hurt. He would genuinely be confused if it all even happened, but the taste of her lips still tingled on his, and he was reminded that it was all true. He loved Cora, and she loved him.

His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door, and he knew it was high time he started his work day. He gulped and walked towards his desk when Mrs Hughes walked inside his room, holding a thin file in her hand.

"I am sorry about the noise outside; they said they would be done packing up in the next thirty minutes", she said as handed him the file.

Robert smiled at her as he took his seat. "It is no problem. What is this?" he replied, taking the file from her hand.

"Mr Bates left it for you. It is just a breakdown of his pending tasks, I think," she replied.

Robert nodded and put the file to the side "Do you know if they've landed in the Maldives?"

"Their flight landed two hours ago," she said. Robert nodded once again and smiled at her.

"Anything I can do to help? Now that Mr Bates is away?" she asked.

Robert shook his head and smiled. "Nice of you to ask; it is a very tempting offer", he chuckled.

"I am at your service" she grinned back.

Robert opened his laptop and scanned through his calendar. A few seconds later, he shook his head. "You are lucky; there is nothing right now. But can you please ask Mary to give me the account file for the month so far?"

Mrs Hughes nodded and left the room. Robert sighed and opened his Google calendar to see his schedule. His day was packed with meetings, and he knew his workload would be twice as hectic now that Bates was away for a month. He put his fingers on the keyboard to open a work file, but his fingers typed out Cora's name before he knew what was happening. Her name appeared along with her week's schedule, and he clicked on it. He felt a sense of disappointment kicking in when he saw that she was off today. He knew that already, of course, but it hurt to see the term 'unavailable' next to her name. He wanted to see her; he wanted to talk to her now that he had regained his senses. He wanted to call her, but he was unsure of the headspace she might be in. Maybe she needed some space to process last night. He wouldn't blame her for it; it completely made sense. He sighed and opened the document he had initially intended to open and started reading it.

A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door, and he assumed it would be Mary with the accounts. To his surprise, the door opened, and Cora walked in, wearing a baby blue shirt and white pants. She gave him a soft smile as she closed the door behind him and his first reaction was to get up from his seat. His legs once again felt weak, and he was surprised that after everything, she still had the power to take his breath away completely. He smiled and walked two steps towards her as she walked towards his desk.

"Hi", she said as she looked at him.

He knew that expression. Her eyes mimicked the emotion in his eyes; he could see the shock in hers, and he was sure that she could see it in his. They were both shocked and shaken and completely thrown off by what happened last night. Her eyes said a million things, but after a very long time, he could not see any sadness in them, which calmed down his racing heart.

"Hello", he replied as he extended his hand towards her. She looked at it and smiled back as she put her slender hand into his and moved closer to him. He removed his hand from hers and slowly outlined her jawline with his thumb. She relaxed at his touch and momentarily closed her eyes. He couldn't resist himself as he moved his face closer to her and softly kissed the side of her forehead. He heard her take a soft sigh at it while he took in the scent of her coconut shampoo. She then looked at him with a soft smile, and he moved his head further to kiss her lips.

Perfect. It was just perfect. Her soft lips sent him straight to heaven, and he could swear that he had never felt this much peace. Their first kiss happened when they were both extremely drunk and unable to make sense of what was happening. That kiss sent shivers up his spine, made his knees weak, and his head explode. The kisses last night happened in an extremely heightened state; they were both emotional and exchanged sloppy kisses that tasted of tears. This was their first kiss in which their heart, mind, soul, and body were completely aligned. There was no rush, no influence of alcohol or rush of dizzying emotions. There was only peace and contentment, and this kiss tasted of all that. It tasted of their love and their patience. There was absolutely nothing in the world that could replace what he felt at this moment. The loud screech of moving furniture outside the window brought him back to real life; he then separated his lips from hers and looked at her once again.

"How are you?" he asked as she sweetly used the pads of her thumb to wipe her lipstick off his lips.

She smiled at him. "I am good. You?"

He nodded, and after a long time, he did not go into a deep hole of spiralling emotions when asked this question. He genuinely felt good.

