CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

"Dio, is the food okay?" Mom asks Arcadio softly.

"His name is Arcadio," Dad corrected.

"Oh no. you can call me Dio. My mom used to call me that. Also, Mrs. Amarel, the food is delicious."

"Don't call me Mrs. Amarel outsiders call me that. Call me what Ellie calls me." I was grinning like a buffoon during the entire conversation. It was cute to see Arcadio trying to have a proper conversation with Mom.

"Speaking about your mother, where are your parents? Will they be coming to meet us or not?"

"Da-"

Arcadio interrupted me. "Both my parents are dead, Sir. But I have two brothers and a sister."

"Why would you ask such a question?" Mom questions in Hindi. I'm sure she must've elbowed him as well, seeing the flinched reaction coming from Dad.

"I'm sorry." He says politely.

"And what is with this Sir business? Call him what Ellie calls him." Mom's insinuation to Arcadio for asking him to call what I call them is indirectly asking Arcadio to call them Mom and Dad. I wait for Dad to argue, but he stays quiet.

"How long are you planning to stay in India?" Dad asks.

"As much time Ellie wants to stay, Dad." He smiles at me and squeezes my thigh lightly. Was he genuine, or did he say this to look good in front of Mom and Dad?

"Good because even if you have married so hastily, there are still some rituals that you need to follow."

"Okay, Dad." I smile with my head lowered because I can feel the smirk coming from Arcadio after he called him Dad. Again the silence fell over the dining table.

"Are you both planning to go out somewhere?" Mom asks me.

"No. I haven't planned yet."

"Why Ellie? It is his first time here, so show him around," she starts instructing.

I frown, "I don't think he wants to, Ma. Plus, he just landed yesterday. I'm sure he is tired and must be having jet lag."

Arcadio raises his eyebrows at me. "I would love to go outside. But if only we have your permission."

I glare at him. "See, he wants to go, yet you the lazy one, forcing him to stay home." She turns to him. "Son, don't let her bully you. She will sleep the whole day if you ask for her opinion."

"Mom, you can't say something like that. I am not." I whine. "Dad, look what Mom is talking about."

"Sorry, kiddo. But your mom is right. You have been staying home since you returned. At least because of Arcadio, you will step out of the house."

"Ah! I see what you're doing there. You've just met him now, and you're already taking his side. Fine, I'll prove you. Arcadio be ready in fifteen minutes. We are leaving." I take my empty plate and go towards the kitchen. I stomp my feet on the ground when I hear laughs coming from behind me.

"When will you stop sulking?" I glare at Arcadio.

He automatically raises his hands in surrender. "I'm not complaining or anything, simply asking."

"It is all your fault!" I grumble.

He gasps, "mine? How come?"

"I would've been sleeping peacefully. If it wasn't for you," I fold my arms in front of my chest.

He smirks at me, which irritates me more. "See! You did knowingly. You like annoying me."

"Maybe I do." He softly says.

"Aghh! I hate you."

After breakfast and I burst out. I changed into my sundress, the black casual heels, took out my favorite purse that I had accidentally forgotten in India while I packed everything, then moved out after putting on a red lipstick.

Arcadio was waiting right outside the door. He was staring at me from head to toe. Out of nowhere, he moved closer, and my reflexes kicked in and I shut my eyes. "You look beautiful," he softly pecked my forehead. My cheeks started burning. One word from him makes me swoon. Control, Ellie!

"So, have you decided where you will take him?" Dad asked as we stepped inside the living room.

"Haven't decided, Dad. Do you want to suggest something?"

"Why should I? Did you ask me to come with you?" He said, sulking. If you look closely, then you could even see pouting lightly.

I acted like I got offended, "Did I say no?"

"Why are you trying to sabotage their date? Huh, tell me." Mom suddenly comes from their room. She turns to me, "and why are you listening to this old man? Go, you are making Dio wait."

