“Do what?” I asked. What did he want me to do? I thought I’d already done all the work Ming-May had told me.
“Your duties.”
I gestured at his bed, minus the empty bedsheets. “Is it not obvious? I’m waiting for the bedsheets to dry.”
He looked at the bed and then back at me.
“Did you think you’re only here to clean my bedsheets?” he asked and started approaching me like a lion ready to attack his prey.
My only reaction was to retreat. I took a step back. That pleased Lorenzo even more. He took another step forward, and I retreated another step back, until I was backed up against the wall.
“If I needed someone to wash my bedsheets, I could have asked Ming-May,” he said to me, his eyes so sharp, my bravery diminishing by the second.
“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, biting my lip.
“I want to take a bath. Go get it ready,” he said, his nostrils flaring, and he inhaled the air around me.
Did I hear that right? Lorenzo wanted me to draw him a bath. But I didn’t have time to ponder on this thought. Lorenzo was already moving. He edged into my personal space and crowded me further into the wall so that I was completely trapped with no way out.
He was too much for me. His strong masculine scent mixed with his manly sweat made me all heady and confused. My belly flipped and my breathing quickened.
“Did you hear me, Amelia? Get my bath ready.”
“Then get out of my way.” I mustered all of my strength and pushed him off. He backed off easily and I took this opportunity to run to the bathroom. Once there, I braced myself against the door and closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing.
What was wrong with me? Why was I reacting this way to Lorenzo? I despised him. I had to keep reminding myself that. The event from yesterday was still fresh in my mind. I had to remember that he was the one who hurt me, who pushed me into this confinement.
I really wished Lorenzo would just disappear and leave me alone. He said he owned me, but that didn’t mean he had to be here. I’d thought he had gone out. I didn’t expect to see him come back looking all sweaty and…
Images of Lorenzo’s bare chest flashed in my mind and my breathing grew heavy again.
I had to stop thinking about these stupid thoughts. I needed to get his bath ready, if I didn’t want him come barging—
Too late. The door burst open and Lorenzo casually walked into the room.
I couldn’t believe this. I hadn’t even finished my thought yet and he’d already appeared.
“I’m not done yet,” I said, turning to him. “Go wait outside.”
Lorenzo ignored me and started stripping. My eyeballs almost dropped out of my sockets.
“Are you crazy? I’m still standing right here.” I swiftly turned away from him and focused all my attention on the gold tiles on the wall. I didn’t know how long I stared at them. I heard the sound of the water being turned off. I heard Lorenzo going into the bath. But yet I still didn’t move from my spot. I stayed fixed and just kept staring at that wall.
“Are you going to get out or do you want to look?” Lorenzo said. And those words were enough incentive for me to get moving again.
I walked out of his bathroom as fast as I could, making sure to shut the door on my way out. I didn’t need him to appear half naked before me again. My head was already swimming with images of him and his bare chest. What I needed right now was to get rid of them. What I needed even more was some fresh air.
I was on my way out of Lorenzo’s bedroom when the view from his glass wall caught my attention. It overlooked the city and the…
Garden! Lorenzo had a rooftop garden. Why hadn’t I noticed it sooner?
I slid open the glass door and walked out. What greeted me was an abundant of exotic plants. I loved plants. They had always calmed me down whenever I felt stress. But what drew me most to this garden was the abundance of rose bushes, all in various colors. Pink, yellow, blue, and red. They were all so beautiful I couldn’t stop admiring them. I plucked one and brought it to my nose. The scent took me back to my dream of that boy with heterochromia eyes. And I smiled, missing him already. Would he appear again in my dream? Would he still smile at me like before? Would he—
“What are you doing here?”
I startled at the sudden intrusion and snapped my eyes open to see Lorenzo glaring at me. He had his hand wrapped around my wrist and I could feel his wrath in waves.
“Lorenzo, you scared me,” I said, my eyes wide with fright.
“You are not supposed to be here,” he growled in my face.
“Lorenzo, let me go. You’re hurting me,” I winced, but he didn’t listen to me. Instead, he tightened his hold on my wrist even more.
“You do not have permission to enter this garden. Get out. Now!” he shouted.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I raced back inside and locked myself in my room.
Chapter 9
Alone
Lorenzo woke up at four this morning. He felt unsettled. He didn’t know what to do with Amelia. He had so many plans laid out for her, prior to her arrival, but now that she was here, he was at a loss as to what to do first. All he knew was that he despised her. He despised everything about her. Because she was the one who took his brother away from him.
And yesterday, he couldn’t get away fast enough. The moment she signed the contract, he took off. He had only returned late into the night. He slept for a couple of hours, nightmares of his brother and father plaguing him. He got up and went to the gym to clear his mind. He didn’t know how long he was on the treadmill, running and running until he was out of breath, until he couldn’t run anymore and literally collapsed on the gym floor, just staring at the ceiling in a catatonic state, wishing and wishing that his brother would come back to him.
Would he ever hear Gian speak again? Would he ever see Gian smile again?
