Arianna’s POV
My face turned pale as I realized what she was doing beneath the table.
Why was Gabriele doing this? I thought… I thought he felt the chemistry between us. Was I the only one feeling it?
“You should eat,” Basilio whispered by my side.
My focus returned to the plates and the dinner didn’t look inviting anymore. How could I sit and eat when Gabriele was getting sucked by some other woman just a few feet away from me?
“I am sorry, I have lost my appetite,” I declared moving my seat back so I could leave.
“Take a shower and wait for me,” Gabriele growled as I made to leave.
I froze and I glared at him.
What was he trying to prove?
I was not one of his women that he could do with as he was so pleased! He had just finished fucking Eleana. The entire house heard it.
Now he was making Nadia suck him right at dinner and he expected me to spread my legs for him? Never.
“I’d advise you not to even try. I still have your words that you won’t touch me without my consent, right?” I spat out trying to sound calm but failing.
I hated the way my voice was breaking. I hated the way he looked at me. I hated the way my heart felt.
“If you don’t mind, I will like to be alone. Have a goodnight,” I said and walked out of the dining room.
I couldn’t understand Gabriele and I was sick of it.
There were times when I thought I knew who he was, but he only came back to slap me in the face on how much I didn’t know about him.
He had given me strength and I only wanted to return the favor. There was obviously something wrong with him and all I did was try to help.
Now he was going around the house sleeping with his women!
I hated how that particular part made it difficult to swallow. I hated it.
I burst through my bedroom and started peeling my dress off my body. I preferred solving issues that I could control and not this.
It made me helpless that my heart wasn’t listening to me. I wanted to be angry. Or the least ignore everything that was going on… But I found myself unable to.
I went straight to the bathroom as I finished pulling off my clothes and stood under the shower.
Perhaps the water would heal me, I thought.
It did ease my troubled heart but only for a little while. The cold liquid ended up reminding me of his face as it contorted that night.
Gabriele was fine. There was something wrong with him.
I got out of the shower and returned to the room. I put on comfortable clothes and moved to my bed.
I wanted to sleep and push all thoughts out of my head but I knew even that would be a nightmare.
As I pulled my legs onto the bed, a small but sharp knock on the door got my attention.
I glared at the door as my thoughts went directly to Gabriele. Did he really come to sleep with me?
Was he crazy?
Anger swelled in my insides and I pulled my hands into fists as the knocking continued. I jumped off the bed as I made up my mind to give him a good rant.
Did he think I was one of the women he messed with?
I was Arianna Howard and I wasn’t his whore!
I pulled the door open ready to pounce but my anger subsided as my eyes met those of Basilio.
I frowned as I wondered what he wanted. “Basilio?”
“I am sorry, did I wake you?” He asked with widened eyes.
I wiped off the shock on my face and pulled up a smile.
“No, I just got out of the shower. What’s up?” I asked as I stepped away from the door.
“May I come in? We need to talk,” He said and I felt my heart skip multiple beats.
“Sure.”
I stepped away from the door and left space for him to walk in. I closed the door once again and walked to the bed pulling the vanity chair with me.
This seemed to be something serious because I have never seen Basilio like this.
“Please, sit,” I said and he nodded.
I watched as tiny beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he sat. He cleared his throat and his eyes met mine.
“Did you witness something strange the other night when you were with Gabriele?” He asked and I felt my heart stop.
My mind went blank for five seconds as I tried to find what he could be talking about and then like a black ribbon was placed on my eyes, it suddenly got pulled off and I remembered.
That night, he was having a terrible nightmare…
“I saw him struggling and crying in his sleep,” I said. I sat down on the bed and pulled my hands on my lap.
“Is something wrong with him?” I asked as worry lines filled my temples.
He cleared his throat a second time and let out a heave. “Gabriele suffered a terrible incident a few years back,” He said and the worry lines on my face only deepened.
“We have been trying to fight it with the doctor’s help but sometimes it returns when something triggers it,” Basilio said.
His gaze became intense and I felt a bile rise in my throat as I suddenly felt like this situation was somewhat my fault.
“The night you both spent together… I am guessing you must have told him about your parents and you talked about it… I think it triggered his condition and now,” he paused and I saw his eyes soften under the soft light in the bedroom.
“Now, I want you to ignore all he is doing. It’s just to push that image away from your head. Do you understand?”
The worry lines on my face disappeared as confusion now set in.
It made no sense that he would sleep with his women right in front of everyone and say it was a ploy to drive the image of his condition out of my head.
I knew a lot of people that were suffering from a thousand incidences in the world!
They didn’t go about sleeping with people in public to heal themselves?!
I adjusted closer to the edge of the bed and pulled my hair away from my face.
“Basilio, his condition is nothing to be ashamed of!” I spat out.
“I have told him this a thousand times but Gabriele… He has a mind of his own,” He said.
I corked my head to the side as I tried to make sense of the explanation but it didn’t.
“May I ask what kind of trauma he suffered from?” I asked, gazing directly into Basilio’s eyes. “And why are you telling me this?”
Basilio’s eyes dropped to the floor. When he raised them they were red and filled with worry… And sadness?
“Arianna, Gabriele is like a brother to me. I knew there was something wrong with him the moment I heard Elena’s moans yesterday,” he started and I pushed away the bitterness that filled me from that information.
“I can’t tell you exactly what had happened to him. He might tell you someday… But I am here because I have seen the episodes reduce when you came…”
“In fact, that night would have been a lot worst but he broke out of it somehow without doing something irrational…”
Now I was no longer confused, I was shocked.
“You think I somehow heal him from this condition?” I asked.
“I think he likes you enough to open up that part of him… I also think if you stand by him, he can overcome it.”
I blinked and pulled my hair away from my face again. This was even more complicated than I thought.
“So, what do you want me to do? Watch when he is having his public sex activities or wait a minute–”
My eyes widened as another possibility flashed through me.
“You came here to convince me to sleep with him?” I spat out. “Do you think I am a whore?!”
“Arianna, I didn’t imply that!” He yelled. “I am here because I want you to be patient with him! That’s why!”
My lips were sealed and the words I was about to yell out got muffled. Basilio thought I could help him.
“I am not asking you to sleep with him. Hell! I even enjoy the tease you give him. Arianna if I could, I will make him marry you on an alter!”
“I picked you for him because I saw the way he had looked at you that auction night. Arianna if anyone can save him, it is you,” he said.
I was unable to give him a reply. I just nodded and he pulled his hands together like he was saying a prayer.
“Thank you, Arianna,” He said getting up. “You don’t know how much you will be helping by doing this…” He said before slowly walking to the door.
“Goodnight, Arianna.”