"What sort of flower choice are these?" Xavier asked with a stone look, his sharp eyes scanning the assortment before him. "Are you planning to poison someone?"
"The kind you shouldn't let in your home," Vica responded, dropping the watering can with a soft metallic clang. She removed her gloves with deliberate slowness, revealing pale fingers smudged with dirt. Her touch lingered on the sprouting wolfsbane, her expression unreadable. Leaning closer, she inhaled deeply, a faint smile curling her lips. "For the big wolves," she added with a mischievous wink.
Xavier's brows furrowed in confusion, but there was no denying how her coy smile intrigued him. He stepped closer, his shoes crunching faintly against the gravel. "What are you up to, Vica?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. "I mean, daffodil? Hydrangea? Wisteria?" His fingers gestured toward the blooms as if listing evidence.
"Are you going commando serial killer?" he joked, though his laugh faltered as he noticed the other flowers: "Calla lily, velvet petunia, black rose, dark tulips. Are you... planning something?"
Vica didn't flinch. Her smile lingered as she moved to the velvet petunia, its petals gleaming like satin under the sunlight. " Death doesn't announce its visit, neither does it declare its method," she said evenly. Snipping the bloomed flower with practiced precision, she turned to him and held it out. "Take a sniff, will you?"
Xavier hesitated, his eyes narrowing before he took the petunia. "Thank you, sweet Vica," he said his tone light. He brought the flower close to his nose, inhaling deeply. "This is a great fragrance," he admitted with genuine surprise.
"I know that," she responded with a sharp edge of sarcasm, her lips twitching into a smirk.
Xavier didn't let go of the petunia, his gaze still fixed on her. "I have a gift for you," he announced casually, spinning the flower in his fingers.
"Let's hear it," Vica said flatly, wiping her hands on a nearby towel.
"Can I ask you something first?" His sudden intensity made her pause.
"My opinion doesn't matter. I'll answer if I feel like it," she said, busying herself by tossing trimmed leaves into a nearby bin.
"You've been here for a month now," he began, leaning against the counter. "But you haven't said my name. Not even once."
The silence stretched thin between them. The air felt heavier as if charged. Xavier's voice was soft but tinged with regret. "Why don't you say my name, Vica?"
She froze for a moment, her back to him. The faint sound of water running at the sink filled the space. "Paranoia," she muttered under her breath. Turning off the faucet, she grabbed a towel. "We communicate. I think that's enough," she said without looking at him.
Xavier pushed off the counter. "I have a job for you," he declared, his voice filled with the enthusiasm of a salesman.
Vica turned to face him, her expression guarded. "Did I tell you I was in need?"
"You don't have to," he replied smoothly, crossing his arms. "There's a vacancy in the industry, and you fit the position perfectly."
Her laughter was short and bitter. "I'm not educated. And you already know I'm a gangster. I don't have good intentions toward anyone I meet, because people are temporary. Does that make you rethink your offer?" she asked, tilting her head.
Xavier's smile faltered, replaced by a tight-lipped expression. He wasn't one to take rejection lightly. "That's not all I know about your past," he said, his voice rising. "I know enough to get you arrested, but instead, I'm offering you a decent job. Your thug friends are after you. The police might've abandoned your case, but I could get them back on track with a single call."
The color drained from Vica's face. Slowly, she extended her hands toward him, palms up, her gaze piercing. "Turn me in, then," she said, her tone ice-cold.
Xavier didn't flinch. Instead, he took her hands in his own. "Look, Vica," he said softly, dropping his gaze to her trembling fingers. "You can be better. You don't have to let the cold hands of your past life hold you back."
Her breath hitched at his words, and for a moment, she felt the warmth of his touch seep into her. It was... unnerving. "They aren't colder than yours," she retorted, her voice laced with defiance, though her hands betrayed her.
Xavier met her eyes, unshaken. "I won't turn you in," he said firmly.
She yanked her hands free. "Why? Why the hell wouldn't you?"
"Because you're going to do as I say," he replied, his tone calm.
Vica's laughter was sharp and bitter. "Don't think you can blackmail me into being your puppet. Everything I feared already happened to me. I fear nothing now."
Xavier smirked, a knowing look in his eyes. "You think you fear nothing. But there's one thing, Vica. One thing that terrifies you most, and I know what it is."
Her chest tightened, but she refused to let him see her falter. She turned on her heel and stormed off toward the mansion, leaving him standing in the garden. All she could think about was how to communicate with Shadow.
Xavier didn't chase after her. He stood rooted in place, watching her retreating figure until she disappeared into the distance. His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his reverie. He answered without taking his eyes off where she had just been.
"Any updates?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with impatience.
"Nothing yet, sir," came the caller's response in a clipped, professional tone. "She's not who she appears to be. Her life after the orphanage is completely off the radar—no records, no traces, nothing to go on."
