Stuck | 18+

Chapter 56

"You should go back to Italy"

He declared, mirroring her empty eyes, barring himself from feeling anything.

He noticed as her brows met in distress, unsettled that he suggested something so obscene as a solution. Probably it was the thought of being alone, the habit of being around him, but whatever it stemmed from, it was too late. He had already made a decision.

"No" her voice dropped into desperation, contrasting her strength before.

He knew she had to go. Her presence was becoming unbearable. She had sported ruthless games in his wretched heart, playing with his mind like a board game. He had become detached from his usual focused self, leaning more into the illusive world revolving around her. He realised while he was busy trying to being everything for her, she was never willing to be his in the first place.

He gave a sigh out in exhaustion, reminiscing his foolishness that had been all for nothing, his emotions rendering merely dross of ruined heart.

He started to turn back to the window, "Ron would drop you off tomor-"

"I am not going anywhere" she pulled him by his arm, turning him back to face her. He couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows, confused before becoming stoic, watching her feeble hold on his arm,

"Why" he asked, curious to know what reason would she offer this time.

"You can't push me away" she held his hands in hers, intertwining in his fingers, the gesture far too meaningful to be true.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want" she watched in disbelief as he shoved her away, turning his gaze away yet again from the disheartened woman.

"Listen to me, I didn't me-"

He turned this time in annoyance, shutting her up with his index finger forcefully pushed against her lips.
"If I hear a single word coming out of that pretty little mouth" he matched her eyes in sincere gaze, emphasising on his words as if he'd keep his promise till end, "I swear to god I'll cut that tongue out, understood?"

He spit the threat as it's fear evidently slid in her eyes, widening in response. His finger swiftly left her lips to hold her tiny her face in a single hand, gripping her cheeks, making her lips form an unintentional O. Her arms helplessly held his wrist hoping to get free as his hold only tightened, hurting her jaw, "Understood?" he softly asked, sharply contrasting his brutal grasp.

Before she could nod in understanding both of their heads turned to the discreet knock on the door. His hand instantly left her face, wondering who was divagating at this hour to the Don's room. Surely enough a nerve ticked on his jaw when he saw Venetia peeking in without waiting for permission to enter, looking straight for her mistress.

Even inanimate objects in the room felt the tenseness in air, but when Venetia welcomed herself in, it was as if she was pretending to be blind, not seeing anything vividly noticeable, not the puffiness in her mistress's eyes, not the twitching of Don's fingers as they sought for a gun, not the very atmosphere that suffused nothing but troubles.

Venetia had calculated the exact thirty minutes before barging inside Don's suite. She couldn't wait to finish the final chore of helping Donna out of the dress before taking her leave to quarters. She envied the other maids who were long asleep and dreaming while she still had to be present here at this hour. Tonight's party had lengthened her usual duty hours two fold. It wasn't a wonder half of her brain didn't work out of overworking.

As she took casual steps towards her mistress, slowly but very surely she noticed something was wrong. The way the silence spoke amongst the three of them was enough to tell that something if not everything was gravely plucked out of its hinge.