Chapter 90

GIULIA

I looked from Mark to the strange woman, who was surprisingly staring intently at me. Her piercing green eyes drilled hard into me, filling me with a sense of recognition like I had met her somewhere. How else would someone I hadn't met before gaze at me with such contempt? It was a deep vile stare that should only be shot at an enemy.

Frowning, I gave her an appraisal. Starting from her raven black hair to the bandage on her forehead, down to the red nightgown she was putting on before my gaze returned to Mark, who had yet to respond to my question.

Sighing, he rubbed his palm on the back of his neck. "Can you sit? This will take a while," he said after a brief moment of deliberation, his tone showing he wasn't thrilled about this.

Glaring daggers at the intruder, I walked over to a loveseat and plopped down on it. "So? Who is she?" I demanded again, not in the mood to wait for him to sit. Having a stranger call an end to what was supposed to be the best date ever wasn't something to be delighted about. Without her here, we would have been in our room, tearing at each other's clothes and indulging the heat the intruder's presence had put off.

"Can you sit?" He asked the strange woman, gesturing for her to settle on the couch behind her, while he waved Kenzo away. With Kenzo out, and the lady seated, Mark narrated everything that happened, stressing how powerless he was about it.

"Why didn't you leave her at the hospital? It's not your responsibility to take care of her, is it? You could have asked a nurse to take care of her while you foot the bills. That's not difficult, is it?"

I failed to understand why he would bring her home just because she requested it. He could have found a way to take care of her without bringing her back to the house. Why would he act like a good Samaritan with a woman he just met? Someone he knew absolutely nothing about???

"She insisted on going with me. I couldn't just abandon her at the hospital," he explained, rubbing his temple. "Please believe me. I only did what, I think, was reasonable."

"What you thought was reasonable???!" I fumed. "How the hell did you think bringing a grown-arse woman back home was something, right?!" I slammed my fist on the table, my eyes brimming with rage.

The stranger yelped as she jumped up from the couch, her gaze wide in fear, and her lower lip quivering.

Stunned, I stared as she approached Mark and hugged his waist, placing her head on his chest as she whimpered. "Please take me out of here," she begged.

Seeing a grown woman acting like a kid was amusing and infuriating as hell. Especially in the manner she threw herself around Mark. Though I ached to get to my feet and rip her out of his arms, I was waiting to know what Mark's reactions would be.

"Can you let go?" He tried to push her while giving me a helpless stare, but she didn't budge. She held in tight, while whimpering, begging him not to let her go.

"Let go!" Mark used his stern voice on her, thinking it would make her lessen her grip, but she didn't budge.

"No! I don't want to. She will hit me if I do!" The woman stubbornly hugged him.

Fed up with watching them, I got up from the loveseat and unceremoniously pushed her away from him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, bitch?" I glared, folding my arms as I stood in front of Mark. "You lost your memories, and so what? That doesn't give you the fucking right to throw yourself on another woman's man like a whore!"

I was furious, barely controlling my rage as I watched her.

"I'm scared," she whispered, shaking as her gaze returned to Mark's face. "I just want to sleep in your room. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Of course it is." I drew threatening steps until I stood in front of her. "This is my damned house. You don't get to choose."

"But-"

I clapped my hands, and Miss Henrietta rushed in, her gaze going towards Mark. "You called?"

"Please escort this 'visitor' to my old room," I said, keeping my face pleasant, even though I wasn't feeling it.

"No! I don't want to go with her!" The stranger stubbornly said as she made to return to Mark's side, but I held her before she could, tightening my grip on her wrist to show her I meant business.

"Don't you dare provoke me!" I gritted out, stepping back before she could yell out. Satisfied with her scared expression, I let go. "You better do what I asked you to if you don't want to be tossed out of the property."

I meant every word, and she could tell because she didn't resist. Instead of running towards Mark as she had earlier intended, she looked at me, weeping as she turned to follow Henrietta to the room.

Watching her go, I didn't feel any thrill at having won the fight. Deep down, I felt restless.

"Lia-"

"Don't you fucking call me!" I whirled around to face him. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about her???? You had so many chances to do that when we had dinner, but you didn't!"

"I-"

"What? Don't tell me you intended to keep it from me. Tell me, Mark, would you have told me about her if she hadn't caused a scene?"

"No, that's not it. I just wanted to give it some time before I told you. I knew you wouldn't be happy about it-"

"Yet you brought her back without telling me?" Scoffing, I folded my arms. "And what was that drama that just unfolded now? You could have gotten her to let go, but you stayed glued to her!"

That was one thing that irked me. Seeing someone else touch the man I love wasn't something I would easily overlook.

"That's not it, Lia. I just-"

"20 hours," I stated, turning my back to him. "That's the time I'm giving you to sort your shit out. Find me after you have done that." Fuming, I headed up the stairs and straight to my room, ignoring his calls. I made certain to slam the door shut, so he would know how pissed at him I was.