"What the heck?" he exclaimed.
"Why are you here?" he asked sharply.
Sensing his irritation, Ivanna started fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to know your name, since you've never told me your name before," she clarified, attempting to lighten the mood.
He glanced up at her before finally responding, "It's Betrasio."
"Betrasio, you mean 'betrayal'?" she laughed out loud, finding her own play on his name amusing.
Betrasio felt embarrassed and unamused. "Call me that one more time, and I swear you'll leave this house instantly," he warned, the seriousness in his tone not escaping her, though she couldn't help but stifle her laughter.
Betrasio packed up his laptop and left, returning later to retrieve his phone. As he passed by Ivanna, she commented, "For a guy who has such an expensive laptop and phone, I wonder what you're doing in this kind of house."
"Mind your business if you really want to spend the night here," Betrasio warned, his tone hinting at his patience wearing thin.
"I was just saying my thoughts. What's wrong with that?" Ivanna inquired innocently.
"One more word from you, and you're really leaving this house," Betrasio warned firmly, his irritation evident.
Ivanna quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had overstepped her boundaries. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, understanding that she had crossed a line.
"Be warned, you're invading my privacy," he cautioned before leaving for another room, leaving Ivanna to ponder her next move.
"Where should I sleep?" she called out to his retreating figure, but he refused to acknowledge her, leaving her feeling lost and frustrated.
"He's just so difficult, but at least he's better than Jesse," she remarked to herself as she settled down on the sofa, feeling the discomfort of the furniture.
"I'll just go and sleep in his room.
...
"Haven't you seen her yet?" Jesse asked Uramus, his trusted guard, on the phone.
"Not yet, sir, but we...."
"Shut the heck up. I give you only 48 hours to bring her back to this house or else..." He prolonged the last statement but didn't complete it.
"Let's see then," he added, disconnecting the phone call.
"Where are you, Ivana? I promise you this, if I am able to find you again, then consider yourself unlucky for having the guts to escape me," he vowed and brought out a stick of cigarettes, lighting it.
He made a phone call and after some minutes, a woman, half-naked, entered into the room.
Jesse smiled immediately.
"Let's get started."
...
A few minutes later, Ivanna found herself in Betrasio's room. He was not present, but the sound of running water from the shower indicated he was inside the bathroom.
Ivanna sighed contently as she sank onto the bed. "So comfy," she mused, stretching out and allowing her thoughts to wander to the enigmatic man.
"He fights so well. Did he practice Kung Fu? I should learn from him," she teased herself, picturing herself picking up some moves from him.
"He's handsome though, but what kind of person bears the name Betrasio. It's almost like 'betrayal'," she chuckled to herself, finding amusement in her own joke.
"I told you not to say that again," his husky voice unexpectedly rang out from the bathroom door, catching her off guard. She widened her eyes in surprise as she caught a glimpse of his wet physique through the partially open door.
He emerged fully from the bathroom, droplets of water glistening on his well-defined muscles, and the sight left Ivanna momentarily speechless.
"What are you doing on my bed?" he inquired, his voice indicating a mixture of irritation and astonishment, causing her to immediately straighten up.
"I... I... Wanted to sleep," she stammered, feeling flustered under his accusing gaze.
"On my bed?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Ye... S, where else would I sleep if not on the bed?" she tentatively asked, attempting to hold her ground.
"You must be out of your mind. My bed is not for just anyone but me. There's a sofa in the living room. That's where you'll sleep tonight," he ordered firmly, his tone brooking no argument.
"Please, I'm not comfortable with sleeping alone, and besides, the sofa is not comfortable," Ivanna pleaded, hoping to sway his decision.
"Do I look like I care? You should obey me, or I'll just send you outside to deal with the mosquitoes," he retorted, his resolve unwavering.
"No, please..." she quickly interjected, but he cut her off.
"Then go and sleep on the sofa," he instructed, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ivanna hesitated for a moment before reluctantly gathering a blanket and a pillow and exiting the room.
"She's quite a handful," Betrasio remarked to himself, shaking his head as he processed the encounter.
"She'll leave tomorrow anyway," he muttered to himself, choosing to focus on the task at hand.
Ivanna settled onto the sofa, feeling a sense of displacement as she wrapped the blanket around herself. She couldn't shake off the discomfort of the situation and the coldness of the living room. She felt a pang of loneliness as she longed for a comforting presence nearby.
After a few moments, she decided to muster up the courage and return to Betrasio's room. She knocked gently on the door, hoping he'd allow her back in.
"Come in," his voice echoed from the other side.
Ivanna cautiously entered, finding Betrasio now fully dressed and sitting on his bed, engrossed in his laptop once again. He glanced up at her, his expression unreadable.
"What do you want now?" he asked, his tone lacking the harshness from before.
"Um, I know you asked me to sleep on the sofa, but I... I just feel really uncomfortable out there. Please, I promise I won't disturb you. I just need to be somewhere less... lonely," Ivanna pleaded, trying to convey her genuine feelings.
Betrasio regarded her for a moment, silently weighing her request. After a brief pause, he gestured to the vacant spot at the foot of his bed.
"You can stay here, but on the floor. I need to work, so please don't bother me," he consented.