"Do you manage to get some sleep?" she asked as she took a step back.

He chuckled. "I slept like a baby", he replied and was glad to see a soft smile on her face. "What about you?"

"I passed out as soon as I went back home," she said.

Robert chuckled at that and nodded. "I was wondering if you would come today since you were not scheduled to"

Cora rolled her eyes. "What did you think?"

Robert felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. Of course, it was a stupid question. He knew she would come, and of course, she did.

Cora sighed as she took out a paper from her handbag. "Well, technically, I had planned on coming to give you this," she said as she handed him that page.

Robert raised his eyebrow as he unfolded that page to see a resignation letter. Of course, she had planned on resigning today. He felt his stomach twist at the sight of it, reminding him of all the thoughts that had been haunting him for the past month. It made him uneasy, and he just wanted to wipe the past month from his mind.

Robert sighed. "Your resignation"

Cora nodded.

"What do you want me to do with it, Cora?" he asked.

Cora looked him straight in the eyes as she took the letter back from him. She neatly folded it once and said, "I don't know about you, Robert" she folded the paper one more time as she continued to stare at him ", but I am burning my bridges," she said as she tore the paper from the middle. The sharp sound of paper tearing up implied her sealing the deal. Robert watched as the paper tore up into four pieces.

She stacked the pieces in her hand in front of him. Robert immediately felt hot under the collar. He took a breath and took the pieces from her hand, and dropped them in the bin under his desk. He took a step nearer to her and stared into her blue orbs.

"Well, so am I", he whispered to her before crashing his mouth into hers.

He kissed her with such force that she physically tumbled back a few steps until her back hit the wall next to his cupboard where he kept his drinks. He cupped her face and held her waist as his tongue sought permission for entry. Her mouth opened to his ministrations, and he groaned when her soft, wet, warm tongue met his. Cora's hand reached up to hold onto his shoulder, she squeezed it hard as his tongue dipped deeper, and she put her other hand in his hair to allow him more access. He momentarily separated for air before going in again. His hand on her face slowly moved down to her neck as he explored the bones under her flesh. Cora bit his lower lip as he traced her collarbones. The bite on his lip made his knees turn into jelly, and he placed one of his hands on the wall to remain stable and pulled her further in by her waist before opening his mouth to her again. Cora brought her hands to his face and held them tightly before kissing him. Her touch, scent, and lips made him crazy; he felt it in every part of his body. He had thought about these lips for months; he had noticed how they moved, how they changed colours with every lick, every bite of hers, and he had dreamed of being the one to make those changes. Now those very lips sucked on his lips and intently explored his mouth, and he felt ecstatic.

"Oh, darling," he said as he moved his lips away and reached for her neck.

She sighed as he kissed her neck softly, and her head tumbled back against the wall. He kissed the length of her neck before reaching her collarbone. Her soft sighs only turned him on and made his head spin. Every inch of her skin felt like the holy grail, setting his heart on fire. He continued kissing her, revelling in her sighs and touch before he heard voices from outside his room. Before reacting, he felt Cora straighten her back, pushing him to end his ministration. He moved a step back before panic settled into his stomach.

It was Mary's voice as she talked to Mrs Hughes outside his room. "Shit" he said, looking at Cora. "It's Mary. I told Mrs Hughes to let her know I wanted to see her".

"Oh god, what do I do?" whispered Cora as she fixed her shirt, embarrassed at being in such a position. "Mrs Hughes knows I am inside"

Robert took a few steps back, thankful that Mary was still talking to Mrs Hughes. "You can just sit here; it would not look odd".

Cora rolled her eyes. "Robert, my makeup is everywhere, including your face", she exclaimed.

Robert shut his eyes and quickly took out his handkerchief to wipe his mouth. He quickly walked back to his chair and said, "Go to my bathroom here and just come out in a few minutes", he said, thinking of no other alternative.

Cora nodded and quickly dashed to the bathroom, and Robert took his seat, looking at the reflection in his laptop screen to fix his face and ruffled hair.

