Chapter 17 CHAPTER 17

Chapter 17 CHAPTER 17
EMILIA

Guess who didn't sleep all night?

Me.

And the moment the alarm chimed 7, I was beyond happy. I had set the clock earlier last night, and it came in handy this morning.

I was trapped around his arms all night, to the point that I couldn't breathe properly. I tried again to shift his hands, but he didn't move a bit.

I waited for a while, pretending to be asleep, but he still wasn't waking up. After a while, when my body began to ache, I had to hit him hard.

He moved then, releasing my waist, and I jumped off the bed.

"Arhhh," he exclaimed as he tried to sit up on the bed, his hand on his head. "What happened last night?"

"I should be the one asking you that," I snapped, keeping some distance between us.

He continued to massage his temple, his eyes closed. I bet he might be suffering from a hangover. Just how many bottles did he take last night? I thought he was happy before he left yesterday. He even went out with his fiancée.

He exhaled deeply after a short while, letting go of his head.

"Why am I in your room?" he shot at me again, with an angry look on his face.

"I am not the right person to answer your question. Trace back yourself," I snapped. "I've done my best keeping you alive all through the night. Now you can either say thank you or leave my room before your crazy fiancée makes her way up here first," I spat.

He only stared at me, his grey eyes cold.

"You think I made it up to your room in my proper mind?" he scoffed.

I chuckled dryly as well. "Well, now that you've regained your mind, please leave." I became conscious of myself again as I saw his eyes travelling down my body. But the thing is, I don't even have anything to wear. Rosa had given me this dress so I wouldn't have to sleep in the pink silk body-hug dress I wore yesterday.

He got off the bed as he walked towards me. I instinctively took steps backwards, but in no time there was no room for retreat.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" he asked, barely a breath away from me. "Because that's a failed attempt." He added.

A scowl settled on my face. "What? No!"

He smiled as he gave us some space.

"I will never try to seduce any man, not least you," I said, even though I knew that might not be the entire truth.

"You are not even my type," I added.

He laughed loudly now. "You wish," he muttered, as he walked towards his coat and shoes.

"Even though I know you must have tried to seduce me last night, I trust myself not to do anything stupid with a girl like you."

I managed a smile that was far from my eyes as he went on with his words.

"Michelle's right," he added. "Our marriage is nothing but a thing of convenience, so don't get any hopes forming in your head." He said, nearing me, but he wasn't the only one who knew how to twist a dagger.

"I didn't even remember being married until you mentioned it now... That reminds me... next time you are drunk, knock on your fiancée's door, not mine, or I wouldn't be as gracious as I was with you last night."

Confusion settled on his face, but he said nothing.

"I'm glad some facts have been established. Now lastly, no one must know that I spent the night—"

"You've nothing to worry about," I said, interrupting him. "I'm not about to tell anyone about the worst night of my life."



Days passed, and I still can't get why Andrea acted the way he does. It was as if he was a psychopath, saying something while meaning another, and the fact that I saw reason with him annoyed me the most.

After that morning, we really haven't seen nor spoken to each other. And also, Michelle was scarce in the house.

I spent most of my time in the kitchen or with Mama Rosa. The staff here were nice—too nice to be walking with Andrea. Because I knew people like him only abused that privilege.

Lady Katalina, the head chef, also taught me how to make basic dishes, and it was all a work of art to me. I made two new friends, Lucy and Agnes, ladies who also worked in the kitchen.

Everyone usually seemed nice when Michelle and Andrea were away. It was as if they could finally breathe. Even worse if it was just Michelle at home—she was bossy as she was picky.

Luckily, she wasn't on my case anymore. She must have had no idea that Andrea spent the night at my place days ago, but that was a good thing on all counts.

This morning, though, I couldn't join the ladies in the kitchen as I normally would, because Lucas, Andrea's right-hand man, had come to my room, giving me the non-disclosure document Andrea had forcefully made me sign.

In his words, I was to go through everything carefully to understand and act in accordance with the entire context.

The document was larger than I remembered, and I found myself skimming through a lot of things. Of what use was it anyway? I had already signed it.

But then a section caught my attention—a place I knew too well wouldn't have been on the document in the first place.

"You are answerable to Michelle, my fiancée, and you are to do as she wishes when she says, at any time."

What. The. Crap.

"Failure to do so increases a year to your initial course of stay."

No. No. No.

This can't be right.
I can't agree to this. I hissed, already walking out the room.