XXVII. The Truth.
. . . . .
"Finally you decided to call for me."
I turned to look at him.
"I have questions that you must answer, Dakari." I said firmly as my eyes narrowed.
The jerk stood there, seemingly unfazed, an almost passive demeanor in place. His posture was relaxed, arms crossed casually over his chest.
How annoying that he's still dashing as ever. Tsk.
"Questions? You always did have a knack for dramatics." He quipped, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips.
"Well thanks, you damned bastard." I sarcastically rolled my eyes. "Let's get straight to the point."
"Hmm. . . Ask away, my dear."
Still calling me in nicknames huh? Shameless guy.
I began walking towards him. "I heard them talking. . . Someone wanted to kidnap me. And I found out it was not you. Why did you claim that you're the one responsible for that?"
His expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he masked it with that infuriating calmness.
"Well? Explain." I looked him straight in the eye. Those blue eyes of his. . . It looks like it pierces through my soul. Looking through the depths of my thoughts, unraveling everything I wanted to hide.
This is why I don't like staring at him. It irritates me that I can't seem to read him but there's something in those blue orbs of his that kept making me intrigued and curious.
"I never wanted you to find out. . ." He began, his voice cold and dark.
What does that even mean? If he used his brain he could claim he saved the heiress of the Viviana family. Making us indebted to him.
What's going on inside his brain truly? Is he mentally ill?
"Do you even realize how foolish that sounds?" I shot back, my voice rising slightly. "You could have turned this situation to your advantage! Instead, you chose secrecy and deception."
"What you said is true." He nodded in agreement but his voice was so cold. It's unsettling. He stepped closer to me. "However. . ."
"However. . . What?" I pressed, despite him getting closer, I stood my ground and did not move. Our eyes remained fixated with one another.
"I'm a selfish person."
That made me raise a brow. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"By only doing that, your family will be indebted to our family, however, that process will never give me what I truly want."
Somehow, something tells me I already know what he meant, but at the same time, I don't feel like I do.
Is this another game of charades?
What's up with everyone speaking in riddles, I'm slow when it comes to this. Can't they just get straight to the point??
"Get straight to the point." I complained. My eyes narrowing further.
"You. You're the one I need."
This feels like deja vu.
". . . Tsk. I'm not in the mood for this." I shook my head disapprovingly.
He only chuckled. "I'm being truthful, Lucrezia. This is the only way I can have you. You refused countless times to sever your engagement with Zephyr, choosing to betray the agreement made decades ago for him. Won't you be pissed about it as well if you're in my place, Lucrezia?"
Might be, if I wanted the deal to be done badly. However, in my case, I do not want it.
"Actually, no."
"Well that's too bad." He said, shaking his head slowly, his black hair falling slightly over his forehead in a way that only added to his brooding demeanor.
The contrast of his dark hair against those piercing blue eyes was striking.
He sure knows he's handsome.
Eugh.
"Is that truly only the reason? Do you even know why I'm so adamant about not marrying you?" I questioned him once more, given his obsession towards me, his explanation was reasonable.
"Hmm. . . that is quite puzzling as well." He replied, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. He reached for my waist and pulled me closer, his gaze locking onto mine. "Won't you tell me?" he asked, his voice low and inviting, as if he were coaxing a secret from me rather than demanding an answer.
I felt the warmth of his body against mine, and for a moment, I was taken aback by the sudden closeness.
The way he looked down at me made it hard to think straight.
"You can't just pull me in like this and expect me to open up." I retorted, trying to maintain my composure.
"Why not? You're the one who piqued my interest about the subject." He countered smoothly, a sly smile creeping onto his lips. "You're clearly passionate about your refusal. Surely there's more to it than just your engagement to Zephyr."
"You're right," I said, my voice steady, "And it's all because of the fact that I can't stand you."
His smile faltered for a brief moment, surprise flickering across his features before he masked it with a look of feigned innocence. "Oh? Is that so?" he replied, tilting his head slightly. "And here I thought we had a connection. It can't be that that's the only reason you refused right?"
"You suspected our family for being a double agent." I bitterly spat.
"Well. . . Aren't the Viviana's like that?. . ." He leaned down and whispered to my ear. "Traitorous. . ." His grip on my waist slowly tightened. "Cunning. . ." He then bit my earlobe, making me gasp. "Deceitful. . ."
I pulled myself away from him and shot him a glare.
In which, I should've done sooner.
"Stop with the baseless accusations."
"You want proof?" He straightened up slightly, a smirk playing on his lips as he let me go entirely. "What if I tell you the person behind the attempt to kidnap you is your own father? Hmm?"
Lies.
I can see it in his eyes.
"Enough."
"Enough? Right. . . Of course you will be skeptical of me." He scoffed.
I couldn't take it anymore. In a sudden rush of frustration, I grabbed his collar, pulling him closer to me. "Tell me the truth!" I demanded, my voice low but intense.
