Chapter 13: Thirteen

JASMINE POV —

"Do you want me to call the doctor?" I ask after a while, trying to change the subject and dissuade the heavy tension that is in the air.

Nico jerks his head suddenly in my direction. His eyes soften the slightest bit and he shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair.

"That won't be necessary. You can go now," he dismisses me.

I can't help but think that his mind is rather preoccupied with something. But Nico never struck me as the type to get lost in his thoughts.

Well, why wouldn't he be? After what just happened, that was enough reason for someone to get lost in thoughts. Did he regret it? Suddenly my mind was overrun by a lot of thoughts.

"On second thought, you could stay if you want to," Nico's words cut through my thoughts.

This time, I jolt up to my feet.

"I... I'll be on my way," I stutter and walk over to the doorway without another thought.

"Aw, what a killjoy," he remarks behind me in a playful voice. There is a disappointing edge to his voice that I refuse to think about.

I quietly close the door behind me and walk down the hallway. My body is still shivering from the encounter and how close we were.

Images are burned into my head. This was the dream of countless women in the city, wasn't it? To be that close to a powerful man like Nico Ferrari. To feel him, to let him have his way with them.

I lean against the wall, breathing heavily.

Why didn't it feel that way for me? Why did I feel that I just got myself into a hell of a lot of extra trouble? One that I can't handle.

I've heard a lot of stories about him. Anyone who directly got involved with him was either a part of him or didn't make it out alive.

"Shh... Stop scaring yourself, Jasmine," I whisper to myself as though it would help me quieten down the voices in my head.

I straighten in shock as I hear heavy footsteps approaching.

Heels continue to sound against the tiles.

I look back to see a woman walking towards me, or rather walking forward just happening to be in my direction. Her long blonde hair is of an enviable length and falls loosely across her shoulders. She looks expensive, and I was going to guess that she wasn't any random guest in the hotel.

That's when I recognize her.

"This is my wife," I remember Nico saying to the men just by staring at her at the table.

Then I realize that it is her, it has to be. My breath comes out more shakily than I intend.

I already feel on edge just by staring at her. And not just because I've been with her man just a few seconds ago. I gulp, wishing that my nerves would calm down.

She continues to walk with a powerful air around her, her movements are that of elegance and grace.

She stops behind me, an unmistakable frown on her face. I hold my breath, thinking that she was going to recognize me after what happened tonight at the party when I made a mess in front of Nico and the rest of his men.

"What are you doing here?" she asks. She has a rather refined Italian accent like the rest of them.

"I'm heading out," I reply, pausing a little. I'm grateful that my voice isn't as shaky as how I feel inside.

I should guess that she came to the conclusion there was no need bothering with me because she gives a short nod and walks past me in the direction that I was coming from.

I breathe a sigh of relief. No one needs to advise me as I hastily make my way down the hallway. I take the elevator down and don't even stop at my room.

I can only breathe properly when I'm out of the hotel completely. My workplace has now turned into a nightmare. I can only wait impatiently for everything to turn normal. I was doing just fine long before Nico came back in my life, for crying out loud!

"Jasmine! Jasmine, wake up!"

I find myself nearly down the driveway when someone shouts out my name in the distance.

I stop and turn around to see Aurora walking towards me.

She sighs in relief when she finally catches up with me. "You sure are hard to find these days," she remarks.

I remain silent.

I really don't feel like speaking to anyone right now. There are still a lot of emotions in my head that I simply can't make any meaning of.

"Well?" She casts me a questioning look and stops in front of me, stopping me from moving any further.

I finally snap out of my daze and come to focus on her blue and white uniform that all the waiters have to wear. She has a black coat over the top.

"Aurora," I say in greeting.

Obviously, she rolls her eyes in response.

Now, we weren't exactly close friends. After my past history with people, I found it hard to get close to any other person. But Aurora is simply the kind of person that maintains a level of friendship with everyone. She was well known in the hotel and had quite a relationship with even the guests. We relate, or at least she makes an effort, since we are roommates.

"You didn't tell me that you weren't going to sleep in the room, and then you had me waiting all night thinking that you got lost or something," she says. "I hardly knew what you were talking about." She hands over my handbag to me.

My eyes widen in realization.

"T-thank you," I say under my breath, taking the bag from her.

For the past few days, I've been too occupied with running away and trying to avoid Nico that I still haven't gone back to the room to take my bag.

"I don't think I'll be spending a night in the room for a while now," I continue.

Frankly speaking, I'm not sure that I can spend the night knowing that Nico is in the same place and maybe just a few floors above me, I think to myself.

I look forward to see Aurora squinting at me. She tilts her head to one side. Her auburn hair falls in bangs across her face in the process.

"Are you okay?" she asks, looking at me in concern.

I quickly muster a faint smile. "Yes, I'm fine," I reply, brushing it off.

She doesn't push it.

We continue down the driveway in silence. I wonder if she's going to her own apartment or if she will come back to spend the night in the room like she usually did, but I don't ask any questions about it.

Lately, silence has rather been my sanctuary, and I have no intentions of leaving just yet.

But just as we reach the bus stop and I'm about to take public transport back to my apartment, my mind filters back to Nico's wife. I can't help but ask a question.

"How long do you think Nico Ferrari would be staying at the hotel?"

She tears her eyes off the road to look at me. "Nico Ferrari? Of course," she repeats, a dreamy look flashing across her eyes.

"I really don't know. I wouldn't mind if it was forever. Just knowing that I'm walking in the same space as him is already a dream come true," she smiles, holding a hand over her chest.

I internally roll my eyes. Of course, they would love it when he was there. They just didn't get to be that close to him; otherwise, they would see how much of a monster he actually was.

I decide to try another question instead.

"Are there any rumors regarding his wife too?" I ask. I'm surprised by the resentment in my voice. Why didn't I like the thought of referring to the lady as his wife? Why did I feel like she was stealing something that was mine?

I brush the thought away from my head immediately.

Goodness, what the hell was getting into me?

Aurora, on the other hand, doesn't seem to notice. She taps the side of her chin, contemplating.

Finally, she speaks up.

"The news is all hush-hush about her. Rumors have it that there's no real romantic involvement between the two of them and she's a member of another powerful Mafia clan."

"An arranged marriage?" I ask.

She only shrugs in response. "It doesn't really matter anyway. Even if there's nothing between the two of them, that doesn't mean that there's any chance for commoners like us."

"I'm leaving you here, Jasmine. Do take care of yourself," she says, and I realize that she's about to go.

I give a faint nod, still preoccupied with my thoughts as she makes her way towards the subway.

No romantic relationship, huh?

I start to wonder if there's any truth in those rumors at all.

And why did the sudden revelation seem to keep me rather at ease?