CHAPTER XIV

“Mrs. Romano?” A young guy stepped away from the shadows as if from nowhere. “Do you want to go to the garden?”

Mrs. Romano.

It was weird enough being referred to politely as miss by someone a lot older than me, but being called a missus of a man was something I’d never get used to. When I nodded distractedly, he began leading the way.

The fresh air aided in circulating my thoughts inside my head. All I had to do for now was remain passive until things settled down. Dante had no idea about Julian, or at least I hope he hadn’t found out about him yet. He was the only remaining option I had of ever getting out of here. There was Cristian Argento but he was part of Dante’s world. That was unfamiliar territory. With Julian, I was safe. I wouldn’t put him in too much trouble though. I just needed him to deliver a message for me if he ever saw my father. Gone were the days of daydreaming about a perfect life with him. It was wishful thinking anyways. I didn’t even know if I still wanted it. I just wanted to feel in control of my life again. It’d take time, but Dante would lower his guard.

Then I’d run as far away as I could from him.

“What’s your name?”

The guard’s back was to me, disregarding the fact that I had shorter legs and therefore couldn’t keep up with his fast pace. He kept his distance from me as though I was infectious.

“Caleb.”

“How old are you?”

“19.”

My eyebrows raised at that. He was almost as tall as Dante but his body leaned towards the lanky side. His face was harsh around the edges like he spent his time brawling men for sport.

“You’re awfully young.”

“Not for this work.”

“Have you been here long?”

“Since I was seven.” He noticed the horror in my silence as he added, “I was an errand boy.”

He stopped before an archway. It opened to a massive garden that went even further behind the maze-like hedges. The wind brought with it the smell of pleasant flowers and freshwater. Instead of passing under the arch with me, Caleb stood by the side. I tilted my head, beckoning him to join me.

“Well, now you’re my babysitter,” I told him, slightly teasing. I thought I’d get a scowl from him but he returned my humor with a small smile.

“Which, believe it or not, has more grave repercussions to my well-being if not done properly than a normal guard duty.”

He lightened up now and I actually found myself enjoying his company. I didn't have to be on-guard around him. I did have to keep in mind that he had no idea that I wasn’t Caterina.

“Did we two know each other before you know..”

“No. Not even on a casual term. Your father made it impossible for anyone to get close to you.”

My throat constricted. The more I learned about Caterina’s life, the more likely it seemed that she ran away and not been taken away. Her life sounded like a nightmare. Hell, even pretending to be her was pure misery. I took for granted the simple freedom I got from my own strict father. Even going to the garden, Dante made sure there was a guard assigned to me. Sadness suddenly weighed heavy on my shoulders. I felt sorry for Caterina.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Romano, I shouldn’t have brou—”

“It’s fine. Did you know anything about thei— I mean me and Dante’s relationship before?”

“No. You two were never seen together in public that much.”

And they were engaged by then? Clearly, their relationship was pure business. What was with that expression on his face the night of the wedding, then? Did he really not care about her? I may be inexperienced but even I saw there was more to it than lust.

“What I do know was the hell Dante wreaked after hearing what happened to you and your family.”

The massacre. I couldn’t imagine the scene that awaited him that day. What more will he do once he found the ones responsible for his fiancée's disappearance?

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“He never stopped looking for you.” His voice was quiet and his eyes were faraway as though relieving those memories.

I told Caleb that I wanted to explore the garden on my own and so, he left me to my own devices but still making sure that I was in his line of sight. A garden was the last thing I expected for Dante to have in his backyard, much less one as extravagant as this. There were so many varieties of flowers lining the path that he could have every species growing in here. The spacious lawn was perfectly manicured. The pebbled path led me to another opening where a pond took center stage, its waters trickling smoothly through a fountain. I walked over to it, admiring the soothing clarity of the water.

A huge thicket caught my attention. The colors of white, red, and pink were neatly arranged. I suddenly felt like a puppy, getting easily distracted by everything that I spotted. There was just so much to see. I moved over now to the strange flower. It resembled a rose but its petals were more pyramidal in comparison. A lot more interesting to look at than a rose.

“Beautiful aren’t they?”

I almost cursed at the voice that was unmistakably Dante’s. I turned around, ready to berate him but the words stuck to my throat. This was the first time I saw him after last night. He was in a simple black long-sleeved shirt and jeans, his hair in disarray. The sight of him surrounded by the softness of flowers and leaves made him look homey. Almost like a full-fledged husband. I felt myself flushed.

I looked back to the red flowers. “What are they?”

“Camellias.”

“I didn’t take you as a man who knows his flowers.”

“You’d be surprised.”

A lightning image speared through my brain.

“Little flower,” I murmured. He arched his eyebrow at me.

“That’s what you call me. Fiorellino. That’s what it meant, right?”

The corners of his lips twitched. “You know your Italian more than I thought.”

“I’m of average height in women, just so you know.”

“We met when we were little. That’s why.”

“Caterina?”

“Well, she was little. I was 17 at the time, already making a name for myself. Back then, I didn’t know someone as delicate as her would become mine.”

He touched the petals of one red camellia in soft strokes, matching the tone of his voice. This was the first he opened up to me of his past with Caterina and so I stayed silent. He moved to the pink-colored ones, his face deep in thought.

“That’s why I call her that. I think it has stuck ever since.” His gaze slid to me, cocking his head slightly to one side. “You think I need a new nickname?”

For a moment, it was like he’s really talking to me. Lucy. Not Caterina. Asking me what endearment he should use with the woman who was really meant to be here with him. I was feeling sorry for her earlier and yet, right now, something entirely different from it brewed inside of me.

I turned my head away from him and moved, putting distance between us. “I hope she turns up soon.”

“As do I.”

The sincerity in his voice was as clear as the white camellias. I distracted myself with them. This was what I wanted, to be acknowledged as Lucy, and yet I couldn’t stomach it now that he was doing it.

I don't want to talk about her anymore.

I lifted my chin up at him. “Are you happy?”

The random question caught him off-guard. He blinked, his dark eyes curious at the sudden shift in my mood. Then, just like a snap of a finger, his expression closed-off.

“I have you,” he said, as though that explained everything. “That’s all that mattered.”

A pink camellia abruptly blocked my line of sight. Dante was holding it out to me. He must have plucked one earlier without my notice. I took it, bringing it to my nose. I didn’t pick up any distinct smell from it which disappointed me.

Dante was so confusing. One minute he was treating me like an outsider and the next thing I knew, he was looking at me like I was the only person he cared about.

I couldn’t lie. It brought a thrilling sensation, making me feel alive.