Mary finally made her entrance. "Oh, hello, Papa"

Cora held the sides of the wash basin in Robert's bathroom as she heard the muffled voice of Mary. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her lipstick was smeared across her mouth, and hints of it were splattered across her neck, transferring from Robert's lips. She felt like a teenager; embarrassed at her behaviour. A sense of guilt consumed her; she was a woman in her forties, and she never imagined that she would have to hide in a man's bathroom to cover up the state she had been in. And why? Because his daughter almost walked in on them. A daughter from his wife. His family. He felt a twist in her stomach. She shook her head. This was all insane.

"Where's Cora? Mrs Hughes said she was in"

She heard Mary's voice from outside, and she sighed. She felt guilty and embarrassed. But somehow, the guilt did not only stem from doing what she had done; it was because of how she had to hide what she had done. Because doing it…oh my.

Cora shut her eyes. Being with him, touching him, kissing him felt like heaven. It felt exciting and thrilling, and it took her to highs she had never been to. But most of all, it felt safe, it felt satisfying, and it made her feel complete. She felt whole when she was with him.

"She just went to the bathroom here"

She took out a handkerchief from her bag and started to wipe the smeared lipstick. Last night had kicked all the stuffing out of her. She never imagined that the night would end the way it had. She was furious when Robert wouldn't stop staring; she was so mad that she wanted to strangle him. And she would have done it, but he did something she never thought he would do. He told her he loved her. He said what was never supposed to be said out loud. He confessed.

It was raw, and it was real. There was no bullshit.

She felt suffocated, and she needed air. She ran away from him to the roof, wanting to escape the situation. This was never supposed to happen. It was something she never dared to even dream about, but he said it. He said it despite everything. His family, his hotel, and all his relationships would be affected by this, but he did not care. He simply told her as things were. Then who was she hiding from? Why was she lying to herself?

She then ran to him, kissed him with all she had and told him she loved him too. Of course, she did. She was completely consumed by him, and there was no turning back. The only solution was to remove herself from the situation physically. Today she was supposed to do that. She knew that was the appropriate decision, and so did he. But he was tired of lying to himself, and to be fair, so was she. The suffering had to end, and they ended it by screaming at each other and kissing as they had never kissed before.

She loved him so much. She did not know how to move forward, what to do and how to do it. But for now, just being honest with him, near him and touching him was enough.

"Here are the papers. Do you want to discuss them now, or should we wait for Matthew as well?"

"No need. I just needed a run thorough"

She had not intended their conversation outside to end up the way it did. But she did not blame herself or him for behaving like horny teenagers. Their emotions had been suppressed for so long and were in desperate need of release. One kiss sent them into a spiral, and the next thing she knew, their hands were trying to reach every inch of each other.

She sighed as she reapplied her lipstick after cleaning up the marks on her face and neck. If they were doing this, they had to be more careful. They cannot behave like this. It was too risky for them. It was not even day one, and someone almost walked in on them. This was not right.

She turned on the tap for a moment to make it sound like she had used the bathroom before sighing once and unlocking the door.

She walked outside with her best poker face and saw Mary looking at her.

"Hello, Mary," she said, smiling at her.

"Oh, hi. All good?" she asked.

Of course, Mary was a smart person and must have wondered why Cora used Robert's bathroom when her office was on the same floor. Cora looked around and saw the teacup on Robert's desk. She had to come up with an excuse.

"Yes", Cora replied. "I accidentally burnt my hand. The cup was very warm," she said, pointing out to the cup.

She saw Robert's confused expression until he realised what she was doing.

"Silly of me, really, so I went in to put it under the cold water", Cora added, crossing her fingers and hoping that this excuse would do.

Mary's eyebrows raised and quickly moved from Cora to the teacup and then back to Cora. "Oh my god, are you okay now?"

Cora nodded. "Yes, yes, I am fine. It is not that bad"

Mary looked at her with a puzzled expression and then nodded. "I did not know you were coming in today"

Cora gulped down. She had to come up with another excuse. She hated this.

"I was not supposed to, but I wanted to edit some pictures, but the Wi-Fi in my office s acting up, so I thought I would do them from here," she said.

