Chapter 10: Chapter 10

After a long shower, I lay down on the freshly made bed, wearing only a bathrobe, and stared into space, dazed...

My mind was constantly circling around the last hours of my completely deranged life, which prompted me to snuggle even closer into the warm blanket. All I wanted to do was sleep and forget, but every time I closed my eyes I saw his blue irises right in front of me and felt that tingling sensation throughout my body again as my mind struggled to banish any shred of memory of him.

At some point I fell asleep exhausted and that gave me the rest that I and my body urgently needed...

-

When I awoke from my restless sleep, the room was already flooded with sunlight and I had to blink hard a few times to see anything around me.

My head hurt a little, as did my abdomen, and I wished I could just lay there and continue feeling sorry for myself... Not because it was my first time, but because I still hadn't paid off my uncle's debts...

I got up slowly from the warm bed and rubbed my face several times before getting up, yawning, and walking to the bathroom.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I took one of the toothbrushes that was still in my box and brushed my teeth with it, then washed my face with cold water and made my way out of this room.

I looked around the wide hallway curiously, but no one seemed to be on this floor but me, until I saw a woman come out a few rooms down, carrying sheets in her arms.

Probably an employee wearing a black pants suit.

I ignored her and padded resolutely to the marble staircase to take the way down step by step. Maybe somehow I could get Gino to let me go again, which was only a small glimmer of hope, but still better than giving up without a fight.

I ran back into the room with the open kitchen, but unlike yesterday I didn't find anyone on the big couch.

"Hello?" A woman's voice spoke to me unexpectedly and, startled, I turned to the kitchen and saw an incredibly pretty woman standing behind the bright kitchen island. "Who are you?"

She looked at me questioningly with her blue eyes and I was fascinated by her beautiful white dress, which emphasized her figure so elegantly that I immediately felt something like envy. With her long, brown curls and graceful posture, she was probably not a prostitute like me...

"That's one of my girls," Gino answered for me, walking past me into the kitchen while not even glancing at either of us. He was busy with his cell phone and I immediately followed him to the bar stools to get close to him.

"Gino?" I wanted to draw his attention to me, but the woman spoke to him at the same moment, whereby her expression seemed more than just annoyed.

"Gino! I've said before that I don't want your whores in this house!", she hissed and I immediately blushed at her statement and was so ashamed that I stood behind Gino for help.

"And I've already told you that if you think you can talk to me like that again, I'll give you a shitty bullet!"

He gave her a menacing look and while the two locked eyes I stared at her, imagining who she was to dare to talk to him like that...

A sister? An acquaintance?

The woman scathingly avoided Gino's gaze, who, to my relief, turned to me. He looked at me questioningly, but when I looked behind him at the door and I suddenly saw the stranger come into the room last night, I unconsciously held my breath and took it all in slow motion while my heart almost stopped the chest jumped.

Just like last night, he was wearing a white shirt and black pants, running one hand through his black hair and holding his cell phone with the other, which he was giving his full attention to at the moment.

I followed him open-mouthed, my eyes widening in disbelief when he stopped in front of the beauty and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh god," I breathed unconsciously and got the full attention of the three of them at that moment, with Gino looking at me rather questioningly, as did the woman. Only the stranger from last night looked at me differently. Kind of puzzled and cold at the same time, on the other hand, he got that special twinkle in his eyes again that made me blush on the spot.

"Ludo?" Gino spoke to me and with an effort I took my eyes off the stranger to give Gino my attention. "You wanted to talk to me?"

I pulled myself together and tried not to let the excitement that took over my whole body show, while constantly feeling that the stranger had his eyes fixed on me.

"Yes," I stuttered and he looked at me expectantly. "So I-"

"Buon giorno", Vinzenco's voice sounded and after he came to us at the kitchen island, he nodded to Gino and turned to the stranger.

"Dario, how far are you with the wedding preparations?"

My jaw dropped in bewilderment and I looked at Dario with wide eyes, but he answered calmly, while a hissing occupied my ears and my vision was slightly blurred.

"Take me upstairs," I whispered towards Gino, who didn't seem to hear me, so I grabbed his arm and looked into his eyes pleadingly.

"Take me upstairs," I repeated, feeling a sort of faint wash over me.

"Gino, how many times have I said that your girls have no business down here in the private sphere?! No offense, Ludo," said Vincenzo and I clung to Gino's arm, completely overwhelmed, who then stood up and took my hand back.

"Mi scusi, padre," he apologizes to his father and then leads me out of the room, while I could only breathe in fits and starts, shocked by the whole situation.

What the hell was he doing here??? And if he was going to get married soon, what was it that brought him to me last night?