"I think I would need to call my dear brother and tell him that he is not your favorite child anymore."

"Yes, yes, go tell him. As if he will listen to you. Now go hurry up and come back soon. Also, don't eat any rubbish outside. I will prepare something healthy for you."

I joined my hands in front of her, "yes, mother. Anything else?"

"No, go."

We were sitting in the hotel room. It was so silent inside. After leaving my house, Arcadio brought me to the hotel room where Roger was waiting with the other guards. My heart stopped the moment I stepped inside the room. It looked more like his lair. There were computer screens spread out with men filling the room. Yet as soon as we entered the room, everyone got out. Arcadio can talk to Roger and Julien in private with me sitting at the side.

I got a panic attack when I saw the outside of the house on the screen. "Arcadio."

"Yes, Tesoro?"

"Are there cameras inside?"

Arcadio finally addressed the scared expression on my face. "Yes, Tesoro." And that is when after hearing his words, my heart starts jumping in fright. My hands got cold, and my knuckles went white.

He moved beside me in a rush watching me in this state and holding my body between his arms. "Breathe, Tesoro." He picked me up in his arms and laid me down on the couch. Slowly rubbing my hands in his, he whispered calm words.

Hearing his gentle words made my panicked self steady. The thought of Arcadio watching a video of me killing his man was making me anxious. Why did he look so at peace? Wasn't he supposed to be angry at me? Shouldn't he start yelling at me by now?

I gazed at him with hooded eyes. He was kneeling on the ground. His face was right in front of me, and his hands held mine tightly on my lap. Tears automatically burst out of my eyes drop by drop. The thought of him getting repulsed at me after I confess the truth was crushing my heart. I drop my head low, not being able to look him straight in his eyes.

"Arcadio.....I'm so...sorry."

He cups my cheek and raises it above. Wiping the tears with his thumb, he asks, "why are you sorry for Tesoro?"

The question angers me. As if even after knowing the truth, Arcadio was patronizing me into admitting it by myself. "Don't act like you don't know?!" If he wanted a confrontation, then I would give it to him. The sooner this thing gets over, the sooner it will get over, and the sooner I will get rid of this burden in my chest.

"Tesoro," the frustration in his tone was crystal clear, "how many times do I have to tell you that I won't know things until and unless you don't tell them to me?"

He interrupts me, "you always reach a certain conclusion thinking I have some superhero sh*t that can read your mind. Stop jumping to conclusions and tell me right now."

"I was..."

"Sir, the cameras are still showing no records," one of Arcadio's men enters the room without knocking.

"Aghh," Arcadio yells. "Who told you to enter without my permission?" He angrily gets up, but I pull him back down. Julien moves from his place and takes the man outside.

I take this chance to divert the conversation. "Don't. I'm fine now. Can we leave? We are already late."

He gives my hands a light squeeze, "you got me worried there, Tesoro. There is no hurry. We are not leaving until you tell me what happened to you before." The coherent words were enough to know. If I tried to make excuses, he would be definite about me hiding something.

"I don't know, but seeing those cameras made me panic.....The tho-thought of someone watching me agitates me...I don't like it...." I say the first thing that comes to my mind after shutting my eyes. It frustrates me too. "Also, why the f**k there were cameras in my home in the first place?"

He brings my hands close to his lips and kisses them. "You don't have to panic about anything. I'm sorry, but after you left, it made me scared. Scared that something would happen to you. That was the only reason the cameras were there. Also, the cameras are only in the living room and the hallway because it keeps an eye on the gate. That's it."

"And Ellie, the screens are shut off when you are inside the house alone for your privacy. Just like how it was yesterday." Julien adds from behind.

"Then why he says no records?" I raise my head and look at Julien, who comes back and stands beside Roger.

"He said that because we don't have any records of the hallways and the living room. Even if the screens were off, they would still record something. However, there was none."

"What did you just call her?" Arcadio intervenes in between. Oh, what now?