Chapter - 4

Vincenzo's estate was a larger than life Victorian style Villa with a regal decor, lavish furniture and a royal, yet dark esthetic with it's hues of navy blue, brown and gold. Vincenzo guided Sofia up a winding staircase before turning left and walking down a carpeted hallway, his hand never leaving the small of her back.

Stopping in front of a dark hardwood door, Vincenzo pushed it open. "This is going to be your bedroom for the duration of your stay with me."

Sofia nodded, taking in the bedroom. It was easily twice the size of her entire apartment. "It's beautiful," she stated, walking further into the room.

Painted in the same colors as the hallways, complete with a large king sized bed, vanity and a tastefully selected matching sofa set off to the side, the room was beautiful.

"I know," Vincenzo replied. "I've already had Antoinette, my caretaker, get clothes and make up for you," he added, nodding towards what she now noticed was probably a walk in closet.

"And how did you know my size?"

Vincenzo smirked. "I have my ways."

Sofia shook her head at him. He had obviously planned this weeks in advance if he already had clothes her size in this room. "I'd ask what those ways are, but you wouldn't tell me so I won't."

"Smart move on your part."

"I know."

"Sleep. We'll talk more when you've rested some."

Sofia nodded at him, beginning to take his coat off. In two long strides, Vincenzo was standing in front of her, his hands on her shoulders preventing her from taking the coat off.

"Keep it," he ordered, clenching his jaw, his eyes smoldering with a heat that wasn't there moments ago. "I won't be responsible for what happens if you take it off right now."

Sofia looked down at herself. She was still wearing her bustier from before underneath. It took a moment for the meaning of his words to truly sink in and she felt her cheeks heat up when it did.

"Oh," she murmured, suddenly feeling shy.

And then he was gone.

Sofia sighed, looking around the room once more. She went over to the walk in closet, deciding to find something to change into.

Much to her surprise, the closet was full of clothes ranging from elegant gowns, professional pants and shirts to casual jeans, tops and comfortable lounge wear. Picking a plain white t-shirt, black pants and a towel, she made her way to the only other door in the room which she was guessing was an en-suite bathroom.

Her guess was proved right when she opened the door and took in the lavish bathtub on the far wall of the room along with the shower stall next to it. To her immediate right was a large mirror that spanned the entire length of the wall, ending just before the built in bathtub, placed so you could see yourself while showering if you so wished.

She walked over to the bathtub and opened the taps to fill it up, letting her eyes roam around the room while she waited.

Suddenly, her eyes fell onto a small black button with a red light in the middle placed right below the LED light in the room.

Was that a camera?

Her eyes narrowed as she walked closer to it, hopping up onto the closed toilet seat so she could reach the small button like device.

Upon closer inspection, she realised that it was indeed a camera, one that was facing the shower stall directly. Vincenzo had another thing coming if he thought that he could get away with placing a camera in her bathroom of all places.

Anger flaring anew in her chest, she slipped on a robe and walked into the bedroom, knowing that if there was a camera in the bathroom, there damn well would be one in the bedroom as well.

With hawk like precision, she let her eyes roam the room until she finally found the small device placed underneath the AC. It would provide a vantage view of the entire room to whoever was watching.

Without giving it another thought, she picked up a bedside lamp and threw it at the small device. It fell down with a loud crash after hitting it's intended target.

The red dot on the broken device blinked a few times before shutting off completely. Then she picked up the lamp and did the same to the camera in the bathroom.

Unable to hold in her anger, she picked up the other bedside lamp and threw it onto the floor with a loud crash for good measure, breathing heavily by the time she was done.

Who the hell did he think he was, invading my privacy like that? She thought to herself furiously. He had no right to be putting cameras in her room like that, least of all in her bathroom. She had already sold her soul agreeing to work for the mafia like that, she refused to let what little dignity she had left be taken away as well. She refused to be a thing of entertainment and give him and his men a peep show whenever they were feeling frisky.

As she sat fuming on her bed, her face red because of her rising anger, the door to her room suddenly sprang open, hitting the wall behind with a thud.

