The Royal Contract

"I am fine. You know I need to go back to my job." She debated with Alex as he tried to stop her from getting ready for work. 

He pulled her back to the bed when she attempted to walk away, pinning her between him and the soft mattress. He did not think that it was a good idea.

He was already ready for work himself. He only returned to the bedroom to check on Dani and say goodbye. But she surprised him when he caught her talking to Jacky about going to work.

"But the doctors said that you need rest." He removed the hair that slightly covered her face when she landed on the covers unceremoniously. "Why don't you just go back to sleep next to me? Then, maybe we can think of something to do." 

He decided at that moment to stay in bed with her. He could call his secretary and cancel all his appointments for the day. He realized that she might be bored, stuck in his apartment all day.

"I think I had enough of resting." She pushed on his chest, creating space between them. Then, she grabbed his face between her palms. "Besides, you have important clients to meet today."

She tapped on his cheeks before letting him go, slipping away from his hold. She crawled her way out of the bed and strode towards the bathroom.

She had already lost so much time from her recovery that she barely had done anything with her cases. But David and Evan already assured her that they had taken care of them.

Nevertheless, she would like to see their progress before she finally uses her indefinite leave of absence. After this, she would be devoting her time to their wedding.

"David already said that they had taken care of all your cases. There is no need for you to report to work." Alex tried to reason with her, shouting over her shoulder before she vanished behind the door. Although he could already guess that he would not win.

She was always as stubborn as her father. Something that he had learned the hard way, but despite that, he did not regret any of it. He loved her together with her unique and adorable personality.

"Would it make you feel better if you will accompany me?" She offered, seeing that he was worried about her. She peeked on the side of the doorjamb and asked him. "I promise, I will not take long." 

She had learned that to get her way. She had to compromise with him. She could not always force what she wanted on him without having some form of arrangement. 

It was the only fair way to handle their relationship if she wished to have it for a long time. It had to be a give and take, with open communication. Knowing when to fight and accept defeat.

"Well, I would prefer if you would stay here. But since I can not stop you, and then, I guess I have no choice but to accompany you." Alex spoke up with a defeated sigh. He could only look at her with amazement at her dedication to the people who depended on her.

He knew after the accident and discovering that there was a possibility that someone attempted to harm her. He could not let her alone, to fend for herself, not when he could do to protect her.

"Thanks, babe." She blew him a kiss before running back to the bathroom to fix herself.

After the quick hot shower, she grabbed her towel and faced the mirror. She could hardly see herself from the fog that the steam caused. She held out her hands and wiped the mirror with her palm, clearing the moisture away.

She stared at her face on her reflection, seeing the still visible scar from her recent accident. She ran her finger on the side of her temple, feeling the mark that remained a reminder of the gruesome incident.

She did remember what happened to her eventually. It took her a few days to piece up the puzzle of her jumbled memories. But she did fix the details and put the correct timeline of her story.

"Are you done in there? Or maybe you need my help." Alex shouted as he leaned on the pillow, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom.

He did not mind having a shower again with her. Actually, the idea was starting to build momentum in his mind. He had held himself back due to her injuries, giving her time to heal and recover.

"No need. I am already on my way out." She yelled back, making a final inspection of herself before turning away from the mirror and tightening the tie of her robe. 

She was just glad that her injuries were only minor. The doctors did not see anything else to cause alarm in her examination. Her tests all came up clear.

In a few days, the doctor sent her home to recover in the comfort of her room and bed under strict rule that Alex would be taking care of her, and she had to follow him to a tee.

"That is a bit disappointing. I was kind of looking forward to seeing you naked under the shower." Alex muttered under her breath, clearly sorry for the missed opportunity.

He watched her move out from one room to the other as he shifted to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He observed her movement, assessing if she was truly ready to face the world again.

"Stop it." She admonished her fiance for making fun of her. "Anyway, I'll just get dressed." She gave him a disapproving look to make him cease his taunting.

She quickly walked to their shared closet and chose a decent, comfortable suit for work. Even though her visit would be unofficial, she still would like to look professional.

"Take your time." He told her, standing up in front of the mirror and fixing his clothes.

She already informed Jacky that she would be coming in today. She was already late, even though she was not on the clock.. She always believed in early birds, catching the worms.