Mary nodded at her, seemingly satisfied with her response. Cora sighed in relief as she excused herself. "I will just be in my office in case you need me. I will leave you to it," she said.

"All right, see you, Cora. And thanks for handling everything last night," said Mary, smiling at her.

Cora smiled back. "You are most welcome"

She then looked at Robert, who had been quietly listening to her lies. "Thank you for letting me use the bathroom, Robert," she said.

Robert nodded at her and gave her a faint smile. Cora walked outside the office and sprinted towards her own.

She sighed in relief as she opened the door. She walked inside, closing the door and resting her back against it. "Fuck!" she breathed out.

How was this going to work?

After a long time, Rosamund felt proud of herself. It had been a while since she did something she was proud of. She could call herself her biggest fan, but at the same time, she was her harshest critic as well. She was her mother's daughter, after all, and she knew when a job was well done. Seeing how Bates and Anna's wedding panned out last night made her feel like she was returning to the real world. It was extremely bittersweet, but she knew that she had to choose life over continuing like a lifeless body for her and her loved one's well-being. Thankfully, the wedding made her feel somewhat connected to her old self, who was always on top of everything. This was what her family had wanted her to do for months, especially Robert. And she could tell how happy he was to see her back to being herself.

The wedding had been everything Bates and Anna had wanted, and she was happy that she was able to deliver exactly what they had envisioned. Last night, she went to bed smiling, and she could not remember the last time that had happened. It felt like years. But at the same time, she could remember exactly when she was truly at peace. It was a few days before Duke's death. They had woken up later than usual and, for some reason, decided to stay in bed. It was very unusual for them, but the bed was cosy and demanded they stay in it. She remembered how hours passed by, and they just chatted and kissed and laughed at the silliest of things. At that moment, everything felt perfect. That room was their entire world at that moment, and in that world, it was just the two of them. She could still hear his loud cackle at a pathetic joke he had cracked himself, and she could not resist herself to feed off that happiness and join him in his throaty laughter. She was a different person around him; giddy, happy, content, and foolishly, disgustingly drowned in love. At that perfect moment, she had no idea that her entire world would be snatched away.

She sighed as she walked towards her office on the seventh floor, keeping faith in the fact that perhaps things might just become all right for her. She took a left when she saw Cora run towards her office. Rosamund opened her mouth to say hello, but before she could do that, Cora had disappeared from view, shutting the door behind her.

Rosamund shook her head and slowly walked towards Cora's room, dreading what she knew was coming. It hurt her to see her brother suffer. Losing someone so dear to her made her want to burn down the world, and it took every ounce of her patience to stop herself from screaming at Robert not to let someone like Cora go. Someone who so obviously lit up his eyes and awakened his soul.

She was experiencing the excruciating pain of losing someone who fulfilled her soul; by god, it was an utter bitch. It hurt like hell. With Cora and Robert…there was something about them together; magic she had not seen in a long time. It felt familiar and real, and every bit of her knew it was rare. She was lucky enough to have experienced that rare honour, and she wished she had the power to give that to Robert. By God, she knew he deserved it more than anyone she knew. Her sweet, kind, stupid brother needed someone to be by his side in every way. She could feel that 'someone' to be Cora, but it was not her place to express it or even point out the obvious. It might have been selfish of her to want Cora to be by her brother's side for his welfare, but it was not one-sided. She saw the way Cora smiled around him, and she heard the way she talked of him. It was special, and she wished she could say something….do something. It was all so stupid, political, and vulnerable, and she hated that relationships were sometimes so complicated that it meant watching your loved ones suffer. Now, as she knocked on Cora's door, she felt as if she was walking inside another heartbreaking, stupid and painful 'complication'.

She entered the room to see Cora sitting at her desk, her eyes anticipating to witness who had knocked. Her face had a strange look; she looked flushed, and her body looked stiff.

"Oh, Rosamund…come in", she finally said, her expressions shifting quickly from anticipation to a surprise and perhaps a hint of relief.

