SCHEMING

People have the ability to twist what you say so watch how you talk, babe.

***

CHAPTER XXIII

*****

I WOKE UP confused and completely disoriented the next morning.

A sense of panic instilled itself within me as I sat up, took in my surroundings and realised that I didn't recognise the place. The covers fell off my chest, revealing my exposed tits to the air and, as I sat, a small ache erupted from down below which only made me all the more worried.

But then the memories of last night came flooding back into my head and I let out a sigh of relief when I realised that I was only in Daniel's room.

I turned to the space beside me, expecting to see his sleeping form laying next to me, but not really coming out surprised when I didn't.

The pillows and the covers on that side were completely fine, giving me no proof that he had even slept there at all last night.

With a shrug, I decided not to think much about it and to instead carry on with my day. I stepped out of the bed, curling my toes up once my feet made contact with the freezing cold, hardwood floor. I tiptoed around the room, gathering every garment of clothes that belonged to me and throwing them on until I was in my full uniform.

I was only wearing it so I looked decent walking around the house. I didn't tend to wear the same uniform twice and I still felt icky from the dry sweat that clung to my body. And I probably smelt like sex too.

I looked around the room, even looking into the ensuite closet and bathroom just to make sure it was empty before heading towards the door and stepping out.

Taking one final look into the room, Daniel's words from last night popped into my head.

"Tomorrow night, I'll blindfold you."

A smile graced my lips as I closed the door completely behind me because it wasn't going to be the last time I was in here.

Or in his pants.

***

"So... Ara."

I snapped away from my hateful glaring at Celeste who was strolling in the garden with Emma and turned to whoever was calling for my attention. The maid in front of me went by the name Lucy, because she didn't like Lucia, and didn't seem to have any close friends. She just drifted between different groups so everyone was always careful about the secrets they told her.

For someone as beautiful as she was with long, wavy chestnut coloured hair and amber eyes, men didn't really flock to her. I guess it was because her personality chased them away.

There was nothing particularly wrong with her. It's just that she was always nosy and couldn't keep a secret even if her life depended on it. That's why I didn't let anything slip when she was busy interrogating me about Daniel's punishment after the fight with Lola.

"I just realised that we haven't talked in a while so I decided to come check up on you," she said, sitting down on the window seat beside me.

The window seat was my designated place. It pretty much had my name written on it; everyone knew it was mine. In a day, I would either be working, at my window seat or making my way over to my window seat between work.

I found it was the best place to watch all the upcoming drama unfold front row without getting involved. It faced the side yard which wasn't as large as the backyard, but was notorious for the amount of drama that came from there.

No one sat there unless I was there and let them, but obviously that caused issues for some. Lucy being the main contender because if there was something she loved more than her American reality TV shows, it was watching the real shows take place here.

I had caught her hanging out around her multiple times and always threatened to kill a bitch whenever she did. Eventually she stopped and only decided to show up whenever I was around.

It wouldn't have surprised me if the only reason she had decided to acknowledge me was because she wanted to sit there. But, no. There's was much more important drama to discuss than the possibility of the guards breaking out into another fight.

And that was,

"What happened to your hand?"

I looked down at the white bandaged hand and sighed, knowing that I wouldn't be getting a moment of quiet when news of this got out.

"I accidentally cut myself while I was cooking," I lied easily.

She raised a brow, scrutinising me with an unconvinced look but after a moment of me not breaking under her test, I watched her believe it more and more until there was no sign of any further doubt in her eyes.

That is, until the bitch herself came in to ruin it.

"Liar! Why don't you tell her what actually happened?" Lola said, coming out of a corner near us and pointing an accusing finger at me. "This psycho bitch cut up her own hand because she wanted to scare me. And then she wiped it on her dress."

Lucy looked away from Lola and looked to me with her face pulled into a disgusted grimace as she scooched away from me slightly.

"That's... weird, Ara," she commented as if I actually gave a fuck about what her opinion on the situation was.

"So you're admitting to threatening to kill me, then?" I asked, looking up at her as she glared down at me with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I never said that."

"But your actions implied that, didn't they? And you're only confirming it." Lucy stayed quiet and listened with her ears, eyes, nose and mouth just to make sure she didn't miss a single detail. "You held a knife to me and threatened to take my life. And in an act of self defense, I grabbed the knife away from you and ended up injuring myself in the process."

"What? You told me that she cut herself and that I should go ask her and she would tell me!" Lucy said, her eyes narrowed at Lola as accusations flew across the room.

Lola rolled her eyes, her demeanour never changing as Lucy stormed away from the both of us. "You guys are both crazy."

I guess she didn't understand how fast gossip spread around this place. Especially when Lucy was the one spreading it.

