The mansion was so quiet that I could hear the breeze moving against the tall window outside. It doesn't feel like the peaceful kind of silence that helps to sleep, but the kind that makes you feel watched even when you're completely alone.
I kept tossing around the bed, trying to force to sleep but I couldn't.
No matter how many times I tried to closing my eyes, my mind kept replaying everything Aunt Olivia had said… and everything she refused to say.
If she ever finds out the real reason her parents were on that road that night—
The sentence kept echoing inside my head like a curse over and over. With frustrated sigh, I threw the blanket off my body and sat upright. The digital clock resting on the nightstand beside me read 1:17 AM.
Great.
I dragged my long hair back and rubbed my face tiredly. Staying trapped in this room….in this I don't even know what to call it felt suffocating.
Maybe walking around would help clear my head at least. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to stop thinking about the whole situation, about…him.
I slipped on my slippers and quietly opened the bedroom door.
The hallway outside was dim, lit only by the expensive wall lamps stretching across the mansion. Everything looked cold at night. Beautiful… but lifeless.
My bare feet moved silently against the polished floor as I walked downstairs. I didn't know where I was going until I noticed a faint light coming from the west balcony.
I froze near the arched glass doors leading to the balcony and slowed my steps immediately I sensed that I wasn't alone, Someone was there.
For a second, I considered turning back but then I heard the familiar sound of a lighter clicking.
That was when I saw him…Vincenzo. Standing like a statue yet emitting the aura of a king.
Of course.
I stepped closer carefully until his figure became clearer beneath the moonlight. He stood like a mighty king, near the balcony railing dressed in black sweatpants and a dark shirt, two sleeves rolled slightly up his forearm revealing his perfect muscle plus the dark ink of tattoo drawn on them, he held a sliver lighter, flickering it open and shut.
The city lights painted sharp shadows across his face while smoke curled lazily from the cigarette between his fingers, the scent of the expensive tobacco and crispy night drifted towards me.
He looked even dangerous than usual and annoyingly gorgeous even while doing absolutely nothing.
His gaze shifted toward me slowly like he had sensed my presence long before I could say anything.
"You have a habit of wandering around at night." His deep voice sent an annoying shiver down my spine.
I folded my arm across my chest. "I could say the same thing about you."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his perfect lips before disappearing just as quickly it appeared. He took another slow drag of his cigarette, the orange cherry glow briefly illuminating the sharp lines of his jaw.
Silence settled between us again, that moment I knew I should've gone back to my room. Instead I walked further onto the balcony immediately regretting it, the cold air biting through my thin night wear and my skin immediately, making me fold my arms tighter around myself.
Without saying anything, Vincenzo reached for the fur coat resting on the chair beside him and held it out toward me. I stared at him suspiciously.
"Relax," he muttered, sensing my hesitation. "It's just a coat, not a trap Jennie."
"I know."
And without saying anything further, he walked close to me himself and wrapped over my shoulder, making me feel the warmth lingering in the fabric that instantly wrapped around me, somehow I hated how comforting it felt. It smelled so much like him. He stepped away again, returning to the railing.
"You look tired," he said suddenly, staring ahead at city view.
I stiffened slightly. "Well…You don't exactly let make it easy for people sleep eacefully around here"
His jaw flexed, a small muscle jumping in his cheek. And for a moment, I expected his usual cold response but instead his voice came out quieter than I expected.
"You're still thinking about what happened tonight." I knew he wasn't asking a question, I gripped the railing tightly before turning towards him.
"What really happened to my parents?" I demanded stepping closer to him, my words escaped from my lips before I could stop them.
The atmosphere shifted instantly, even the wind suddenly felt heavy like the moments before a massive thunderstorm. Vincenzo took a slow drag from his cigarette before exhaling carefully, his eyes turning into dark voids.
"You shouldn't ask questions you're not ready to hear the answers to, Jennie."
"That's exactly what everyone keeps saying!" I snapped, turning toward him. "Why does everyone around me acts like I'm some child that needs to be protected from the fucking truth!"
"You are being protected." His deep voice hardened yet dangerously calm.
I laughed bitterly. "By locking me inside a prison you called a mansion?"
"Yes." His answer came too abruptly, fast and serious.
"Read my lips, Vincenzo. You. don't. own. me…Not even You or Anybody"
He moved suddenly, his blue eyes locked onto mine so intensely that it stole my breath.
"No," he said quietly. "But I own your body, your mind, even your soul and I will do whatever it takes to keep what is mine alive."
A chill crawled up my spine.
"W-what does that even mean?"
"....."
He went mute, watching me silently with those terrifying eyes of his. I got frustrated by his silence and I stepped closer to him.
"You know what? I'm tired and done with your cryptic answers and your stupid mind games."
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.
"That makes the two of us." My breath caught in my throat suddenly.
Why did he always have to do that?, Why did every conversation with him suddenly feel like standing too close to fire?
"I'm just confused" I admitted, my voice barely a whisper and before I could even stop myself.
Something unreadable flickered across his face.
"Good."
I frowned. "You're just so unbelievable."
"And yet," he murmured, taking one final slow step closer, "you're still standing here."
Lub dub lub dub
My heartbeat slammed violently against my ribs. He was so close that I could even smell whiskey on his breath and smoke on him mixed with something darker that was just…purely him.
Every instinct inside me screamed at me to move away…moved away from him, but my body refused to listen.
Vincenzo's hand lifted slowly, his fingers brushing lightly against a strand of hair away from my face. His touch was unexpectedly gentle.
"You should hate me," he said, almost like a warning to me.
"I do hate you." I lied, the words sounded weak even to my own ears.
His eyes darkened, looking like the hunger in them finally breaking through the ice. He moved closer again until there was barely any space left between us.
"Jennie…"
The way he said my name nearly destroyed whatever self-control I had left.
I swallowed hard.
"What?"
For a moment, he just looked at me. I saw hesitation lingering through his eyes…He was fighting something inside himself, his gaze fell down to my lips again.
And before I knew what was going on…
He leaned in and held my chin up until our breath mingled and my lips felt the urge to respond when he suddenly captured my lips with his in a slow heated kiss.
My breath caught instantly even when everything inside me screamed at me that this was wrong… I should push him away or stop this…but my body betrayed me completely.
His hand slid slowly to my slim waist, pulling me just a closer until I could feel the warmth radiating from him. My fingers curled tightly around the sleeves of his coat still hanging over my shoulders. I was about to moan in response to his torturing kiss when hefinally pulled back slightly for air, I realised my face was already burning.
I know for sure by now embarrassment must have rushed through me violently.
Vincenzo's hand tightened slightly around my waist as though he felt it too and I knew by now I should stop this.
Instead, my eyes slowly closed when his soft lips touched mine again, this time more firmer and..hungrier than the last one.
The tension between us finally snapped, a shaky breath escaped me before I kissed him back without thinking.
The moment I did, something dark flickered across his expression, he groaned low in his throat like he lost the last bit of control he was holding onto.
His other hand moved to my jaw, tilting my face upward as the kiss deepened, turning more possessive, desperate and intoxicating. I could taste the whiskey on his lips.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs as I gripped his shirt tighter.
God..
..I hated how badly I wanted this, I needed to stay mad at him and I wanted to hold on to my rage…but somehow he had his way of tearing through every wall I tried to build arond myself.
Vincenzo finally pulled away just enough for our foreheads to rest against each other. Both of us breathing unevenly, his thumb brushed slowly against my cheek.
"Tell me to stop," he whispered enough for me to hear.
But the problem was…I couldn't.
Because somewhere between the lies, the anger, and the secrets—
I had started craving the very man I was supposed to destroy.