[TIDK] 138 – Tempting Fate
Breaking the tranquillity, Scarlett turned to face Viktor, her eyes earnest and vulnerable.
"Viktor," she uttered his name, her voice carrying a mixture of longing and uncertainty. Their gazes locked, creating an unspoken connection between them.
"Yes?" Viktor responded, his voice tender yet filled with unwavering strength.
"Do you love me?" Scarlett's words hung in the air, her heart pounding in her chest, awaiting his response.
Without hesitation, Viktor met her gaze, his eyes filled with sincerity.
"I do," he confessed his words carrying the weight of his emotions.
Scarlett couldn't help but smile, a flicker of amusement dancing in her eyes. In that moment, she pondered the depth of his feelings, wondering if this was the extent of his ability to express the magnitude of his love.
♔♔♔
In the late hours of the night, Viktor nonchalantly lay beside Scarlett. As she gazed at his face, she couldn't resist the urge to caress his cheek and lean in for a passionate kiss. But to her surprise, Viktor abruptly sat up, interrupting the moment.
Confused, Scarlett asked, "Why? Don't you want this?"
Viktor met her gaze and replied, "I do want it."
"You're sure?" she pressed, seeking reassurance.
"Absolutely," he reassured her.
Engaging in an intimate encounter with a woman who had lost her sanity was far from ordinary. However, Scarlett couldn't help but feel that their connection lacked reciprocation, given Viktor's lukewarm responses throughout their marriage.
Considering that lovemaking was often described as a shared expression of love, Scarlett couldn't escape the feeling that she was the only one passionately involved while Viktor remained distant.
Occasionally, Scarlett grew frustrated with Viktor's indifference. She had explicitly given him permission to initiate physical intimacy, yet he never did.
Perched on Viktor's lap, Scarlett rose to meet his eyes, causing him to pause.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and pleaded, "Look at me, Viktor."
Silence lingered as he contemplated her request.
"Don't you want to touch me?" she asked, her vulnerability seeping through her words.
Caught off guard, Viktor's mischievous smile broke the silence, leaving Scarlett with embarrassment and anticipation.
Her cheeks flushed, and Scarlett attempted to stand up, sensing a hint of rejection. But before she could fully retreat, Viktor's firm grip on her waist pulled her closer, drawing their bodies intimately close.
Overwhelmed by his strength, Scarlett's knees trembled, and she instinctively adjusted her position, lifting her hips as she leaned in to capture his lips.
However, Viktor swiftly intercepted her advance, using his other hand to block her path, and he softly uttered, "No."
Challenged by his response, Scarlett couldn't help but question, "What do you mean?"
"Why do things never turn out the way they're supposed to?" Scarlett mused, her thoughts drifting. She had anticipated that everything would eventually crumble and be carried away by the winds of change. Yet, even now, when the wind blew, only faint embers remained, flickering and unsettling her with the potential to ignite once more.
Would this man, too, be caught up in such a blaze? Would he make reckless mistakes driven by his emotions, lament over unattainable desires, and weep over lost love? Could he experience those moments of utter despair?
Scarlett voiced her desire, "I hope you unravel."
Just as she had wished during her time in the monastery, she yearned for his heart to shatter into fragments, to hit rock bottom.
As she beheld his brokenness, she longed to gather it all in her hands and serve that feeling to Viktor Dumfelt. She wanted him to taste the overwhelming fear that arose from loving someone so deeply. Otherwise, his composed visage felt unbearably unjust, and it seemed she couldn't close her eyes even if it meant facing death.
"It would be challenging," Viktor responded.
Scarlett released a soft sigh, gently removing his hand from hers, and stepped down from his lap. Walking towards the door, she could sense Viktor rising to his feet.
Retrieving the thick cardigan she had placed on the chair, Scarlett draped it over her shoulders, preparing to leave the room. However, Viktor closed the distance with determined strides and pressed his hand against the door, blocking her path.
Meeting Viktor's gaze, Scarlett spoke, "If that's the case, let's sleep separately."
"Why?" he inquired.
"If we sleep beside each other, I won't be able to resist staying by your side, regardless of what you say or do."
Observing Scarlett, whose tender lips hinted at her fear of leaving lasting wounds with even the slightest touch, Viktor couldn't suppress a faint chuckle.
He firmly grasped Scarlett's wrist and pulled her closer to him, their bodies almost touching.
"Are you tempting fate?" she asked hesitantly.
"If that's what you truly desire," he replied, his voice a low whisper against her ear.
Viktor leaned in, his figure bending as he uttered the words that sent a shiver down Scarlett's spine.
"You would destroy me."
His dignified voice pierced through her, causing her to freeze momentarily until a mixture of involuntary sighs and soft moans escaped her lips.
Scarlett's hand instinctively wrapped around Viktor's slender waist, finding strange comfort in the contrasting strength of his physique.
Raising her gaze to meet his, she extended her hands as if beckoning for an embrace, silently yearning to understand what lay within his thoughts. Was it a sense of duty and honour that prevented him from embracing the idea of divorce? Or was it a burning passion, or perhaps, as he claimed, genuine love?
Could the intimacy they would share tonight offer some insight?
Viktor held her delicately as if she were a fragile treasure, guiding her towards the bed. Seating himself, he positioned her gently on his lap, their eyes locked in a moment of profound intensity.
Scarlett, overcome by a surge of anticipation, studied Viktor's expression. It remained stoic, just as before, yet there was a subtle shift in the air—an undercurrent of vulnerability that hadn't been present earlier.
