Narciso lowered the newspaper and steepled his fingers in front of him. He continued to stare intently at her, making her throat dry with nervousness. What was he thinking that day, and why did she admit to killing Anthony? Now, Narciso wouldn’t believe her if she said she had nothing to do with what happened. She let out a sigh of exasperation.
“It’s you who killed my son. I have the evidence of your confession and I will just have to find one more strong evidence that will link you to the crime scene.”
She lowered her head and took a deep breath. She was about to speak when Andrie cut in first. “Let her eat first. Interrogate her later.”
Silence fell between them. A few seconds passed before Narciso stood up and paced around the table. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he was leaving the dining hall, but she gasped when a force pulled her hair. Pain shot through her scalp, prompting her to quickly stand up to avoid hurting herself too much.
She heard Narciso’s harsh breathing behind her. “You must be happy. My son fell for your seduction. Is that what you did to Anthony? Bi***!” he cursed.
Tears welled up in Azora’s eyes, especially with the tight grip on her scalp. She bit her lip to hold back a sob. No, she wouldn’t cry in front of Narciso. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her suffer.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m not seducing a-anyone.”
She heard his faint laughter, mocking her. Shortly after, he released her hair. She breathed a sigh of relief as the pain in her scalp eased. She bit her lip again.
“Stay away from this b***, Andrie,” Narciso said as he left the kitchen.
She sat weakly at the table and wiped her face. She needed to escape as soon as possible. She wasn’t sure how long she could stay safe in Narciso’s hands.
“Have you eaten?” Andrie suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
She looked at him, seeing him still engrossed in typing on his phone. She let out a breath and quickly grabbed the spoon and fork. She ate quickly while repeatedly remembering what happened earlier and Narciso’s words.
She furrowed her brow. Was she still in the mansion because he was looking for evidence against her? If so, she was waiting for her danger if she stayed inside. She should escape and go to her father. Now that Narciso was looking for evidence, she was afraid he might find something against her and her father. She never forgot who the Clasisos were.
“Azora.”
She flinched when someone called her name. She looked at Andrie who was still looking down at his phone. She let out a sigh and quickly reached for her glass of juice and took a sip. Then she looked at Andrie again. “If you think I’ll thank you for intervening for me, think again,” she said and then took another bite of rice.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Andrie putting his phone in his pocket and standing up from his chair. She subtly glanced at Andrie. He was wearing a white polo shirt, so his brown skin was more visible.
She noticed over the past few days that Andrie’s skin was gradually becoming darker. Maybe because he often left the house or got used to the weather in the country. He walked toward her position and blinked at the corner of her eye at Andrie. She exhaled and sniffled. She took another sip of juice and opened her mouth to speak, but she felt Andrie sweep her loose hair to the side of her neck.
Her eyebrows furrowed at what he did. “What are you —”
She stopped mid-sentence when she felt Andrie’s finger touch the back of her neck. In her view, his finger was exactly positioned on the exact red mark. Her eyes narrowed.
“Continue eating,” Andrie ordered.
“How can I continue if you’re behind me?” she sarcastically asked.
But the man let out a deep laugh. “Don’t mind me.”
“Keep your finger off of me,” Azora warned and reached for Andrie’s hand on her neck.
Her plan was to remove his finger that was touching her neck, but she gasped when Andrie grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She quickly withdrew her hand, but Andrie didn’t let go. Instead, he held her hand more firmly and clasped their palms together.
Her heart rate quickened. “H-Hey…”
“Your hand is soft,” he commented.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Esma enter the dining hall from the kitchen. When Esma saw their clasped hands, she quickly averted her gaze and returned to the kitchen.
Defiantly, she tried to withdraw her hand again, but Andrie was persistent. So she stood up and faced him. She glared at Andrie. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” he said.
She clicked her tongue and raised their clasped hands. “What do you mean by this?”
“I’m holding your hand,” he said, a smile playing on his lips.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be sarcastic. What are you doing and why are you doing this? Did you hear what your father said?”
“I did.” He ran his tongue over his lower lip while staring directly at her. “I heard him clearly.”
“And then?” She raised an eyebrow.
Andrie stared at her for a few minutes before looking away. He released her hand and smirked. “I’ll visit you in your room later,” he said and left the kitchen.
She heard his footsteps fade away. She swallowed and took a deep breath. She didn’t expect Andrie to disobey his father’s orders for her. She couldn’t help but think badly of Andrie. It seemed impossible that he became kind after just one day.
With the intensity of his anger towards her when they first met, she knew she couldn’t easily follow the man. So what happened and why did his attitude towards her seem to change?