Light in the darkness

3rd POV

As they arrived at Apollo’s condo, Beatrix helped herself up.

She was full of wounds because of Aileen.

Apollo took Beatrix's hand and led her to the couch. They sat down, and Apollo pulled her closer to him.

"I promise to take care of you and your brother, Beatrix. I know how important family is to you," Apollo said, looking at her with a serious expression.

Beatrix's eyes teared up at his words. She had never felt so cared for by anyone before. "Thank you, Apollo," she said softly, placing her head on his shoulder.

Apollo wrapped his arms around her, and they sat there in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. For the first time in a long time, Beatrix felt like everything was going to be okay.

Apollo clean her up and put medications on every wound that she got from Aileen.

Beatrix was looking at him with amusement. It’s as if Beatrix was trying to memorize every single inch of Apollo’s visuals.

Beatrix couldn’t help herself from smiling. Now, Apollo was distracted by her smile while he was applying the medications.

He had no choice but to just stop it and instead stare at her angelic and beautiful smile. It was distracting for him.

"What's funny? Do I have something on my face that you find funny?" Apollo asks jokingly while also examining his own face by tracing his fingers around it.

"I just can't believe that my boss who was the love of my life is finally in front of me. That's what I called you. That’s how I treated you and look at you because that's the limitation or contract. I tried my best not to fall in love with you and even if I do, I tried to avoid it—”

Apollo cut her off.

"It's in the past now, why do you keep on bringing it up?” said Apollo.

Beatrix sigh. "Well, it's just the precious moments that I could share with you while we are laughing about it together. See? You can't even resist my charm!"

Apollo furrowed his brows. "Oh, look who's talking. You're the one who admitted your feelings to me so I think it's not counted that I fell in love with you too. I could say that I started liking you because you told me you like me and then the domino effect hit me."

Beatrix's face which was shining a while ago was turned into a gloomy one.

Apollo looked at her, waiting for that exact kind of facial expression.

And when he found that was embedded in her face, he started to burst into laughter.

"Come on, of course not. You know that I'm not the kind of a man who would fall in love with a woman just because he told me she likes me. I like you because of you. You happened to me, and everything changes. The way I see things, the way I look at you, and even my mindset— all of it has been changed."

"I don't know what to say…”

"I know, right? I could put you speechless. You started this and now you have to suffer hearing my cheezy lines!”

"Pfft, suffer? What are you talking about? How would I see that as suffering? Duh!" Beatrix rolled her eyes.

And then they just laugh together.

Apollo caressed Beatrix’s face as he was lost in her beauty of her.

He assisted Beatrix inside his room and let her lie down.

He positioned Beatrix as if he was doing a back hug to her.

But as for Beatrix, this was his little trick to do something nasty. It was the easiest position to start sex. damn.

However, Beatrix was wrong.

It's been a long minute but nothing’s happening aside from hugging. She was disappointed that nothing happened so far.

So she just decided to change her position and let her eyes be lost in the architecture of Apollo’s visual.

And as she turned to the side of Apollo, she was shocked when Apollo open his eyes and turn his awkward stare into a full smile.

“I thought you were asleep?” asked Beatrix.

“How could I if I know that your presence is just an inch away from me? I could see you. I could touch you. I could barely breathe because this is the first time that we shared the same bed, having no extra hidden desires but just to sleep.”

Apollo smiled, letting Beatrix rests in his embrace.

he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Beatrix. I really do."

Both of them had slept as if it's been a long day for them, which made them so exhausted.

—

As they drove to the hospital, Beatrix couldn't help but feel nervous. Her brother had just woken up from a coma and she was still worried about his condition. But she pushed her worries aside and focused on the task at hand.

"So, how is Jade?" Apollo asked, breaking the silence in the car.

"She's doing better," Beatrix replied. "She's in good hands."

Apollo nodded and turned his attention back to the road. After a few minutes, Beatrix spoke up again.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," she said, looking at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's about Jade and Andrei," she said hesitantly. "I think they might have feelings for each other."

Apollo let out a laugh, which surprised Beatrix. "What's so funny?" she asked, puzzled.

"It's just amusing," Apollo said, still chuckling. "My sister has a crush on Andrei. I knew it all along."

Beatrix raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"

"Of course," Apollo said, still laughing. "I've seen the way she looks at him. It's no secret that my family has a thing for women like you and men like Andrei."

They continued to have a little conversation with one another while exchanging waves of laughter.

When they arrived, Apollo and Beatrix heard Jade and Andrei having a conversation, laughing while having small talk. Apollo and Beatrix don’t want to ruin it. They were laughing as they went out of the hospital.

"I told you there's something going on!"

Apollo laugh.

Thinking about it just to realize that Jade is growing feelings for Apollo.

Well, they can't control a woman’s heart.

Apollo had decided to bring Beatrix to the amusement park.

