I took a quick shower and got dressed. My usual skincare products were here too. I glanced at the bathroom door and raised an eyebrow. Gio was very familiar with my products and had prepared everything without needing to ask me. Somehow, that pleased me. Gio was very attentive to details, no matter how small they were. He knew everything about me.
If only… if only my mother had not wronged their family and had treated us the same way, maybe I would consider staying in this marriage.
I heaved a deep sigh and shook my head. Enough with the “what ifs,” Millie. Nothing would change.
I finished getting ready and left the bathroom. I found Gio inside the room.
He was on the phone with someone. Gio looked at me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. I glared at him for scrutinizing me that way. Did he think he could seduce me? He almost did, but not quite!
I walked over to the bed when I heard who he was talking to.
“Yes, Sienna. Tell that to your mom. Thanks. Don’t worry about Millie. She’s with me.”
My eyes widened as I turned to Gio. He was lying on his side, still gazing at me with unwavering focus. He didn’t even acknowledge that I was surprised he was talking to Sienna!
I quickly stepped toward Gio. I was about to snatch the phone from his hand to talk to Sienna when he promptly ended the call and stashed the phone away in his pocket.
“Why were you talking to Sienna?” I demanded.
“I just told them that you’re with me. You wouldn’t want your sister to worry about you, right?”
He had a point, but…
I just glanced at Gio and marched toward the bed. I lay down and pulled the duvet over me, staying underneath. I was irritated beyond belief, unsure why my feelings were always so mixed, as if my emotions were constantly at odds with each other. I couldn’t figure out if I should be happy with him or angry.
I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take over. I heard a few noises before the bathroom door closed, signaling that Gio had entered.
When I heard the door open again, I became restless and tightly shut my eyes. I heard some more sounds before I felt Gio lie down beside me. I stiffened and widened my eyes. I had forgotten to tell him to sleep on the sofa!
“Don’t be here! Sleep on the sofa!” I said, facing away from him with no intention of turning.
“No, I am not going to sleep on the sofa, Millie,” he said in a baritone voice.
I squeezed my eyes shut firmly. He didn’t want to obey me! I had thought I could make him follow my angry act.
“If you don’t want to, then I will.”
Before I could even get up, Gio quickly trapped me in his arms. It was tight but not suffocating. He was just restraining me, trying to keep me from leaving.
“Millie, I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be. But even if it’s just for tonight, let me be with you and feel this close to you. Let me make you feel that my feelings for you are genuine. I know I’ve hurt you, and I hate to admit that. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I also want to prove myself, that I love you, Millie… then and now. I love you.”
I bit my lip forcefully, trying to suppress any sound.
I could sense Gio trying to convey his feelings to me. He loved me, and there was no doubt about it. But something held me back. I loved Gio as well, but it felt like a continuous cycle of telling me that we couldn’t be together. We both hurt each other. When he saw me, he might remember what my mother did to them, and when I looked at him, I couldn’t help but remember that he was the one who killed my mother.
We both hurt each other, and I thought that was reason enough to stop being together. But maybe… even if just for tonight, allow me to feel him. Because I didn’t know when I’d let myself freely love Gio and be with him like this again.
~*~
Early in the morning, Gio and his companions left to go fishing. We had plenty of food at home, but he chose to fish, and I couldn’t resist joining him.
As I gazed at the beautiful ocean, I couldn’t deny the allure of this island. It seemed a shame that only a select few got to witness such breathtaking views.
I spotted the large yacht they used for fishing and couldn’t help but be amazed at how upscale their fishing expedition was. I approached them, needing to talk to Gio and find out when he planned to take me home.
Dario and Elliott quickly distanced themselves from Gio as they noticed my approach. They politely said goodbye to Gio, greeted me, and then went inside the house with their other staff.
Gio was waiting for me, clearly wondering why I was waiting for them. “You’re up early,” he said. “Good morning.”
I didn’t return his greeting. “When are you taking me home? How long do you plan to keep me imprisoned on this island?”
“You’ve been here less than a day, and you already want to leave? Aren’t you enjoying your stay here?” he asked, to which I immediately shook my head.
“I don’t have time for a vacation! My company needs me, Gio. I have a lot of responsibilities at my company.”
“Your Aunt Elsie can handle it,” he said, not grasping my point.
“Don’t you have a job? Why do you have so much time for a vacation?”
I didn’t want to stay here with him any longer. It had only been a day, and I felt like he was going to manipulate me again. I knew I was too weak to resist his charms.
“My cousins can manage our company while I’m away. I’m on leave,” he told me.
“For how long?” I asked, hoping it would only be a few days.
“Until I have you back,” he replied, and then turned away, heading toward the house.
I was left dumbfounded by Gio’s words. I couldn’t believe he was so confident that I would return to him. And I was afraid that he might be right.