Chapter 13 — What We Do Not Say

The morning sunlight found its way through the curtains, soft and gentle, brightening up the entire room in a way that felt almost pure. It seemed like it was hesitating, as if unsure about disturbing the stillness that held the air tightly in a grip.

Lia was sitting on her bed very close to the bed it was almost as if she did not want to sit on the bed, putting on her nightgown, holding a mug of already cold coffee due to how long she sat there not drinking it, even though she woke up hours ago there are still signs that says just waking up, making her body feel trapped in middle of the dream world and reality. It felt like she was floating in a sea of thoughts and worries that refused to settle.

The silence in the apartment was something that rarely happens, it was so unusual it felt like a heavy weight that was waiting for the slightest thing to collapse. Adrian study is down the hall, the door remained closed, a barrier that seemed to be echoing their strained connections that a simple separation of space.

Lia found her gaze drifting to the small stack of sketches on the nightstand beside her. Each design was a reflection of her restless bursts of creativity from the past week mostly dresses, each one filled with soft lines and vibrant colors that seemed to dance on the page. They looked alive, breathing with potential, and deep down, they felt like an expression of who she was. Yet, a storm of uncertainty brewed in her chest.

She hadn’t shown them to Adrian yet. The thought curled tightly in her mind, filled with fear and hope. What if he didn’t understand? What if he didn’t care?

She chewed on her teeth out of worry, mixing with a yearning to share a piece of her soul. In her heart there lives doubt, like veins, making her feel sadness instead of happiness over what she should be celebrating. Lia found herself thinking deeply between the desire for connection and the fear of rejection, not sure on whether she is ready to be vulnerable.

Lia stood up and walked over to the mirror. The reflection looking back at her felt composed yet distant, almost like she was looking at a stranger. Her hair was still wet from the shower she had, tied up messily, there was a slight darkness beneath one of her eyes.

“ Put your self together Lia”She whispered to herself, which she was seeing in the reflection, get it together, though her words barely showed in her eyes.

She wore a blazer but stood still at the door, with an heavy heart. The tension between both rims was so thick and the discomfort kept growing day in day out. From a distance she heard Adrian’s voice calm and controlling, not surprised, that’s his usual voice.

A huge part of her hated him for how much his smoothness has affected her. She felt restless and unsure even more.

She got to the kitchen finally, she noticed no coffee in the coffee put anymore, he had been awake long before her again. Frustration hit her but she took water instead even though she would have preferred coffee because her throat were too tight to swallow.

She take a look at her phone, it brightens up with a reminder about the client meeting at ten. She kept her eyes on the screen, confused and overwhelmed. She had different thoughts in her head and kept coming, leaving her to anticipate the day ahead.

Lately, Lia felt like she was living two different lives. In one, she smiled and talked about fabric samples and deadlines. In the other, she was just quiet, waiting for something she wasn't sure about.

When Adrian came out of the study, she nearly jumped. He was in another sharp, dark suit that looked perfect, but there were dark circles under his eyes. She noticed them before he did.

“Good morning…..,” he said in a usual calm voice.

“Morning,” she replied, with a nod.

There was a pause that felt uncomfortable, stretching between them.

“You leaving early?” he asked.

“I have a presentation today,” she answered.

He nodded once, his eyes briefly scanning the folder in her hand. “New designs?”

She hesitated before saying, “Something like that.”

He seemed like he wanted to ask more, but instead, he offered a faint, unreadable smile. “Good luck, Lia.”

Lia wanted to say something back, something normal, but all she managed was a quiet “Thank you.”

As he turned to leave, the soft click of the door closing behind him felt louder than it should have.

By mid-morning, the office was buzzing with energy. Her team had gathered in the small conference room, and a slideshow lit up the wall. Lia tried to pay attention, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Adrian’s face polite, controlled, and hard to read.

“Lia?”

Her assistant’s voice pulled her back to the moment. “Yes, sorry. Please continue,” she replied, shaking off her distraction.

They talked about fabric costs, project timelines, and possible investors. Lia nodded when needed and even shared a few ideas. But when a junior designer mentioned that the new investor wanted to “align their branding with Adrian Blake Holdings,” anxiety twisted in her stomach.

Of course he was involved. He always was.

She tried to mask her frustration, but a colleague named Serena leaned over and whispered, “It must be nice having your husband’s company backing us.”

Lia faced Serena, a look of surprise written all over her face. She replied “excuse me?”.

Serena not feeling bothered at all, smiled. Then she replied. “ oh, no, I did not say that to offend you, I am just saying it’s nice having Blake’s by our side especially after everything that has happened.”

Lia forced her self to give her a thin smile. “Right.”

Her voice sounded breakable.

She walked to her office in a rush and closed the door behind her quickly, after the meeting was done. She rested her body in the door for a while taking her breath slowly but steady to stable her breath.

This marriage is not about love, it is survival and transactional. But she is still unaware and defends him also.

Falling into the chair in her office, she stood by the window side looking outside at the city. The glass showed the reflection of her small figure framed. She is a woman that has been taught to be careful about everything, even with her own feelings.

Still, deep down, that same woman was waiting to feel something real again.