( Beverly Hills, California.)
“Remind me why I got into this car with you?” Bianca grumbled irritatingly under her breath.
Damon Lorenzo turned to smile at her.
“Probably the same reason most girls I offer a ride gladly accept.” He mused. She raised a brow and he rolled his eyes.
“The pretty face behind the wheels… duh!” He gesticulated to his handsome face and she scoffed.
“You’re such an airhead! They obviously just wanna rip you off.” She snorted. Damon opened his mouth to disagree but stopped on a passing thought.
The redhead was right in a way because those girls usually left with something valuable to him. The last one sweet talked him into giving her his car.
His favorite sports car!
“I should drop you off right now! Who knows what you’ll con out of me!” He gasped accusatorily and she turned to glare.
“Maybe the same thing you can’t do without!” The car braked and they jerked forward.
Damon turned to gawk at her in shock. Bianca smirked before looking away. After a while, he slowly started the car again with full concentration.
“Where are we going?” She asked.
“To a doctor.” He simply answered.
“Why?” She frowned.
“Because you need help! That’s why.” He shot.
“Yo! Drop me off right now or I’ll scream that I’m being kidnapped!” She threatened.
“Don’t bother, sweetheart. No one will hear you.” Bianca looked around the silent road and scowled.
“Then I’ll walk!”
“Sorry, but I’m a gentleman. I don’t find it attractive when lonely girls stress their lovely legs walking.” He winked at her legs.
Bianca smacked him but didn’t make a move to cover up her pretty legs clad in shorts which she was confidently displaying on his dashboard.
“Don’t worry. It’s a new year’s surprise.” He eventually promised. Bianca didn’t reply. She retied her bandana and buttoned down the large winter coat she wore.
Soon, they arrived at some lonely house.
The snow wasn’t falling but the road was full of snow. Bianca went ahead of Damon into the house and took off the coat. She was wearing a shorts-jumpsuit and tank top underneath which his hot eyes were just noticing.
“Where is it?” She turned back to face him.
“Huh?”
“The surprise?” She impatiently clicked her fingers in his face, forcefully taking his lustful eyes away from stripping her.
Damon Lorenzo, the international playboy, pocketed his left hand and nervously rubbed his hair with the other hand. He had thought she wasn’t excited for the surprise judging from her indifferent reaction throughout the ride.
But now? He wasn’t so sure it was a good idea either!
“Honey?” A familiar male voice whispered behind her. Bianca instantly froze, staring intently at Damon’s jacket like there was something fascinating about it.
‘Yeah… like tearing your heart out!’ His subconscious murmured fearfully.
Bianca Wells, the popular fast rising model, stayed that way for a couple of minutes before slowly turning around to face her father…
***
The lights from the million dollar chandelier above rudely poked Natalia’s eyes.
But nothing was gonna ruin her sleep!
She grounded and turned over to snuggle into a soft pillow. Her body was tired and it needed rest. The pillow filled her senses with the familiar, enchanting fragrance she had all over her and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
Suddenly, the rude lights was turned off.
Natalia cuddled closer to it and was about to drift off again, when she all of a sudden felt hot. Too hot!
“Good morning, miss.” A distant voice greeted. Natalia knew it was the maids again. She pretended to still be asleep, dreading the usual morning beauty overhaul.
“Good morning, ma’am.” The voice said again, more loudly. And she silently groaned.
The exhausted Royal would’ve jerked up and screamed out at the guards to do their worst on that person for waking her up!…. but she had no strength to yell.
Natalia lazily squinted one eye and saw the person in uniform staring back at her expressionlessly. Suddenly, something felt odd.
Really odd!
Firstly, the girl looked strange. Secondly, she wasn’t wearing the usual staff’s uniform. And thirdly but most important….. where the heck was Elva?!
“How was your night, miss? Happy new year.” She formally said again.
Natalia jerked up from the bed and looked around. Dark blue and white, dominating the occasional touches of black was the color theme. Which meant it was DEFINITELY not her room!
A sharp pain shot through her aching body and she held her head. She had a terrible headache! The tangled duvet slipped from her body. Natalia looked down and gasped, clutching it closer to herself. She was naked!
Arian!
