Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF INSOMNIA
By noon the next day, Noel had deposited the cash into the hospital’s account, securing Ellis’s room and physical therapy program for the next thirty days.
When she walked into Ellis’s room, he looked remarkably better, a faint flush of healthy color returning to his skin.
"They told me the bill was cleared," Ellis said, looking at her with wide, suspicious eyes. "Noel... where did you get two thousand dollars in cash?"
Noel sat beside his bed, peeling an apple with a small plastic knife.
"A private caregiving assignment," Noel lied smoothly. "An wealthy client in Brooklyn Heights who needs overnight assistance."
Ellis frowned, leaning closer. "Caregiving? Noel, you're a cleaning specialist, not a private nurse. Who is this guy? Is he dangerous?"
"He's just an old, wealthy man who can't sleep," Noel lied again, offering him a slice of apple. "It's safe, El. The money is legal. Don't worry about it."
Ellis took the apple slice, but his sharp eyes remained fixed on her. "If anything happens to you because of me, Noel..."
"Nothing is going to happen to me," she promised softly, squeezing his hand.
That evening at 11:30 p.m., Noel returned to the Marchetti Tower.
The sleet had stopped, leaving the city slick and gleaming under cold streetlights.
Leo met her in the foyer as before, sweeping the scanner over her cloth bag. But this time, his demeanor was different. There was no cold hostility—only a strange, quiet respect in his eyes.
"He hasn't slept in six years, you know," Leo said suddenly as he cleared her through security.
Noel stopped, looking at the scarred bodyguard. "What?"
"Mr. Marchetti," Leo explained, his voice low. "Six years ago, his older brother and his father were murdered in a hit arranged by the Moretti family. Cassian took over the organization overnight. Ever since that night, he hasn't been able to sleep more than twenty minutes at a time. His mind stays locked in combat."
Leo looked at the walnut doors at the end of the hall.
"Last night," Leo whispered, "he didn't wake up until 3:55 a.m. You're the first person who ever brought peace to that room, Ms. Draper."
Noel swallowed hard, the weight of Leo’s words settling heavily in her chest.
She pushed open the walnut double doors and stepped into the bedroom.
Cassian was waiting.
He sat in the leather armchair tonight, wearing a black silk shirt, a glass of dark amber whiskey in his hand. The single lamp on the nightstand cast warm, long shadows across the room.
"Ms. Draper," Cassian acknowledged, setting his glass down.
"Good evening, Mr. Marchetti," Noel said, closing the door behind her.
Cassian stood up and gestured to the bed.
"Tonight, we skip the pretense," Cassian said, his baritone voice filling the quiet space. "You will not sit in the chair."
Noel blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You are exhausted," Cassian observed, stepping toward her. "And I require sleep. Lie down on the bed."
Noel’s heart gave a sudden, violent thump against her ribs.
"Mr. Marchetti... I am an employee," Noel said, holding her cloth bag firmly against her hips. "I was hired to be an attendant."
"You were hired to be present," Cassian corrected gently, stopping two feet away from her. He looked down at her face, his eyes softening remarkably. "I am not going to harm you, Noel. I have never forced a woman in my life, and I will not start with you."
He reached out, his long, warm fingers lightly brushing her cheek, sending an electric shiver through her entire body.
"I need to sleep," Cassian whispered, a raw, aching vulnerability bleeding through his dark voice. "And for reasons I do not fully understand... my body only rests when you are beside me."
Noel looked into his grey eyes. She saw the immense, crushing weight of the empire he carried on his shoulders. She saw the memory of his murdered family. She saw a man who was drowning in his own strength.
Slowly, Noel set her cloth bag on the chair.
She took off her coat and her boots, wearing her soft grey sweater and dark trousers.
She walked to the massive king-sized bed, climbed under the thick duvet, and lay down on the right side.
Cassian walked to the other side of the bed. He turned off the lamp, plunging the room into the soft, blue glow of the city skyline outside the window.
He lay down beside her.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension in the air was thick, vibrant, and alive.
Then Cassian turned on his side, reached across the space between them, and pulled her gently against his chest.
Noel did not pull away.
She let her head rest against his shoulder. She felt his strong arm wrap around her waist, anchoring her firmly against his body.
And within ten minutes, the rhythm of Cassian Marchetti’s deep, peaceful breathing filled the dark room.
As he slept, Noel felt the hard pouch inside his undershirt pressing against her ribs.
May you like
She reached out in the dark, her fingers gently touching the fabric over his heart.
What are you hiding, Cassian? she wondered silently. And why does it keep you awake?
