8 A dangerous visitor
Author's note: this chapter is from Seraphina's point of view
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"Ciao!", a man from the tablet said while waving at me.
"Ciao!", I repeated and read the subtitle that showed the spelling and translation in English: 'Hello (informal)'. I knew this one.
"Grazie mille…", the man said with a smile.
"Grazie mille…", I repeated and read that it means, 'Thank you very much'. This one is a new expression, I should remember it. I repeated 'grazie mille' a few times in my mind before I tapped to move onto the next expression.
"Arrivederci!", the man waved from the tablet.
"Arrivederci!", I repeated while thinking that I knew that this one means, 'Goodbye'.
"Mi scusi, non capsico…", the man showed his palms helplessly, getting into the role of a man who does not understand.
This one will come in handy until I master the Italian language, I thought while repeating the phrase a few times.
When I was confident that I am pronouncing properly a phrase in Italian for, 'I'm sorry, I don't understand', I kept the tablet on the side and looked at the fountain in front of me.
This is now my favorite spot in the Italian garden that I can see from the balcony of my room. It's on the bench with a view of the fountain and the Mediterranean sea as the background.
The water relaxes me, and I wonder if that is new or I always loved the water.
Today is ten days how I arrived at this villa with Aldus, and I got used to the routine.
In the morning and evening, we do tests in his lab where he conducts a physical exam and collects samples. He said that if my condition continues to be steady for another few days, we will reduce these exams to once a day.
Every other day, I go with Aldus to the gym on the main floor and he makes me run and execute various exercises while he monitors my heart rate and performance. Other than that, once a week, I do the intelligence tests, similar to the ones I did in the car on my way here.
I have a lot of free time to roam the place which Aldus said I can explore as I please, as long as I don't leave the property or go to the second floor underground without him. The villa is massive with all the amenities one might wish for. My favorite is the spa-room because the staff is trained to give facials and massages. I go there almost daily and even though my skin is perfect, you can never be too cautious.
But even with all that pampering, whenever I remember that I can't leave the property, my mood drops. A few days ago, I decided to bring this up with Aldus.
"I am a prisoner…", I mumbled over my lunch.
"It is for your safety, Serina.", Aldus repeated for the umpteenth time. "Once you have the necessary knowledge, those two restrictions will be lifted."
"When will that be?", I asked suspiciously.
"It is not about the time, but about your skills. Let's start with the language…"
And that was the time when he spoke to me in various languages and we concluded that other than English, I know Romanian and a bit of Spanish.
I was flabbergasted by a variety of words and sounds that came out of his mouth. "How many languages do you speak?"
Aldus shrugged like it's not a big deal. "When you have nothing but time on your hands, you learn many things." He probably saw the disbelief on my face and decided to switch the topic to me. "The staff here speaks English, so you don't have issues communicating. However, I recommend that you learn Italian, considering that we are in Italy. That is one of the bare requirements for you to leave this property without me.", Aldus said with all the fatherly care he could muster, treating me like a toddler who asked to cross the street on her own.
I know that he is not my father, and I can see that this role is new for him, but so far he did nothing to make me uncomfortable (other than restricting my movements to this property that stretches for about 10 hectares) and he seems to genuinely care about my wellbeing, so I have no need to oppose him. For now.
Because of his suggestion, I decided to learn Italian, so here I am. He told me to learn basic phrases and then I can start using them when I speak with him or with the staff and my vocabulary will increase naturally.
"There is no better way to master a skill than to practice it.", he said with approval in his voice when I told him that I want to learn Italian. "Give it a few days and if you find that the current method is lacking, I can teach you in a more methodical way or hire a tutor for you."
A sigh escaped my lips. Sure, learning a new language is useful, but will that help me recover my memories?
The only thing I have as a connection to my past are unreliable scenes that come to me through my dreams where I see various places I don't recognize, people without faces, and then there is a boy I call Duke. He often shows up in my dreams, with his boyish grin and mischief in his blue eyes and I miss him when he does not make an appearance.
I know it's is silly, but it almost feels like I am getting ready for a date every time I go to sleep and if I don't dream about him, there is a feeling of dejection as if he stood me up.
I share my dreams with Aldus and he still believes that with the exception of Duke, other people from my past are not worth remembering.
I didn't believe that at first, but with every passing day, I can't help but wonder if Aldus is onto something. What if I was neglected by my family? Abandoned? Or am I an orphan?
Thanks to the computer in my room, I daily check the news, online forums, and missing persons in all English-speaking countries. It is two weeks how Aldus found me in the alley (assuming that his story is true), eleven days how I am with him that I remember. How is it possible that my family is not looking for me? No one is missing me? Not even Duke?
This last question caused a small pang in my chest.
Get yourself together, Serina, I told myself. How can I be sad that a boy from my dreams is not looking for me? That is ridiculous.
My ears perked up as the unknown footsteps approached me over the gravel path.
The staff moves in a softer way, and this is not Aldus. Who could this be?
I turned toward the sound and met a set of dark eyes locked on me. He paused his steps and straightened his back.
For some reason, I had a feeling like I am facing a predator as my hairs stood on ends. There was something primal and dangerous in his gaze that told me I should not look away because if I do, he will eat me up.
"Chi sei tu?", he spoke in a deep voice.
I swallowed hard and stood up slowly while my brain scrambled to figure out how to say in Italian that I don't understand. "Uhm… non capisco… English?"
He tilted his head slightly and his intense expression didn't change when he asked in English this time: "Who are you?"
"Seraphina.", I responded unconvincingly. That name was still difficult for me to accept as mine.
He made one step toward me, and I estimated that we are about ten steps away. For some reason, I know that those ten steps are not enough of a distance between us, and I stepped back.
He glanced at my legs as they moved backward, and an amused smirk slithered on his face.
"And you are? Are you visiting? Nice weather we have today, it's great for relaxing in the garden...", I tried to distract him with small talk.
I wanted to flee. I wanted to go into my room and lock the door because this man in front of me gave me the creeps.
He is a handsome man, maybe in his early thirties. Tall, broad shoulders, black hair that is neatly combed on the side and long enough to sway in the breeze, yet short enough not to conceal his sharp features or his unfathomable dark eyes. But his keen gaze that didn't leave me was unnerving.
I held my breath while waiting for him to respond, and my thundering heart matched the level of my anxiety. Why is he not responding?
He looked at me with a smirk as if challenging me to do something to provoke him. He made another step toward me, and another.
I swallowed a mouthful of air as I realized that he will not stop advancing and took a reflexive step backward.
In the next moment, he moved like a flash and I found myself in his embrace. Is this speed humanly possible?
I looked up at him, with my mouth agape in shock, and only then I realized how tall he is.
I tried pushing him away and breaking free from his hold, but it was like trying to move a mountain. The man would not budge.
My whole body stiffened when he leaned closer toward me and the intensity in his eyes was indescribable.
He lowered his head until his nose touched the crook of my neck and he took a deep breath.
"Mine…", he growled close to my ear and I was unable to prevent myself from shivering violently.
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