On the other side stood Vincenzo, with his gun drawn and two other men right behind him with their guns.

When he took in a positively angry Sofia sitting in the bed with no one else in the room, he put his gun down, his beautiful features concocting into a frown.

"What happened in here, gattina?" He asked, walking further into the room.

When she simply stared at him, too furious to say anything, he continued, "I was told the cameras turned off a few minutes ago and then loud crashes were heard from your room. I thought something bad had happened to you. But everything seems alright here? Are you okay?"

"The cameras. Yes," Sofia finally said, her words deliberately slow as she looked up at him, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "What makes you think you can put cameras in my bedroom and bathroom without informing me first? What makes you think I'd be okay with it? And my bathroom? Really, Vincenzo? What kind of a sick pervert are you?"

Understanding dawned on Vincenzo's face at her words even as he clenched his jaw in anger at his words. Turning to the two men who had been accompanying him, he said, "I'll handle this. Leave."

The men simply nodded before leaving, quietly shutting the door behind them.

"You will not disrespect me in front of my people," Vincenzo said through clenched teeth, his hands balled into fists as his sides as if restraining himself from doing something he would regret later.

But Sofia was far too angry to care about any of that. "You shouldn't do disrespectful things then," she shot back.

"Those cameras are there for your protection, you idiot," Vincenzo replied, clenching his jaw in irritation. Any harder and he would probably end up breaking a molar or two. Good, Sofia thought, it would serve him right for being such a jerk.

She couldn't help but scoff at his words. "Protection, my ass. The camera was pointed directly at the shower."

Vincenzo let out a breath through his nose, clearly trying to reign in his temper. "Do not flatter yourself. If I wanted to see you naked, Sofia, I would. And it won't be through these bloody cameras," he told her, his voice dangerously low as he took a slow, almost threatening step forward. That paired with the look on his face made Sofia want to crawl away from him, not because she was scared of what he would do to her, but because she was scared she wouldn't stop him if he did.

Unable to resist teasing him, she said, "Is that what you want, Mr Moretti? To see me naked?"

Vincenzo closed his eyes for a moment, tilting his head heavenward as if asking for some divine intervention. When he opened them again, they were a shade darker. "You are trying to tempt me. I can, however, control my impulses very well."

Sofia gulped as he raked his eyes over her body, making her core ache.

Taking a step away from him, she said, "Really? Are you sure you're not at least a little bit trigger happy?"

The smirk he awarded her with was positively devilish. "You sure hope I was, don't you? Are you disappointed, gattina?"

Sofia cleared her throat, refusing to take the bait. "If the cameras are really for protection, you can have one in my room. But no cameras in the bathroom. That's non negotiable."

He chuckled. The sound was dark, ominous. "It's cute how you think you can negotiate with me, gattina," he said, stepping forward and running a finger down her jaw. "Need I remind you who works for whom?"

Sofia fought the urge to lean into his touch. "Don't tell me you're going to punish me, too, master."

His eyes sparkled with renewed interest. That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say. "I reckon you wouldn't be able to take the kind of punishment I have in mind for you," he murmured, his voice silky smooth. "So, I am letting you go with a warning this time."

Much as she wanted to, Sofia refrained from messing with him. This was not a path she wanted to go down with him just yet, if ever. "How very diplomatic of you," she said instead.

Vincenzo let out a sharp laugh. "Trust me, gattina, you do not want to know how undiplomatic I can be."

There was an undeniable promise in his tone, of what he did, who he was. And it scared her shitless.

"I understand," Sofia whispered, unable to look him in the eye.

This was not a nice man. This was a man who could kill without a moment's hesitation. And Sofia would do well to always remember that if she wanted to survive in his world.

"Don't be afraid, gattina," came his voice, softer than she had ever heard it. "Do as I say and I'll make sure nothing hurts you."

"And if I don't?" She couldn't help but ask.

He gave her a small smile in reply. "Let's hope it does not come to that."

Before she could say anything, he turned on his heel. "Get ready soon, we have things to discuss."

Then, he was gone, leaving a troubled woman behind, who was wondering if all this was worth it.