"Calm down, my dear. I'm just messing with you. . ." He smirked, but then his expression shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "However, you shouldn't worry too much about the person who attempted to do something like that to you."
"What do you mean?" I tightened my hold on his collar.
Not worry too much? Did he do something?
"The guy is taken care of. No one will hurt you anymore, Lucrezia."
Taken care of?. . .
"What do you mean by 'taken care of'?" I pressed, my voice trembling slightly as a mix of fear and anger surged within me. "Did you hurt them? Did you kill them?"
"And what if I did?"
'Damn. Holy fuck. He can't be serious right?' I thought as I looked in his eyes for any hint of lies, however, much to my displeasure, he seemed serious about what he said. "Oh."
I mean. . . They had it coming? Right? Even if Dakari didn't take the matters into his own hands I would've gone after their heads as well. . .
"Are you really suggesting that you could kill someone without a second thought?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to process the implications of his actions.
He shrugged, a flicker of indifference crossing his features. "In our world, sometimes you have to make those choices. It's either them or you."
Right. . .
I should be used to this now. Mafias are just something else. . .
What if. . . I truly want peace? What if I actually desire for everyone to be at peace? No more violence. . . No more bloodbath. Just forgiveness and all.
Huh. . .
Wait, what's happening with me?
Oh dear. I can't believe I even fancied such an idea! How delusional I am. Such thoughts is not something I should entertain.
Well then. . . "Tell me who ordered to abduct me?" I'm sure he already knows who.
He always knows.
"Who do you think is the culprit hmm?. . ."
"Don't ask me back you jerk. I don't know!" I could feel my patience wearing thin as I glared at him, willing him to just give me a straight answer.
He chuckled softly, clearly enjoying my irritation. "Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll give you a hint." He whispered. "It's someone who stands to gain a lot from your disappearance."
"Stop with the riddles!" I snapped, crossing my arms tightly across my chest. "I'm not in the mood for games right now."
He leaned closer, his expression shifting to one of seriousness. "Fine. It's someone within the De Luca family. They've been watching your family for a while and see your engagement to Zephyr as a threat to their ambitions. That must be the reason why they wanted to abduct you."
"The De Luca family, you say?. . ."
"Do you recall any marriage proposal from their family?"
I furrowed my brow, trying to dig through my memories. "A marriage proposal? No, not that I can remember. Why would they propose anything to us?"
Hell. I don't even know if the De Luca family is an ally of ours or not. But given how they tried to do something like that to me. . . Yeah— they're far from being an ally.
"Listen here, Dakari. Just because you saved me from being abducted doesn't mean I forgive you for keeping me here with you."
"I guess that can't be helped." He only shrugged.
He backed up and his eyes roamed over my body all of a sudden.
"Hey. What are you looking at?" I growled. "You pervert. Tsk. Tsk."
He smirked, clearly amused by my reaction. "Just appreciating the view, Lucrezia. No need to get defensive."
Huh? The audacity of this man! Why is he always so shameless?! Is he not even embarrassed?!
"Appreciating? More like objectifying!" I snapped, feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment. "This isn't the time for that!"
"Fair enough," he replied. "But you have to admit, it's hard not to notice when you're so fiery."
"Stop trying to charm your way out of this." I shot back.
"Oh?" There's a glint in his eyes that made me feel uncomfortable. Then he smirked, leaning slightly closer. "You think I'm charming?"
I felt my face heat up at his boldness.
Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.
I should despise him right? But after knowing that he was not the one who abducted me and hit me at the back of my neck that time, made me feel somewhat at ease.
'I suppose I don't hate him that much anymore.' I thought to myself. "Tsk. Aside from that, what about your plan about us flying to Russia?" I asked, quickly changing the topic.
He only looked at me for a minute. "Well. . . We're going to marry there."
Guessed as much.
"Why does it have to be there?"
"So everyone will know the union of the two houses."
"Everyone is bound to know regardless. Besides, I'm sure we're not going to have a church wedding of some sort."
He only chuckled at my statement. "A wedding by law is nothing, it's best to marry in the church. I don't want us to have a civil ceremony."
"Are you crazy?" I exclaimed, incredulity spilling over. "Do you really think a church wedding is the right move for us right now?"
This will make things more complicated on my part.
He suddenly backed me up toward the wall, a grin spreading across his face, but his eyes were cold and piercing. His jaw clenched slightly as he leaned in closer, invading my personal space. "I already know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, Lucrezia." he said, his voice low and steady.
I felt my breath hitch in my throat, caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. "Oh really?" I shot back, trying to mask my unease. "And what exactly do you think I'm thinking?"
"You're planning on having an escape by only having a civil ceremony," he replied, his tone unwavering. "Divorce, annulment— everything will go easy if you ever want to end it all."
