Here is the English translatio
LONDON'S POINT OF VIEW
Crewe had been avoiding me all day, hiding elsewhere in the castle. He didn't join me for meals or conversation. He didn't want sex.
I left him alone for as long as I could. But curiosity was eating at me. His relationship with Josephine was much more serious than I had thought. And she must have done something terrible to him because I had never seen him so furious.
Not once.
I paced the castle in search of him and finally found him in the second-floor boudoir, in the opposite wing of the castle. He was sitting alone, reading a book. A cigar was burning in the ashtray, and a half-empty bottle of scotch sat next to him.
I entered the room on tiptoe so he wouldn't notice my presence. But when I was a few feet from him, he heard my footsteps and looked up. He looked at me with eyes blacker than coal. Nothing about his appearance was welcoming. His threatening silence ordered me to leave the room, or I would regret it.
"I'm not here to talk."
I approached slowly, stopping next to the armchair by the window.
His shoulders relaxed slightly when he heard my statement.
I slipped between his knees and pushed his book aside to make room for myself.
When he let the book fall to the floor, I knew I was welcome.
I sat astride his lap and stroked his chest, feeling the powerful muscles beneath my fingers. I probed his dark gaze without seeing the warmth I was used to. I saw only an angry man.
I wanted to know every detail of his affair with his former mistress, but he wouldn't answer me. I would have to wait for another time, or find out for myself. If I had any chance of getting this man to have feelings for me, I had to be his confidante, not his interrogator.
I looked at the cigar on the table and picked it up from the ashtray. I brought it to my lips and inhaled.
D
He cracked a smile.
I drew the smoke into my lungs, but I felt my ribcage convulse in rejection. I turned my head and coughed, feeling my lungs protest the intrusion.
Crewe chuckled.
"Needs practice."
I downed his scotch to soothe my throat, but the burn of the alcohol was nothing compared to the smoke.
"It doesn't even taste good. I don't understand."
"You get a taste for it."
He took the cigar from my hands and inhaled it into his lungs. Then he turned his head and blew the smoke out, like a man in a tobacco commercial. He placed it back in the ashtray.
"You finally found me, didn't you?"
"It took me a while. But I followed the smell of the cigar and the alcohol."
He laughed again.
"She led you to me, I imagine."
"Yes."
I stroked his chest again, wanting to feel a connection between us.
He tilted his head back and looked at me, his eyes locked on my face. Even though I hadn't asked a single question, he guessed my curiosity.
"I don't want to talk about it, so don't ask."
"I wasn't going to. I know you well."
His eyes didn't soften, but his body relaxed.
I massaged his shoulders, feeling their tension.
"So, what are we doing?"
"I don't understand your question, Mignonne."
When he called me by my nickname, I knew he was in a better mood.
"Are we staying here? Are we going back to Fair Isle?"
"We're going to Italy," he said indifferently.
"What's there?"
"I have a friend who lives in Tuscany. Crow Barsetti. He often has good information that I can sell."
"Does he make you pay for that?"
"No. I'm one of his biggest clients."
"What does he sell?"
I would never be able to remember all this information.
"Weapons."
He was probably the one who supplied Crewe's men with their pistols and ammunition, not to mention the weapons Crewe used himself.
"It's a beautiful place. I think you'll like it."
"I've never been to Italy, so probably."
He took another puff of the cigar, then stood up, pulling me with him. He carried me to the wall and pushed me against it. He opened his pants with one hand and took his cock out before pushing up my dress and pulling my thong to the side. Then he penetrated me brutally.
"Oh yes..."
I anchored my arms on his shoulders to move up and down, taking his cock as much as he gave it. It felt so good that I didn't need to put on a show. He was better than any other man. In fact, he made other men look like boys.
He pressed his mouth against my ear, expelling hot air along with his words.
"I'm going to fuck you all over the world, Mignonne."
Instead of worrying, I liked it.
"Please, do it."
My belongings were limited to a few clothes and jewelry. I didn't have much of my own. In fact, I didn't even have my freedom. These days, my lack of autonomy hadn't really bothered me, but it was there nonetheless.
Crewe entered the room dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt. His arms were muscular, perfect for holding onto, and his ass was firm, as usual.
"Ready, Mignonne?"
I looked at my two suitcases. They contained all my possessions.
"Yeah."
I sat at the foot of the bed and pulled my knees to my chest.
He picked up one of his bags and handed it to Dunbar in front of the door. When he came back to me, he gave me a worried look.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes. I'm just tired."
I thought about Joseph and the last time I had seen him. He was on the verge of tears, which was a big deal considering he was one of the manliest men I knew. He didn't often show his emotions — if ever. He was always worried about me, hoping I would succeed in what we had agreed to do.
But now that I had witnessed the argument between Crewe and Josephine, I didn't think it was possible.
Crewe had cut himself off from the world for a good reason. He no longer trusted anyone. He had to exert his control and power over everything — for the same reason. He had lost more than he could afford to, and the woman he loved had betrayed him.
How could I get into the heart of a being with such scars? Especially when it was just a ruse.
Crewe sat on the bed next to me and watched me.
"You know you can talk to me, don't you?"
"Yes. You can talk to me too."
"It just seems like something is bothering you."
He had never brought up my feelings before. Maybe we were making more progress than I thought.
"I miss my country... I miss my brother."
His expression didn't change; he showed no compassion.
"I miss the humidity of New York. I miss Chinese food."
D
"Tuscany is very humid. But you won't find Chinese food there."
He smiled at me to cheer me up.
"I'm sure Italian food is excellent, so it will be fine."
I looked at the royal rooms one last time, feeling a bit sad to abandon them. It really was a magnificent castle. It contained more history than a textbook.
He patted my thigh before standing up.
"I'll wait for you downstairs, come down when you're ready."
He took my suitcases and left, heading to meet Dunbar in the hallway.
I lingered a little, enjoying the solitude, and thought about the mission that awaited me. I had to tackle the serious stuff, learn as much as possible about the man holding me prisoner. I had to discover his strengths and weaknesses.
And I had to figure out how to make him fall in love with me.