As they stepped off the roller coaster, Beatrix's heart was still pounding in her chest. She looked over at Apollo, who was still catching his breath.

"That was amazing!" she exclaimed.

Beatrix was giddy from the adrenaline rush.

Apollo nodded in agreement, "I haven't been on a roller coaster in years."

They wandered through the amusement park, playing games and snacking on cotton candy and funnel cakes. Apollo even won Beatrix a stuffed animal at one of the booths, causing her to laugh and hug him tightly.

As the sun began to set, they made their way to the Ferris wheel. Beatrix leaned back against the seat, looking out at the beautiful view of the park below. Apollo sat beside her, watching her with a small smile on his face.

"You look beautiful tonight," he said, causing Beatrix to blush.

"Thanks," she replied, feeling a warm feeling in her chest.

They sat in comfortable silence as the Ferris wheel slowly turned. Beatrix leaned her head against Apollo's shoulder, feeling content and happy in his company.

Eventually, the ride came to an end and they reluctantly stepped off. As they walked out of the park, Apollo took Beatrix's hand in his.

"Tonight was amazing," he said, looking into her eyes.

Beatrix nodded, feeling her heart swell with happiness. She knew that things were complicated between them, but she couldn't deny the feelings she had for him.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Apollo's expression softened, and he leaned in to kiss her on the lips. The kiss was brief but full of emotion, causing Beatrix to feel a surge of happiness.

As they were walking around the park, Apollo suddenly stopped and turned to face Beatrix.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he asked, giving her a small smile.

Beatrix chuckled. "I was just thinking how crazy this all is," she said, gesturing to the park around them. "A few months ago, we were just a contracted couple. Now, here we are, on a date."

Apollo's smile faded a little. "Do you regret it?" he asked softly. "Agreeing to this marriage, I mean. It's not exactly a conventional way to start a relationship."

Beatrix took a deep breath before answering. "No, I don't regret it," she said firmly. "I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to your proposal. And I don't regret falling for you either."

Apollo's expression softened at her words. "I don't regret it either," he admitted. "I never thought I could feel this way about someone. But with you, it just feels...different."

They continued walking, holding hands, and talking about random things. It felt like they were getting to know each other all over again, but this time with a deeper level of understanding and affection.

As the day turned into night, they found themselves sitting on a bench, watching the fireworks display in the distance. Beatrix rested her head on Apollo's shoulder, feeling content and happy.

"I never thought I could find someone like you," Apollo whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Someone who accepts me for who I am, flaws and all."

Beatrix smiled up at him. "You're not perfect, Apollo," she said teasingly. "But neither am I. And that's okay. We're perfect for each other."

Apollo leaned in and kissed her, his lips soft and gentle against hers. It was a sweet, tender kiss, full of love and promise. As they pulled away, Beatrix knew that this was just the beginning of their journey together.

As they walked down the street, Beatrix and Apollo talked about random things. Beatrix found it surprising that Apollo was easy to talk to when they were outside his business circle. They passed by a street vendor selling hotdogs and Apollo bought one for Beatrix.

"Here, try this," Apollo said, handing her the hotdog.

Beatrix took a bite and exclaimed, "This is really good! Thank you!"

Apollo smiled at her and they continued their walk. They passed by a park and decided to sit down on one of the benches. The park was quiet, and they were the only ones there.

Apollo leaned back and took a deep breath, "It's been a while since I've been to a park like this."

As they walked back to the car, hand in hand, Beatrix smiled to her ears, enjoying this moment, as if there would be no tomorrow waiting for them.

Apollo had decided to drive Beatrix near to a place that almost look like a province.

There, they plan on spending the night together.

As the night sky became darker, Apollo and Beatrix lay in the tent, cuddling each other. The crickets were chirping, and the only sound that could be heard was their breathing. They were silent for a few minutes before Apollo spoke up.

"This is nice," he said softly.

Beatrix smiled, "It is. I haven't done this in years."

"Done what?"

"Camping. It's been a while since I've slept outside like this."

Apollo tightened his grip around her waist, "Well, you can always do it again."

Beatrix chuckled, "I'll hold you to that."

They were quiet again for a while until Apollo spoke up once more, "Beatrix, I want to make things clear between us."

"What do you mean? Haven't we done that?"

"I know I've been distant and cold, but I want to change that. I want to be able to show you how much I care about you."

Beatrix turned to face him, "You don't have to prove anything to me, Apollo. I know how you feel."

"But I want to," he said, sincerity in his voice. "I want to show you what real love means. I care about you, Beatrix."

She smiled, "I care about you too, Apollo."

He leaned in and kissed her softly, his hand cupping her face. Beatrix wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. It was slow and gentle, but it was enough to show how much they cared for each other.

As they broke the kiss, Apollo whispered, "Let's sleep, Beatrix."

Beatrix nodded, snuggling closer to him. They slept soundly, holding each other close under the stars.