I didn't even think about that?
Damn. Now that he mentioned it, that's actually reasonable. But must I really know that?
"However, if we're married through the church. . . Divorcing your husband will be much more complicated than the usual."
I felt a knot tighten in my stomach as he continued. His blue eyes were still fixed on mine as I slightly wavered after each word that came out of his mouth.
"I really don't like my wife to give up on me. . ." His right hand tilted my head gently, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Much more. . . I want her to be always bound to me. Legally. Resorting to illegal methods is always an option also. However, I don't want her to be so scared of me."
I can only scoff. "Is that so? Get away from me will you?" I demanded after noticing our position.
"Fine." At that, he stepped back.
I can only sigh in relief when he actually complied and made it less of a headache for me.
I couldn't help but notice how stubborn he could be at times. He always loved to mess with me, pushing my buttons just to see how I'd react.
What a jerk!
"Come here, Lucrezia."
My gaze landed on him as he settled on the edge of the bed, looking more relaxed than before.
'I honestly don't feel like pissing him off. Might as well just obey then, huh?' I thought as I slowly walked towards his way. "What is it?" I haughtily asked.
"Just wanted to talk," he replied, his tone casual but his eyes serious. "I know things have been tense between us, and I want to clear the air."
I crossed my arms, trying to maintain my composure. "Clear the air? You mean after you just tried to corner me with your ideas about binding me to you?"
"Hmm. . ." He hummed and only stared at me. How fucking astute. "How are you feeling?" He suddenly asked out of the blue.
I raised a brow, "I'm good." I replied.
He only heaved a sigh and lowered his head. "I told you to not stray too far. . . What if the soldiers chose to shoot you when you went over the wall?"
And what? Get caught by him as I remained inside the villa? Is he joking?
"You said it yourself. That might be the only chance I'll be able to escape from you." I looked at him with a menacing glare. "Is it so wrong to take that chance to do so?"
". . ."
And now he's silent?
I can never understand what's going on in his head.
Both of us remained silent and my eyes can only observe him. He was wearing a fitted black shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders and toned physique, paired with dark jeans that clung to him in all the right places.
While I was covered in bandages, wearing a simple white dress that felt almost too delicate than the usual outfit I wore that was either flashy or bold.
"You're unpredictable. . ." He muttered coldly.
"And what's up with that?"
Isn't that a good thing? No one will know what I'm thinking. No one will be able to dictate my movements as I move by random, decide by random, and do thing by random.
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. "It's just. . . when you act on impulse, it puts you at risk. And when you're at risk, it puts me at risk too."
What's that got to do with him? It's not like if I punch myself he gets punched in the face as well.
Pssh.
"Stop looking at me with those eyes. You're looking at me as if everything bad that happened to you is my fault." I said.
He always looked at me like that in silence. Expression dim and hands steepled together.
He opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then immediately closed it again, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features.
Damn. Back to square one.
If he wasn't teasing me and smirking throughout our conversations like there was no tomorrow, he always remained silent.
Staring.
Observing.
Almost glaring at me with those blue eyes of his.
"Dakari." I started as I exhaled. "Look here. I'm not some sort of psychic that can read your mind. If you have something to say, say it." I snapped.
Yet, he remained silent.
He just kept looking at me that somehow made me feel unnecessary goosebumps.
"Hey. You're creeping me out. . ." I said, trying to break the tension. I still looked down at him as he remained seated on the edge of the bed, his expression inscrutable.
". . ."
So. . . Are we actually just going to stare at one another in silence now?
Or am I supposed to guess what's in his mind.
". . ."
?
"If you have nothing to say, g—" I started, I was cut off when he suddenly stood up from the bed and loomed over me. "Uh?"
I was taken aback by how much he filled my field of vision.
"I'm trying to figure out how to communicate with you." He replied, his voice low and serious. "You make it difficult when you keep shutting me out."
Seriously, what the fuck?
I don't even remember how many times I said fuck in this story of my life. Just. . . What the fuck?
"Don't you think it's normal to keep to myself when I'm supposed to be kidnapped." My words was not a question but a statement, sharp and unyielding.
". . ."
And again, the damned bastard is silent again.
"Earth to the devil. Why aren't you saying anything?" I narrowed my eyes.
"You mentioned that 'they' told you about the truth."
Ah. . .
"Hmm. . . If I recall correctly, there's this Laxei guy and some other guys, Mikhail if I recall. I happened to hear them talking while I was unconscious." I told him the truth.
Oh? Why did he ask anyway? Is he going to punish them? Haha~ Let them suffer!!
"Is that all?" I asked him. "Leave. I want to rest."
"I see. . . Rest well then." He walked past me. He spared me a glance and I notice the grim look on his face.
Judging by his reaction, I suppose I wasn't supposed to know that information then?
Too bad.
Goodluck to those fools.