By the time Leyla stepped back into the exclusive VIP suite, only Erick remained, seated beside Shawn and keeping watch over him. The other three had already left.
"Sorry I'm late," she said quietly as she entered. There was no trace left of the tears that had streaked her cheeks earlier.
"You're not late at all. The others just left, and I've got somewhere to be tonight. So I'll have to leave you with the trouble of taking Shawn home," Erick replied with a warm grin, though he avoided her eyes for a split second.
His mind drifted back to the earlier conversation. For a moment, he debated whether he should say something about Corrine and Shawn.
But eventually, he held back. He decided Theo was right. Whatever was going on was up to Shawn and Leyla. It wasn't his place to get involved.
"Why did he drink this much? If he keeps this up, his stomach issues are going to come back." Leyla moved closer to the couch, her eyes settling on Shawn's striking face. No matter what had happened between them, she still naturally found herself concerned about his health.
"Well… it's been a while since we all hung out like this. He probably just had a couple more drinks than usual. I swear, next time I'll watch him more closely and stop him before he overdoes it," Erick said, rubbing the back of his neck as he scrambled for a reasonable explanation.
Leyla didn't respond. She simply stood there, studying Shawn's sleeping face in silence.
"Uh, did you drive here? Are you okay driving Shawn's car?" Erik asked, extending the car keys toward her.
Leyla shook her head slightly. "I didn't bring a car."
She had taken a cab to Charm Club, hurrying over with the intention of sharing good news with Shawn. Now, thinking back on it, she felt painfully foolish.
When she accepted the keys, Erick quickly stepped forward. "I'll help you get him to the car."
"Thank you," Leyla replied.
Shawn was tall and solidly built. Without Erick's support, there was no way she could have managed to lift him, let alone get him into the car.
"Take care, Leyla," Erick said once Shawn was settled in the back seat.
Already in the driver's seat, Leyla nodded at Erick and eased the car into traffic.
She had only gotten her license after marrying Shawn, and she rarely drove, certainly not a large vehicle like his. Her hands stayed tense on the steering wheel as she drove carefully through the night, completely unaware that Shawn's eyes had opened in the back seat.
He had already regained consciousness when Leyla first walked into the VIP suite. He had chosen to stay quiet, pretending to be asleep as they carried him out and placed him in the car.
The truth was, his meltdown tonight was because Corrine had called him earlier in the day.
"Shawn, my flight lands in Fladena tomorrow. Can you come pick me up?" Corrine's voice, so familiar it felt almost unreal, wafted through the phone.
For a brief second, Shawn stopped breathing. Then he answered quietly, his voice low and restrained, "I'm married."
The moment the words left his mouth, he ended the call. Even so, the brief conversation unsettled him. That was why he later drank himself numb with his friends.
Two years earlier, certain Corrine would accept, he had planned a grand proposal for her, who was his girlfriend then. The proposal had been so extravagant it drew attention across the city.
Yet Corrine never came. Instead, she called him to say she was leaving to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer.
On that day, surrounded by a vast arrangement of flowers, he stood abandoned and humiliated, quickly turning into Fladena's biggest joke.
The very next day, Garrett pushed him into marrying Leyla. Still drowning in shock and emotion, Shawn went through with the marriage.
Over the following two years, he convinced himself that Corrine had faded from his thoughts. But the moment her call came through, he realized how fragile that belief truly was.
By the time they reached home, Leyla noticed that Shawn was no longer unconscious.
"You're awake?" she said, turning toward him. "Can you get out of the car by yourself?"
She knew she wouldn't be able to support his height and weight on her own.
Shawn grunted in response, but the alcohol still left his head spinning. Leyla stepped closer and helped him out of the car.
He leaned heavily against her, and her familiar minty scent seemed to shatter the haze in his mind, bringing a brief moment of clarity.
Side by side, they entered the mansion. Leyla guided him to the sofa and carefully sat him down before heading to the kitchen to get him a glass of electrolyte water.
Shawn remained seated, his eyes fixed on her back as she disappeared into the kitchen.
When she returned with the glass, she noticed his brows drawn together in a frown.
"Drink this," she said, passing the glass to him.
He took the glass and finished it in one go. Afterward, he looked at Leyla, who was standing stiffly in front of him.
"Is there anything else you need?" he asked suddenly, causing her expression to falter.
She couldn't help but feel startled by her own earlier thoughts about trying to win him back with her pregnancy.
Then it occurred to her that their agreement was nearing its end. There was no reason to create more complications now.
Almost without thinking, she chose to lie. "Garrett called earlier. He wants us to come back to the manor for dinner when we have the time."
"All right," Shawn replied without emotion. "We'll go back to Cooper Manor tomorrow."
"Okay," Leyla answered quietly.
