"What ?"she said, her voice shaking. She blinked repeatedly, hoping she had heard the wrong words.
"You must be joking, right?" she said. "How can you ask me to marry you ? I barely know you."
"And I barely knew you when I picked you up and saved your sorry life." He shot back quite angry.
Just then she flung the sheet off.
"I want to go home." she said, jumping out of bed and rising to the door.
He did nothing to stop her. Just staring at her and the memory she had before came flooding back. Roxanna's words came back into her head with a flash of pain.
"Ouchhhhh." She cried, holding the sides of her head as the pain almost drove her mad.
Again he did nothing to go to her, just standing there watching her.
Then she stopped staring at the door and then turned back at him.
"What ?" He said." You can go out. I thought you said you wanted to go back home. "
He was taunting her now and she knew it. Annette felt so embarrassed, she had felt so stupid at that moment.
What was she going back home to do ? Raphael had betrayed her and Roxana had pushed her down to her death.
Definitely she wasn't going back to die the second time she was going to stay with this good Samaritan and with his help she was going to get revenge.
"You look like someone I know." he tilted his head and gave her a hot look, staring at her small frame and disheveled hair.
Silence dwelled between them for some time, then she walked back to the bed in shame and sat there like an abandoned doll.
"I didn't try to kill myself,"she began." I just can't jump down from that height. "
"So how is that my business ?" He took a sip from the flute.
She glanced at him and pushed the anger in her aside.
Wasn't he the one who asked why she jumped down, and now he was uninterested, but she was going to tell him what happened though?
"Someone tried to kill me." She blurted out her tone laced with anger and sadness, but when she looked at him, there wasn't any sign of shock or surprise in his eyes.
But she went on with her story "My husband cheated on me and divorced me on our first wedding anniversary. "
Again he said nothing as he poured himself another glass of whiskey.
"So she pushed me down a bridge hoping I would die because she was in love with my husband. "
She finished her tale and was hoping he had said something, but his silence was deafening.
"I think the maids are done with preparing breakfast now," he said, and her eyes widened. This was not what she was expecting him to say.
Annette sat there staring at him, she was engulfed again in sadness.
She wanted to say something to him but didn't know where to begin.
Besides, even if she wanted to go back to Barcelona, who was she going to meet there ? Who would believe her ? She had no family members left and those she called family had done this to her, so there was no point leaving. She had rather stayed there.
But he wasn't going to accept this stranger's offer of marriage. She would work for him to get something in her bank account and start life afresh.
But while she was deep in thought, he kept on staring at her.
Just then a knock came on the door.
"Come in." he growled as a maid wheeled in a serving trolley, and Annette's eyes bulged at all that food.
She swallowed down saliva as her stomach rumbled, reminding her of how hungry she was.
Silently and obediently the maid arranged the meal and wine on the small dining table which was at the other side of the room which Annette hadn't seen. It was then she knew that the room was so large and magnificent.
It was as big as three offices combined.
After everything, the maid quietly left.
"You will only have some bananas and one slice of watermelon," he announced to her as she walked to the dining table.
"I thought you said the maid was bringing my breakfast?" She asked, surprised hitting her voice.
He gave her a dirty look." Did I tell you I run a restaurant? The rest of the meal is mine. "
She looked at the small plate which contained the bananas and watermelon and resigned to fate.
Then he began to walk to the door.
"When you are done eating you can get your sorry self out of my villa. "
"What ! "She said as fear drove through her heart like a hot knife.
"Please don't send me out. I have nowhere to go. "
"I thought you said you wanted to leave." He said, his back still turned to
"I'm sorry for that, but I realized that there is no use going back there. "
"My house is not a hotel. When you are done you should get out. "
"Please. "She begged ."You are my only hope. I can't go back there. I have no family. "
He turned to her.
"And do I look like I care?"
Then suddenly an idea came into her head." My name is Mariama." Annette lied just in case he had any thoughts of finding anything about her.
"I can clean, I can do the dishes, I can wash your clothes, let me work for you. Please do not send me away. "
"I have people who are ready to do that. I want you to get out of my house!"
As she stood there, tears dripping down from her eyes.
She thought about the revenge she wanted to get on Raphael, on his father, and on Roxana.
She needed money, power and fame to fight against them.
And she needed to get that money as soon as possible because she would be fighting a lost battle.
Being a maid couldn't get her that kind of money, not only that she needed a powerful man to stand by her side.
For revenge to be sweet and cold, it has to go along with wealth.
She prayed silently that the plan she had in her head would go on successfully.
Suddenly, without him realizing what was happening, she flung her small frame at him, stood on her toes and pressed a kiss on his lips.
She didn't believe she could do something like that which was daring.
When she broke the kiss there was a huge bag of surprise in his eyes.
"I will marry you if you help me bring to book those who try to kill me."