JANE'S POV
I cast Bianca a hesitant look but she simply offered me an assuring smile before walking out of the room. I was left standing there feeling nervous and undecided. My eyes wandered back to Ferracco and for a moment l felt my heart melting a bit. He looked terrible. Red puffy eyes , pale skin and tousled hair. His hair looked like the rats had just had a tea party in it.
I found myself wondering what might have occurred to land Ferracco in this helpless state. Curiosity got the better of me and l found myself taking hesitant steps towards his hunched form and stopped mere inches from him.
"What is it , Ferr..."
My words ended in a gasp when Ferracco suddenly hugged my waist. I was about to roughly shove him away and give him an earful when his entire body began to shudder with sobs. I froze in my place . This awkward situation frightened me.
I knew Ferracco to be a hard and ruthless billionaire in his dealings and takeovers. Never in my wildest dreams have l imagined him to break down in tears in my presence.
The sobs which tore from deep within him were full of pain and suffering. Unconsciously , l raised my hand to soothe him but then l remembered all the evil deeds he did to me and my hand froze midway. For a few moments , two sides of me debated. The bitter one and the human one. The human side of me eventually won for a moment l forgot my hatred for him and embraced him in a warm hug. His muscular arms tightened around my waist. I silently patted his back while deep sobs wrenched from him.
" Jane! ...Jane!..," he whispered between sobs.
Though l hated him with every atom of me , pain ripped through me at seeing his suffering. I hugged him tighter and patted his dark head. After some time, his sobs subsided. Ferracco unwrapped his strong arms from my waist and staggered towards the table.
He uncorked another bottle of wine and poured into a glass. He twirled the contents in the glass for a while while staring into space absentminded with gloomy eyes. What happened to him?
I have never seen him this vulnerable and broken. He emptied the glass in one gulp and proceeded to pour another one. That's when l rushed to the couch he was sitting on. I grabbed the wine glass from him.
Ferracco threw me an annoyed look.
"You are already drunk. You should go to sleep."
He stifled a hysterical laughter. I could see his eyes misting again with tears. He gripped down my hand and l dropped on the couch besides him.
"What happened to you Ferracco ?," l asked him in worry.
I wondered why l was even bothering having a conversation with this jerk but then another thought entered my head and calmed me down. I had to do it for Elena's sake. I had to find out what was wrong with him least it affected my daughter in some way.
"How can you expect me to sleep, Jane. When today is one of my worst nightmares."
"Isn't it your birthday?," l asked him in confusion.
Two lone tears silently streamed down his cheeks. He remained silent for a moment whilst clenching his teeth. I waited for him to resume. I knew how difficult it was for someone like Ferracco to tell anyone his difficulties. He was a proud man.
"I stopped celebrating my birthday fifteen years ago....," his voice trailed off.
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in anger.
"On this day, l witnessed my mother getting murdered at the orders of that monster," he spat out.
I gasped in shock.
"Ferracco," l whispered in disbelief .
He turned to face me with tears running down his proud face. Without my permission , I felt my heart go out to him.
"She was standing on the other side of the road smiling and waving at me holding a basket with my favourite chocolate cake. The next moment she was hit by a car ......in front ...of...me. She died ...in my arms , Jane."
His voice was filled with pain and sorrow. I never imagined Ferracco would harbour such a painful past.
"He killed her , Jane."
He broke down and started to sob again. I took him in my arms and cradled his dark head on my chest .Tears streamed down on my face too. No fifteen year old boy should experience such kind of trauma of seeing their parents getting killed in front of them.
"Did they catch the person who hit your mother?"
I felt him stiffen in my arms. He unwrapped his arms from me. For an instant his eyes clouded. It was as if some invisible curtain has been drawn. It seems like a painful topic for him to discuss.
"It's okay if it's too difficult for you to say , Ferr.."
"He got away. No justice was served . Even karma spared him," he seethed.
For a moment l flinched. I have never seen so much hatred and despise gleaming in his blue eyes.
"It's my fault my mother died that day."
"Why is it your fault , Ferracco. It was a hit and run," l convinced him.
He racked a hand through his dark hair and bowed down his head.
"I regret my last proper conversation with her..," his voice trailed off again.
"I was furious at her and shouted at her. I regret telling her that l didn't want a slut of a mother like her."
My eyes widened in shock. Ferracco raised his eyes to me when he heard my gasp.
"My mother worked as a call-girl in one of the bars in Lencois. That's how she bought me up. The man who fathered me was never in our lives. He was busy living a high class lifestyle , putting on a fake angelic face pretending to help the city while my mother and l scrapped for food each day in the slums ."
I felt tears stinging my eyes. I squeezed his shoulder.
"I should have told her how much l loved her and how grateful l was that she was my mother. I should have told her that l didn't mind if the world pointed fingers at her calling her a whore."
"Your mother knows how much you cherished her even at her last breath. Don't doubt that."
We lapsed into a brief silence.
"I will get you into bed," l broke the awkward silence.
I helped Ferracco get into blankets. I switched off the light bulb. Ferracco held back my hand when l was about to leave.
His blue eyes silently begged me. I knew what he was asking of me. The gloomy look in his eyes melted away the protests on the tip of my tongue.
I gave him a curt nod and he took it as my consent and created space for me on the bed. I removed my shoes and slipped into the blanket besides him.
He pulled me into his arms and I rested my head on his broad chest. He gathered me more closer and wrapped his strong arm around my waist. I could feel his body heat on me.
It's been a long time since l felt this relaxed in someone else's arms. It felt good to be held like this in his arms. The last time l felt this feeling was six years ago when Ferracco would hold me close in his arms after showing me his love.
Stop! I mentally slapped myself. I brushed away the memories from six years ago. I didn't want to think about anything else but to savour this delicious feeling of being back in his arms.
You can call me a fool for feeling this way about a man who once betrayed my trust but at that moment nothing mattered more than being held by him.
His hand racked through my blond hair. I closed my eyes and breathed in his usual lemon scented cologne. My hand traced his stomach. His stomach was thick and taut with muscles. He must have spent a great deal of time in a gym.
I heard him groan. He held back my hand from further tracing his abs. He cupped my cheek and stared down at me with dark intense eyes. His eyes were clouded with something that frightened me . Desire!
" Stay still, Jane or l won't be able to control myself anymore."
My heart skipped a beat at the meaning behind his words. I quickly removed my hand from his chest.
"Go to sleep, princess," he murmured and gathered the blanket around us.
He placed a lingering kiss on my forehead and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes , he was breathing heavily signalling he was asleep. I closed my eyes too and tried to sleep.
A/N: Drop your comments. Critic comments are very much welcomed . It helps me mold my writing skills.