For two days, Andrie didn’t show up in the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief during those days. Her world was quiet, much like the setup at her dad’s mansion. A bitter smile crept onto her face.
But that day was different. Esma didn’t appear all day, so she went without food. She didn’t want to risk going out and facing Clasiso’s punishment. She still remembered how his eyes seemed to pierce through her, as if he wanted to pounce on her.
Her stomach growled. Azora sniffed.
She glanced around and her eyes stopped at the small open window near the ceiling. She saw the dark night sky filled with stars. It was already late. It had been hours since her last meal. She sighed.
She decided to lie down on the bed and pulled the covers over herself. She would just sleep off the hunger. She wasn’t sure if she actually dreamt, but it felt like she was eating in her dreams.
When she woke up, the sun was blazing. She quickly sat up and looked around. The room was bright now with light coming in from the small window. It looked like midday.
She quickly looked at the table, but there was no plate of food there. Did this mean she wouldn’t eat all day?
Suddenly, the door opened and Andrie walked in. The room filled with the scent of cologne and soap from his bath. His face was freshly shaved, making her notice how much he resembled Anthony. She looked away.
Andrie stood in front of her. She expected him to say something, but she didn’t hear a voice even after a few seconds passed. So she looked up at him and was startled when their eyes met again.
Once again, her teeth clenched in frustration. Why was she surrounded by annoying people?
“Don’t you want to eat?” he asked, without a smile.
She stared at him skeptically and then burst into laughter. “Why? Do you suddenly have pity on me to offer me food?” she challenged.
He stared at her for a few minutes, then grabbed her wrist forcefully. He pulled her up from the bed roughly. She cried out in surprise and her eyes widened as she looked up at Andrie.
He grinned mischievously. “Go take a bath first,” he said and without another word, he pulled her towards a large bathtub filled with water.
“Andrie!” she exclaimed but it seemed he had no intention of stopping as he continued to pull her.
She found herself suddenly inside a clean and fragrant bathroom. White and black dominated the interior, with shades of gray on the walls and ceiling. As she glanced at the bedside table, she saw a photo of Andrie. It looked like he brought it from his own room.
As she busied herself looking around, she didn’t notice Andrie approaching. He took her wrist again and she cried out in surprise.
His face darkened. “Could you stop screaming all the time? Your voice is painful,” he scolded.
“Then why are you startling me, huh? If you could — ah! Andrie!” she screamed as he suddenly pulled her toward a large bathtub full of water.
The water splashed around. Andrie’s pants got wet, so he cursed weakly. Azora saw this, so she smiled. She grabbed the water with both palms and threw it at Andrie, who was still standing on the edge of the bathtub.
“Azora!” he shouted.
She laughed. She grabbed the water again to throw it at the man again. But suddenly he dove into the bathtub and pushed her into a large bathtub full of water.
Her lips opened in surprise, and water entered her mouth. She moved her hand and pushed Andrie’s hand away. She quickly pulled herself out from under the water and coughed. She felt a hand gently tapping her back.
She violently slapped Andrie’s hand and stared at him angrily. “You! Evil brat!” she screamed tearfully.
She wasn’t satisfied. She hit Andrie, but he quickly caught both of her wrists and raised them to her forehead using one hand.
His forehead wrinkled as he stared at her face. “Don’t do it,” he warned.
She laughed. Tears filled her eyes with anger. “You b*****d! I almost died from what you did!”
She forcefully pulled her hands away from his grasp and slapped him on the cheek. His face turned to the left. She quickly felt his cheek with her hand. Andrie winced and gritted his teeth.
Azora gasped for breath and closed her eyes tightly. The shaking in her body from what happened hadn’t gone away. Almost. Almost!
She hadn’t felt such intense fear before. Suddenly, her skin itched from the scented water in the bathtub. She quickly stood up, about to leave the bathtub, but Andrie grabbed her hand and pulled her down to sit on his lap.
She held her breath as she felt the firmness of his body behind her.
“I didn’t say you could leave,” he whispered in her ear.
Goosebumps rose on her neck suddenly. She tried to loosen his arms wrapped around her waist, but they tightened even more.
“A-Andrie!” she whimpered.
She felt his shoulder shake behind her. Andrie was laughing at her again.
“Don’t you like it…” His lips brushed against her ear and gently blew. Her body trembled even more with nerves. He chuckled again. “Sensitive… I see.”
She forcefully pulled his arms again, which were wrapped around her waist, and quickly stood up and took a step back. But in the wrong step, she slipped. Her body fell straight onto the floor. First, her butt.
She groaned softly because of what happened. Andrie’s laughter echoed again in the bathroom.
“I thought you were innocent. I guess you’re not, just plain stupid.”
She shot him a sharp glance, but he just grinned mischievously at her. He stood up and stepped out of the bathtub, leaving her lying sprawled on the cold floor, unable to sit straight.