**Chapter 19**

It had been two days since that emotional moment in the car, and since then, Louis hadn't seen Cleopatra at the office. The atmosphere felt different. It was as if Cleopatra had disappeared, leaving a silence that Louis couldn't escape. He hadn't heard from her, nor seen her in meetings or during lunch breaks. It felt as if she had just vanished. Louis tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept drifting back to her—the way she had cried, how vulnerable she had looked. It troubled him deeply. The memory of her pain haunted his thoughts.


Even during lunch, when Louis went to the cafeteria for something to eat, he couldn't find Cleopatra. Usually, she would be there, often surrounded by colleagues or sometimes alone, sipping coffee with an unreadable expression. But today, there was no sign of her. It felt wrong. Louis wondered if she was avoiding him, or if something had happened. The fact that he hadn't heard from her or seen her in two days only deepened his unease.

As he was about to sit at a table, he spotted Peter Moon, Cleopatra's personal secretary, eating alone. Peter's presence wasn't surprising—he usually was by Cleopatra's side, running errands and managing her schedule—but the fact that he was alone felt strange.

Louis hesitated for a moment, but then decided to approach. He walked toward Peter's table and gave him a friendly nod. "Peter, eating alone today?" Louis asked, trying to sound casual as he sat across from the secretary.


Peter looked up, momentarily startled, but then relaxed when he saw it was just Louis. "Ah, Louis," Peter said with a slight smile. "Not many people today. It's been a pretty quiet day."

Louis smiled faintly. "Seems like a lot of people took the day off." He paused for a moment, glancing around the cafeteria before leaning in slightly. "So... how's Cleopatra? I haven't seen her around the office for a few days."


At the mention of Cleopatra's name, Peter's expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly masked it with a neutral face. "Oh... Cleopatra's not feeling well," Peter said softly. "She's been sick and hasn't been reachable for two days. I've tried to contact her, but her phone's been off."

Louis felt a wave of concern. "Is she okay? Have you checked on her?" he asked, his voice softer now, more focused.

Peter hesitated before answering. "I went to her place to check on her yesterday," he said, his tone showing concern. "I found her lying on the sofa or in her bedroom. She didn't seem very energetic, just... flat. She wasn't like herself, but she didn't want to talk. I didn't want to push her, so I just left her to rest."

Louis's heart sank. He hadn't expected this. He knew Cleopatra was strong, but hearing that she seemed so weak, so... unwell—it only made him question more. Was it just the pressure from her father's will? Or was it the exhaustion from everything she had been dealing with?

Louis nodded slowly, trying to process what Peter had just told him. "I see," he said, his thoughts still a bit scrambled. "I hope she gets better soon. Let me know if she needs anything."

Peter's expression softened as he nodded. "I'll let you know. But for now, it seems like she just needs space."

Louis stood up, unsure what to say next. As he walked away, his mind was filled with worry about Cleopatra. This whole thing felt more complicated than he had imagined. He wanted to help her, but it seemed like she was shutting everyone out. He didn't know how to break through that barrier, how to help her open up again.

He tried calling Cleopatra again later that day, but her phone was still off. The feeling of helplessness grew stronger within him. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. What was really going on with her? Why hadn't she contacted him? Was she isolating herself on purpose, or was there something more serious happening?

As he sat back down at his desk, his phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He quickly tucked his phone into his pocket as Sarah, the finance manager of Dimitri Group and his superior, walked over and took a seat next to him.

"Hey, Louis," Sarah greeted with a smile, setting down her coffee cup. "How are you today? You seem a bit... distracted."

Louis forced a smile, trying to appear normal despite his mind spinning. "Just the usual, Sarah. Busy as always," he replied, though his tone sounded off, even to himself.

"Everything okay?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Louis's tense demeanor. "You look a little anxious. What's going on?"

Louis opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything, he felt a deep shift in his mind. He had to focus. He couldn't let the situation with Cleopatra distract him anymore, at least not now. "Yeah, just thinking about some work stuff," he said, offering a casual shrug. "Nothing serious."

Sarah gave him a skeptical look but didn't press further. "Alright, well, don't let it get to you. You've got a lot on your plate, but I know you'll manage."

