15|She Creates Chaos
I let out a breath of relief, having checked off one thing from my list of unending problems. The audit report was clear. Luca couldn't win against me. Again.
"Come on Rafael, don't be such an ass. You need to thank that girl. You're out of this mess because of her." Oliver advised.
My mind went wild with all the ways I could thank her but Oliver wouldn't approve of it.
The door of his office burst open with massive propulsion, carrying a panting and terrified looking Ariel in. Her sight pissed me off. First of all she disrupted my very pleasing reverie and secondly she needs to learn some manners. "Fucking knock before you enter."
"I'm sorry sir." She scurried to the opposite end of the office. She clearly didn't expect me here.
"Hey it's okay Ariel. Tell me what's wrong?" Oliver's eyes softened while he hesitantly placed a hand over her frightened form.
What was that?
"Sir there's a fight in the cafeteria. He... He's about to get killed. Help him." She gushed out.
What fight? Was it so bad?
"Who is it Ariel?" Oliver questioned.
Her frantic eyes moved to me instinctively. She quickly averted her gaze to Oliver. "It's.. It's.. Just come with me." She was already outside the office.
"Don't ever say that again Ariel." Oliver said and dashed out in a haste to the floor below us.
Alright, what the hell was that?
"Is it Toby?" Oliver asked me as if I knew what was going on in my company.
"No. I bet must be Liam. He must've flirted with some girl without noticing her boyfriend is right next to her." Nothing that hasn't happened before. Whomever it is, is going to get a very good piece of mind from me. I strictly warned them not to get the mafia traits in my office.
We both received terrified stares as we entered the cafeteria. A huge crowd was gathered right at the center of the cafeteria, covering the fight from our view. Then our eyes fell on the only two people sitting leisurely on a table, away from the crowd.
It was Toby and Liam. Fighting over a chocolate pastry.
"What the fuck is going on over there?" I pointed a finger in the direction of the commotion.
"A fight." They both answered monotonously, in unison.
"And why are you two sitting here and squabbling over a piece of cake instead of stopping the damn fight?" Oliver asked, irritation written all over his face.
"We're too young to die." They answered, again in unison.
I sighed, having to intervene in this essentially frivolous matter. I strode away towards the crowd, cursing the world. "Get out of my way." I roared in pure annoyance and the crowd made way for us.
Then we saw it.
I looked at Oliver.
Oliver looked at me.
Then we both did a massive facepalm.
It was Vittoria.
On top of a guy who was now fallen on the ground.
Punching the life out of him.
"You freaking dingleberry!" She punched him squarely on his jaw. "Say that again and I'll cut your berries and shove it down your throat until you gag on them, you get that princess? Come on I dare you to repeat it." She yelled at him.
Oliver ran to the poor guy's rescue, holding the tiny raging girl from her waist. "Alright Lara Croft, that's enough."
"No! Put me down Mr Rivera!" She screamed in aggression, kicking her legs in the air. "Let me show this guy how much capable I am."
"Rafael I better get a pay raise for being her boss. I need compensation." Oliver struggled to keep her in place.
"In that case, I'll go bankrupt."
"You handle this wild woman." He passed her to me.
"Now will you tell me Vittoria what the hell are you up to?" I held her hands firmly to stop her from kicking and punching.
I shouldn't have done that. Now all I could think of was my hands curled around her delicate wrists while I hold them up over her head when I control her like I've never controlled anyone before and do things- what in the world am I thinking! I'm going crazy!
"He said I'm not capable of this job and that I'm here just because I let you fuck me. The nerve of this guy!" She made a move to lunge on him again but I held her back.
"He used those exact words?" I asked her, feeling a rage build up inside me. She nodded.
"Oliver hold her." I let go of my grip on her and stalked over to the guy, directly landing a punch at him.
"Watch your words when you talk about her. Don't you dare disrespect my girlfriend."
"Holy guacamole! What did you say! I'm not your girlfriend Mr Grayson!" She yelled so loudly that my eardrums were on the verge of tearing apart.
Oliver chuckled nervously. "Vittoria darling, you can't break up with him just because he refused to wear a pink t shirt. That's too trivial."
Has everyone gone nuts?
"He can wear pink, yellow, green or roam naked for all I care. What's wrong with you?" Now he was on the receiving end of her heated stare.
God help us! She was out of control today.
"Uh baby let's talk about it in my office. I swear I'll make it up to you." I dragged her out of there, before she further insulted me in front of my employees. No one talks to me that way. No one but her.
"Oliver do me a favor and send a bowl, no, a whole tub of ice cream. Make sure it's cookies and cream."
"You heard him." He ordered the twins.
30 minutes later.
"Someone stop her. She'll get a brain freeze." Liam looked at the still furious girl with concern.
