CHAPTER-15

LENA

I step out onto the balcony, the cool night air offering a reprieve from the suffocating atmosphere inside. The faint sound of music drifts through the air, a distant reminder of the evening unfolding below. Leaning against the railing, I try to steady my trembling hands.

I feel a presence come and stand next to me. He offers me a glass of whiskey. Alarik. He doesn't say anything for a few minutes. "I saw Enzo Lombardi coming out before you from the restroom." My eyes widen; his voice is pensive.

"Why do you care, Mr. Andressano? And why would you even look out to see who is with me in the bathroom?" I am irritated right now. Alarik is the last man I want to talk to.

"What do you mean I don't care, Lena?" He presses, his voice tinged with frustration. He is using my name more frequently in the office now after that kiss. We did not talk about that kiss; more importantly, I am the one avoiding being alone with him.

My instinct is telling me that knowing his secret of birth puts me in a complicated spot. My instincts are also saying that getting closer to Alarik is not good. Once you become part of the mafia, there will be no way out. Despite the risk, I still keep myself away from this hell.

He doesn't know I have watched how he stares at me in the office. My heart raced with unease as Alarik's eyes bore into me, his gaze like an unwelcome weight on my shoulders.

Every time I glanced up from my computer screen, I found Alarik's intense stare fixed on me, sending a shiver down my spine. It was as though he was studying me, dissecting my every gesture and expression with a chilling precision that left me feeling exposed and vulnerable.

I couldn't understand why Alarik seemed so fixated on me and why he seemed to take such an intense interest in my every move. Was it mere curiosity or something more sinister lurking beneath the surface? His presence was like a dark shadow looming around me.

Unable to bear the oppressive weight of his gaze any longer, I made a decision and put an end to his unsettling behavior once and for all.

"I cannot live in your mansion anymore." I feel frustrated with all the men in my life.

"What's wrong with living in 30 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a garden, and a swimming pool with a Jacuzzi?" He said it, tilting his head like he couldn't understand what I was saying.

Sighing, "I like to live alone. I mostly live alone without any roommates."

"Hmm. Changes will always happen in life; you just have to have the ability to adopt them." He spoke.

"I don't think it is appropriate to live in your house and with your family. People will gossip." I said it passively.

"I don't care what people say. And why is it not appropriate?" He narrowed his eyes at me, like he was the only one frustrated with this conversation.

"I am not your prisoner, nor can you force me to live with you. Nor is it my home." Only he can make the landowner turn down my offer on rent and leases, or how can it be possible that all of my offers were turned down?

"Who said you were my prisoner? You are free to go where you want, but I would prefer in my mansion." He spoke. So, he is admitting that no one will give me a home in this city.

"Your mansion? And what makes you think I would want to stay there? Besides, I don't have any reason to live with you. Those men who attacked us are already taken care of. So why do I continue to live with you? Don't you have a wife? What will she say? I don't owe you anything. Our paths crossed by chance, and now that the danger has passed, there's no reason for us to remain together. I have my own life to return to and my own responsibilities to attend to." The more I continue this conversation, the more I am frustrated.

Alarik's eyes darken and his jaw is tense. Listening to my words, Alarik steps forward. His hands are on both sides of me, trapping me between him and the railing. His face is so close to mine that I can smell his whiskey breath. He is staring at me with unwavering eyes.

"You're correct. I do have a wife. But regrettably, she refuses to reside in our mansion, disregarding her rightful place as my wife by my side and the responsibilities that come with it. She fails to recognize her obligations towards our marriage and me. Her life is eternally in my possession. That, my dear, is your reason for being here, Mia Cara," he uttered, leaning in closer, his voice carrying a hint of anger.

My eyes widen at his words; anxiety is pounding in my heart. He knew from the start. He was just playing with me. It looks like he is waiting for my answer, but what will I say to him? His eyes are looking intensely at me. Swallowing nervously, I tried to turn away from him. Alarik stretched out and grabbed my chin with force.

My breath caught in my throat as Alarik's touch sent a jolt of tingles coursing through my veins. I tried to pull away to escape the suffocating grip of his fingers, but he held me, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity.

"Alarik, what are you doing?" I demanded, my voice trembling with indignation.

But Alarik didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in closer, his lips dangerously close to mine. My heart hammered in my chest as I braced myself for the inevitable: he was mad about something.

But I don't want to kiss him. I pushed his chest, breaking free from his grasp. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"What do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with anger and betrayal.

Alarik's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and desire.

I spat, "You have no right to touch me without my consent."

He pulled me towards him again. He is gripping my hand behind me forcefully. Tightening his grip on me, he held my chin to look at me. "Only I have the right to touch you, Lena. No. One. Else. If you don't want blood on your hands, I warn you." I gasped as he held my neck tightly, cutting out my breathing. I tried to claw him with my free hand, but it was of no use. "One more thing: if I wanted to force you, I would have done that a long time ago, Lena. So, if you want to see Lombardi heir longer, I suggest you stay away from him." He is still angry at that. He can't just come and confess and demand absolute obligation.

'SLAP!'

Before he could utter more words, I raised my hand and delivered a sharp slap across his cheek, the sound echoing in the night air. His head snapped to the side with the force of it, and for a brief moment, silence reigned on the balcony.

With that, I turned on my heel and walked out of the balcony, my heart still racing from anger. I left him standing alone. His acts linger between us like a poisonous haze in his presence. I refused to allow Alarik's predatory actions to have an effect on me.