Chapter Four

I find myself wanting to stand at the door and hear whatever it is that they're talking about, though I know it only leads to one possibility, and at the same time, I'm wondering what he's saying, after hearing me explode like that.

I had never seen Mother angry before though I had spent my first six years with her. She had been softhearted and sweet, even though a little weird. She saw the world in a completely different view, and her exotic approach to things made her one of the most irresistible beings I had ever met though we barely spoke, the woman always going on adventures and never settling in one place, I loved the fact that I could ever be lucky enough to be her child.

Yet, at the same time, with the time I had spent with her, she had never mentioned my Father to me, and for some reason, I had never asked. I had been surprised the day he had come over to see me, an exactly older and male copy of me, saying he was my Father and my Mother had agreed that he was. When I asked why he had never come before, he explained that he had upset her and she had kept me secret from him till very recently.

I used to think that her anger was pointless, even though she was the sweetest person I knew, but Father always said every Rossi woman was the same, bearing too much anger and resentment for their small frame in an amount that could scare the strongest of man.

I hadn't even known when I had begun snapping out my words in Father's office, and if he had heard, I was sure he already found me as the most unsuitable bride for him.

"What do you think I should do?" I ask my brother on my phone. I am still in the company's building, though in a private sector of it that only family and a few guards can access, and gratefully, no security cameras. One can never trust my Father in situations like this.

"I don't know, Diavolessa." Like Father calls me Princess and Romeo calls me Angel, my brother, the one I'm closest to, calls me a she-devil. He claims that I must have done something for the devil because of how I always get the things that I want and work for, even though things like luck don't exist and though I know he's joking about it, I always tell him that he could sell his soul to me if he'd like my good fortune, though I don't exactly feel lucky right now. "Should you be telling this to me, or Madre?"

I want to punch him in the face which I would have if he was close enough, then say gritting my teeth. "You know that Mother reaches out to us, not the other way around, and if this was something really serious, she would have."

"And has she?" 

"Of course not."

"So if she doesn't see this as a serious event, then it's probably not." Luca is the most sarcastic of the trio which is surprising because of how oblivious he is. He says things without thinking of how it sounds. Other people find this off-putting about him but I understand him more than them and I know he's not sounding as cold as he speaks on purpose, but sometimes, he deserves a hit on the head which I regrettably cannot give.

So I resort to another tactic. "Luciano Romeo Rossi." 

The other end of the call is silent now. Mother never spent a lot of time with the boys the same way she did with me, but she had told me once that saying their names in full, always had them behaving.

Like Luca is now. The male speaks after a few minutes, saying with a sigh, "Forgive me if my words sounded harsh but I've had a busy day with a patient and things aren't rosy or calming right now. I haven't slept for the last thirteen hours, there's no food in the house and I'm quite sure some nurses are trying to flirt with me so I'm using the last bit of my energy to not commit first-degree murder by asphyxiation."

As a neurosurgeon, he rarely ever has time to do anything, be it sleep, eat or socialize. I had been his only friend and the one that kept him fed and sane. It wasn't like he hadn't tried making friends, or having a romantic relationship but he just couldn't seem to find the right words or time to handle either.

Which is just sad because he's the gentlest person I know, with the kindest heart. "You're probably missing the black coffee I would have made for you by now."

I can hear the smile in his voice as he says, "You mean for us. You were always up at the same time I was working on something with your laptop. I'm even surprised that you are off it right now and being so bothered by a subject you clearly want."

I can feel my cheeks redden at the words. "No one likes the idea of being a breeder."

"Firstly, that's a terrible word to describe yourself and it's displeasing to my ears. Secondly, the only reason you were in the tech business yourself was to get his attention, which for some reason, didn't and instead, got saddled with the responsibility of being the Mother of the man you have yearned for a decade children."

"I haven't yearned," I say, my face almost boiling now. "That's not the point. I wanted him to notice me for my good works, not as a potential candidate for his bedside. I'm not just a pretty face." Then I pause, horror suddenly creeping into my being. "I came straight from the airport here without showering and cleaning up."

"That sounds very unhealthy, Scarlet. Don't tell me that I have to remind you to do so even though you are far away, you know your hygiene—"

"Fuck, I still have my glasses on." I cut in, now realizing I'm sweaty as well. What the fuck? Had he seen me like that? What was he thinking? He probably thought I was a klutz. Jesus, how can I do this to myself?

"Scarlet."

The use of my real name has me snapping back to reality, my reply coming out in a tired drawl, "What?"

"Do you still like him?"

I pause, my breath coming to a pause. Do I still like him? Would that word even adequately describe the feelings I have for him? The way he makes me feel even though he is a million miles away? The way my heart speeds when I think of him? That he has tormented my nights with me wishing for things that I will never have? That thinking of him now, just by him standing next to me, I couldn't think of anything else but having my face in his neck, my legs wrapped around his waist.

A chance to do that, to be with him even though it would be entirely sexual and I would never mean anything to him, the possibility of being his wife till he sees me as no use still sounds appealing, but at the same time, I know I shouldn't be wanting that.

I want him. I want him to want me. I'm smart. I'm beautiful. I'm what many men would kill to have and I don't even need to be told that. I deserve better, but I can't think of a better that isn't him.

