61

61
Adriano

“You’re back,” Azalea said when she saw me walk into the room. The anger that had been burning inside me suddenly went away when I saw her beautiful smile.

“Is she sleeping?”

“Yes, Amira was very tired from the long trip.”

Azalea got up from the bed and walked over to me. “Who were those people downstairs?”

“They’re nobody important,” I answered, walking away from her question. I sat down on the sofa and felt so tired. “Come here, love.”

Azalea looked at me for a moment. I knew she wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t want to talk about it right now.

I gently pulled her hand, making her sit on my lap. I buried my face in her neck and breathed in her sweet smell. It made me feel calm and peaceful.

Azalea didn’t ask more questions. Instead, she started gently touching my hair. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

“Yes,” I responded, finally looking up and staring into her beautiful eyes.

“Are you sure?” she asked again. She could tell something was wrong.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Okay,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m here if you want to talk about anything.”

Her smile made my heart beat faster. This feeling scared me, but I couldn’t stop it. “Thank you.”

We stayed like that for a long time. Azalea kept touching my hair gently, and it felt so good that I fell asleep on her shoulder. I woke up when I felt her moving.

“Are you awake?” she inquired. Her voice sounded tired.

“Did I really fall asleep on your shoulder?” I asked, feeling shocked. I couldn’t believe I felt safe enough to sleep like that. I never let my guard down with anyone.

“Yes, and now my shoulder hurts,” she muttered quietly. “It’s sore from not moving.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, feeling bad. “You should have woken me up.”

“I wanted to, but you looked so peaceful,” she replied. “You looked like you really needed the rest. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Her kindness made my chest feel warm in a way I didn’t understand. “Let me see your shoulder. I can massage it for you.”

Azalea laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” She turned around, and I started gently massaging her shoulder. I couldn’t help but laugh when she made a soft sound of relief.

“It’s okay now,” she said suddenly. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

She stood up and turned around, but her face was bright red. She looked embarrassed about something.

“Don’t tell me,” I stated, standing up too. “You’re feeling shy.”

“I’m not,” she whispered, trying to leave the room. But before she could escape, I grabbed her hand and made her face me.

“Your face is so red,” I teased. “Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

“No,” she quickly responded. “I am not.”

“Then why are you blushing like a little girl?”

“It’s nothing. Please excuse me.” I wrapped my arm around her waist before she could leave.

“Honey,” I whispered in her ear. I felt her whole body tremble at my touch. “You look so beautiful when you blush.”

I could smell the desire in the air. I lifted her face up so our eyes met, and I could see the same feeling reflected in her eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked softly.

She nodded her head gently before answering. “Yes.”

I pressed my lips to hers, and it felt like coming home. Azalea wrapped her arms around my neck as we kissed deeply.

I pulled her closer, feeling her heart racing against mine. Her soft lips moved with mine, and every touch made me feel more alive than I had in years.

I moaned softly into the kiss as she opened her mouth to me, letting me taste her sweetness. When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.

Her cheeks were pink, and her lips looked soft and swollen from our kiss. “You drive me crazy,” I whispered, my voice rough with emotion.

She smiled shyly and touched my face gently. “I need you,” I said, leaning in to kiss her again.

Just as our lips were about to meet, Amira’s voice called out from the bed.

“Sister, what are you doing?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing her sleepy eyes.

I quickly stepped away from Azalea, remembering the little girl was in the room.

“You’re awake, sweetheart,” Azalea said, going to her sister.

“Yes,” Amira said, looking back and forth between us. “What were you two doing?”

“Nothing, darling,” I said sweetly. “Come here to me.”

She got out of bed and walked over. “How is my little princess feeling?”

“Good,” she said with a big smile. “But I’m hungry.”

“I know.” I gently touched her soft blonde hair. I loved doing that - it had become my favorite thing. “Let’s go eat some dinner.”

I took her hand and led her out of the room. “Are you coming too, honey?”

“Yes, I’ll meet you downstairs,” Azalea murmured.

Amira and I walked to the dining room together.

“Sir,” Matteo said as soon as I arrived. “I have replaced the old maids with the new ones.”

My mood got better hearing this. This was why I trusted Matteo completely. He always knew exactly what I needed.

“Did you tell them the rules of this house?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve shown them around, explained where they can and cannot go, and they’re all professional workers. Come here, Butler.”

I sat on the couch with Amira as a tall young man walked over to us.

“This is Andre, the new butler,” Matteo said. “Andre, this is the master of this house.”

Andre bowed his head respectfully. “Nice to meet you, Master.”

“I’m sure you already know the rules of this place,” I said seriously. “Any mistake, and you’re gone.”

“Yes sir,” Andre said nervously. “Dinner is ready, sir.”

I looked at Matteo gratefully. “Thank you, Matteo.” He looked surprised, and I knew why. I rarely thanked anyone or spoke gently to my workers. But today felt different.

I stood up and took Amira’s hand, leading her to the dining room. I pulled out her chair and helped her sit down like a gentleman.

The new maids served our food, and we began eating.

“Do you like the food, Amira?” I asked.

“Yes,” she answered happily. “I love it. It tastes amazing.”

I watched her eat with a smile on my face. Azalea joined us at the table, and we had a peaceful dinner together. After we finished eating, I excused myself and went to my office with Matteo.

“Sir,” Matteo said the moment he closed the door behind us. “About your behavior today...”

“I know what you want to say,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m acting different, right?”

He nodded. “Yes sir. I can’t believe you’re finally in love.”

My eyes flashed with anger. Love? “What makes you think I’m in love with her?”

“Everything, sir,” Matteo said, sounding amazed. “You’re kind and gentle when you talk to your wife and her sister. In all the years I’ve worked for you, I’ve never seen you act like this.”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “Love is not something I do. Being nice to her and her sister doesn’t mean I love her. I’m only doing this because I feel sorry for them. Nothing more.”

Matteo stared at me like he’d seen a ghost.

“I’m doing all this because I want her to owe me everything. I want her to love me so much that she can never leave me. Nothing more than that.”

“Really?” he asked, not believing me. He was looking at me like I was lying, but I wasn’t. “But the way you look at her...”

“Yes,” I said angrily. “I don’t love her. She’s nothing but my toy. Something I own to play with.”

“Okay. If you said so, sir.”

But even as I said those words, they felt wrong in my mouth. Like I was lying to myself as much as to him.

I sat down in my chair, trying to push away the strange feelings in my chest. “I want you to find out why my father showed up here today with that woman.”

“Yes sir.”

“You are free to go home.”

“Thank you, sir. See you tomorrow.”

After Matteo left, I sat alone in my office thinking about what he had said. His words kept playing in my mind.

Do I really love her?