"Hi, how are you doing?" she asked. Genuinely concerned for her.

Cora gave her a faint smile and a small nod. "Good, good…how are you?"

Rosamund smiled and walked towards her room's window, resting her back against the wall. "I am fine. Glad that the wedding went all right"

A genuine smile appeared on Cora's face. "It was spectacular. Everyone had a wonderful time!"

Rosamund smiled and nodded at her, glad to get the reaffirmation. Today, it felt nice. She continued to look at Cora and wondered what went on inside her. Her eyes hinted of immense secrets and burden, and Rosamund wished she had the liberty to ask and for her to answer the honest truth freely. But again, the stupid complication sat in the middle of the room; too big and too loud, making it impossible to be real.

She finally sighed. "I just wanted to check up on you"

Cora gave her a puzzled look, and it broke Rosamund's heart to elaborate on what she had wanted to convey. "Are you here to pack?" she finally asked.

Cora's mouth formed a small 'o', and she looked down; a hint of pink spread across her cheeks. "Um," said Cora, as she ran a hand through her hair. "Not yet…I mean," she heard a soft sigh, "I don't think so".

Rosamund raised an eyebrow and stood straighter. What the hell did that mean?

"You don't think what exactly?" she questioned.

Cora gave her a faint smile, even though it looked utterly forced. "I think…I think I'd like to stay"

What? Rosamund blinked twice to make sure she heard it right. This had taken a completely different turn. "Oh…oh wow! Are you serious?" she asked for clarification. What the hell was going on?

Cora got up from her seat and walked towards Rosamund. She had her hands held together in front of her, and she gave the appearance of a schoolgirl standing in front of the principal.

"Yes, I think, I am sure. I would like to continue our contract if that is all right with you?" said Cora.

Rosamund shook her head, still processing what she was hearing. A small chuckle escaped her lips "Cora," she said in a tone that was a mix of a sigh and exclamation. "Of course! Of course, we want you here. All of us"

A small smile appeared on Cora's face, and Rosamund felt the urge to hug her. She was such a genuinely sweet person. Rosamund was so glad she was staying, but the initial look on Cora's face when she entered her room tempted more inquiry.

"What..um, what changed your mind?" asked Rosamund, genuinely wanting to know what miracle happened.

Cora sighed and shook her head. "I think the…the working relationship we have here…it's rare", she sighed again. "My team loves it…I love it here. I think we should honour that"

Rosamund smiled at her as she took in her words. She knew it was the truth. Cora was telling what she genuinely felt. But was it the complete truth? She highly doubted it. But she shook her head; it did not matter. What mattered was that Cora was staying; if she stayed, there was a high chance her brother would not walk around with his face touching the ground.

She took a step closer to give Cora a hug; which was reciprocated by her with just the same amount of love. She looked at Cora's face again and smiled. "Well, whatever it is, I am glad you are staying. It means a lot to us", she said.

Cora nodded at her.

"Especially to Robert, I am sure", she added.

Cora's eyes showed a hint of glint before neutralising. Rosamund stopped herself from grinning. She patted Cora's arm and walked towards the door.

She turned the knob and then turned around. "But Cora?" she said.

"Yes?"

"If he's ever being stupid…which he has a high tendency of being", she rolled her eyes. "Just let me know, okay?'

Cora's eyes opened wider, and before she could come up with a diplomatic response, Rosamund left the room. She walked towards her office with a small sigh. There was hope glimmering in all the seemingly hopeless cases after all.

The night came by speedily, and a quick look at Robert's calendar indicated his occupancy. She didn't blame him; the poor man was left alone without his right hand, Bates. There was not much she could do at the hotel, so she left a few hours later and went to her office to continue her work there. Of course, in the midst of the emotional turmoil, she completely forgot to loop in her team, who had clearly been biting their nails before her arrival. Their eyes were filled with desperation for answers about their future at the hotel, and she felt bad for making them wait so long. She did not blame them for being so emotionally involved with the staff at the hotel. Her entire team, but especially her, Phyllis and Carson, had all individually formed strong bonds with people at the hotel, and she was sure they would all be disappointed to leave the place, even if they didn't express it out loud. She smiled, entering her office. They were all too kind and loving towards her and trusted her never to make the wrong decisions. However, funnily, it seemed this time neither of the three evaluated prospects solely from a business point of view. There was heart involved now, and she had learned over the last few months that there was no winning from that.