Pain wrenched his heart and tears flowed down his cheeks. Why couldn’t he be strong? Why did he have to cry whenever he was alone? He just wished the people he loved would come back to him. But no matter how hard he wished, they would never return from the grave.
Was this his curse? Was he meant to go through this again and again? As soon as he loved someone, loved them enough to want them as his family, they died.
He couldn’t take this pain anymore. This was the last straw. He vowed he’d get back at the people who hurt his brother. He’d crush them in his palms until they died a painful death. And that included Amelia. She had begged him to die. But death was too easy a way out. She needed to experience the same suffering he’d gone through. And her suffering must start now.
Lorenzo exited the gym and took the elevator back to the top floor. He got out and pushed the door open, and the first person he saw was Amelia, amber pupils staring wide at him.
“Planning to escape?” he said, catching her red-handed.
“No. I…” He didn’t listen to her. He grabbed her arm and dragged her into his bedroom, throwing her in and shutting the door.
A woman like her had too many excuses. He was so fucking tired of hearing excuses. If he caught her trying to escape again, he’d lock her in her room like a prisoner.
He went into his walk-in wardrobe and grabbed a towel. He told her to make his bath. But she was ignorant. She was a fucking daydreamer. She was constantly staring off into space or staring at him for no particular reason. And it fucking pissed him off. Even when he was just inches apart from her, she looked like she was staring through him, as if she could see right through his soul, and he fucking hated it. He needed her here in the present, not daydreaming about some pathetic shit in her head. How could Gian fall in love with this kind of woman?
After much urging, she ran off to make his bath. But she was taking far too much time. He stormed in after her, seeing her daydreaming again. And the tub wasn’t even half full.
He started stripping. He didn’t have time for this. He was sticky and dirty. He nee
ded to be clean. He got in the tub and was already settling in when he saw she was still standing there, staring at the wall.
“Are you going to get out or do you want to look?”
That kind of woke her up and she exited the room. He relaxed against the headrest.
Fuck! How was he supposed to deal with her when he was so wound up every time he saw her? He couldn’t understand himself right now. And it fucking scared him because he was usually so sure of everything. But seeing Amelia rattled him. And he didn’t like it.
He scrubbed himself clean and exited the bath before heading into the shower to wash off all the dirt. He felt much more refreshed. After dressing himself, he headed outside, expecting Amelia to be in the kitchen. Except that wasn’t where he found her. She was outside, in his private rose garden.
“What are you doing here?” He rushed into the garden and pulled her back from the ledge.
She gazed at him like she was lost in a dream before reality dawned on her when she registered his face. “Lorenzo, you scared me.”
And that was when he saw her holding the rose. He was furious. How dare she pick his rose.
“You are not supposed to be here,” he lashed out at her.
He was so fucking pissed; he couldn’t think straight. He clamped on to her wrist and jerked her toward him.
“Lorenzo, let me go. You’re hurting me,” he heard her say.
But this only fueled his anger even more. He ignored her plea and shouted at her. “You do not have permission to enter this garden. Get out. Now!”
She retreated, staring at him with fright before she turned tail and ran off.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” She had rattled him again. He needed to calm down. Or else he’d combust.
He plucked a rose and brought it to his nose. This would help him calm down. This would help—
Fuck! The scent of roses didn’t calm him down one bit. It only elevated his anger because now he associated Amelia with the scent of roses.
After a good ten minutes out in the open air, he’d managed to calm down. He headed back inside, expecting Amelia to be in the kitchen, but it was Ming-May who greeted him.
“Master Niko, would you like your fruit juice?”
“Do your other tasks, Ming-May. I’ll make it myself.”
“Yes, sir.” Ming-May nodded and left.
He liked Ming-May. She was a good housekeeper. She didn’t intrude in his personal space and didn’t ask questions. That was how he liked his staff to be.
He got out the fruit juice blender and threw in the fruits and soy milk. Ming-May could have done it for him, but he needed to keep busy to get his mind off Amelia. He didn’t like how she kept dominating his mind. After drinking his smoothie, he went to his office, situated on the upper floor, an open concept that allowed him to keep a close eye on Amelia. From where he sat, he got the perfect view of Amelia’s bedroom, or the guest bedroom to be precise.
He started work, but found his mind kept wandering back to Amelia. He couldn’t understand why he threw her into the guest bedroom. Amelia wasn’t a guest. She should be living in a place far less luxurious than this. But no matter what excuse he came up with, it just wasn’t reasonable enough to justify him putting her into that room. And he was still struggling to find an answer now. Thankfully work took over and he was able to concentrate on the task at hand. It wasn’t until around five in the evening that he realized he was hungry.
Ming-May didn’t come to offer him coffee. That was his routine. He didn’t like interruption. If he needed a break, he’d grab the coffee himself.
Lorenzo walked down to the dining room, the smell of sweet and sour pork making his stomach rumble.
He wasn’t surprised that Amelia wasn’t with Ming-May. Was she still in her room?
“Oh, Master Niko,” Ming-May said, turning around to meet him when she heard him approach. “I wasn’t expecting you this early. Dinner should be ready soon.”
Lorenzo pulled out a chair and waited.
