He Was Almost Absorbed By The System - Part Two

Chapter One Hundred And Eighty Eight - Empty Dreams And Destiny

A soft, delightful giggle echoed from the behind bedroom door and reached his ears as he removed his tie. It was not the sort of laughter from a coy woman, high pitched in an attempt to be cute not deeply alluring in a suggestive manner, but it was simply joyous and pure. It called to him and he found himself reaching for the door, pulling down the handle and pushing it forward.

Only the room behind it was empty and cold, the bed unmade with an indentation in the mattress, yet no one there. His heart began to race in his chest in panic, but he heard the laughter once more, coming from the adjoining door, which he knew lead to a bathroom. So he rushed into it, but though the shower spilled water onto the tiles, there was no occupant in there either. Just a single white gold ring with inset blue stones next to the drain.

He fell to the cold floor and his nervous finger grasped the piece of jewellery, his suit becoming soaked from the water. His chest ached as he clutched the ring to it.

"No!"

He sat up swiftly in his bed, his heart racing as he tried to grasp the remnants of the tattered dream. It was not the first time he had suffered from strange dreams. The scenery always seemed to change, being old fashioned parlours or wild forests, being cold stone rooms in tall towers or elevators that opened up onto endless straight hallways. But one thing remained the same, he could not find whatever... whoever it was within them he sought.

Shaking away the feeling, he noticed that he had soaked through another set of pyjamas as he sweat due to his nightmares and he ran his hand through his thick auburn hair distressed. He threw back the luxurious sheets, only to hear someone groan softly beside him.  His body stiffened as he came to notice the woman lying beside him.

She was tall, her body willowy in shape and flawless of skin.  Her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks to reveal stunning violet eyes.  Although she had been lying upon the bed, not one of her platinum blond curls was out of place as she lifted her head.  Her plump pink lips curled into a warm smile as she noticed that he had risen, but faltered as his expression remained cold.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded as he turned on the artificial lights.  Her smile turned into a pout.

"I was only trying to help, Dominic," she crooned.  "You were having nightmares, so I tried to comfort you.  You settled for a while and I accidentally fell asleep."

"I said you cannot sleep with me," he told her, his brows furrowing.  "I don't want you in my bed."

"It was an accident!" She hissed at him, before raising her hand apologetically.  She adjusted her purple negligee as she slid off of his bed.  "Still, I do not see what is so wrong with sleeping beside one's husband."

"It wasn't by choice that I married you," Dominic frowned, removing his damp top before wrapping a silken dressing gown around him.  Her eyes narrowed as she appreciated his excellent, muscular form.  It was the closest she got to it these days or when she snuck into his bed like tonight.  She never imagined that she would not get any closer in the months following their marriage.

"We were already engaged," she sighed as she reminded him.  "And you were the one to propose!"

"That was then," he said, shortly.  "Things are different now!"

"How so?" She asked, crossing her arms just below the soft curve of her breasts.  "You mean since surviving that infernal entertainment contraption?  I thought you had no recollection of what occurred while your mind was inside it, am I wrong?"

"No, you are not wrong," he was becoming exasperated again.  They had repeated this conversation many times and all of her words were true, but...