The Royal Contract

But she was alone as she expected. It was just a dream, nothing more, as she breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her forehead from the beads of sweat that broke through her skin.

“Just a dream.” She repeated to herself, assuring herself that there was no one else in the room and had nothing to be anxious about as she slid out of bed and grabbed her robe.

She needed water as she felt her dry throat and parched lips. She strode outside her room and went straight to her tiny kitchen. She felt her heart had considerably calmed down but returning to sleep would probably be a struggle.

After drinking water, she refilled her glass and took it with her as she sat on her couch, ready to watch a movie. But before she could feel comfortable in her position, she heard a mild knock on the door.

Suddenly, her heart beat faster again, and her body trembled, recalling her dream. It was not easy to get over a traumatic experience, especially when it happened to her more than once or several times.

“Serena?” A low voice, just louder than a whisper, followed by another gentle knock on her wooden door.

.....

But hearing a familiar voice had her expelling the breath she held in her lungs. She was not in danger as she moved to the door to check what her late visitor needed.

When she opened the door, the man was already moving away, returning to the door he came from, the apartment opposite her. He probably assumed that she was asleep and did not want to be a bother.

“Adam!” She called him before he could unlock his door. Then, he immediately turned to her with what seemed to be worry lines on his face. “Did you need something?” She asked, slightly curious why he knocked on her door at the ungodly hour.

She could not tell what it was, but it might be somewhere between midnight and dawn. She never bothered to look at the time since she did not need to be anywhere.

It was like she was on vacation since no one was demanding her time. In a way, it was better than being on leave from work since no one bothered to call her except for Adam and Nora. Of course, minus the room service and the first-class amenities.

“Actually...” He appeared to hesitate about his purpose but decided to continue anyway. “I was wondering if you are ok.” He stepped forward until he was just a few feet away from her. His eyes seemed to be studying her, reading her thoughts.

“What do you mean? Why would I not be ok?” She felt mildly alarmed by his sudden concern. Did something happen that she did not know about while she was sleeping? “Did Nora call you about the pictures?” She anxiously asked.

Different scenarios immediately rushed into her mind as her dreams mixed with the present. Trauma had messed her up, making her more or less paranoid about the things happening around her.

“No. I was just wondering, but Nora had not called yet.” Adam quickly clarified, not wanting her to worry more, judging from the frown on her face. “But I heard a scream a little while ago and wondered if it came from your room. So, I decided to investigate.”

He swore he believed it was her who made the noise that woke him up. But he was not entirely sure. But he could not return to sleep without checking on her.

When she did not answer his call earlier, he immediately assumed it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. Or he must have woken due to a dream. And it had nothing to do with him. Still, he had to make sure.

“Did I scream?” Serena was both asking him and herself the question. She had no idea since she had never heard herself make a sound. All she remembered when she woke up was her fear.

But maybe she did. She was just not aware of it. With their paper-thin walls, she had no doubt even her other neighbors might have heard it but did not bother to be nosy about it.

“Did you have a bad dream?” He could not help but wonder since it seemed she had no idea. “Do you mind if we discuss this inside?” He did not want their neighbors to see them lurking in the hallway at this time.

But he wanted to know if she would be alright before leaving her again. He knew he swore not to explore his attraction with her because she was a client, but it did not mean he could not be a good friend to her. At this point in her life, he believed she needed a person she could trust.

“Are you sure I am not bothering you? I know you still have a job tomorrow.” She did not mind the company since she did not need to wake up early. Besides, sleep seemed to evade her at the moment.

However, she knew he always left early for his work to attend to his cases. She was not his only client. Although she believed she might be his topmost account at that moment, he still treated them equally.

She observed he classified his case depending on its merit and not its cash value. He chose whichever needed his time would be his utmost priority, something she had not seen in the large firm that handled her other cases.

“It is ok. Let us settle one thing straight. I am not just here as a lawyer, but I can also be your friend.” He wanted that out of the way, hoping to settle the uncomfortable feeling he sensed between them. “Let me help.” Sensing that she was still reluctant to accept his help.

After all, he believed they were two adults, mature enough to handle adult relationships like friendship without putting malice in it.