Her face flushed red with embarrassment. She took a quick sneak peek at the maid and was thankful she had a neutral look, staring subserviently at the floor.
The heat Natalia was feeling earlier was from the dozens of duvets lying on top of her. She hastily looked at the other side of the bed but didn’t find the person she was expecting to see.
Her heart slowly fell.
Natalia slowly bit her lip. A gazillion questions rushed through her mind, ignorant of whatever the maid was saying.
“Are you okay, miss?” She worriedly asked, seeing Natalia wipe away her tears.
“Here! Have this. It will help with the pain.” She passed her a saucer and a glass of water from the side table.
Painkillers?… I’m impressed. Natalia maliciously thought and looked away. The maid looked at her weirdly but returned them.
“Your warm bath is ready, miss. I’ve laundered your clothes and folded them. I also have orders to make sure you take the painkillers as soon as you wake up. Is there any other thing you want me to do?” She asked submissively.
Natalia cleaned her tears. “He sent you?”
“If you’re referring to my employer, miss. Then yes, he sent me.”
“Is he home?” She shakily whispered.
“I’m afraid not, miss. He left the mansion quite early this morning.” She patiently answered her questions. Natalia bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
“Do you want any other…”
“Are you waiting for me to ask you to call a cab?” She clenched her fists, trying to control her anger.
“Um… Should I?” Came the innocent response…
***
Natalia took a slow shower to wipe herself clean. But don’t worry. The maid wasn’t bleeding…. yet.
When she walked out of the shower, she ignored her ‘laundered-and-folded’ clothes in the closet and wore one of Arian’s huge sweatshirt and shorts instead.
The she walked downstairs still feeling dizzy. Her wet hair stuck to the sides of her face but Natalia left it. She hugged herself tightly, feeling the cold floor sting her bare feet.
She found no one in the lonely hallways or downstairs. And it was the problem with big houses!
As Natalia weakly stumbled around, she found Arian rounding up a conversation with a middle aged man who spotted stylistic grey hairs and gold rimmed glasses. They shook hands and the other person left after sparing her a shocked look, noticing her presence.
Arian didn’t notice because he had his back turned to Natalia. He stared after the man for a while then tiredly massaged his neck with his other hand in the pocket of his designer pants.
When he turned around, a light frown marred his beautiful feature seeing her.
“What are you doing here?”
Natalia ignored him and tried to continue her aimless journey to nowhere in particular. But Arian sidestepped her.
“You shouldn’t be downstairs. You’re ill. You should be in bed.” He gently touched her forehead. Natalia angrily pursed her lips and pushed his hands away.
“So you care now? After what you did?” She scowled at him and trudged ahead.
After their heated kiss last night, Natalia fainted in Arian’s arms because of her excessive exposure to the cold. It was hypothermia again. The first time it happened was at the island during their school trip when she and Arian got lost in the woods on that rainy night.
Natalia didn’t know what happened after she fainted, but she was darn sure Arian had something to do with her being naked!
That person!
The main reason she was upset that morning was because she woke up alone in bed on a new year’s morning.
Like who did that to an enchanting woman??
She snorted aggrievedly as Arian caught up with her and held her cold hands in his warm ones.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t with you when you woke up this morning…” He started. See?? He gets it!
“I had to drive the doctor back to the airport.” Natalia didn’t talk. She pursed her lips and hugged herself.
“Please don’t be mad?” He softly whispered. She took one peek at his sinfully gorgeous face before melting into his hold, smiling like an idiot.
Arian smiled and fondly touched her hair.
“This shouldn’t be wet.”
“I know. I was too lazy to dry it.” She pouted and hugged his cozy body tighter.
Without further delay, he carried her back upstairs bridal style and laid her on the bed. Then he used a dry towel on her hair before hand drying it.
“Who was that man with you?” Natalia asked after he laid down beside her. Arian looked away with no emotion.
“Things I don’t wanna talk about.” He muttered. Of course, it had to do with his father!
While Elva was good at reading people’s emotions like a book, Natalia’s instinct was really good. She knew Arian was still deeply hurting but was doing a good job at hiding it.
She remembered the promise she made to his mother last night and took a personal vow to fulfil it….. even though her heart was silently warning that she’ld be the one to get hurt at the end of it all….