CHAPTER FORTY ONE

A tingling sensation on my lips wakes me up. I flutter my eyes open to see Arcadio sitting beside me with a soft smile. He brushes my hair to the back of my ear and whispers, "good morning, Amore Mio."

A yawn leaves my lips. "Good morning," I snuggle close to Arcadio but stop when I look at his outfit. He is wearing his grey suit. The clock still says five in the morning and makes me frown. Where was he going at this hour?

"Don't frown early in the morning, Tesoro. Tell me what you want to ask." He chuckles after flicking my nose.

"Where are you going so dressed up, so early in the morning?"

"I have a meeting with a client, Tesoro."

"At this hour and that too in India?"

He smiles, "it's on a video conference."

"Why can't you do it here?" I whine.

With a smug look, he says, "Yeah, why not. Then Mom and Dad can join me too."

A horrific image came to my mind. I could imagine Dad sleeping within a few minutes of the meeting, while on the other hand, I could imagine Mom would be giving tips on how to run a mafia. I laughed so hard at the image. With me, Arcadio laughs as well.

With a smirk, I try to tease him. "Tell me honestly, Arcadio, if you are cheating on me." I scrunch my nose at him.

He laughs out loud and moves closer to my face. "Tesoro, do you think I would do that to you?"

"Hmm, what do I know?"

"Maybe you are right. I am handsome enough to have an affair." He states.

Suddenly the strings of my heart become sour, making me feel like needles poking my chest. The image of Arcadio surrounded by girls comes in front of my eyes. The memory still looks so fresh with him staying in the middle and the half-naked girls surrounding him. Bitterness comes on my tongue, and the words blabbered out. "How could I forget. It's not like it is your first affair."

Arcadio's expression changes. His smirk automatically turns into a glare, a death glare. There was a hint of guilt in his tone when he said, "I have already apologized for that night, Amore Mio. Have you not forgiven me yet?"

His hands cup my cheeks, making all the painful thoughts vanish from my mind. He lowers his face and briefly kisses my lips. "If you have not forgiven me yet, I ask for an apology again. I am sorry, Amore Mio, from the bottom of my heart. I promise you that I will never make the same mistake again. I will never let you go like that again." I could listen to the roughness of his voice.

Sniffing, I reply. "I forgive you. Yet if you did something like that again, trust me, I will kill you."

"Okay, Okay." He gives me a long kiss once again. "Now may I go, Tesoro. If I have your permission."

"Yes. Also, make sure you come back for lunch."

"Alright, I will." One last peck, and he left the room.

*****

"Ellie, are you going to sleep the whole day?" I hear mom yelling. I blink my eyes to bring myself into reality.

After Arcadio left, it didn't take much effort for me to go back to sleep. Especially after yesterday, I need to have this kind of sleep. Otherwise, I would've been dead by now. I knew Arcadio got jealous. Though never expected that he'll be jealous this much.

Honestly, I suspected his jealousy. However, after his interrogation in the bathtub, I realized that he was resentful about me meeting Adrian.

Flashback

I was relaxing my back on Arcadio's chest. He was soothing my body with his little massages. I was drowning in his touch and abruptly got alerted when he asked, "Tesoro, tell me honestly."

"Hmm," all I could do was a hum in response.

"Were you and that Adrian guy ever together?" I look at him with my side-eye. His face appeared so emotionless that one wrong word from me and he would burst out in anger. I hesitated a little yet still answered him.

"Yes, we were."

"When? Were you still with him when you came to New York?"

"No. We broke way before that. I was sixteen when I had a relationship with Adrian." I was hoping the questions ended, but they still kept coming.

"So he was your first love?" Saying this, he looks down at me. His piercing gaze stared at me as if trying to find answers from my soul. "People don't forget their first love so easily."

I look back at him nonchalantly. "Well, if your first love is a big jerk like mine, you would probably."

His hand holds my cheek. "Did he hurt you, Tesoro?"

I snickered, "not physically, at least." Arcadio's hold tightens, "do you want me to kill me. Let me know. I will tear his world apart just like his body."

A shiver of fear runs through my spine. Why can't I hold my tongue in front of Arcadio even after knowing what all things he can do?

Immediately I convert my expression into a smile. Move closer to Arcadio's face and give him a peck on his lips. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't want you to get into trouble. Also, it was all in the past. You don't have to worry about anything."