"Diavolessa?"

Quickly, I brush the tears falling from my eyes, saying in a nervous chuckle. "Sorry, was thinking there." I know he's not going to ask that question if I deflect it so that's exactly what I do. "Doesn't matter if he doesn't want me, does it? Not after the stunt I pulled in the office."

"I'm sure he knows if he says that, he'd be leaving that building in a body bag and Enzo would finally die with a real smile on his face." I can't stop the laugh that leaves my lips at those words, then softly, he adds, "But that shouldn't be your concern. You've done a good job holding out for so long. If he doesn't agree to this, if he loses a rare gem like you, then he truly doesn't deserve to live."

I'm still smiling when he's done, though tears are brewing in my eyes again though this time they are happy ones. "You should tell that to a girl someday."

"After I try surviving today? Sure, I'll think about it. I have to go, okay? Please, take care of yourself, I know you will, but do so. If something happens to you, they'd call me all the way there and I don't think I can survive whatever pressure they put on me to fix you."

I chuckle now, wiping my face clean from any remnants of tears. "Love you too, bye Luca." He hangs up immediately after and I turn to one of the glass walls. Thankfully, I had no make-up on so nothing was ruined except that I looked bloated and out of breath.

I need to return to my hotel room before Father traps me here with his guards and tries sugarcoating me into spending a father-daughter sleepover with him.

Walking out of the room, I take in the cold breath of fresh air and begin to walk down the hallway. Thankfully, there are no guards so there's no one to ask or report Father about me leaving. I can finally finish the new piece I was working on. 

I reach the elevator now and begin to press the buttons for the last floor, but the moment its doors open, I know that there's a supreme being out there that is clearly against me having a good night's sleep.

Alexander Wolfe stands there, a bouquet of roses, all a scarlet red in his hands, his usually stoic face holding a hint of nervousness though it vanishes the moment he spots me, his eyes widening in surprise as he spots me.

I stare at him, my brain deciding to shut down again. His raven dark hair has been slicked to the back, though it's done with a parting in his left side, giving him a professional yet roguish look. His eyes, blue and startling still tell me things more than his face ever would. His lips, are thin and pink, looking as soft as a flower, his body muscular and a masterpiece no sculptor could ever recreate, even his suit looks like a pretty wrapping around a deviously delicious bar of chocolate.

Shit. I can't be here.

The doors to the elevator begin to close but before they do, he puts his hand between them, halting the process and walks out. His cologne attacks me again and I gulp, taking a step back. He doesn't seem to notice this, the male coming even closer and when he speaks, his British accent flowing into his words, I almost fall to his knees. "I'm sorry if you could just—"

"Not interested." I cut in, walking past him and going back to the buttons of the elevator, and begin to type in the last floor again. My heart's thumping loud in my chest, loud enough for the whole world to hear, but someone, my ears filter it out for me to hear him speak as well.

"Scarlet, if you could—"

My name from his lips nearly has me turning around and demanding that he repeats it, says it with that soft and sultry tone of his, but before I can disgrace myself, the door to the elevator opens and immediately I step in and punch in the numbers.

He stares at me as it closes, his eyes showing an emotion that I can't decipher from the distance I'm in which I'm appreciative of because I don't want to hear whatever he has to say. When the elevator pings and opens on the last floor of the company's indoor parking lot, I walk out, already bringing out my car keys though the minute I'm close to it, I freeze.

Alex stands resting on it, his hands folded and legs crossed though he stands erect the second he sights me. Different thoughts run through my head about how he got there, but I don't need to ask that from how his chest keeps falling and rising.

Alexander used the stairs and ran to catch up with me. 

Before I can think to run, he's in front of me. Small pants leave his lips, and he raises a hand in his air then licks his lips, my middle throbbing at the sight of it before saying, "I understand that you don't want to see me. I know that I disgust you and I understand why. All of this doesn't seem fair to you. You're at a young stage in your life where you're not supposed to be tied down by a contract our parent's made without your prior consent."

I blink. "What?"

"I'm just—" He seems to take in a breath, his hand squeezing the life out of the flowers in his hand. "I'm just saying that I understand why you were... Saying the things you were. The whole idea about this is archaic and I understand if you would rather end things before they escalate because I feel the—"

I don't let him finish the rest of his words. "Why? So you can go back to one of your whores?"

The question seems to cause him to backtrack, his eyes staring at me like I had just stopped him from a speech he had spent months cramming and everything he had was gone. "What?"

Yet, I'm too upset to stop. The fact that he doesn't even want this to begin with and wanted things done now made me feel very angry and hurt because I wanted this man more than anything in the world and he was still too selfish to see that. "Unlike you, I keep to my side of a bargain, especially when it involves my family. The wedding is happening so you can go tell all your side bitches to watch the road before crossing cause even if I don't come for them, my brothers' will."

I can tell he's still registering the statement but I don't care. I take the flowers in his hand because I know they belong to me. "Thank you, I'll be sure to make sure they don't wilt." And walk to my car, open the doors and enter.

I don't look to see if he's still watching me as I drive away, wondering what the fuck I had just done and at the same time, can't stop the smile that's coming to my face.