Chapter 7
CRYSTAL
Feet. They were approaching me.
Immedately my eyes fluttered open as my ears twitched to the sound of feet approaching me. I was a light sleeper and the tiniest noise could disrupt my sleep.
I didn’t even realise I had fallen asleep, my body resting on the wooden edges of the bed. My gaze slowly lifted up and locked with the eyes of a different maid.
I yawned drowsily and rubbed my eyes with the back of my palms.
She cleared her throat at me and offered me a polite smile. “Dinner is ready. Please come downstairs to the dinning room. Master wants to have dinner with you”she instructed.
Master?
My brows furrowed at her. Leonardo was just a cocky jerk.
“I’m not coming”I blurted out, standing up and lying on the soft mattress of the bed.
She blinked severally as if trying to grasp what she heard. “Huh? You are declining master’s offer?”she muttered slowly.
“Yes. I don’t want to eat especially not with him”I snapped back.
“Reconsider please. He would be angry”she interceeded.
“I don’t care. I am not eating”I spat.
She gulped nervously and nodded her head at me, retreating out of the room.
I huffed and hissed at the thought of Leonardo.
What was the worst he could do at this moment? He had taken everything from me. My freedom, my family, my life. I was merely a prisoner in his house.
A glorified prisoner bounded in a cage.
I won’t go meet him for dinner.
He is such a brute. First he takes me against my will and then wants to have dinner with me.
Psychotic jerk.
I slowly closed my eyes back once more, attempting to sleep.
These days I loved to sleep more because my dreams were far better than my reality.
* * * * * *
I was sure I hadn’t closed my eyes for more than fifteen minutes when the door to my bedroom suddenly slammed open, the noise reverberate through the air.
It immedately made me jerk my eyes open in a sudden fright.
Standing by the door way, capturing my now uneasy stare with his taunting eyes brooding anger was Leonardo; the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching in anger.
He walked towards me like a predator seeking to devour his prey; slow yet dangerous, calm yet burning with anger.
“How dare you?”He growled, rage dancing in his eyes.
I stared at him, tongue tied. The sudden bravery I had when I rejected his offer to join him in the dinning table had disappeared.
“Answer me!”He commanded in his baritone voice.
“I don’t want to eat with you!”I yelled back, a tiny flame of the bravery sparking within me. A voice in my head told me not to talk but I was willing to take the risk and raise my voice at the beast.
“What?”He asked somewhat amused by my tone of voice.
“You heard me right!”I snapped back, my eyebrows pulling together.
“Keep your damn food. What more do you want from me? You’ve taken practically everything from me! Everything! Leave me to be by myself Leonardo!”I added, daring to raise my voice.
He just stood unfazed and tucked his hands in his pocket.
His lips tightened and curled inwards.
“Leonardo I hate you so much.
Do your fucking worst. Kill me! I don’t want to eat with you”
I watched him run a hand through his long hair, ruffling it and having the locks dangle dangerously over his shoulders.
“You will learn to respect me Crystal”he abruptly stated with a menacing glare.
Before I could reply, he suddenly leaned in closer and gripped onto my legs dragging me fiercely towards the edge of the bed.
“Leonardo!”I screamed as panic soured like waves within me.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
I tried releasing my legs from his grip but it was futile. He tossed me out of the bed to the ground, nostrils flaring and jaws tensed.
“Ouch!”I whimpered as I fell with a loud thump to the ground.
I stared with fear in my eyes as Leonardo progressed towards me, giving me a slithering look.
“Leonardo please stop”I cried out in apprehension.
He immedately lunched for me, dragging me by the arms outside the room. My skin bruised against the floor as I wailed in absolute terror and fright.
“What are you doing Leonardo?”I asked in between tears with an unknown trepidation seizing my entire being.
“Teaching you little brat a lesson”He scoffed back at me as he dragged me through the halls of the mansion.
I thrashed about, wailed and pleaded, trying to free my hands from his iron grip but it was a futile attempt. Instead his grip became more tighter, it felt like he could pierce through my skin. His grip was searing hot.
“Leonardo please”I pleaded, my voice hoarse and resounding within the walls of the mansion. He kept on dragging me to God knows where, my skin getting black-and-blue marks.
Suddenly I heard an elderly shrill pierce through, drowning my own pleas.
Grey hairs tied to a bun came rushing towards us. An elderly brown eyes held Leonardo’s gaze softly.
Who was she?
This woman made Leonardo stop in his tracks.
“Child”she began hesistantly.
“Why are you doing this to the poor girl?”
“Stai lontano da questo- stay away from this”He scoffed back almost as if he was trying to control his tone towards the elderly lady.
I had no idea what he said. That seemed Italian.
She gave him a mild smile and caressed his cheeks. “Leave the poor girl please”
“Lei è una monella- she is a brat”he grimaced, his bloodshot gaze locking with my terrified eyes, scaring the wits out of me.
The woman attempted to talk again but he shook his head at her. “Don’t vouch for her Maya. She needs to be taught a lesson”
As soon as he uttered his statement, he began dragging me again through the hallways, my skin getting cuts and bruises.
I screamed once again, trying to wiggle myself out of his grip but he dragged me like I weighed no less than an A4 paper.
I could hear the elderly woman begging on my behalf as he dragged me away.
We got in front of a grey door and he pushed it open with his legs, pushing me inside and closing the door shut.
My skin at this moment was covered with bruises and cuts. I felt so numb and my body ached.
Tears stained my cheeks and I sniffed my nose, waiting for his next move.
What would he do to me?
This room was basically empty apart from a mattress, a wooden table that had two spherical holes of equal sizes and an angry red bulb illuminating the entire room giving off a bloody look.
I was once again doused in fear and trepidation as my eyes roved around.
“Get yourself naked!”Leonardo’s voice boomed.