After the meal, Felicia was about to clear the table when Stephan stopped her. He nodded toward the doorway, and several familiar maids entered, swiftly tidying and cleaning. They were the staff Stephan had brought from the Russell estate.
Felicia was relieved; cleaning her three-story villa, plus the basement, was exhausting. She settled onto the couch with a cup of hot water, sipping and warming her hands. As the steam warmed her face, the seat beside her sank, and Stephan’s voice murmured in her ear, "Does it still hurt?"
She spat out the water, coughing violently and flushing bright red. Stephan gently patted her back. Once she recovered, she glared at him, but her tear-filled eyes negated her attempt at intimidation. Stephan chuckled softly. His usually cold eyes softened, the aloof man appearing warm and tender.
Felicia stared, momentarily lost in thought, until a pair of hands obscured her vision. A deep, husky voice, laced with humor, murmured, "My dear, please don't look at me like that anymore. I can't handle it." Felicia remained blissfully unaware of the effect her gaze had on him.
"Oh…" she blinked. Stephan felt the flutter of her eyelashes against his palm, light as a feather.
Several off-road vehicles, packed with supplies, pulled up outside, Stephan's crew standing respectfully. Felicia understood he was leaving, likely for a distant location. Calmly, she said nothing. Stephan clicked his tongue in annoyance, pinching her face.
Felicia swatted his hand away, protesting, "What the heck?"
"I'll be leaving for a while. It might take some time," Stephan leaned closer, his tone coaxing. "You heartless girl, aren't you going to ask where I'm going?"
Her eyes flickered. "Where are you going, and what are you doing?" she asked. Until now, her detached attitude had suggested indifference to him and the world. This question, however simple, showed a shift; she was accepting him, wanting to know more.
Stephan smiled, gently cupping her face. "Where I'm going has to do with that map."
She stared, surprised. "But isn't that map a fake?" The mention of the supposedly mythical, ancient map, somehow linked to the Fuller family, gave her a headache.