THE THREAT

The best answer to a fool is always silence, sweetheart.

***

CHAPTER XIX

*****

“YOU HAVE A fiancée?” was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

My question shocked me just as much as I hoped it shocked him because I was really only expecting two types of reactions from myself.

A calm one where I would quietly relay his father's message onto him so I could get out of there as quick as possible or a terribly explosive one where I would rain curses and insults onto him without a single thought for my life.

I didn't expect to outright ask him for his version on things, but there we both were anyway.

He actually had the audacity to look confused as if he had no idea what I was talking about for a few seconds before a look of realisation dawned on his face and he rolled his eyes.

“Sure. If that's what we're calling it.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” I asked with a frown as I clutched the phone to my chest.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I helped you cheat on your fiancée!” I exclaimed, feeling like I was having a conversation with a brick wall. I was almost sure that a rock would have been more straightforward than he was.

“You didn't help me cheat on anybody,” he said, not taking me seriously and going back to look through papers on his desk.

“Yes, I did. I sle—” he suddenly grabbed my neck, but didn't apply any pressure and turned me to face him as I shut up obediently.

“Either tell me my father's message or shut up and get out,” he said, his voice low as I gulped down the small amount of fear I felt in that moment.

With a swift nod, I began talking. “He said that he called to let you know that he was coming over with your fiancée in two days.”

Daniel released my neck and I took a step back as he let out a loud exhale. “Shit.”

“Should I get the guest rooms ready?” I asked as he snapped his fierce eyes to me.

Instead of making eye contact, I dropped my gaze to the silver rosery hanging loosely on his neck. For some reason, it only drew me to him more.

“You know you ask stupid fucking questions, right?”

I looked up from his chain around his neck and met his brown eyes with my eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Was that rhetorical?”

He placed a hand on his forehead and dragged it down his face. “You asked that in your own complicated way of telling me you do. Just agree.”

“Okay,” I nodded my head. “Yeah. Sure. Let's go with that.”

We stayed in silence after that as I watched him expectantly.

“What?” he asked, his eyes sharp as the obvious exhaustion showed up as eyebags. I wondered how well he slept that night.

“Should I get the guest rooms ready or not?”

“Just get out.”

***

“So you're telling me that boss is engaged? And nobody knows?”

“I know! I was so surprised when I heard about it too.”

“Heard about what?”

Both Anna-Maria and I snapped our eyes to Lola as she entered the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and turned away once I noticed the smirk on her face.

“No one invited you to join this conversation, Lola,” Anna said, making Lola turn to us with a frown that we both knew was fake.

“Aww, are you not going to talk to me about your crush?” she asked with a small pout before letting out a loud laugh. “Oh, don't worry. You don't need to tell me about anything. I've already known that Daniel was engaged for a while now. I would've been able to tell you and prevent you from letting him bend you over his desk if you just asked.” I stared at her wide-eyed, feeling my stomach drop at her words. “Not that you would care, though. I think there's something about stealing people's boyfriends that pleases you.”

“H-How did you...”

“What?” she asked, leaning in with her arms crossed over her chest. “How did I know? I just happened to be walking down the hallway when I heard your voice. A small peek in was all I needed to get the full information.”

“Araceli, what is she talking about?” Anna asked, making me snap my eyes to her, finally realising that Lola and I weren't alone.

“Oh, don't worry about it, Anna. I'll fill you in completely. Araceli willingly let boss bend—”

“You shut up!” I exclaimed, cutting Lola off as I stormed over to her. Anna tried grabbing my arm to stop me from doing something stupid, but I tore myself away from her grasp and stopped in front of Lola's face as she smirked at me.

“Oh, so you do have a shred of shame within you. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about how you spread your legs for your boss if just follow my instructions.”

She smirked at me and my head reeled back as I realised that she was going to try and blackmail me. I knew the gossip about me being a slut was only going to get worse and more violent once the news came out, but I also knew that being blackmailed wasn't pretty.

Doing what Lola was going to want me to do was probably going to be worse than the gossip. So, unwillingly, I stepped away from her.

“Don't bother. I'm not going to be a puppet to your strings.”

Ths smirk fell off her face and her eyes narrowed on me as I took another step back. I had fully accepted that 'slut' was the only name I was going to go by for a while there, so it wouldn't hurt as bad if everyone knew.

At least all my other secrets were still locked away in my pretty pink box, for my eyes and my eyes alone.

“You can't do that,” she said, her voice uneven and shaky as I tilted my head to the side.

