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If I was to marry, it needed to be someone I could control. The life they would lead would not be a kind one, not with me. What woman would want that burden? There was only one woman I would wish a life of pain on—the woman who had promised me a life together and then taken it away. I was about to make Katherine redeem that debt. To take what I am owed.
I drink until I can no longer stand.
Katie
Still unable to sleep, I hear the bedroom door open. It’s Leo. He wobbles in, mumbling something to himself. Undressing, he stumbles, clearly extremely drunk. I almost get up to help him, but I don’t want him to know I am awake. The room is dark, but I can just about make out the muscular shape of his body in the moonlight. When down to his boxers, he climbs into bed and lies by my side. I lie still and close my eyes. I feel him looking at me.
“Bella.”Beautiful.He whispers before turning onto his back and drifting off to sleep.
With even less chance of going to sleep now, I decide to make myself a drink. On my way to the kitchen, I hear muffled voices. I follow the sound to Leo’s office. I put my ear to the door.
“Lei non è un problema.”She is not a problem.
“Lei è già un problema Marco!” She is already a problem, Marco!I hear heels clicking against the floor, so I dash to the kitchen just as the door opens. I watch Marco escort out the woman I met this evening, the daughter of Mr. Guerra’s senior business partner. Mia, her name is, if I remember rightly. I wonder if Leo knows she is here. Marco kicks the door in temper as she leaves; this makes me jump, a gasp escaping my mouth. Marco turns to see me in the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing creeping around at this time?”
“I wasn’t creeping. I have come to make a drink.”
“Well, make one!” jeez, he is so abrupt. He disappears into the house, leaving me to it. I warm some milk in the microwave and make a milky coffee. Settling in the lounge with my teddy, I go through my phone. I have a missed call from an unknown number. Thinking it may be Damien, I make a mental note to ring him in the morning. Hopefully, he has found a way out of this situation. It’s a shame, as I have dreamt about meeting up with Leo for years. But this ultimatum is too much. He is crazy. This is not a life I want to be part of.
Scrolling through my social media, I get homesick. I hope Damien has some good news for me tomorrow. Eventually, I must fall asleep as I’m woken by Alga.
“Miss Katherine. I’m sorry to wake you. Are you alright?”
“Sorry, Alga, I’m fine.” I yawn and get up, wrapping a blanket Alga must have placed on me around my shoulders.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“I’d love some thank you.”
Sitting in the kitchen, I drink my coffee, enjoying chatting with Alga and Sergio. Sergio is prepping the food for the day, and Alga is cleaning and writing the shopping list. The mood changes when Leo enters.
“Get dressed; we are going out for the day.”
“Where are we going?”
“Out.”
I roll my eyes at him.
“Fine.” With one last sip of my coffee, I jump off the bar stool I’m sitting on and go to my room.
A blacked-out SUV waits for us at the front. Leo opens the door to the back and slides in after me. Marco is in the driver’s seat.
I sigh.
“What?” Leo demands after my irritated expression.
“Nothing. Good to see you,justMarco.” Marco ignores me.
We stop in a little town. Its beautiful old buildings with quaint shops have me smiling from ear to ear. I wander in and out of each one I pass excitedly. Leo tries to keep up, and Marco moans and groans two steps behind us. While Leo takes a call, I’m drawn in by some amazing-smelling candles. The gentleman in the store explains how he makes them.
“Would you like to make one?”
“I’d love to, thank you.”
He shows me the moulds, the coloured dyes, and all the different scented oils he uses to make them smell so good. I’m having a lovely time mixing the scents; for the first time since I’ve been here, I feel as though I am enjoying myself on holiday.