Later in the evening, she called Phyllis and Carson inside her room and told them of her decision. The answer was received with a big relief and concern from both. They both were thrilled that Cora had decided to stay, but at the same time, they had witnessed her spiralling emotions at the workplace and naturally wanted her to be sure of her decision.

Was it the right decision? She didn't know. Will it serve her well as an entrepreneur? She did not know that either. She was unsure of how anything would unfold from now on, but if she was sure of one thing, it was this; she loved Robert. She loved him beyond her control, and he filled her life with love, peace, respect and constant encouragement. She wanted that. God, she had been craving that her whole life. His one tiny push made her do things she did not know she could do or handle. She did not have the confidence many times, but he was always there to have her back and cheer her on. How could this be wrong? How can something so beautiful, rare, and pure be wrong? This had to be the right decision. She then reassured them that this not only meant honouring their contract but also developing working relationships that could open several other opportunities in the future. It was all true. Hotel Grantham was always the best place for networking, something that Simon had been pushing her to actively seek out for years, and staying with them meant exposure to more clients and bigger deals. And at the same time, she can continue to not die inside every day.

Both Phyllis and Carson understood her point of view and happily obliged, but she could sense that they were both aware it was more than that. And it was something they both understood on a personal level because they knew that, just like Cora, they had also formed deeper relationships at work; thus, it was easier to understand the emotional side of it all. However, Cora was sure that neither of them went through the same emotional rollercoaster as her, and neither consciously decided to play with fire like she and Robert. But she was sick of going round and round; she was exhausted skinning the hair-like thin details. She was so done. And all she wanted was love. She wanted him.

And with that thought, she spent the rest of her evening drowned in work. Her foggy brain from the past few months had affected her concentration levels, and she was making good use of this newfound, much-needed mental relief to be productive. She ordered herself dinner later and forced Carson and Phyllis to go home and enjoy the rest of their night. She was alone in her office after a long time and was reminded of why she opened PRIME in the first place. Her work and autonomy gave her mental satisfaction beyond measure, and the creative itch in her was soothed along the way.

By half-eight in the night, she stretched her arms up in the air to get relief from her stiff posture. She spread out like a cat and sighed when her muscles pulled and soothed her soreness. She looked at her reflection in the small mirror on her table and cackled. It reminded her of her university days; her hair tied in a messy bun, her lipstick almost faint, giving an appearance of a tint, her sleeves rolled up, and her eyes a little watery. She used to stay up late at night to finish her projects and often got so involved in her work that she forgot to eat or drink and was scolded by her mother to eat timely. It was obviously not good for her, but she loved being consumed by her work. Of course, now her body could not function properly on an empty stomach and would become nauseous easily. So now she made sure to eat on time, but every now and then also loved to escape into her work bubble and shut off from real life. Her thoughts got interrupted by a text message. She unlocked her phone to see a message from Phyllis.

Hey, C! I am happy about the decision you made. I am sure you know what you are doing. But I would still like to talk to you about it. I know you. I can sense there is something else. I am here to talk if you want to. Because I think that if not now, you might need someone to talk to soon. I am here…always. See you tomorrow!

Cora sighed at the text message. Of course, Phyllis had known her for a long time, and her questions only came from a place of love and concern. Cora quickly sent her a red heart emoji and locked her phone. Phyllis wasn't stupid, Rosamund wasn't stupid, and neither was Mary. No one there was blind. Everyone could feel that something was off, but this cannot continue. It absolutely cannot. These raised eyebrows and silent stares will only stay silent for too long. They had to do something so the hushed chatter would die down. Of course, neither she nor Robert were actors and neither had they ever gone through something like this before. It was all new to them; naturally, their faces deceived them and led to concerns from both sides. She had to talk to Robert.