"So what? Are you happy that 'the truth' is finally out? That people now think you're the villain?" I asked, looking up at her as she smirked down at me.

"You can't call that the truth, Araceli. You yourself know it, because it's only true if the whole story is out." She then leaned forward a bit, a menacing glint in her eyes. "I hope you haven't forgotten that I still know that you bent over boss' desk like a desperate little slut and let him kick you out like the cheap whore you are after he had his fill. And I can tell anybody at any time."

Anger coursed through me and I went shooting up, ready to show her who the real person that should be making threats around here was. I stepped up to her, my face just inches away from hers as I squared her up. The last thing I needed was for her to pull out a knife and try to stab me again. I had enough of the bandages.

"Araceli," somebody called from behind Lola, making me snap my attention away from the raven-haired bitch in front of me and instead towards my blonde best friend as she came closer. "Don't mind her. She's only trying to get a reaction out if you so she has something else against you."

I watched her confusedly for a second before taking a step back and fully analysing the situation I was in. Lola was a scheming bitch.

She had set me up.

She was the one who fabricated the story of me being psycho and told it to Lucy so she would ask me for answers. It explained how she had suddenly showed up at such good timing to reinstate her 'story'. Because she was just checking that her plan went through.

She wanted me to blab the whole truth to Lucy because she knew it would spread around like wildfire. Then she would be the only one who had something to hold against me.

She made me play all my cards so she could play hers undisturbed at any time she wanted.

She let out a loud laugh, fully gauging the realisation on my face as she took a step back and began walking away, still laughing as she did so.

Anna-Maria stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my forearm gently. "Is everything alright?" she asked, worry evident in her blue-green eyes. "What happened?"

I shook my head and began to walk away with her by my side. "Don't worry about it. I'll tell you later."

***

"Boss?"

I stepped into the dark room, scanning my eyes around the interior but finding that he wasn't there.

I wasn't desperate. I wasn't going to sit on his bed and wait for him to come back so he could find me half naked. If he wanted me, he could come and find me when he was ready.

With a huff, I turned around and swung the door open, ready to walk out only to bump into a hard chest. I felt hands grab my waist and push me back into the dark room, the door slamming shut behind the tall figure.

Every logical part of my brain told me that it was Daniel who was pushing me, but I couldn't see him. Even when I strained my eyes to look at him, I couldn't make out anything.

A puddle of dread filled my stomach, and I found myself fighting against his hold, trying to pry his hands off me and shoving his chest so he would back away.

It was almost as if I could see those blue eyes. The eyes that belonged to Vincent.

"Let go of me. Let go of me," I said, my voice not coming out any louder than a whisper. "Stop touching me."

His hands slowly left my waist, but I found that I was cornered against a low object as my thigh brushed the edge of what I could only assume was his nightstand.

I slowly raised my hand and patted it all over his form, finding myself relax when it ran through his curly hair.

It was Daniel.

"You scared the living shit out of me," I said, letting out a relieved breath as I sat up on the nightstand and willed my beating heart to come back down to normal.

"Who else did you think it would be?" he asked, his breath hitting my neck as he pressed his mouth to my skin. He stepped in between my legs and placed both his hands on my thigh.

"You could have said something." I suddenly felt a bout of anger course through. "I was clearly freaking out and it wouldn't have taken anything for you to say that it was you."

"We're not fighting," he suddenly said, grabbing my chin and forcing my head up so my eyes would meet his as they finally adjusted in the dark. "Don't talk to me like we are."

I stared up at him with disbelief before deciding that it was probably better for me to just leave before I did something I would regret.

I tore myself out of his hold and used my body to shove past him as I began making my way to the door. I only reached halfway across his room before he grabbed my wrist and roughly pulled me into his chest.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, stopping me from going anywhere as he placed small kisses along my neck.

"Let go."

"I'm sorry."

I felt my heart stop beating in that moment because he had just apologised to me.

I didn't know why I was so surprised. It's not that Daniel didn't apologise; he did. He wasn't so insecure as to not man up to his mistakes.

That was the issue though. He never made mistakes. There was always logic behind his actions.

"It's... okay," I said, breathing out as it almost felt like a sin to even consider accepting his apology.

Everything in me told me that I should've still left. There was a huge chance that he only apologised because he wanted to get laid. But as his hand made its way down, into my dress I couldn't find it in me.

It was official. Daniel was a drug that I couldn't resist. I was addicted to his touch.

*****

I just posted the proper prologue so please go read it if you haven't already. It's really important.

And if the last smut scene was too much for you then I don't think you'll be able to handle the mirror scene. Or the blindfold one heheheh ;)