“I'm sorry, but that's how blackmail works. It's either you tell everyone about the fact that I slept with Daniel,” I turned back to Anna, hoping that she got that so I didn't have to repeat myself, “or I fall at your beck and call just to keep you sated so you won't spill my dirty secrets.”

“And you want me to tell everyone?”

“I don't want you to tell a soul, but like I said, I'm not going to become your puppet just to keep you quiet. Being a slave to you is worse than any rumour I would have to go through,” I shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant when in actuality, I was not.

She took a step back, shock evident on her face before she finally smiled at me. “Then I guess you won't mind that I tell them all the things he told you as well?”

“What things?”

“You know. The other things. About how you're nothing to him and how he just used you for the only thing you're good at; fucking.” I squeezed my hands into fists and tried to hold myself back from landing a slap onto her face. “You'll only ever be an easy fuck to everyone you ever meet. To boss, to Carlos. And everyone is going to agree with me. Because it's true.”

“Shut up.”

It was too late. My anger got the best of me and before I could control myself, I had lifted my hand and hit her right across the face. The red handprint that showed up instantly on her pale skin almost screamed louder than the actual slap itself.

She held her hand over her face, her eyes wide with shock as the tension in the room grew.

“Araceli, maybe it's time we go,” Anna said from behind me, her voice sounding frail.

It truly was only her that made me take a large step away from Lola and refrain from beating her into a pulp like last time. It was the least I could do.

“If you know what's good for you, I'd keep my name out of your mouth,” I warned before turning around and beginning to storm towards the door.

“Ara, watch out!”

Before I could turn around to ask Anna-Maria what was happening, I felt her hand grip my arm and pull me to the side.

Something whipped passed me and I stared in shock as Lola halted from her sprint and turned around to face me with an evidently angry face and a sharp knife in her hand. That was pointed at me and ready to kill.

“And if you know what's good for you, I would stay away from me,” she said, a fire burning in her eyes as her chest heaved up and down. “Believe me, Araceli, I will not hesitate to kill you if you cross me again because I am tired of you.”

The shock dissipated, and a blank look washed over my face as I crossed my arm over my chest and leaned my weight onto my left leg.

“You seriously think death scares me, don't you?” I asked, not taking her seriously.

I stepped up to her, met her face to face before wrapping my hand around the blade of the knife and ignoring the searing pain that shot up my palm.

I roughly ripped it out of her hand and, paying no attention to the crimson liquid that dripped off my palm onto the floor, I gripped the handle with my other hand and pointed it at her.

“Oh look how the tables have turned,” I said tauntingly as I held the knife now stained with my blood up into the light.

“Araceli, please calm down. Just put the knife down and step away from her,” Anna pleaded from behind me, but like the bad friend I was, I had to prove my point first before backing down.

I held the knife up to Lola's neck, watching how she gulped harshly while she still tried to keep up the brave front. She stood as still as a statue, only her eyes moving as she followed my movements.

“If I hear anything about what happened in boss' office, best believe I know who to come to,” I said, wiping off my blood onto her pale skin as her eyes followed my every action. “So you better watch what you tell people.” I then let out a loud laugh and stepped back, throwing the knife into the sink. “But that's only if you value your life more than I value mine.”

I turned away from her towards the kitchen's exit and began walking away, not bothering to spare her a second glance as I wiped the still bleeding cut on my palm onto my black uniform.

I heard footsteps come after me, but I knew it wasn't Lola because she was too shaken up when I left her to have recovered so quickly.

The suspicion was only confirmed as a mop of pale blonde hair appeared in my peripheral vision. Anna grabbed my hand and flipped it over to inspect my palm before coming to a stop and making me stop with her.

“Let me take care of the cut,” she said, rubbing small circles onto my palm, but I shook my head.

“No, I have to go and get the second guest room ready.” I tried to retract my hand from her hold, but she only tightened her grip around my wrist and pulled me the opposite direction of where we were going.

She shook her head and spoke. “It'll only get infected if you leave it open. Come with me to get it bandaged up and then I'll help you with the guest room.”

Even though it sounded like she was trying to convince me, I knew I didn't have much of a choice if the way she was pulling me meant anything.

Still, I shrugged my shoulders and gave her an answer. “Okay.”

*****

I'm going to be a good person for the first time in my life and tell yall that Lola is going to become an issue in this book.

Ahaha no one can ever beat my element of surprise.

And before yall start popping off on Daniel, just give it a minute. I don't like cheaters so there's no way I'm going to make the love interest one but, you know, drama and shit.