And just like the stars had signalled a million times before, once again Cora thought of him, and her phone rang with his name. She smiled and answered the call.

"Hello?"

Robert tapped on his steering wheel while waiting for Cora to pick up his call. He felt terrible for what had happened in the morning and embarrassed for putting her in such a position and then lying to Mary. It was truly embarrassing, and he felt so stupid just sitting there, watching her being interrogated by Mary without aiding a single word of help. He felt extremely silly, but at that moment, he did not know how to respond; before his brain could process any of the words, Cora would be telling something different, and he was just surprised by her quick thinking.

Of course, he was also surprised at how and when the conversation with Cora ended up in a heated making-out session. Thinking about it again gave him goosebumps. He just couldn't resist himself, she said she was ready to burn all bridges for him, and every inch of him felt the love in her eyes. She knew it would be a tough ride, a controversial journey, a situation that would make them question themselves, their values and their beliefs and still, she was ready to jump on it with him. That woman had had questionable relationships in her life, little family to trust or rely on, and after all her hardships and pain, she had established herself, but she was ready to risk it all to be with him. He couldn't even comprehend just how much he admired her and loved her. He loved her so much, and at that moment, he could only pounce on her and show her how much he loved her because words would never do justice to how he felt. He was going to tell her all that, of course, but before he could regain his sense, Mary knocked, and since then, he had been consumed with the guilt of making her hide, then lie and later not see her for the rest of the day. He felt terrible.

"Hello?"

He sighed in relief. "Hi, darling," he said, smiling into the phone.

"Hey, how are you?" she replied.

"Fine, now that I am talking to you," he said.

He heard a soft chuckle from the other end and smiled. "Charmer!"

"Are you in your office?" he asked.

"Yes, I am"

"Are you alone?"

"Yes"

"Do you want to have coffee?"

"When?"

"Right now"

"Sure, but won't it take you an hour to reach me?" she asked.

Robert smiled "No" as he got out of the car and knocked on the door, holding coffee and a small bouquet of white lilies in one hand.

"Wait, is that you?" she inquired on the call.

"Maybe" he chuckled.

Cora opened the door on him and greeted him with a smile. Ah, that smile! How sweet did she look in her little bun and rolled-up sleeves?

"Robert", she said, in her sweet excited tone, that he had missed so much.

"Darling," he said as he moved in to kiss her.

The kiss was met with just as sweetness, and he could feel her smile into it, making his heart soar.

"What is this?" she asked as she looked at the bouquet in his hand.

He smiled. "Peace offering for what happened earlier", he said as his smile flattened.

Fortunately, Cora did not look even remotely mad about it all. She rolled her eyes. "There was no need for this," she said as she took his hand and walked inside her cabin.

Robert sighed as he walked behind her. "I am truly so sorry for the whole thing; it must have been really awkward for you", he added, concern and guilt flavouring his tone.

Cora smiled at him, removing the paper on the bouquet and putting the flowers in water.

"And god, the bathroom thing…I am sorry, Cora," he added.

Cora sighed and walked towards him, her face close enough for him to feel her breath on his face. He felt his knees give away again.

"Are you sorry for kissing me?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

Robert's eyes widened. "Not at all".

She smiled. "Then don't apologise. I would've reacted the same way if it were my office"

He smiled at her, happy that she was being kind to him. "You wouldn't have. You kept your calm; I was just speechless"

Cora chuckled. "How about you go speechless for a while again now?" she said.

Robert raised his eyebrows, puzzled by the statement, "What?"

Cora smiled again, throwing her arms around his neck and bringing her lips closer to his. She pressed a soft but firm kiss.

"What do you...ohhh", he exhaled as soon she kissed him, understanding the meaning. A grin appeared on his face, and Cora laughed, kissing him more intently, and Robert wrapped his arms around her waist, losing himself in her.

