Made For You

Ch. 10: Ravish Me

Sofia

A rush of turbulent emotions on spotting the empty frame on the coffee table makes me cry out. I drop the towel I have been holding, failing to comprehend what I am seeing.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I mutter in a string of startled breaths, rushing to pick up the empty frame. I grip its edges tight, my knuckles turning white as white-hot rage flares against my eyes. "I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him."

I drop the frame, my steps taking me hurriedly out of the room. I run down the corridor, telling myself that as creepy as the paintings on the walls look, they are not staring at me with judgemental faces.

My footsteps make cacophonous thumps along the carpeted floor, my eyes spotting Helene crouched over a pot of extravagant-looking plants next to a hideous painting. She is patting the petals of the violet flowers, murmuring something to them which makes me uncomfortable but I stop before her.

"Helene," I call and she leaps forward, a hand on her chest when she sees me. "Where's your boss?"

She takes note of my appearance. I vaguely wonder what I look like to her. I am still dressed in yesterday's clothes, my hair a mess. The only saving grace is the fact that I had the time to brush before I rushed out.

She pinches her eyebrows together. "In the gym?"

"Okay...and where's the gym?"

This time, her pinched eyebrows draw closer. She gives me a really dirty look.

"You don't know where the gym is?" she jeers at me, much to my impatience and my agitated feet which seem to have a problem staying still. "I thought you had everything memorized by now. You aren't concentrating on your lessons it seems."

I stop moving, taking a step into her personal space and towering over her small height. My hands clasp on both sides of my waist as I set my jaw, baring my teeth like an animal at her.

"Look, woman," I grit, in the same derisive tone she uses with me. "I know what you're trying to do. You don't like me? Fine! Not a big fan of you either." She scrunches her nose in a way that makes it appear like I have slapped her. "But here's the thing—I'm Gabriel De Luca's fiancée, not you. So, you show me some respect. I didn't come here to take shit from everyone. Now tell me where the gym is or I'll have Gabriel fire you."

She widens her big mouth along with her pale eyes. "You won't do such a thing! The Master would never fire me."

A corner of my lips draws up. "Try me, woman. Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?"

She must see the absolute acrimonious look on my face which makes her gulp.

"Go down," she finally concedes. "It's on the left. Next to the pool."

I charge in the direction she pointed, shouting on my way, "See? That was easy. See you later."

She thinks I don't but I do hear her mutter behind me, spotting her reflection in a painting as I climb down the stairs. She is doing the cross, her eyes shut.

"Diavolo is in the mansion now," she utters and unfortunately for her, the dead silence of this place makes her audible. "We're all dead."

"Weirdo," I mumble, jumping down the last two steps and dashing for the pool.

***

The mansion is a twisted map of exorbitantly decorated hallways and corridors leading in different directions. By the time I manage to find the pool, I discover the importance of Helene pressuring me to get out of my room for my lessons.