Alessandro
My whole body coursed with curiosity and excitement at the revelation of information on Eva — despite the fact that Vito claims I wouldn't like it. I yearned to learn more about the sweet angel — the best and the worst — so that I could truly understand her soul.
But the remains of rage were still rushing through my veins and my muscles were therefore tense. "Finish him off." I told my men as I walked out of the basement. "I'll be right there, Vito."
By the time I had entered my office, Vito was already pacing around the room with his body deep in thought. He was nervous and I was beginning to wonder why. My eyebrows grew furrowed and my lips twisted. "What is it, Vito?"At the sound of my stern voice, his eyes shot up until his face was align with mine. The shock horror in his orbs was chilling and I felt myself become nervous due to his nervousness. "Vito. Tell me."
He inhaled a sharp breath and held the photograph up. The photograph that made my stomach flip over and my heart drop to the deepest pits of my chest.
No...
Eva
"You've got such beautiful hair, Eva." Arianna softly spoke to me, her fingers running their way through my chocolate-brown, wavy locks that cascaded down the front of my body. She made me smile. She made me happy.
Arianna was nothing like the children that I had to care for while working at Antonio's Estate. She was sweet and her heart was filled with love and care; though it was clear I was nothing important compared to the rest of the people that surrounded her, she still took an interest in me. Something that the others never did.
She was an angel. And I was willing to care for her until whenever she told me to stop. Or whenever Alessandro did.
"Not as beautiful as yours." I answered, caressing her soft locks with a small yet gentle smile.
"We have the exact same hair, anyway." She giggled — referring to how both of us possessed long, wavy brunette locks. And we did look similar. In fact she reminded me of the kind of child that I once was. Filled with such strong hope and faith, that even the darkest aspects of life couldn't get in the way of my light.
"Guess what?" I chirped with my eyebrows wiggling in her direction.
A wide smile spread across her little face and she tilted her head to the side. "What?"
"I was speaking to your Daddy earlier today." I began to explain, fiddling with her hair. "And he's asked me if I'd be interested in being your nanny."
Her eyes immediately widened and shone in the most gorgeous way. "What did you say?"
A wide smile spread across my face at her happiness. "I said yes, of course." I told her and she instantly leaped into my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. Her content laugher was muffled against my hair. "As if I could ever resist looking after someone like you!"
Her arms kept themselves secured around my neck as she pulled away and looked at me — her face inches from mine. "I'm so happy that you're staying Eva! I thought you'd leave and I'd never see you again." Her words made my heart warm up in my chest. I thought the same thing before Alessandro broke the news, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading leaving this place; all the people I had met, had made me feel like I was at home. A feeling that I hadn't experienced in an awfully long time.
"How long are you staying for, then?" Arianna asked me, sitting back in her original position and allowing me to continue with the small braids that I was attempting to do in her hair.
"I don't know yet, sweetheart," I told her honestly. "Until I'm not needed, I guess."
The thought that there was a possibility that history would repeat itself made me feel anxious — but I knew deep down that I would rather stay here for whenever my time came, than go back on the streets. It wasn't as though I had much of a choice. And perhaps I could try and find some sort of way to keep myself on my toes if I did happen to get thrown out. But for now I wasn't thinking about the possibilities of the future. I was thinking about right now.
"I hope that you never have to go." Arianna told me with sweetness in her tone. It caused a chuckle to vibrate through my body.
"Neither do I."
Arianna and I played around for a few more hours until the night began to creep in. The stars were twinkling in the night-sky and her tired eyes started fluttering repeatedly. "Are you tired?" I asked her gently. Her drained grey orbs blinked up at me and her dry lips smacked themselves together with her head bobbing lazily.
My arms reached out and she gladly welcomed them as I picked her body up and stood up in the best way I could with her weight added to mine. Her head dropped on my shoulder and her lips grazed against the crook of my neck. "Fall asleep," I whispered to her softly. "I'll tuck you in once we're there."
A tired sigh left her lips and she became drowsy in my arms within a couple of minutes — sleeping peacefully as I carried her down the hallway. Nobody was around... just her and I.
Arianna had a light body. Almost like a feather. She made small noises in her sleep too; they were mumbles and quiet hums but they made me smile to myself as I walked into her bedroom.
It was clear that she was lavished in luxury. Her bedroom was larger than anything I had ever seen; the ceilings were white and the walls were pale grey, with paintings and decorations scattered everywhere. Her bed was a small double-bed with light grey covers and white sheets. Her sleepy body groaned as I lay her under the soft covers, watching as she nuzzled into the pillow.
Once she was laying comfortably on the bed-sheets, I grabbed the covers and brought them over her petite frame, stroking her small strands of hair and placing an ever so gentle kiss on her forehead. My heart filled with love to see her in such a content state.
"Tired?" A feminine voice whispered from the door-frame. My head turned and I saw Rosie standing there with a small smile on her face.
"Ah," I chuckled quietly, walking towards her. "Yeah she was. I decided to put her to sleep. I know I'm not the nanny yet but I hope you don't mind."
Rosie shook her head and smiled back at me. "Not at all. You saved me a job, that's for sure."
My eyes drifted down to the floor before I quickly looked back up with a confused expression on my face. "How come Alessandro has decided to keep me, anyway? I thought he wanted me out as soon as possible."