Two coffees and lots of kisses later, Cora and Robert lay on the sofa in her cabin. He put one arm around her shoulder, and she sat cuddled next to him with her arm wrapped around his torso. Robert gently massaged the top of her head with his thumb and index fingers, and he relished in the soft murmurs she made in response to his actions. Cora had informed him about her interaction with Carson and Phyllis and her text. She also told him what Rosamund said, and Robert had just shaken his head, saying Rosamund was too smart for her own good. A few moments of peaceful silence later, Robert spoke up.

"I like it here," he said.

"Hm?" replied Cora as she slowly looked up at him.

Robert looked down at her and smiled. "Your cabin here…it's very peaceful"

Cora smiled and moved towards her side to loosen his tie. "I am glad you feel this way. I feel like this in your office. That is my safe space," she said as she raised one hand to caress his forehead in repeating motions, "or was anyway".

Cora's soft caresses helped Robert relax, and he shut his eyes in response to her touches. "It still is", he said with his eyes closed. "That will always be your safe space, I promise you," he added.

Cora smiled at him; his jaw was relaxed, his breathing was normal, and he looked peaceful. Her sweet, darling Robert.

"If you keep this on, I feel like I will sleep here", Robert murmured.

Cora grinned at him "It's okay if you fall asleep"

Robert opened his eyes and turned his head her way; his blue eyes drowning into hers. Cora felt butterflies flapping their wings in her stomach.

"Oh yeah? What will you tell your team when they find me sleeping here in the morning?" he asked.

Cora thought for a second. "I'll tell them he spilt his coffee and came to use the bathroom", she chuckled, making fun of her own explanation earlier that morning.

Robert released a throaty laugh at that, making Cora giggle a little too loudly. Robert looked at her, laughing at his reaction, and took her hand on his forehead in his hand. He then placed a kiss on the back side of it. "I love it when you laugh. I love the sound of it," he said. "I missed this so much"

Cora touched his face and cupped his cheek "I only laugh this freely with you, Robert."

Robert sighed and pulled her closer to kiss her forehead. He was reminded once again of how little genuine love she had gotten in life. He just wanted to give her everything. Everything in his power to keep her smile alive. He pulled her in for a hug, and once again, a comfortable silence took over them.

A few minutes later, Cora spoke about what had been troubling her. "How are we going to do this?"

Robert sighed into her hair "I wish there were a simple answer to this, Cora"

Cora sighed "Are we going to hide?"

Robert let out a dry chuckle "In a way, we have been doing that for months"

"Yes, but today was different. Mary almost walked in on us," she added.

Robert cupped her chin, prompting her to look at him "I know. But, are you ready to share this with anyone?" he asked.

Ah, the tough question. Did she want to tell anyone? Did she want to share? Tell Phyllis? Simon? God, no! Her stomach became uneasy just at the thought of it.

She shook her head slowly "You?"

Robert sighed "The only person who would understand is Rosamund. But to be honest, Cora, I am not even ready to tell her. We barely had the courage to tell ourselves this"

Cora sighed and nodded. That was true. They were still processing it all.

"You are right", she finally said. "It's a lot to process"

Robert nodded again "Then are you okay with this? Hiding and lying? God", he visibly looked uncomfortable with the idea.

Cora sighed and gave a small nod "Bridges burned, remember? We will have to be," she said, patting his chest.

Robert gave her a soft smile and covered her hand on his chest "Bridges burned. No looking back" he looked into her eyes again and cupped her face. "I love you"

Cora smiled into his hand "I love you too, darling"

Hello everyone! I am not even sure how many of you are still interested in this story, but those of you who have stuck around (i love you) and oh my god, I am BACK! After a year, I know. I am sorry. I genuinely am so sorry.

I moved to the UK for a year for my postgraduate and to be honest, managing life, studies, responsibilities, and a job meant that I had to put this story on hold. I thought I would find time, but I did not have the mental capacity to give it the time, attention and energy it deserved, and I did not want to do a half-assed job. So I waited.

I am once again so sorry for being so away and leaving you all after such an insane chapter. Your constant love on Instagram has literally kept the motivation alive and encouraged me to continue, even when I have no idea how many of you will read it. I just hope it proves worthy of your wait and love.

I love you all. I really hope you enjoy this. Looking forward to your reviews!