The dark and oppressive silence lasted a while.
The gloomy atmosphere did nothing to his beauty, he still looked effortlessly handsome albeit jagged - his dark hair a chaotic mess, silk tie yanked loose, sleeves hastily rolled back, rather it was a dangerous kind of beauty today.
It had been over an hour since the meeting ended. And since then Eric remained motionless, his perfect body a statue of corded tension and expensive tailoring.
As the morning sun rose, he finally moved, or rather turned towards the large window.
Through the curtain gaps, weak, gray light bled through the windows, casting long skeletal shadows that reached towards his chair, cutting gray lines across the mahogany desk.
The light rays reflected in his face, finally showed his tired dark eyes, and ticked jawline. His eyes, although tired, were still dark and unyielding.
He turned back to the desk and looked at his phone, the problem still remained unsolved and he didn't know how to resolve it.
It's been a while since he felt this way, the last time was when she broke up with him and demanded no contact. He had put her in yet another problem and now he had to break his promise
He reached out, his fingers hovering just inches above the phone, above her contact.
But just like yesterday when the incident happened he dropped his hands, it seems like he still didn't have the courage to call her.
The digital clock on the wall ticked-a rhythmic, metallic heartbeat that felt like a countdown, It was.
It's been another hour and right on time his phone vibrates against the mahogany, the screen illuminating Lukas name. He picks up, Lukas gets straight to the point "you called her yet"?
"No",he replied! Lukas screams exasperated "then what are you waiting for, this is your chance"! "Yes, I will call her," he answered as hangs up the phone.
He drops it with a light thud, picks it up again, this time he looks at the time, 7:30. 'Good he thought not too late not too early'.
This time he calls, twice it rings but no one answers, the first call a wave of relief surges through him, she didn't block him. The second time, faint strings of disappointment coiled around him.
5 mins later his phone rings, 'it's her number' he chimes excitedly, he then picks and as if it were a video call where she could see him, he sits up and brushes his hair.
Before answering immediately in a deep magnetic voice, 'Leyla'. He could hear the breathing over the phone and the slight pause when he called her name but this is only for a second before he hears a deep male tone, "Its Aries, lala(leyla nickname) is busy right now and asked me to help her answer the call.
What's the problem?" He asks straight to the point. Lukas spine straightens in a standard military posture- his 2years compulsory military deployment at work, he knows her elder brother dislikes him, he dislikes that him too.
"I am sorry big brother…" Aries quickly disagrees in a gruff voice "I only have one sibling"
"Yes sorry, I was just calling about the online problem and accidentally involving Leyla in such an issue" I ranted "Is that all" he asked, the shock in his voice evident, I continued "and to seek the next best step to resolve it".
"Lukas the reason we have kept quiet is out of respect for our families past relationship, don't focus us to make things ugly, we don't care about your intention and what caused such a video to exist, we hope you clean things nicely, lala should not see those dirty things". Aries huffs before hanging up.