Louis nodded, feeling slightly relieved by Sarah's understanding, though part of him remained uneasy. He couldn't stop thinking about Cleopatra. He tried to redirect his attention back to his work, but it was hard. The worry about her lingered.

The next day, Louis finally saw Cleopatra again at the office. She looked different today—more graceful, more mysterious. She wore a knee-length black dress that hugged her body perfectly, paired with her signature sunglasses and hat. Every step she took seemed purposeful, focused, like someone who knew exactly where she was going. Louis watched her walk right in front of Peter Moon. Everyone around seemed to avoid her sharp gaze, but to Louis, it was something painful, even though he couldn't express what he was feeling.

Seeing her again after two days of tension felt like something was missing. Someone he had always thought was strong, who never showed weakness, now seemed like something much more complex than he had imagined. The desire to approach her again was strong, and even though he knew it might trap him further, Louis couldn't resist. He ran to catch up, trying to reclaim the connection they once had.

When they reached the elevator door, Louis managed to get in the same lift as Cleopatra. However, as the lift doors closed and they stood next to each other, something strange was in the air. Cleopatra's demeanor had drastically changed. Cold. Not like before. Her face, usually mysterious, now seemed much more closed off, and the aura she gave off felt much harder. Louis could sense the difference, and it shattered the calm he had once felt inside.

Louis cleared his throat awkwardly. He knew, this was the right time to speak, to try to reach Cleopatra after two days of worrying. "Cleopatra," he said quietly, his voice barely audible in the stillness of the elevator. "I thought... maybe we could go to the orphanage again?" His voice was soft, hopeful, as if trying to bring back the connection that had started to unravel between them.

But before Louis could finish his sentence, Cleopatra immediately cut him off with an even colder tone than before. "Junior," she said in a tone that could no longer be ignored, "it's not appropriate for you to speak to the CEO like that. Don't think you can just speak to me like that."

Those words slapped Louis hard. Like fire striking his chest, each word from Cleopatra felt piercing. It was a bitter reality, and for Louis, it was incredibly painful. He froze, his tongue feeling heavy. What happened to Cleopatra? Why did she change so quickly? Hadn't they been close? Hadn't they spoken casually, even more intimately?

The elevator doors opened, and without hesitation, Cleopatra stepped out, not looking back at Louis for even a second. Without giving him a chance to explain anything. Peter Moon, who was also in the elevator, could only watch awkwardly. His expression was full of guilt, but he couldn't do anything but follow Cleopatra's steps as she left.

Louis stood there, in the middle of the empty elevator, his body feeling heavy, as if the world around him was collapsing. He didn't know how to feel. The sudden coldness from Cleopatra really shocked him. It felt like a door had slammed shut right in front of his face, and he didn't know if he could ever get back into Cleopatra's world, which had seemed so open before. It was as if he had just been slammed into an unavoidable wall.

Louis stared at the closed elevator doors, his feelings in turmoil. The desire to run after Cleopatra again was there, but for some reason, he felt there was a distance he couldn't cross. The words Cleopatra had just spoken echoed in his mind—"Junior, don't speak to the CEO like that"—and it made Louis's heart ache even more. He felt trapped in his own confusion. Why did he feel so hurt? Wasn't this just a contract marriage? What was really happening inside him?

Louis blankly stared at the floor of the elevator. Everything he felt seemed like a vast emptiness he couldn't explain. Just a while ago, he felt like he could reach Cleopatra. He could feel that closeness, even though they were bound by an agreement that had nothing to do with feelings. But now, after those words, everything felt distant. A thick wall had suddenly formed between them, and Louis felt smaller than ever.

After a few seconds that felt like hours, Louis let out a heavy sigh and walked out of the elevator, trying to calm his thoughts. But each step felt heavier. His thoughts were focused on one thing—why was Cleopatra acting like this toward him? What had he done that made her pull away so quickly?

Louis walked slowly to his desk, knowing that everything had changed. It wasn't just about the contract marriage anymore. It was more than that. He was beginning to realize that he had started to develop feelings for Cleopatra, and that made everything more complicated than he had imagined.