CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

I was currently in a never-ending nightmare. The past few days felt like a dream right now. Even the man that I was living that dream with was now changed. I should expect all these things that Arcadio mentioned coming back to the Villa. But there was a slight hope left in my heart. It was about to get destroyed any minute now.

The change began from the moment we entered the gates of the Villa. His hand that looked not ready to leave my hand immediately moved away when the gates opened. His body that stayed closed to me and made me feel secure was at a distance from me, and it made those insecure feelings that were past me come back.

Hurt was what I was feeling. It seemed as if those days meant nothing to him, and I felt as if he used me, which is why I was sitting in his room alone. It was now our room, according to Leo. She was the only one excited to know the information that was reluctant to give and denied her by claiming that I was too tired to say anything. Where in reality, here I was bawling my eyes out while the person I thought cared about me was in his office working.

A part of me knew it was stupid even to think such nonsense, but I was an emotional overthinking fool who was thinking the worst of her, because of which I was scared that I made a fool of myself trusting him.

It was all. I have had enough of this. Getting up with motivation, I went straight to Arcadio's office. If this was all a joke for him, and now the laughter ends.

As I am about to twist the doorknob, a voice startles me from behind. "He's in a meeting."

The voice belonged to none other than Roger. Arcadio's extended family. "I don't care. I want to see him now."

He immediately grabs hold of my hand before I could open it. "I can't let you do it."

I glare at him. He laughs at it, "if you think that cute scowl is a glare, you need to do a better job because that won't scare anyone."

I do the only possible thing in my mind. I shout, "ARCADIO!"

"Arc...." In a second, Roger is shutting my mouth tightly with his hand.

Suddenly Arcadio's office door opens, and my blood runs cold. My insides start shivering with fear. I want to run instantly, but my feet froze at their spot.

All this because a man was standing in front of me, not Arcadio but the man whose creepy smiles makes me scared to death. He was the man who was about to punish me but couldn't do a thing because Arcadio came on time. I repeat that scenario in my head again and again. What if Arcadio hadn't reached on time that day?

I am about to lose my balance when I felt Roger putting his arm around my waist tightly.

The man looks up at me and smirks. The same defiled smirk that still gives me a nightmare. "So, I see Arcadio hasn't still taught you manners?"

He closes the gap between us, and I lean into Roger further. He whispers, "give me a night, and I'll teach you everything."

"Our meeting was over, Mathew. Leave." Arcadio's voice booms from behind the man. He is wearing a shirt with pants. His death glare was directly looking at the man. Mathew gives a mocking chuckle, but he walks out.

Arcadio looks at me, and something crosses over his face but turned away and said, "inside, now."

Roger's hold gets loose from around me. "Go."

No matter how long I stay with these people. I would never understand the concept of them using one-word orders. Yet without making any comment, I move inside the office.

Arcadio is standing in front of his window. His back towards me, and I could feel the tension radiating from his body.

"Why do you always have to create a scene?"

I gasp at his words, "are you serious?!"

He turns back at my outbreak and is about to say something. I stop him with my hand. "Don't you dare complete that sentence! I've had enough of this."

I walk up closer to him. Now that I am standing close to Arcadio, the little tingles that I felt were filling me again. "Just answer me one question. No smart-ass answers or the silly orders."

When I get no response from him, I keep going. "Tell me, was it all a pretense?"

He returns me a deadpan look. "What all are you talking about?"

Folding my hands in front of my chest, "what we had between us these past couple of days. I thought you and I were getting somewhere in this marriage."

Arcadio stays silent as if thinking about what to say. "Are you talking about the sex?"

The way he says it confuses me. It makes me slightly uncomfortable. "Why do you say it like that?"

A malicious smirk leaves his lips, increasing the unwanted feeling inside me. "So how should I say it? That we were making love, c'mon Ellie."

Realization hits me like a truck. How could I have been such a dumb person? A part of me was right. I did make a fool of myself.

"Um..." I wanted to shout at him. Yell at him while inquiring that how could he be such an asshole! But nothing came out because I had brought this on myself. I always knew how he was, and I chose to believe him. It was the result of my foolishness and naïve self.

He inches close to me. Previously the closeness between us used to make me feel comfortable and safe. Yet now, I can't wait to run away from him. His heartless distant behavior was back.

"Answer me, Ellie. You thought I was in love with you after just one night of sex?" I tightened my fist.

However, he did not notice anything. He kept rambling on. "Sweetheart, let me tell you in the language that you would understand. I don't do love. Especially, I don't need love for a girl to spread her legs for me."

That did it for me. The endearments that Arcadio spoke about before now looked like a joke. I closed our gap between us, and all my anger gave him a tight slap. The sound echoed his whole office. Tears brimmed my eyes, but I was not going to give him the comfort of seeing me cry. So, holding my head high, I walked out. I could hear his swear words behind me. Too bad I just flipped my switch.