A sigh left her lips and she shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't tell you. He's got a strange way of thinking." My eyes blinked at her. "But I do know that Alessandro is a very stubborn man so if he's changed his mind, it's for a good reason."
But what reason was there to keep me, I thought to myself. My shy exterior would undoubtedly make him feel as though he was keeping some sort of silent child that would flinch at the slightest touch. Because that's exactly how I came across. Weakened and sensitive.
"I'm worth nothing, Rosie." I told her with my eyebrows dropping in the middle.
Her face dropped in the saddest manner. Almost as if my words had completely slapped her. "How could you say something like that about yourself?" She whispered with her head tilting to the side. "Don't you know that there's so much good inside of you? You've just got to recognise it. I mean clearly, Alessandro has noticed something in you."
"And that something, I'll never understand." I said with my shoulders shrugging and a long sigh escaping from my mouth. "But anyway, I should probably go to sleep. Have a good night, Rosie."
A small smile tilted her lips upwards as she watched me walk out of the door. "Sweet dreams."
The hallways were empty and quiet with the odd maid wandering through.
My room was right at the very end, opposite to Alessandro's.
I had to admit that I liked the position of where our rooms were located. Sometimes I would be laying in bed and I'd hear him having conversations with his men — his raspy voice muffled but still causing my heart to flutter in my chest. I had no idea why he had this effect on me but whenever I even saw him from a distance, I would get nervous and my heart would begin thumping wildly in my chest.
My room had been cleaned and everything was neatly ordered which was just the way I liked it. The silky golden night-dress that I wore each night was folded and had been placed on the bedside table for me. Rosie had given me some spare clothes that would make-do for the week that I was originally supposed to stay. It was very simple attire yet it was comfortable which was a benefit.
A happy sigh left my mouth as I stripped my clothes off, standing there in my underwear and praying that nobody walked in while I was in such a vulnerable state. The night-dress slipped over my head and hung perfectly over my figure. The softness caressed my skin and made me feel as though I was in heaven — with all the comforts that I had always yearned to have.
Even when I was working in Antonio's Estate, I only had a box-room with minimal clothes. And the luxuries were all saved for the important people... not a useless maid like me — as Antonio would always mention.
But here, I was treated like a Queen. Like I meant something.
I folded my clothes and placed them on the chair in the corner so the maids could pick them up the following morning, before pinning my hair up in a loose ponytail ontop of my head and walking over to the bed.
But just as I was about to lay down, a strong grip on my wrists made my heart accelerate.
It was all in one swift moment. My wrists were gripped; my body was swivelled around and I was forcefully shoved against the wall. A surprised gasp echoed within me as I came face-to-came with an angry-looking man. A face that could kill.
My cheeks flushed in shock when the man before me came inches towards my face — his minty breath fanning over my nose — and causing my nostrils to tingle.
I was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped between the wall and his muscular body. His figure that towered above mine. And I was transfixed by him. The sudden dominance that he had possessed over me... just by coming closer to me, his lips almost brushing mine.
The emotions that flooded my body were unstoppable and I felt as though I could collapse right there. In his arms.
"I want the truth," Alessandro growled roughly in my ear — the warmth of his breath moving over my face. My breathing came to a halt as I stared into his darkened eyes. "Or I'll kill you."
My heart thumped wildly against my chest and I knew that he could feel the beats against his own broadness. The way his body was pressed tightly against mine caused every inch of my body to tingle and I felt myself going dizzy at the contact. Even with the silk of my dress, I felt completely naked under his piercing gaze.
I was vulnerable to his eyes; to his body; to his being.
He could do anything with me in that moment and there wasn't a single thing that I could do to stop him. He could even murder me right there and I would let him. He possessed all the control and I prayed that he wouldn't take advantage of it and leave the broken shards behind.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I whispered in one single stutter, still completely hypnotized by how close his face was to mine.
The answer that I gave him, wasn't to his satisfaction, which was clear in the way his face twisted and his eyes widened in horror. "Don't you dare lie to me, Eva."
Truly, I had no idea what he wanted from me.
I had no idea what I was supposed to say... what I was supposed to confess.
"Honestly..." My voice broke and fell hushed once again. "I don't know what you want me to say."
He kept silent for a few moments. His eyes wandered everywhere on my face, from my flushed cheeks to my plump lips that were parted in shock, heavy breaths escaping and fanning over his face.
He was unpredictable. I didn't know what was going through his mind — whether he wanted to kill me or simply just scare the hell out of me. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying every moment that his eyes were on my face... inspecting every inch with perfect care. Admiring my looks.
"You're playing a dangerous game," he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing against the soft skin of my ear-lobe and sending chills down my spine. "A very dangerous game."
"Sir-"
His long finger pressed against my lips in a hushed gesture. "Don't say anything." He ordered with stern eyes. And then a wide smirk spread across his toned face....
"Just kiss me."
~
Oh. My. Gosh.
What did you guys think of this chapter?? Let me know :P
Like I said last time, my updates are quite fast at the moment but I'm sorta busy this weekend so I'll try and update for Tuesday at the latest.
I left you on a HUGE cliff-hanger, I know, but I promise the next update won't be long!
Lots of love.... ♥