Arianna’s POV.
I hissed in pain as Sofie tidied up my wounds. She raised her head to glare at me and I shut up immediately. She continued to clean them and I watched her, Sofie was just a big softie. She glared at me, but I knew that she was worried about me. That’s why she was angry.
“Sofie, I didn’t get seriously injured. You know that, so don’t be mad, okay?” I said softly and she sighed and dropped what she held in her hands.
“I’m not angry. I know it’s not your fault, but I was wrong to take you to the west wing anyway. If I hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have gotten into a fight with her.”
“That fight was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time before Sara tried to hurt me, so don’t blame yourself. Plus, I don’t think she’s in a good mental Condition.” I said as I frowned softly towards the last sentence. I mean, I don’t hate Sara, but I don’t like her either. She’s done nothing major that’ll make me dislike her, so I felt a little sorry for her, but that was it.
She said nothing and just packed the first aid kit away. “If she’s mentally unstable, then you’ve got to be very careful because I don’t think that even the punishment room can stop her.”
I stared at Sofie because of her words. I itched to know what the punishment room was about, but from the name, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like what I heard.
After living in this house for a while, I’d learned to not ask certain questions because, once, I wouldn’t get an answer. Two, it’s not something I’d like to hear, the details most probably wouldn’t be pretty. Three, I didn’t want to get even more involved in them and their messed-up lives than I already did.
So, I didn’t say a word and she looked at me as she held my hand. “Take care of yourself hmm? And most importantly don’t go around causing trouble this time around.”
I smiled at her and she shook her head and left. Once the door had closed, I replayed the conversation I had with Gabriele Andino in my head. Shortly I would be invited to have dinner with him and Basilio and honestly, I dreaded it.
I took a shower and changed my clothes as I winced in pain. Sara did not take it lightly with me. I sat on the bed reading a new romance novel I’d gotten from Sofie and I was engrossed in it. The story was about a girl who was in the same situation as I was. She was sold off as a slave, a sex slave that is, but I wasn’t forced to do anything. Then I heard a loud knock that jolted me up. I hid the book under the covers and ran to open the door.
It was a new maid, one if never seen before. “Dinner Is served, miss.” She said and I nodded in understanding. Sofie always called me and I wondered why she wasn’t here today. As the maid turned to walk away, I called out to her. “Wait a minute.” She paused and turned to look at me. “Where’s Sofie? I mean Sofia, the maid that always served me.”
“I have no idea. I was assigned to call you, so I know nothing.” She said hurriedly and I nodded.
“Thank you.” She nodded at me and turned to walk away. I stood at the door for a while and then turned to go downstairs. I could see Basilio and Gabriele already seated at the table and I stiffly went to sit towards Basilio. I could feel his eyes on me and Basilio’s knowing smirk, but I didn’t care.
I settled into my chair and flashed a smile at Basilio and he gave one in return as well. We ate silently for a while but the silence was broken by Basilio. “Arianna, I heard of your fight with Sara and honestly I admire you. I hear she’s not in good shape at all.”
I smiled wryly at his words. ” I’m not in good shape either, she did quite a number on me.”
He waved his hand to brush off my comment. “Well, I’m sure that you wouldn’t just stand there and let her do it. You must have gotten back so, it’s all good. You’re not seriously injured right?” He said and I shook my head. He smiled kindly and we kept on talking and laughing ignoring a certain someone. Out of the corner of my eye I could see how his face turned cold and the glare he shot at Basilio, but Basilio seemed oblivious to it.
He was clearly unhappy, but I didn’t want to read too much meaning into it, so I decisively ignored him as well. As we were almost done with dinner, I looked around and I couldn’t find Sofie again. It had never happened before and I turned to look at Gabriele Andino.
“Where is Sofia?” I asked and Gabriele leaned in the chair as he looked at me disinterestedly. “Who’s that?”