"Me....worry....about what?" He frowns, making me laugh. He covers my breasts with one hand and with the other cover my cl*t. "All this belongs to me. You said it yourself, Amore Mio, or do I need to remind you?"

With a flick of a second, my mood automatically turns on. With a smirk, I reply, "I might be starting to doubt a little."

I yelp as he inserts his fingers inside of me. "Then let's clear all your doubts."

"Ellie! Can't you hear me shouting?" Mom shouts at me.

I rub my eyes with wry lips, "why aren't you letting me sleep?"

"Do you know what time it is?" I look at the watch. "Mom, I know it's ten am. Please let me sleep?"

"Nope. After going abroad, you have started to become lazy. Go, I've prepared breakfast for you. For God's sake, you have a husband now. You shouldn't be laying around like this."

"Mom getting a husband doesn't mean I have to start doing chores."

She hits me lightly on my arm, "you have gotten this smart mouth from your Dad. Wait, let me tell him how his daughter is behaving." Mom goes out of the room.

I shake my head and get up from the bed. I look at myself in the mirror. Thank God! Mom ran away, or else she would've gotten a culture shock seeing me in just a t-shirt. After the bath with Arcadio, which lasted for more than expected time. I didn't have any energy to even stand on my feet. Which resulted in him dressing me in his T-shirt, which I didn't know he was wearing.

I bit my lips after remembering last night. Just thinking about Arcadio calling me Amore Mio brings goose bumps on my arm. My grumbling stomach wakes me up from the daydream. I have to rush out now. Otherwise, Mom won't give me any food.

"See, your princess, whom you have pampered so much. Here she comes." As soon as I came out of the room, changing into jean shorts and a new black oversized T-shirt, I heard mom accusing me.

"Let her be," Dad replies, looking at the laptop.

I grin at Mom. "See, I told you he wouldn't say anything."

Grumbling, Mom yells. "Yes, why will you listen to me now. Who am I anyway, just a housekeeper who does the chores."

"Ellie, stop making your mother upset. Listen to what she is saying." I gasp when I see my mom smirking. Oh, she is good!

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I follow mom into the kitchen. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Here, take this to the dinner table and eat."

"That's it," I frown. When Mom stares at me, I quietly take the plate of sandwiches to the table before she grumbles some more.

Then both Mom and Dad join me at the table, and we have breakfast together.

"So where is Arcadio? I didn't see him in the room." Mom asks.

"He was having a video conference meeting in the morning, so that is why he left," I reply while eating.

"When did he leave?" Dad questions.

"At five in the morning."

Mom shakes her head. "Learn something from him. He is waking up so early and going to work. You, on the other hand, sleeping all day."

"Dad!!" I whine.

Dad looks at me and nods his head. "I agree with your mother on this."

I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. "You know what, I am calling Arcadio and asking him where he is. He might be hungry." I hurriedly wash my hands. Then run to my phone and quickly dial Arcadio before I hear them yapping more.

The phone rings no one answers. I dial two to three times more, but still no response. It gets me agitated. Something like this has never happened before. I dial one more time, and the ring continuously rings, yet no response. I try to find Romero's or Julien's number. I find none. Why didn't I take their number?

Weird thoughts start hampering my mind. What if something happened to Arcadio? Especially in a new place like this. It might be all foreign to him. I need to find him and make sure nothing has happened to him.

Quickly wearing my converse shoes, I go near the front door and come to a halt when Mom calls out. "Where are you going?"

"Just to check on Arcadio," I run out before they could ask anything further.

Finally, huffing and puffing, I reach my destination. The same hotel where Arcadio took me. Remembering the footsteps from my prior visit, I make my way to the hotel room. Suddenly I get stopped by two of Arcadio's men.

"Sorry, this is a private room, Ma'am. You can't go in." One of the big men says.

I roll my eyes. "do you know who you are talking to?"

"I don't care. I can't let you in." He stays determent.

"Wait and think again. Would your Boss be happy when he hears that you have stopped his wife from entering and meeting him?"

Automatically the other man physically gulps. He elbows the big man. "Sorry, ma'am. We do apologize. He didn't know who you were."

He looks at the other man and nods his head. "Let her through." Automatically the big man moves aside.

"Thank you," I murmur and open the door.

"What the hell is going on?!" I cover my mouth from shock.