CAMILLA
The next day, I was treated to another surprise. Dante had escorted me out of the house to his stables and showed me his horses and invited me to ride them anytime I wished.
I had immediately gotten on one and raced it round the field while he followed behind me leisurely on his horse.
"Thanks a lot for this, can I come here later to ride the horses?" I asked him.
"Yes, you can, anytime you want" he told me.
"Thanks" I said.
We went back to the house for breakfast and I had another surprise waiting there for me.
A white kitten sat in a wicker basket blinking adorably at me.
"Is this for me?" I asked him.
"It won't replace your cat but I hope it can keep you company" he told me.
I picked the kitten up and snuggled it close to me.
"I assume, you like it?" he asked.
"It's perfect" I whispered.
"I will be taking you out shopping for new clothes after breakfast and we can also get you a sewing machine and any other items you need for designing, it would be a shame to let your talents go to waste" he told me.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes, so eat fast and get ready"
I don't think I had ever eaten quickly in my entire life.
I ate like I was being pursued.
The thought of going out of the compound hastened me up.
I finished eating and got ready quickly.
He took me to his garage and helped me into the car. We drove in a convoy of security men to the mall.
We went from store to store, I picked out clothes, jewelry and shoes.
I also picked out a wonderful sewing machine and my other designing equipment.
After eating lunch in one of the restaurants, I needed to use the toilet before we left.
One of his men escorted me to the restroom and waited outside the door for me.
I was still relieving myself, when the door of my bathroom stall was suddenly opened. I quickly wore my underwear and arranged my clothes.
I looked up to see a woman in a pair of big sunglasses.
"Uhm I am here, this stall is occupied" I told her as I wondered if she couldn't see me.
She took off her glasses and I was suprised to see that it was one of my father's old staff.
"Estrella what are you doing here?" I asked her.
"Shhh! Don't be so loud" she scolded me.
I lowered my voice to a whisper.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her.
"A friend of mine works here and she told me she saw you with Mr Russo"
"Yes, I am with him, Sebastiáno took me to an auction house where he bought me"
"I know about all that Camilla but I am surprised that you are hanging out happily with him unless you are just acting"
"Well he has treated me well since he bought me" I told her, neglecting to mention the part where he locked me in the isolation room. I had a feeling that she wouldn't be too happy about it.
"Camilla, don't you know what he did?" she asked me.
I was confused by her question. "What did he do?" I asked her.
"Your father asked him for help on the day Sebastiáno destroyed our family. He called all the big families. Only the Russo family picked up the call and your new owner refused to help. And now he parades with you, treating you like a little pet" she said, her disdain clearly evident in her voice.
My blood ran cold, all the happiness I had been feeling washed away with that new piece of information.
"He refused to help?" I asked again, to be sure.
"Yes he did" she replied.
I sat down on the toilet seat and buried my face in my hands.
She bent down as well. "Camilla, we dont have much time. I need you to be strong and level headed. I believe that you can regain your family's possessions but you need to be smart about it."
She handed me a piece of paper. "Hide it and call me when you get a chance"
I nodded dumbly and took the paper from her and hid it in my bra. "Now smile and go back outside"
I arranged my countenance and went back outside.
The security suspected nothing and led me back to Dante.
"So do you need to buy anything?" he asked me.
"No, I am good" I replied.
"Then let's go home" he told me.
I smiled and nodded. We went back to the house.
I thanked Dante for everything he had done and retired to my room. That evening when Maria came to fetch me to have dinner with him, I declined and said I was feeling tired.
The next morning I refused to ride horses with him or even have breakfast with him.
I really wanted to hang out with him and act like everything was alright but I couldn't, it was so hard.
I kept thinking about how desperate my father must have been to call him for help and yet he refused to help.
And then he had the temerity to buy me, use me as a pawn in his plan, lock me up in an isolation room after I lost my temper and then buy me gifts to compensate me.
"What's wrong Camilla, why don't you want to hang out with Dante?" Maria asked me.
"No reason, the world doesn't revolve around him" I replied angrily.
She sighed, "Camilla, he has tried to show you he is sorry, can't you forgive him?" she asked.
"He never said the words, spending money on me can't absolve him of what he did" I replied.
She sighed again, "You have no idea how good you have it, millions of other girls wish to be in your position but here you are squandering it" she told me.
"Well I am not other girls, I am Camilla De Luca" I retorted.
She was about to reply me when a knock sounded on the door. She walked to the door and opened it. It was Dante.
He strode into the room. "Leave us Maria" he ordered.
Maria nodded and left the room, it was just the both of us remaining in the room.
"is there a reason you have been avoiding me?" he asked.
"no" I replied sullenly.
"Camilla, what is going on? Yesterday, we were cool, today we aren't. What brought about this sudden change?" he asked.
"I have nothing to say" I replied.
"You can't have nothing to say and you are acting this way" he told me.
"If I say what's on my mind, you will probably lock me up in the isolation room again" I told him.
"I promise you Camilla, I won't ever lock you up in that room again, I promise. I regret doing that to you" he told me.
I looked at him and he seemed sincere to me.
"But you never said you were sorry" I reminded him.
"you slapped me Camilla, in front of my men"
"I was angry that you played me for a fool. I was beginning to trust you and enjoy your company and it turned out that you were just playing me. Do you have any idea, how I felt?" I asked him.
"To set the records straight, I did enjoy spending time with you, my motive was to fool the spy but I did enjoy spending time with you. I am sorry for locking you in the isolation room and I do want to be your friend" he told me.
"I am sorry for slapping you in front of your men too" I told him.
He shrugged, "It's okay, but you mustn't disrespect me like that in front of my men again, okay?" he asked.
"Okay", I replied.
"So is there anything else, any reason why you are still mad at me?" he asked.
I wanted to ask him why he refused to help my father. But I decided against it, it might make him suspicious and put Estrella in trouble.
I would keep that news to myself for the main time.
"No, I am no longer mad" I told him, putting a big smile on my face.
"That's good to know, now is there anything you still want me to do for you to make it up to you, choose wisely" he told me.
"Can I follow you to your meetings please? I could be your assistant" I proposed.
He arched an eyebrow at me. "And what do you know about assisting?" he asked me.
"I used to assist my father before he died, this shouldn't be much different. Anything I don't know, I can learn quickly. I am a fast learner" I answered.
My reason for this request was so I could leave the house and communicate with the outside world. I needed allies if I had any hope of getting my revenge. I wouldn't get my allies by sitting in this house and being an obedient little pet.
"I will think about it" Dante replied.
"Thank you"
"Now, will you join me for lunch?" he held out his hand.
I took it, "Yes I will" I answered..