𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐭

02:

One
two
three
four
five
six eyes fixated on me.
three pairs locked onto me

One pair of intimidating eyes staring at me.

One of them was staring down at the steak on the plate in front of them.

Could this day get any worse?

"Chiara," Dmitri's sharp voice pierced the air, "what do you enjoy doing in your free time?"

I hastily swallow the piece of steak I'd been chewing for the past ten seconds.
Then I answer: "I like to paint, sir. It helps me relax", I managed to keep my words from falling into a crumpled paper ball.

Geez...

"That's quite...riveting" he grumbled, sounding rather disgraced.

I dared to look up from my plate, and I was met with a deep Green color. It was consumed with pure darkness.

I tried mapping the details. But it was like a wall covering the hidden stories waiting to break free.

Eyes. His eyes. So fucking dark...

I snapped my gaze away from him three seconds later when a voice broke the silence, "Me and Viktoriya will go on a business trip tomorrow", Dmitri explains, "And I expect you, Chiara, to stay here in order to get used to my son".

I can swear I saw a flash of smirk form on Dmitri's lips when he mentioned his son.

Is he really that bad?

I clear my throat, "Must I, sir?" I ask calmly, despite the organ-called heart-hammering against my ribcage.

"It wasn't an option. It was an order", he replies sternly, "you don't need to go home to get your stuff. We've got everything you need", with that he excused himself away from the table.

As Dmitri left, I felt a slight relief, but the weight of his son's presence still lingered, making me feel like the dirt beneath his shoes.

"Chiara dear, let me lead you to your room", Victoriya says, trying to ease the heavy tension.

I nod, and quickly stood up from my chair, feeling grateful to leave.

I started following Viktoriya as my mind was consumed with thoughts.

The clicking of her heels echoed like a countdown telling me when my life is about to collapse. The birds chirping outside felt like a desperate melody urging me to stay strong. The sound of light wind outside was telling me that my freedom is about to vanish like a dust of sand.

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

I was stopped by a light colored door, with a gold handle. "Just go inside, I need to go", she said before strolling away. "Goodbye, dear", was the last thing she said before she disappeared into the long corridors.

With trembling hands, I turned the handle and pushed open the door.

Fucking hell.

The room was adorned in white, with a large window draped in elegant curtains. My eyes spotted a queen-sized bed with a champagne-colored blanket. I was shocked at the amount of pillows decorating the bed. The room was color themed with paintings and flowers.

Picky fuckers.

. . .

I lay on the bed like a starfish, bored out of my mind, gazing up at the ceiling.

The urge to check my phone gnawed at me, but I couldn't muster the courage to go downstairs and retrieve it.

Finally, I rose from the bed, aimlessly pacing the room. What should I do?

I graze my tongue in the inside of my cheeks, contemplating on what to do.

That's when I finally broke-barely-from my nervous
trance that I was caged in.

I headed towards the door, opening it to head to the dining table we ate our lunch at.

I slowly walked to the stairs, counting every step I take, to distract myself. But there was no way of ignoring the sound of movements down stairs.

I sneakily walk towards the table and proceed to grab my phone. I got distracted by the notifications, that I didn't notice the heavy footsteps heading towards me.

I was about to turn around and walk away again, but I felt myself bump into something hard. No... Someone.

I swallow hard, slowly backing away. Then I look up to see who it was. I was suddenly facing a bigger than life man.

Those dark green eyes...

His long, dark lashes were almost like prison bars to his eyes. The sharp curves on his face could lure any girl into his predatory trap. It was almost like god had taken his good time to sculpe his dark beauty.

"Hi? " I mumbled out, but it came out more like a question. I was definitely not getting cold shivers down my spine.

"Give me your phone", he says. This is the first time I've ever heard his voice, it was deep yet delicate at the same time. And despite the harshness of his tone, it was still like a caress to my heart, filling it with utter calmness. A calmness that almost promised me a fast death rather than a tortures one.

I'm sooooo fucked.

I look down for a moment, before quickly looking up at him again, not wanting to cause trouble. "Can I at least message my friend?" I question, hoping that he accepts it.

"No". It was such a simple word, but such a sharp one, leaving my pride wounded.

"But- just this time", I choked on my words, but then I added a simple 'please' to be polite.

Time froze, and everything seemed to stop when he stared at me. I felt the skin on my face burn under his gaze.

His jaw twitched. He looks to the side, lets out the faintest sigh of irritation, and looks back at me again, then answers, "Do it quickly".

My heart mentally dances from being both relieved and content.

I quickly went to message Sophia. Although nothing too bad has happened-yet-I needed to tell her my current situation. Can't let her miss out.

After returning my phone to him-he practically forced me-I walked back to my room.

I hoped for sleep to end this ordeal.

Or perhaps, to wake up from this nightmare.

_____________

Thank you for reading this chapter. I apologize for the long wait. I hope you found it enjoyable nonetheless. <3

Question of the day-
What's your favorite book/book series?

I can't choose, I'm not really a picky reader, Lmao.