(Don't forget to hear the song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfgcbCe9Z_o

"So are you really going to chain me up until you get a hold of that Vincenzo?" I asked Greta when she was serving me dinner.

"I am so sorry dear," Greta said apologetically. "I really hope I can help with that. Sometimes Alex can be such a pain in the ass." She muttered angrily under her breath. My blood rushed a little to my brain after hearing that name. It was clear that she had a talk with Alex about my being chained.

"I can understand if you guys want to lock me up in this room, but please at least remove these chains so I can use the bathroom in ease."

"Umm...," Greta thought a little and clapped her hand. "Fine, I will talk to Alex and make him remove them, no matter what. Don't you worry, okay?"

"Thanks Greta."

"You are most welcome."

*~*~*~*~**~*~

"I am only removing them because zia practically begged me to," Alex was looking at me straight while standing in front of me with both of his hands in his pockets. One of his subordinates was unlocking my ankle cuff. I sat there quietly with clenched fists and a stiff body. His touches were igniting some memories which always haunt me in my dreams as the form of nightmares.

How the hell did I end up in there with him again? If I remember correctly I actually ran away from my hometown so I couldn't have any more encounters with him, if he tried to find me there.

But it seemed that my fate actually had something other planned already.

So there I was sitting in front of him.

"Now miss, don't try to act smart and don't even think about escaping from here." I remained silent. He leaned towards me. "Did you hear me?" I quickly leaned back and nodded my head.

*~*~*~*~*~

I looked at the ladden dishes in front of me. There were every possible dish which could be included in the English breakfast set. I looked up at Greta.

"Alex asked the chef to make food you usually eat." She smiled at me affectionately.

"I am not a picky eater." I waved my hand. "I can eat everything as long as it's edible." I reached out and started to pick some grilled tomatoes on my plate.

"If you'd like, I will tell the servant to arrange your plates with everyone downstairs."

I stopped chewing my tomatoes.

Downstairs. With everyone. With that person. With Alessandro.

Nope!

"It's fine." I quickly said. "I am sure they wouldn't like to eat with the hostage."

"I am so sorry dear, that you have to endure everything." Greta looked sad. "But don't worry I will make sure you will be comfortable, as long as you live here."

"Thank you so much." My eyes got teared up in gratitude. "I will never forget your kindness."

"It's nothing. Just tell me if you need anything."

"Actually, I was thinking of getting out," I quickly added, "...from this room." I put down my spoon and started to fiddle with my fingers. "I don't have my phone and also there is nothing much to do. So....I was thinking about...going out for a bit and maybe...take a small stroll into the yard." I paused and looked up. "There are yards, right?"

"Of course there are." Greta giggled. "We have a very big beautiful garden here. And of course you can visit them."

"What about them?" I glanced at those bodyguards outside of the room. Alessandro agreed to take off those chains but arranged two bodyguards around me. "Will they let me?"

Greta squinted her at those bodyguards for a moment.

"Let me talk to them."

Greta got up and went to them. I saw her start to tell them something and then they shook their heads in disagreement, while I was chewing my grilled bacon.

A few moments later Greta came back with a victorious smile on her face.

"They have agreed to let you go. They will just follow you from afar. Is that okay?"

I quickly nodded my head.

Greta arranged a pair of shoes for me. It was a used shoe and a little big, but I held it in somehow. The backyard garden of that place was vast and way too expanded. It also had a lake on the south west way. It was the end of May, that's why every corner of that garden was covered with lots of vibrant coloured flowers. I inhaled deeply to take all the sweet fragments from the air.

The weather is warm and sunny. I started to stroll while humming a rhyme and plucked a big oxeye daisy from a bunch.

A few moments later I spotted a big greenhouse at the other end of the garden. I could see the huge red rose heads even from the outside. I quickened my feet towards it.

That green house was huge enough to hold a party inside of it. It was filled with only red roses and there was a pond in the middle of it, covered with beautiful white water lilies.

White and blood red, those two only colours made that place somehow a little special and breathtaking. My eyes were roaming around that greenhouse and trying to identify the types of those roses. Black magic, Hallelujah, Checkmate, Forever young...

I suddenly paused when my eyes caught a melancholy beauty in between these roses.

She was so beautiful that it made me think like she was a wingless angel who just fell from the sky. She was just sitting in between these roses and staring blankly ahead.

I hesitated a little then decided to leave, because I thought maybe she wanted to be alone at that moment.

I slowly started to walk backwards while still looking at her.

CRUNCH! SNAP!

I cursed under my breath when I made a loud sound by breaking some cut tree branches.

"Chi è là?"

I looked up to see that beauty was walking towards me at a slow pace. I looked at her while mesmerised with her. Even her walking was so graceful.

"Chi sei?" She said something to me again. I sighed. At this point I should consider learning Italian, rather than asking people every time to translate.

"Sorry I am not very fluent in Italian." I smiled at her apologetically. "If you don't mind talking in English." I looked at her hopeful.

She blinked at me a few times.

"You are new?" Her English wasn't fluent, but I thought I could work with it.

"Yes, I am new here." I smiled amiably.

"È così?" She quickly corrected herself. "I mean, really." She smiled and started to play with the beads of the ring on her finger. I looked at the ring carefully. That ring. I had seen that before somewhere.

"Are you here to get me?" She asked. "Did Alex send you?"

