Her Silent Pain

Chapter 3: Cupcakes

I gathered my belongings and walked over to the car, where Nic remained seated.

We arrived at the mansion and I stepped out.

 I tilted my head, expecting him to also get out, but instead, he rolled down the window and poked his head through.

"Ariella, I'm sorry, but I have some business to attend to. I'll be back in a few hours," he explained.

"Oh, okay then," I muttered, unsure of what to say. He handed me a spare key before driving off.

Now, I stood before the grand black front door of the mansion, holding the key in my hand. Nic had informed me that Alexandro would be at home. 

I wasn't surprised since it was his house, but I couldn't help feeling a tad nervous about being alone with him. Nic had assured me that Alexandro would be in his study the entire time, but still...

Come on, Ariella, you can do it.

With a deep breath, I inserted the key into the lock, opened the door, and locked it behind me. I made my way to the kitchen, setting the cupcakes on the counter and hanging my coat and purse on a nearby chair.

Gathering all the necessary supplies, I started cleaning, beginning with the bedrooms on the second floor. Most of the rooms were already clean, so I finished the task within an hour.

Moving on to the second floor, where the rooms appeared to be used more frequently, I replaced the wrinkled bedsheets with fresh ones. There were traces of dust on the floors, so I diligently swept and mopped every room.

I climbed the stairs to the third floor, ready to tackle the remaining rooms. As expected, they showed more signs of activity, with rumpled bedsheets and scattered items on the floor.

I set about replacing the bedsheets and meticulously swept each room. During the process, I stumbled upon a short red dress, carelessly tossed aside. It must belong to someone else, perhaps someone Alexandro knows. I set it aside, planning to wash it later.

After completing the sweeping and mopping of all the rooms, I gathered the used bedsheets to be washed. I loaded them into the washing machine and set it in motion. The red dress would require special care, so I decided to wash it separately.

An hour later, everything was washed, and I hung the bedsheets to dry, except for the red dress, which I placed in the drying cabinet.

Once the dress was dry, I carefully folded it and left it on the kitchen counter.

I estimated that I had been working for about four hours, and it was time to wait for Nic to arrive so I could hand him the cupcakes and then head home.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and I nearly shrieked in fear. Alexandro entered the room, dressed in black pants and a button-up shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tattooed forearms. Did he ever wear anything else?

His expensive cologne filled the room as he glanced around, his intense gaze eventually landing on me. I snapped out of my daze and handed him the red dress. He observed it briefly before looking at me. "What's this?" he inquired with a furrowed brow.

"It's a dress," I replied, my voice slightly trembling. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I know it's a dress, but what am I supposed to do with it?"

"Maybe it belongs to your sister? I'm sure she would want it back," I suggested, attempting to push the dress into his hands.

"I don't have a sister," he stated, his brows furrowing deeper. "Then maybe it's your girlfriend's dress?" I ventured cautiously. I knew he wasn't married, as he didn't wear a wedding ring, nor were there any family pictures in the house. Nic would have mentioned it if he had a wife.