I didn’t get annoyed or angry at his tone. “My maid Sofia. You know, she’s really pretty. Dark hair, blue eyes. Does it jog a memory?”
He raised his brows lightly as he twirled the fork in his hands. “Oh, her.” He said and kept quiet again. I felt like making his head at his tune and his words, but I didn’t. I took deep breaths in and out.
“Yes, her, so where is she?” He stared at me and clapped his hands twice, the new maid I saw today came walking towards him and stood by his side.
“Arianna, meet your new maid Isabella.” I stared at him in shock, like I wasn’t able to immediately process what he said.
“I don’t fucking need a new maid, where the hell is Sofia?” I said as I slapped a hand on the table glaring at him. If stares could kill he’d have been more than six feet under.
Basil didn’t say a word and just watched the drama quietly, and Gabriele didn’t seem to mind the way I spoke to him and spoke indifferently. “She’s been dismissed. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself, Arianna. She wouldn’t have been fired if you didn’t make her fail her duties continuously.”
“That’s a load of bull. It wasn’t Sofia’s fault. I was the one that forced her to do this thing with me, like taking me to the west wing, it was all my idea, she had nothing to do with it.” I shouted as I stood up from my chair and faced him squarely.
He glanced at me. I could see the anger swirling in his eyes. “Mind the way you talk to me bella, sit down and speak or you don’t speak at all. Well, I’m not asking for your approval or anything, I’m informing you that she’s your new maid now.”
Basilio stared at the both of us and I closed my eyes as I breathed in and out and sat down unwillingly. I needed to be calm then because I knew that being angry wouldn’t do me any good.
He waved the Isabella girl away and for a moment no one spoke. I had calmed down a lot and I tried to negotiate with him, perhaps there could be a little room to manoeuvre. Sofia was the first person I felt close to in this house, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, it was indeed my fault. So I owed it to her to help her get her job back.
He seemed to be waiting for me to do or say something, it was there in his eyes, his posture. That oddly self-confident air about himself. Like a hunter that had successfully laid a trap for the prey and it was just walking in. I had a feeling that it was a trap, but I still chose to walk into it. “I know it’s my fault, but Sofia didn’t want to take me there, I forced her to do that because I was bored.”
I paused and watched his facial expressions, but they were giving nothing away.
“So, is there anything I can do to make up for it and let her get her job back?” I said and still looked at him. Our gazes met and held and I felt very nervous. He turned to look at Basilio and Basilio gave an awkward smile as he stood up from the table and turned to leave, the maids following him as well. We were the only ones in the dining room and the air was stifling.
He stood up from the dining table and shoved a hand into his pocket. “You do know that anything is a strong word, right?”
I kept quiet at his words, and he continued. “Would you do anything for just an ordinary maid?”
He turned to look at me this time around and I faced him as I retorted. “For you, she’s just an ordinary maid, but for me, she’s the closest friend I have here, so no nothing should be just fine.”
His eyes glinted as he walked toward me and I fought the urge to run away. He stood behind me and trailed a hand from my shoulder blades and down to my fingers and I stopped breathing for a while.
“You do know what I want the most, Bella.” He leaned in and whispered In my ear. His hands moved to my belly and upwards to my boobs. He cupped them in his hands and nuzzled my neck and I closed my eyes a little. He left a path of open-mouthed kisses on my skin and bit me lightly.
“Are you sure you can do what I want Bella?” He asked, his breath fanning my neck and making me tingle.
I kept quiet for a while and he removed his hands and walked away from me as he headed upstairs. “You wouldn’t be able to do what I want Bella, so goodnight.”
I stood up abruptly at his words. “Wait! I didn’t say that I couldn’t do it..”
He looked at me mockingly. “You can’t do it, so why don’t we do it this way? I have a party to attend tomorrow and I’m lacking a female partner. Sara would’ve fit the job, but she’s not in good shape, fill in for her and I just might consider your request after I see your performance at the party.”
I wanted to say something but he walked away and I stood there quietly.