If we stop her right now, one of us will end up with broken ribs.
She hadn't uttered a word. She was busy glaring daggers at us while stuffing her frustration with ice cream.
"YOU ARE NOT MY BOYFRIEND MR GRAYSON!"
"Listen Vittoria-"
"What shall I listen huh? Fine go ahead. I'm listening. Come on talk now. Tell me what I've to listen."
"I will if you give me a chance to speak in the first place." I huffed. This was going to be very difficult.
"You are on Luca Zanetti's radar with the stunt you pulled yesterday. We just did that to protect you." I clarified.
"Care to explain the logic behind it?" She spat.
Oliver forcefully took away the box of ice cream from her hand. She looked no less than a stubborn kid.
"Rafael has a reputation, Vittoria. People are afraid of him. Luca won't think about hurting you if he thought you're with him." He said.
I tried my best to keep a straight face. It almost sounds funny coming from Oliver. I don't know why he still trusted me even after I failed him. All of them.
Toby and Liam cast me a worried glance. They understood. Thankfully Vittoria spoke, catching their attention so that their eyes averted from me.
"Luca is in the opposite building. How does it matter?" She continued pacing in my office.
Toby guided her to the couch and requested to sit down. "You're forgetting someone from here is working as his informant."
The moment those words left his lips, her narrow gaze flit to Oliver. It was very short lived but I caught that look. She'll never understand but I trust him with my life. She was so wrong to think of him that way.
"As far as we know Luca, he will dig up all that he can about you." Toby continued. "And you know what will happen if he finds out you're Mason's sister. We can't let him know that. Thanks to Mason, he had already kept a pretty low profile for both of you so it's not that big a risk but we still have to consider it."
"I understand." She whispered, fiercely blinking her tears away.
"Come on Vi." Liam sat down next to her. "Don't pull that sad face." He tried to ease the tension.
"It's just that.. No one....ugh! Never mind."
"No, say it." He urged.
"Not just Daniel, everyone will think I'm here just because I'm the CEO's girlfriend. Not that it matters now. We've got greater problems." She said, looking down.
"Oh so you can even be an adult." Oliver flicked her forehead. She made a funny face like a kid. "I take that back."
I'm glad she understood. "Toby take her home."
"I'll do it." Liam jumped in. I nodded.
"Shall we?" He stretched out a hand for her and for some weird reason I didn't like it when she responded to his gesture.
Then something caught my eye. I couldn't fathom the meaning it. Toby watched them leave with a strange look in his eyes.
"Oh and Mr Grayson!" She stopped midway and looked at me over her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Please wear maroon. I don't even like pink."
•°•°•
Alright, now what!
The day's already been quite eventful and from their actions, it looked like I was ready to have a new wave of shock .
It was 8 pm and we were back home. I spotted Toby, Liam and for god sake even Oliver stand by the door of the kitchen, intently watching something with utter confusion.
Curious to know what was so intriguing, I walked up to them, my eyes registered the frightening image and I found myself mirroring their reaction.
"Something's really very wrong with her." Liam whispered.
"I couldn't agree more." Oliver whispered back.
Neither could I. There she was. Vittoria! Aggressively scrubbing the kitchen and rearranging the kitchen compartments. Today while I came back and visited her room, I was nearly thrown back with shock.
It was neat.
In normal cases, it's like a tornado has swept across her room. Is it some strange technique to cope with stress?
Women!
"Oh you're here." Toby turned back to face me. "I needed to talk to you. Got a minute?"
"Yes sure."
He guided me to an unoccupied room, acting super strange.
"What's up with you Toby?"
He leaned against the cupboard with crossed arms and a rarely seen serious face. "You like her don't you?" He asked all of a sudden.
He gotta be kidding me.
"Is this what you wanted to talk about?" I asked in clear irritation.
"You didn't answer my question Rafael."
This can't get any more tiring. Her persistence is seeping into them. And that's dangerous. Very dangerous.
"Have you completely lost it Toby? No I don't like her. God! She's so annoying. She's the definition of trouble and chaos. And above all, you know it's not possible." I yelled, frustrated.
"Not possible?" He raised a brow. It sounded more like a challenge. "It'll take me just a few seconds to prove otherwise."
"Get out of your teenage years for heaven sake. You guys are twenty two. Besides, don't forget what our goal is and why we are doing all this. If this is all you want to talk about then I'm not interested." I began walking out of the room.
"No wait. It's about Liam." He stopped me. His face carried unending worry which passed onto me. "Something's wrong with him."
"What? Did someone mess with him? I swear I'll kill that person myself."
"No it's not that."
This is the first time I'm seeing him act like an adult. This doesn't sound good.
"Stop beating around the bush Toby."