Ming-May didn’t know what to do. She was fiddling with her apron. “Would you like something to eat first before dinner? I could whip you something quick.”
“No. I can wait. Once you are done, call Amelia over.”
Chapter 10
New Rules
“Amelia.” I heard Ming-May calling me from across my bedroom door. I rushed to open it and let her in.
“Yes, Ming-May. Do you need help with anything else?”
“No, dear. You’ve helped me enough today, even though you were not supposed to.”
I smiled. “I would rather help you with housework than be stuck in this room doing nothing.”
After escaping from Lorenzo, I came back to my room to collect myself. And since staying in this room was so boring, I went to find Ming-May to see if I could offer her any help. It ended up that we bonded over lunch together and doing housework.
I was so grateful to find a friend in Ming-May. She understood me, and I liked that. For this new life, I couldn’t imagine I would find someone who I could share my problems with.
“Master Niko wants you at the dinner table,” she said, and I sagged back on the bed.
Ming-May was very perceptive of me. She knew I didn’t want this. “Come on, dear.” She patted my arm. “I made sweet and sour pork. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Can you leave some for me?” I asked her, on the off chance I could get out of this. “I can eat later.”
“It’s not that easy, Amelia. You know he’s going to come into your room if you don’t go to him.”
“I know. Do you know why he wants to see me?”
Ming-May shook her head.
I nodded my head, relenting at last. “Okay. You go ahead first. I’ll be there in a second.”
Ming-May offered me a warm smile and left.
Why couldn’t Lorenzo just leave me alone? I knew he hated me. In fact, we both hated each other to the bones. So why must we keep seeing each other?
I was already convinced he was a madman. I mean, how could he be so furious just because I entered his garden? And why was it forbidden? It was just a simple garden with many rose bushes.
I stared at the red flower resting on the bedside table. I picked it up and brought it to my nose. It was intoxicatingly aromatic. A sense of pleasure rushed over me, followed by a sinking feeling of guilt.
Maybe he got mad because I picked his rose. Maybe that rose garden was a special place for him, like a sanctuary, and he didn’t like people intruding.
I understood that feeling all too well. There were also aspects of my life where I refused to let people in. Even with those close to me, like Jenny and Gian. Some things were just best kept a secret.
I got to my feet and exited the door, determined to apologize to Lorenzo. That was my intention anyway. Until I spotted him sitting at the dining table. From this vantage point, he resembled a king sitting at the head of the table. His presence alone seemed to dominate the entire room, making it appear smaller than usual.
Tension raised in my belly the closer I got to him. Ming-May was the first to see me and I was so grateful when she smiled warmly at me.
“Ah, Miss Amelia, you are here. Come sit down.” She gestured me to the chair opposite Lorenzo.
I stole a quick glance in his direction. He had on his cold indifference face again.
“Master was waiting to have dinner with you,” Ming-May rattled away, bringing all sorts of food on the table.
Waiting? What? I was supposed to have dinner with Lorenzo? I thought it was only going to be a small chat. I thought I would apologize, he could tell me off, and then we could both go our separate ways. But this…I was nervous. I quickly slid into my chair and pulled one out for Ming-May.
“Here, Ming-May, you can sit next to me. Let’s have dinner together, too.”
“Ming-May, you may leave when you are done serving,” Lorenzo said sternly.
“Yes, sir.” Ming-May nodded her head and was about to leave when I st
ood up and latched on to her arm.
“Ming-May. Don’t go.” I clung to her for dear life, my soft voice pleading. I couldn’t possibly sit here alone with Lorenzo without us tearing each other’s throats out. And after that incident with his rose garden, too, I just didn’t have the courage to apologize to him without her here as my support. “Please. Eat with us.”
Ming-May understood the message behind my gesture. She softened and smiled, her eyes also smiling, like half-crescent moons. She patted my arm. “Miss Amelia—”
“Ming-May. Leave. Now,” Lorenzo repeated again, and this time, Ming-May quickly obeyed, nodding her head once, then she left the room, leaving me all alone to fend him off by myself.
“Amelia. Sit down,” Lorenzo barked out again.
I collapsed back into my chair, my eyes downcast. The room was covered in a blanket of silence and it was suffocating. The food was supposed to taste delicious, but this nervousness inside of me was playing havoc with my taste buds, and everything I ate tasted like cardboard.
Was this meant to be a regular occurrence, this dining together thing? I understood when people liked each other, they ate together, but Lorenzo hated me, so something just didn’t add up. Unless he knew I would be apologizing in advance. He knew I was at fault, so he was waiting for me to speak up first.
It was now or never. I summoned all my courage and was about to speak when he beat me to it.
“There are rules in this place, Amelia. And one of those rules is that you are not to go to that place again.”
I just looked at my food. I didn’t want to look at him.
“Did you hear what I just said, Amelia?”
To hell with the apology. He didn’t deserve it.
“I heard you the first time.”
“Then answer me when I talk to you. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes.”
Another ten minutes of silence followed. This silence was horrible. I couldn’t take another minute of it. I started the conversation this time.
“Lorenzo.”
Beautiful Hell: The Mafia and His Maiden: Book One Page 6