"Oh no," I waved my hand. "I saw those roses from the outside and couldn't stop myself from coming here." I scratched my ears with a shy smile on my face.

"Do you also like roses?"

"Well, I love every type of flower." I remembered something. "Sorry did I disturb you?"

"Oh no, no. I wasn't doing anything important anyway."

"I am glad to hear that."

"Did you start work today?" She asked.

I looked at her dumbfounded.

"Work? What work?"

She stared at me for a few seconds.

"You...don't work here?"

"Umm, no."

"Then who are you?"

I paused a little and thought for a while. What should I exactly tell her? That I am a hostage or something like that. Wait, am I actually a hostage? Hostage shouldn't roam freely like I was doing at that moment. Or get treated with so much care and food. So, what exactly...

"She is a guest."

We both snapped our heads to the direction where those words came from. That person was standing tall and straight on the greenhouse's entrance with both his hands in his pockets.

Alessandro.

My eyes got stuck with him even though I didn't want to. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a simple black polo t-shirt. How can a simple attire which is worn by many people, still make someone's appearance so special and prepossessing.

Wait! What the hell am I thinking?!

I quickly shook my head to make a halt on my train of thoughts.

"She is a friend of ours." He slowly started to walk towards us with a soft affection on his eyes.

"Alex." That girl's face beamed with utter happiness as the sight of Alessandro. She reached out and wrapped her hands around him.

My eyes immediately got narrowed on their own.

Alex chuckled and leaned a little to kiss on her hairs.

My heart suddenly got struck by a sudden ache of pang.

My breath got a hitch as my heart abnormally started to beat in confusion.

I quickly bit my lip to control my facial expression.

"Are you here to see the roses?" She asked in a adore tone. "They really bloomed so beautifully."

"I am here to see you." Alex chuckled and moved a few strands of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear. "And yes, those roses are very beautiful."

I looked away when my heart couldn't take it anymore. I slowly reached and pressed on my left chest.

"Why are you weird today?" I whispered to myself.

"She came to visit us from England." I turned my head when I heard Allessandro was talking again. "She will stay with us for a while."

"Is that so?" She looked at me. "I am glad you came."

"Same here." I tried to smile.

"Oh right," She suddenly remembered something. "I didn't ask for your name." She reached out her hand. "I am Mirabelle, but you can call me Bella."

"I am Esmeralda." I also reached out my hand. "But call me Esme."

Bella came towards me and held out her hands to hold mine.

"Let's spend more time together from now on until you return to England." She gave my hands a little squeeze.

"Sure." A small smile escaped from my lips. She was so adorable. Of course everyone would love her. I wasn't an exception.

"It's time for your medicine." Alex leaned and kissed her cheeks. "Giana was looking for you."

"Oh right! Giana will kill me." She clicked her tongue. "Then I will take my leave." She looked at me. "See you later, Esme."

"Yes, see you later." I smiled back.

She smiled and waved at me before she took her leave.

I looked at Bella's way as she left. Of course I wouldn't need anybody to tell me who it was. She looked so graceful and righteous to be the owner of that palace. And her affection towards Alex seemed as if she was his...

"She isn't my wife." My thoughts stopped when Allessandro spoke from just behind me. I could feel his breath on my bare neck. An instant goose bumps rose on that part of the skin. I took a deep breath and slowly turned towards him to meet his glazing blue eyes. His stark eyes were staring down right through mine. I felt like they could read everything inside of my mind.

A relief sigh escaped from my tightened chest.

Whoa! What the hell! Why the hell I was feeling relief. Something must be wrong with me.

"I didn't say anything." I laughed nervously and averted my eyes. If she was not his wife, then she must be his...

"She is not my lover either."

I quickly looked back at him. How come he knew everything I was thinking. Did he really read everything in my mind?!

"She is more like a sister to me." He said with a calm tone while still looking at me.

"Is that so, is that so," I rubbed my palms together to dry the sweat on them. "Still, you don't have to tell me that."

He squinted his eyes when he realised that I was right. He cocked his head to the side and stared blankly in the air for a few minutes. Then he slowly looked back at me with more serenity in his eyes.

"You are right." He slowly started to step towards me. My legs instantly started to walk backwards by instinct. "Yet I am telling you." He narrowed his eyes on me. "But why?" He inquired me.

"That...how could I know?" Suddenly I started to feel helpless in front of him. He was still walking towards me like a panther, trying to corner his prey.

"Whenever I see you, why do I feel like that?" He made a puzzled face while asking those questions.

"Feel like what?" I asked and gasped when my back hit the wall of that green house. Alessandro reached out his hands and trapped me in between his arms. He suddenly leaned forward and brought his face very close to mine. His hot breathing against my skin, made my breathing struggle. And we were yet to touch.

His eyes went up and down from my eyes to my lips. I clutched my fingers on the glass wall to obtain myself. His strong male odour, like fresh wood washed by rain intoxicated my self esteem. I was gulping hard to keep myself senile.

"I know you are someone else's lover. Yet..." he reached out and captured a thread of my hair on my cheek. His finger brushed against my skin, making it burnt. A shiver ran through my spine. "...I feel like you belong to me." He brought his lips dangerously close to mine and whispered. "As if you are mine from the very beginning."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Thanks for waiting everyone....

.....really grateful.

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