Waking up, itâs to find Gabriel asleep in one of the armchairs for the third morning in a row. He has his feet propped up on the side of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest.
I stare at my boss as the last sleep clears from my head.
During the days, Nisa and Murat kept checking in on me, and at night Gabrielâs been taking over.
As if they were all worried Iâd die if they left me alone.
Even Alya Hanim visited me, telling me about the flowers she wants to plant and what TV show sheâs currently watching.
My chest fills with warmth, and Iâm overcome with emotion. Especially because Gabriel has been so kind to me. Not once did he snap at me, and he even held me whenever I coughed so severely I had no strength left in my body.
It felt good being able to lean against him.
It felt good having his arms around me.
My eyes drift over his mussed hair and the dark scruff on his jaw. His arms look strong, the lines of muscles visible now that heâs not wearing a suit but a t-shirt. The fabric stretched tightly over his chest.
Curiosity trickles into my heart, along with the gratefulness I feel toward this man who cared for me instead of letting me die.
Iâve never felt any kind of interest toward a man until now.
But Gabrielâs my boss, and Iâm just a maid in his house.
I shove the curiosity deep down, and itâs just in time because Gabrielâs eyes open, and he catches me staring at him.
I quickly sit up and self-consciously pat a hand over my wild bed hair.
âHow do you feel?â he asks, his voice deep and hoarse with sleep.
Thereâs a burst of heat in my stomach, and I quickly press a hand to my midsection to stop the sensation. âMuch better. I can work today.â
Iâm not going to lie, I will miss all the attention. There were moments it felt like I was dying, but it felt amazing having everyone caring for me.
It felt like I was a part of a family.
âYouâll return to work when I say so,â he mutters as he stands up. Picking up the thermometer, he checks my temperature. When he reads the result, a smile forms around his full lips that has me gaping at him like a fish out of water.
âNo fever,â he praises me, making my own mouth lift into a smile, then he gives me a look of warning. âYouâll only return to work on Monday.â
Thatâs another four days!
Not wanting to upset Gabriel in any way, especially now that things are so good, I nod. âOkay.â
What am I going to do in bed for four days?
I watch as Gabriel walks to the door, still not used to seeing him in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He looks different from when heâs dressed in a suit. Heâs more approachable and not cold like when heâs the head of the Turkish mafia.
Right before he pulls the door shut behind him, he glances at me again, and my stomach does a weird flip-flop.
Itâs just gratitude.
Not long after Gabriel has left, the door opens again, and Nisa comes in. âGabriel Bey says youâre much better today,â she beams as if itâs the happiest news sheâs ever heard.
âEvet,â I answer, trying to use more Turkish words.
âGood. I hope it means your appetite has returned. Youâre losing all the weight you gained.â
My stomach grumbles, and I slap my hand over it.
Nisa lets out a chuckle while she fluffs out a pillow. âIâll prepare breakfast and bring a tray up to you.â
My eyebrows draw together. âDo I really have to stay in bed? Itâs all Iâve done the past three days. Canât I keep you company in the kitchen?â
She shakes her head. âYouâll stay in bed. Tomorrow weâll see about you moving around.â
Reluctantly, I slump back against the pillows, my eyes following Nisa out of the room.
With plenty of time to think, my thoughts are filled with everything thatâs happened. What it was like growing up in Tymonâs house. How much I miss my mother, now that Nisa has reminded me of how it feels to be cared for.
The ups and downs since I started working for Gabriel. Whenever he got angry with me, he never hurt me. Heâs taken care of me while I was sick and didnât discard me like trash.
I turn onto my side and bury my face in a pillow, emotions whirling inside me until they spill from my eyes.
Silently, I shed a few tears because thereâs one thing Iâve realized the past three days â Gabriel is not Tymon. He wonât kill me if Iâm sick, beat me if I make a mistake, or threaten me with death just for the sadistic pleasure it gives him.
Gabriel really cares about his employees, and Iâm one of them.
Thank you, God.
Having been deprived of any kind of affection for so many years, I donât know how to process all the appreciation pouring into my heart. These people have become very important to me, and Iâll do anything to stay with them.
I find myself crying for the cold years I had to endure and the blessings that have come into my life.
All because of Gabriel Demir, I no longer have to just exist. Instead, I get to live and experience all the goodness life has to offer.
I owe him everything.
The most intense feeling Iâve ever felt fills my chest. I press a hand to my heart and manage to stop crying. My gaze rests on the armchair he spent the night in, and I remember all the times he got up to help me, how gentle he was, his voice soothing and patient.
Slowly the corners of my mouth curve up.
He might not be my prince, but heâs definitely my savior. Iâll spend the rest of my life thanking him. Iâll never disobey him.
Not out of fear but because of loyalty.