"What about her family? Can they provide anything useful?" Xavier's voice was measured, but his fingers tightened around the phone.
"They won't be of any help, sir," the caller replied cautiously. "They're looking for her too, and if they catch wind that someone's digging into her past, they'll scatter. It'll make things harder."
"Keep digging, Dreco," Xavier instructed, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Talk to old friends, neighbors—anyone who might have been connected to her. Don't overlook a single detail."
"She doesn't seem to have any friends, that's for sure," Dreco commented dryly.
"Just do your job," Xavier snapped.
"Copy, Boss," Dreco replied before the line went dead.
Xavier stared at the phone for a moment before slipping it back into his pocket. His jaw tightened, his mind racing. "What's the truth about you, Maria Ludovica Russo?" he muttered under his breath. His teeth grazed his thumbnail as he paced slowly, one hand resting on his hip. "Whatever it is, I'll find it out. You'll have to tell me eventually."
He cast one last look at the spot where she had disappeared, then turned and headed back inside, his thoughts consumed with unraveling the mystery of her past.
~***~
Vica walked into her bedroom after breakfast, her senses immediately alert. The faint scent of cologne—a blend of cedarwood and citrus—hung in the air. Her gaze darted to the bed, where Xavier sat casually, flipping through the pages of the novel she'd been reading.
She hadn't seen him at breakfast that morning. When she had glanced around the dining room, Lizzie had informed her that Xavier was eating in the study.
She placed the folded newspaper on the coffee table, her movements deliberate.
"I think Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is a classic worth reading," Xavier remarked, closing the book with a quiet snap. "But Charlotte Brontë... now she makes reading irresistible."
Vica raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he stood, adjusting his perfectly tailored suit. His movements were fluid, and deliberate, as though every action was calculated for effect.
"I see you enjoy the classics," Xavier observed, his piercing eyes meeting hers.
"I settled for Brontë because your library only has a few books in my preferred genres," Vica replied her tone even.
Xavier chuckled, the sound low and rich. "And I suppose In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is one of the few you could find?"
"Yes, but…" Vica hesitated, surprised by how easily he had picked up on her reading habits. She perched on the arm of the couch, studying him warily.
"But you also enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee," Xavier finished her sentence, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Vica blinked, caught off guard. "Uhh… yeah, I did."
Xavier noted the brief flicker of vulnerability in her expression, a small victory in his eyes. For once, she wasn't wearing her usual mask of indifference.
They both took a deep breath, exhaling in unison.
"'Remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird,'" they said simultaneously, their voices overlapping.
Vica chuckled softly, the tension in the room easing. "Oops. Looks like we're both fans of Harper Lee." She cleared her throat, her voice catching slightly as if an invisible weight had settled there.
"I'd love to discuss the classics with you, but we're running late," Xavier said abruptly, stepping closer to her.
He reached out, his hand brushing lightly over her head. "Pick one of the dresses on your dressing table and meet me downstairs in ten minutes," he instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Vica frowned, suspicion flaring in her eyes. She knew exactly where he planned to take her. "I'm not going," she declared firmly, crossing her arms.
"I didn't ask if you wanted to," Xavier replied smoothly, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. "Hurry up." He strode out of the room, leaving her no chance to protest further.
She let out a heavy sigh, Shadow's warning echoing in her mind. Play by his rules for now. Don't give him any more ammunition to use against you.
Walking into her dressing room, Vica eyed the dresses laid out for her. A small smile tugged at her lips as she picked up a pair of suit pants. Let's see how he handles this.
When she stepped out of her room, the soft click of her heels echoed against the hardwood floor. The tailored suit fit her perfectly, emphasizing her confident stride.
As she descended the stairs, she caught Xavier's eyes fixed on her. His usually composed expression faltered, his lips parting slightly in surprise.
He recovered quickly, adjusting his tie and clearing his throat. "You clean up well," he said, his voice quieter than usual.
Vica stopped a few steps above him, her chin tilted slightly upward. "I take it you're surprised," she replied coolly.
"Not surprised," Xavier countered, a faint smirk forming. "Just impressed. Shall we?"
Without waiting for his offered arm, Vica brushed past him and headed toward the door.
Xavier chuckled, following her closely. "Still playing hard to get?" he murmured as they approached the waiting car.
She glanced back, her gaze steady and unyielding. "I'm not playing anything. You're the one with all the games."
He opened the car door for her, his smirk deepening. "Perhaps. But trust me, Vica—I always win."
Sliding into the car, Vica ignored him, her face impassive. Her thoughts churned as she stared out the window, her reflection staring back. Let him think he's winning. He won't find anything unless I let him.
Beside her, Xavier leaned back in his seat, his sharp eyes watching her. The corner of his mouth lifted in a knowing smile. You can keep your secrets for now, Maria Ludovica Russo. But I'll uncover every last one of them.