He sat down on a chair, holding his head in his hands. "Liam has stopped flirting with girls. He doesn't even look their way."
This boy-
"So you're saying he's suddenly turned into gay. Is this your problem? Really Toby? You fucking scared me."
"No that's not what I'm saying. Being gay isn't a problem anyway."
"Don't worry, he's quite normal." I patted his arm. "Don't you see he keeps flirting with Vittoria all day?"
"That's exactly the problem Rafael." He stood up and strolled over to the window. "I've seen the way he looks at her."
"What are you saying?" I stared at him in shock, unable to speak. I don't want this to happen. That's for sure. But why I don't want it was very conflicting, I have to admit.
"Vittoria's an awesome girl. Hell even I would want to be with her but she doesn't deserve this. And neither does Liam. I just don't want him to get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt." He said.
"First of all stop this bullshit involving me. I told you I'm not interested in her. As for Liam, I'll talk to him right this instant." I stormed out.
When I reached the kitchen, my eyes witnessed the perfect romantic scene. Vittoria was chopping broccoli, blabbering something like she always does while Liam was standing next to her, looking at her dreamily and patiently listening to all that she had to say.
"Perfect, isn't it?" Oliver said looking their way with a sad smile. He knows it too.
"Liam." I yelled a little too loudly. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from her. I motioned him to follow me in the same room as before.
"I'm sorry Vi! But I'd love to hear about Elvis. I'll be right back." He said to which she responded with a smile.
Vi huh?
"What the hell are you doing Liam? And first of all stop blushing like a girl." I slammed the door close.
"What's wrong with blushing? She said I looked cute when I blush." He said playing with the strings of his hoodie.
"Enough Liam!" I snapped. "Why are you doing this when you know you don't have a future with her?"
The playful look on his face dissipated. "So I was right. You like her."
"Have you all officially lost it?" I gritted my teeth. "Where do you even get all these crazy ideas from. You guys saying this in spite of knowing everything is even more appalling."
"So what Rafael. It's in the past." He said, making me more furious.
"Then what is this that we're doing Liam? All this is for nothing?"
"If I'm being honest then yes. I do think we're chasing nothing. I don't think what we're chasing even exists anymore." He screamed, frustrated. "If we stop this then everything will go back to normal. Even you can be with her."
"Liam I'm trying very hard not to punch your face right now so just shut up already. Are we seriously discussing about me being with Vittoria, the girl you like?"
"It doesn't matter. Because she likes you." He said, staring out of the window.
"Well then my sincere apologies but that's her problem."
These two needed to stop spewing unnecessary drama about me and Vittoria. She's crazy, but not stupid enough to like someone like me and let's not even talk about the way I treat her. It's impossible.
"Keep your imagination to yourself and don't you dare let Oliver know about these stupid made up stories. Thank god he didn't listen to what you said just a few minutes before. We can't get sidetracked now."
He didn't say anything. But I knew he understood.
"Look Liam." I sighed, grabbing his shoulders. "Even if I liked her, I would let her go for you. I would do anything for you." I meant it. No one is more important to me than them. All three of them.
"I just don't want you to end up being hurt. You know what's going to happen." I said. He quickly shrugged my hands away.
"No! Don't say that. Please Rafael. She's innocent." He said frantically.
I hated seeing him like this. The reason why we can't afford emotions in our business.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way Liam. All I can say is stay away from her. Don't get attached to her." I'd be lying if I said that was directed to Liam alone. That was a note to myself too.
"Is there no other way at all?" He asked helplessly after a long painful pause.
"You know there isn't." I replied briskly.
"Fine." He said, dejected. "But promise me you'll be nice to her until...until she...she's-"
"I promise."
"Do you mean it?"
"Have I ever broken a single promise until now?" I asked back.
"No." His reply was quick and confident.
Silence settled between us. For the first time, we didn't know what to speak. I'd been dying to ask them something but I was in two minds about it. I didn't want to give them a wrong impression.
Fuck it. I won't be able to sleep with the question goin on and on in my head.
"Why do you think I like Vittoria?" I tried hard to keep away the hesitation in my voice.
He scoffed as if my actions were quite obvious. "If someone else talked to you the way she does, that person would've been dead within a second."
"I'm tolerating all her nonsense just because we need her until we find Mason. After that, I'm not very sure I'll continue to entertain her."
"Okay got your point. I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually ship you two more than-"
"I dare you to complete that statement." I looked at him with brooding eyes.
He simply shrugged and unlocked the door to walk out. "Maybe you don't know that yet. But your subconscious mind is making you change your actions. It's the little things that matter you know?"
"Like what?" I regret bringing this up. This was utter nonsense. He walked out but dramatically turned back to me with a teasing smile.
"Like the fact that you're wearing a maroon t shirt."
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