Only When I Left Him Completely Did He Understand that He Loves Me

Linus's voice dripped with disdain as he proclaimed, “I’ve reached this point relying solely on my own talent.”

He went on, “She can only cling to my fame and now that she’s getting older, she hardly holds any value!”

My gaze drifted back to the stage, where Themis stood beside him, radiating uncontainable joy.

The spotlight enveloped them, painting a picture of a perfectly matched duo.

In that fleeting moment, my phone was notified, announcing that my visa had been approved.

I was halfway through packing my bags at home when Linus stepped through the door.

He tossed a half-bottle of brown medicine my way. “This is for you.”

I picked it up, recognizing the iodine tincture I had seen in Themis's social media posts, where Linus had used it to treat her wounds.

But I was allergic to iodine tincture.

When Linus debuted at eighteen, his extraordinary talent took the world by storm, drawing attention like a beacon in the night.

A powerful figure in the industry, threatened by his rise, conspired to ruin his hands.

In those days, I had impulsively stepped in front of Linus to protect him from harm.

Though I emerged with only minor injuries, a colleague in the orchestra had inadvertently treated my wounds with iodine tincture.

The allergic reaction hit me like a tidal wave, sending me into shock and resulting in a frantic rush to the hospital, where I endured nearly a full day of surgery to be saved.

Colleagues whispered that while my condition had been critical, Linus had lingered outside the operating room, tears streaming down his face for as long as I remained in danger.

When he finally returned, however, Linus was in a storm of fury. He tossed every bottle of iodine tincture in the orchestra into the trash and decreed that it would never be used again.

I never imagined he would break that very rule himself.

Lowering my gaze, I discarded the iodine tincture into the trash can.

Linus noticed my action and let out a cold, dismissive snort. “Use it if you want; don’t if you don’t!”

Just then, a WhatsApp notification chimed and Linus glanced at his phone, his expression softening once more.

He gently reminded me, “Little one, be sure to keep your wound dry. You need to avoid certain foods for a while. Once you’re feeling better, I’ll take you out for something delicious.”

Perhaps taken aback by my unusual silence, Linus stole several glances my way.

At last, he spoke, his tone steady. “What transpired today was simply to set an example. You know all too well that the orchestra is rife with dirt.”

“The way I punished you was intended to send a warning to others.”

“Now that I’m caring for Themis, it’s also to shield you from idle gossip.”

I nodded, choosing silence over argument. “I understand.”

Linus appeared taken aback, a curious warmth spreading through him.

He seemed ready to say more, but I had already stepped into the bathroom to gather my personal items.

In the glaring light of the sink, a pair of pink lace underwear, clearly not mine, lay conspicuously, an unwelcome reminder of hidden secrets.

Just outside the door, Linus's phone chimed with a voice message, declaring, “Linus, I forgot to take back the little underwear I changed in your bathroom this morning.”

“Could you please bring it over for me? And I just adore the scent of your shower gel; could you send me a bottle, too?”

Suddenly, everything made sense; Linus had worn a shirt color that was far from his usual choice this morning.

The fragrant shower gel clinging to him was also from a brand he typically reserved for special occasions.

He truly listened to her every word.

As Linus absorbed the message, he hurriedly made his way toward me.

Upon entering the room, he was greeted by the sight of me and the pink underwear nestled beside me.