AURELIA'S POV:
My hands are shaking and for the first time, I find myself wishing to be in Alessandro's annoying and spiteful presence than in the arms of this psychotic man who currently has a knife to my throat.
"Please let me go." I plead with the man as he digs the knife deeper into my skin, causing my blood to spill out.
"Never! You belong to me and me alone." The man says with a crazy laughter that sends chills up my arms.
Alessandro is currently glaring at the both of us with such intensity that I start to fear for the man currently holding me.
Just before any of us can move, the sound of a gun being shot yanks us back to reality. The man falls to the ground with a hole in his head.
I turn behind me and find Nicolo standing there with a gun in his hands.
"Thank you for saving me." I mutter with emotions making it hard for me to speak clearly.
"Tch. It has nothing to do with you. I'm a little bit sad that the bullet didn't hit you instead." Nicolo says in a harsh tone while glaring at me.
I guess he's not over our last encounter. Who cares anyway?
My response is cut short as the people from the ballroom head towards our direction. A lot of people sympathize with me, asking about my well being while others like Mia and the rest ignore me completely.
I eventually learn that the man who was shot is Eduardo Ramirez, the head of the Ramirez Cartel.
I finally have the chance to retire to my room, counting the ceiling to pass time. However, just before I fall asleep, Alessandro barges into my room with Mia in tow.
"Is it true what I'm hearing?" Alessandro demands angrily as he glares at me. If I had a penny for every time he glares at me, I would be a millionaire by now.
"I was just attacked, Alessandro. I don't have the energy to play any guessing game with you." I say in a quiet tone as I sigh heavily.
Alessandro grinds his jaw together before taking a step closer to me. "Why did you steal a necklace from Giulia's room?" Alessandro demands.
"What are you talking about?" I ask in an extremely confused tone.
"Don't deny it, Aurelia. Alessandro is kind hearted, he will forgive you if you tell the truth." Mia says in a nervous tone as she looks to Alessandro for support.
"I still don't understand what's going on here!" I say harshly, my temper rising by the minute.
"Don't be scared Lily, tell them the truth." Mia says in an encouraging tone to the maid standing beside her.
"I saw Miss Aurelia come out of her room, so I followed her thinking she needed my help, but then she went into Miss Giulia's room and a few minutes later she came out with the necklace." Lily says in a shaky tone.
My mouth is left hanging open as the Maid finishes speaking.
"Would you recognize the necklace if I showed it to you?" Mia asks in a mild tone that grates on my nerves.
"Yes, I will." Lily responds, all the while Alessandro's intense gaze is on me.
Mia heads straight for my cupboard, pulling it open and bringing out the necklace that the maid gave to me claiming Alessandro had sent her.
"Is this the necklace?" Mia asks the maid.
"Yes, that's it." The maid responds with a tight-lipped expression on her face.
"That's not true! You gave me that necklace saying it was a gift from Alessandro!" I say angrily as I glare at the maid.
"I don't know what you are talking about! I haven't interacted with you today!" The maid says as she bows her head.
"She's telling the truth, Alessandro. She was with me the whole time." Mia says, offering Lily an alibi.
"That's not true! Why would I steal the necklace?" I demand angrily, having nothing to say in my defense.
"She's a thief, Alessandro. You must send her away." Mia says with a smirk on her lips.
"Leave." Alessandro says in a deathly calm tone.
"Huh?" Mia asks in a confused tone.
"I said leave." Alessandro repeats as he turns his heated gaze on her.
Mia angrily storms out of the room. Her anger is probably emanating from the fact that she won't be present to witness my humiliation.
"They are lying to you, Alessandro! I had nothing to do with stealing that necklace." I say.
"Get up." Alessandro orders in a hard tone, not saying anything in response to my explanation.
I make my way off the bed and to the floor, before I can fully guess his intentions, Alessandro grabs my wrist and pulls me out of the room with him.
"Where the hell are you taking me to?" I demand angrily. I fight in earnest to dislodge his grip on my hand when he opens the door to his room, but I have no such luck.
He throws me in the room and shuts the door behind him.
Alessandro drags me to the bed, throwing me on it. "What the hell is your problem? I'm telling you the truth!" I say as angry tears roll down my cheeks.
Alessandro says nothing as he takes a rope out of his cupboard. I try to flee, but he pulls me back and ties my wrists together. He then proceeds to connect it to the headboard.
"I'm going to leave you here to think about what you did." Alessandro says, his tone dripping with heavy disapproval.
He stays true to his words, walking out of the room and leaving me tied up. Well fuck him!
_____________________________
ALESSANDRO'S POV:
"You took out the cameras from that side of the house." Aldo says as he turns off his laptop.
"Fuck!" I say as I swipe my hands across my face.
"So are you going to believe her or what?" Aldo asks as he stares at me.
"All evidence points towards her being the one who took the necklace." I say in a flat tone.
"I pray you don't fuck this up more than necessary." Aldo says as I turn my back on him.
I say nothing in response as I make my way back to my room. When I open the door and step into the room, I'm left stunned for a few minutes.
Aurelia is currently curled up on my bed. Her sleeping shorts had ridden up, her soft creamy thighs exposed to my sight.
I swallow harshly as I make my way towards her. I pull on the rope, drawing her closer to me.
I'm no Saint, but I'm better than this. How can I desire a woman who probably had a hand in my wife's disappearance?
But Aldo claims she might be innocent. Does it make everything worse that I'm hoping she's actually innocent?
My eyes clash with hers and I see the reflective desire in them. She wants me too. As much as she might hate to admit it.
"What are you doing?!" Aurelia demands in an agitated tone.
I say nothing else as I crash my lips against hers. She tries to fight me off but soon, she gives in. Her mouth opens on a gasp and my tongue slips in, playing a game of tag with her tongue.
Sense and rationality finally comes back to me and I fling myself away from her. I hurriedly loosen the rope, dragging her off the bed.
"Get out of my room!" I say more harshly than I intended.
Aurelia doesn't wait for me to repeat myself, she rushes to my room door only to discover that it is locked. She looks back pleasingly at me and I make my way to the door.
"Don't think this is the end. I will punish you for trying to steal from me. I will make your first days here look like a walk in the park." I growl before slamming the door in her face.