The Billionaire Who Saved Me

A single knock brought Garrett’s wandering eyes back to focus. He looked to the door of his office. Just then the door swung open and someone entered.

It was Elice, carrying a tray. She smiled and walked over to Garrett. It was a cup of tea, which she placed on Garrett’s desk.

“Thank you,” Garrett returned Elice’s smile. He glanced at the wall clock. It was already ten in the evening. It made sense for Elice to come to his office.

“Do you have a lot of work to do?” Elice asked, placing the tray on Garrett’s empty desk and sitting down in front of her husband. She looked at a file that was open in front of Garrett, then back at him. “It seems you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately, Garrett.”

Garrett sighed as he looked at the open file. Feeling a little guilty, he realized that he hadn’t really touched it since. Instead, his mind had been occupied with daydreams.

“Is that so?” he asked.

“So, I see,” Elice replied, her eyes showing concern. “You seem to be overworking yourself, and you look more tired than usual. You seem to have a lot on your mind.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Garrett blinked once. He had not realized that Elice was watching him like that. But what can you expect? Isn’t a wife the closest person to her husband? Even when his eyes are about to close, his wife is the last person he sees. So, it’s only natural that every change in Garrett’s behavior is being watched by Elice. Garrett should not be surprised.

“Is there a problem in the office?” Elice asked later. “You seem very tired lately.”

Entering their second month of marriage, Elice could tell that there were rare days when Garrett did not look tired. But more often than not, the man would feel refreshed thanks to a warm shower and a good night’s sleep. The next morning, Garrett would certainly look enthusiastic again.

But this was different from the last few days. Even when Elice changed the scented therapy soap for her husband, the tired lines still remained on Garrett’s face. As if to confirm that his troubling thoughts were really weighing on him this time. Something that made Elice suspect that Garrett was having problems at the office.

The answer was, of course, no. Garrett had no problems at the office. In fact, it could be said that all of his work was going smoothly. But, of course, there was something on Garrett’s mind. Something about his failed meeting with Deri earlier that evening. Something Garrett certainly could not tell Elice.

“No, there’s no problem at all,” Garrett replied, shaking his head once. “Everything is fine. But maybe I just need some more rest, so I look tired.”

Elice reached for Garrett’s hand, which happened to be on the table. Slowly and full of emotion, she squeezed his fingers. She glanced at the bulging veins there. Proof of the hard work Garrett had been doing all this time.

“In that case, maybe it’s best if you don’t stay up late for the next few days. Get some early sleep and plenty of rest. I don’t want you to get sick.”

Garrett reacted to Elice’s squeeze. Even if his lips didn’t smile, his eyes said otherwise. Elice’s concern touched him.

“Does that mean I should go to bed?” Garrett asked.

Elice nodded once. “That would be best. The work can wait until tomorrow. Your health comes first.”

“But…”

Garrett’s eyes darted to the tea Elice had brought. His wife surely knew what was on Garrett’s mind. Elice chuckled softly. There was a hint of amusement in her face.

“Don’t worry about the tea. I can replace it with something else tomorrow. But your rest tonight can’t be replaced by rest tomorrow night.”

Very wise. And what Elice said was true. So it seemed that Garrett had no choice but to accept her advice.

Garrett rose from his seat. Without releasing their intertwined hands, he stood up. He invited Elice to stand with him and they left. She left Garrett’s office and headed for the bedroom.

Moments later, the room was dimly lit. Illuminated only by the faint light of the bedside lamp.

Elice was in Garrett’s embrace. With her eyes closed, but in reality consciousness hadn’t left her yet. With instincts still intact, as if she knew without looking that Garrett hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

Holding Elice while she slept had become a habit. It had become a reflexive routine that Garrett did every night. And so it was now. Garrett made sure that Elice didn’t move away from him, even though sleep hadn’t come yet.

Elice opened her eyes. Succumbing to the pretense that made her tired.

“Garrett.”

Garrett blinked. His previously unfocused gaze suddenly lowered. He looked at Elice.

“You’re not asleep yet?”

Elice stretched, freeing herself from Garrett’s embrace. She rested on the man’s chest and asked her husband a similar question.

“And you?”

Garrett understood. He was the one who had kept Elice awake. So, a faint smile curved across his face.

“Sorry.”

Shaking her head, Elice replied with a smile of understanding. “It’s okay,” she said. Her eyes scanned Garrett’s face. The tiredness was becoming more and more obvious. But unfortunately, tiredness didn’t always go hand in hand with sleepiness. “To be honest, sometimes I suffer from insomnia as well.”

A slight furrow appeared on Garrett’s forehead. A hint of doubt appeared on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you suffer from insomnia.”

Elice smiled, her eyes narrowing slightly. Without denying Garrett’s words, she nodded.

“As far as I can remember, I haven’t had insomnia since we got married. But there was a time when I had trouble sleeping. Severe insomnia.”

Hearing her explanation, Garrett simply nodded. His hand rose and landed at Elice’s waist.

“Your cure for insomnia is marriage.”

A broad smile spread across Elice’s face. At least a little humor from Garrett was a sign that the man was still okay. Relief washed over Elice’s heart at that moment.

“I guess that’s one of the perks of being married.”

Saying that, Elice looked at Garrett. And then she realized something. Something that made her gaze gradually change.

“I’m actually very lucky to be married to you.”

Garrett was taken aback. Hearing what Elice said, coupled with the way she looked at him, left Garrett speechless for a few moments. Silence surrounded them. Because when Elice spoke those words, Garrett found out that it wasn’t just her lips that spoke. His eyes seemed to join in as well.

Garrett could feel the glow of gratitude emanating from Elice’s eyes. In the dim light, Garrett could strangely penetrate all of this vision. Even more, he seemed to penetrate Elice’s soul. Just to dive into the honesty of his wife.

In fact, that was how Elice felt. Without wanting to exaggerate, in reality, that was all she felt. The word “happy” was too trivial to describe everything Elice felt at that moment.

Elice was grateful. Very grateful. For the fate that kept rolling and finally brought her to Garrett. A man she never expected, but who now became the anchor of her life.

And maybe that’s why Elice finally fell silent. Because she realized that whatever she said wouldn’t be able to express all the feelings that blossomed in her heart. In the end, silence embraced them both.

In those moments untouched by time, no words could be heard. Whether from Elice’s lips or Garrett’s, both decided to do the same. To remain silent as their eyes locked.

For even if words were needed between them, it would surely be a very certain sentence. A reality that had been created between them for who knew how long.

“I love you, Garrett.”

*