"So... What can we do?"
"After a long discussion, the doctors recommended that we send him into treatment."
"What if Marcus doesn't want to?" I questioned.
Dr. Armando sighed.
"That won't matter, Mrs. Del Monte. Mr Del Monte has proven himself to be violent. He threatens everyone that comes near him."
He pressed his lips thin, a clear sign of his concern, "You more than anyone have been hurt right in front of us. Bad enough, we couldn't do anything about it,"
"Well," I closed my eyes. One corner of my lip quirked upward in a snarky expression, masking the humiliation beneath.
"Let me make a call. If you will excuse me for a bit," I asked, leaving the chair and heading outside the office.
I dialed Carmen's number and waited for her to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Carmen. How are you? " I asked, a bit of shiver escaping my lips.
"Fine, dear. Are you okay?" she inquired, concern laced her voice.
"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine... Listen, I... Well, the doctor just said Marcus's mental condition is at its worst,"
I said, my voice trembling. Silence came from the phone."Oh, well, what do you mean?"
"He is becoming violent toward everyone and... I don't know how to say this... he needs to be treated or else he will be a danger to everyone,"
"WHAT?!" Carmen gasped.
"I know. But Carmen, how can I decide for him? They need my approval to continue with the processes,"
A single tear escaped from the corner of my eye and traced a path down my cheek.
"Madam, calm down. Okay? And maybe this is a good start to make him change, become a better man,"
I sniffed.
"So you think I should make this decision for him?" I asked, scratching my head.
"Yes, dear. It's for his good,"
I took a deep breath before replying, "Okay," I sobbed, "Thank you, Carmen,"
I hung up the phone.
**************
"Okay... So you agree to the treatments?"
Silence once again followed his question.
"Yes. He should be treated as soon as possible," I answered.
"Good!" He exclaimed. I was so scared I thought my heart would escape my chest.
"But... But aren't you worried about what he might do when he wakes up? Or, should I say, what he's capable of doing?" I added.
"Do not worry. He is safe in our hands. We've seen the commotion that happened the last time you saw each other. So I suggest you stay away for a while until we find the source that channels his stress."
The fear was still lingering in my bones. I knew how dangerous this man could be. I didn't doubt that he'd do a monstrous act of cruelty if he were to find out I pushed him into the road he was about to walk to.
He could fool anyone. Even the doctors! I didn't believe it was going to work. I didn't want to believe it.
"If you insist, Doctor," I replied, trying to sound confident. I hoped my voice didn't betray my inner chaos. "I am leaving now,"
"We will notify you further, Mrs. Del Monte,"
I gave him a polite smile and walked outside the building. I tried to calm myself down a little. I walked out of the building and headed to the mansion.
***** *****
I reached the mansion without problems. Once the guards noticed me, they immediately let me pass. As soon as I entered, I went straight to my bedroom and locked the doors before crawling into bed.
I held tight onto the pillow next to me. A river of thoughts kept flowing in my head. What was this supposed to mean? How was I supposed to feel about this?
I sighed deeply and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force those thoughts away.
******
"Camila."
I shot up in surprise. There were soft knocks on my door, but I couldn't answer.
"Camila... Can I come in? It's me."
My eyes landed on the door handle. Carmen. Her scent filled my nose. Relief flooded my body.
When she entered the room, closing the door behind herself she approached my bed and sat beside me.
Her hand rested on top of mine," How are you?" She asked gently.
"I am okay, thank you," I replied softly, avoiding to meet her gaze. Her presence calmed me down. I knew she wasn't there to yell or scold me.
"Well, that's good to hear at least because I have to deal with the emergency that just popped up," She spoke calmly.
"Emergency? What did happen?"
"Apparently, there is an electricity outage, the transformer that runs along the entire electrical grid is damaged. It could take some time before the power is back on,"
My eyebrows raised and I looked at her.
"So the mansions of this neighborhood have no electricity?"
An amused smile left my face. I mean, mansions without electricity?
"Is that so hard to believe?" She asked, chuckling lightly, "Anyway... I suggest you go outside and take a walk. The moon and the air will be a good company as it will soon be dark,"
"Well..," I hesitated.
"Come on Madam. You wouldn't want to stay in this dark mansion. Plus, what you did today was courageous, " She insisted.
"Okay then. But let me take a shower first," I said as I got up from the bed.
"I will bring some candles for light,"
"Maybe later, there's still some light. I can see things through it,"
"Alright."
*************
Once I finished my shower and dried my hair, I put on a light blue dress.
I applied some perfume on it as I loved the scent of vanilla that surrounded me whenever I wore it and slipped on a pair of flats.
Walking downstairs, the maids were already lighting up the candles around the house. The smell the candles produced was soothing.
As I stepped outside, Carmen was right. The fresh air and the moon kept me company.
"Maybe it's time I explore the mansion a bit more today," I said to myself.
It was strange that this was the first time I had explored the mansion when It had been more than a month since I arrived.
Maybe it was because I didn't want people to look at me and then judge me. Maybe I couldn't bear the feeling of them talking behind my back. But for some strange reason, such worries no longer bothered me.
The back of the mansion was covered with Gazebos, more like an outdoor dining area that provided space yet ensured some privacy. It was beautifully designed with wooden material. Most of the ground was also green. it was a breathtaking place to see.
At a further distance, huge trees covered a huge part of the place. The wind made some leaves dance around, their branches rustled slightly under its movement.
Seeing this sight made me realize how big this mansion was. I started walking. My legs began to tire as I wandered around. No one was there and the place was quiet.
"Madam," A very manly familiar voice called my name.
Turning my attention back, I saw the man in casual clothes approach me, carrying a basket in his hand. His long hair fluttered with the wind.
His tall, muscular figure and his cold gaze made me freeze on the spot.
I averted my gaze from him as I felt my cheeks grow red.
"Juan," I silently thanked God it was dark already.
There was silence between us as he watched me intently. When he noticed that I was no longer going to speak, he shifted his weight to his feet and walked towards me slowly.
"How has your day been?" He sat beside me, placing the basket on the ground. He turned to me, staring intently and waiting for me to reply.
"Um..." I stuttered "It's alright I guess." My voice wavered slightly due to nervousness. I cleared my throat.
"Oh," he replied with a nod, "well, that's good to hear. What are you doing here alone?"
"Just some fresh air and the fact that there's no power,"
He gave a light chuckle, "I think we will have to bear with this situation until morning. Can you sleep alone tonight?"
He teased me. I glared at him with narrowed eyes.
"What are you implying?" I asked.
"Nothing, nothing..." he responded, raising his hands in a mock surrender.
He chuckled lightly, "Well if you feel scared, I could be of help. I mean imagine a ghost decides to pay a visit. That would be a real nightmare."
I rolled my eyes and playfully hit him on the arm.
"You're such a jerk," I said, giggling.
Our laughter turned to silence when we heard some voices come our way. we looked at each other.
"Shit!" I whispered. We both stood up simultaneously and hid behind the wooden walls of the balcony.
"Mi amore. Finally, we get to be together," We looked at each other as we felt the tense atmosphere of romance that was with the two lovers we knew very well.
Cara, the maid. Facundo, the gardener. I could feel Juan trying harder not to laugh at the newly found couple.
The sounds of kisses and moans filled the air before they stopped.
"Are you sure no one can see us here?," Cara's Voice was filled with concern.
"I'm sure no one can think of coming here at this time," He kissed her, "Unless they are lovers,"
With that, passion refilled the air. Moans intensified. It was clear that they were making love.
And the situation became more tense even for us, especially when I felt his eyes upon me.