9

Solenne

"Come, Mistress. It's time to get you dressed. " She spoke gently to me after shutting the door. Franco and Antonio moved back, staring at my exposed body. Fantastic! Thankfully, the maid quickly draped a sheet over me.

 "Please step in, Mistress. " The maid knelt at my feet, holding a pair of black underwear. I stepped into it, and she positioned it correctly on me before doing the same with a black dress. This felt odd. I let her slide the dress over my body, and she zipped it up. She then placed me on a small vanity chair that I hadn't noticed in the bathroom, and began drying my hair. After fifteen minutes, I was dressed, my hair was braided, I had black eyeliner on, and my lips were painted red. I appeared quite stunning.

 I appreciated this maid and the attention I was receiving. I needed to hang on to something positive in this situation. 

"What is your name? " I inquired of the woman. She appeared to be in her forties with long black hair. She was attractive, but a bit disheveled. Given her position as a maid, that made sense. I could see small wrinkles on her face, indicating she was likely either older or younger and stressed—probably the latter given the household dynamics. 

"Aria," she responded with a slight smile. "Let's go, Mistress. It's best to arrive a bit early when the boss requests your presence. He doesn't like anyone wasting his time. "

 "You're right, I wouldn't want to anger that monster. " And I genuinely meant it. Caelum was truly intimidating. Once I reached downstairs, I found myself surrounded by people. There must have been at least a hundred, and I had no clue why. I noticed everyone was dressed in black, suggesting it was a formal event with a strict black-tie guideline or something similar. Many individuals asked for my identity, but I wasn't sure how to answer.

 I simply shared my name and mentioned that I was a guest. My gaze kept wandering over to where Caelum was positioned. He always had men around him, chatting or sharing laughs. Caelum's expression, however, remained blank. Now that I thought about it, during the few times I spoke with him, he seemed completely devoid of emotion. Aside from a few fleeting smirks or moments of anger in his eyes, it appeared that nothing in this world truly affected him.

 "I hear you are the new Mistress of the house. " A tall blonde woman interrupted my focus on Caelum. His lips turned down slightly as I shifted my attention to her. Despite my gaze being on Caelum, he also seemed to be watching me. Did he genuinely believe I would try to escape, or that I would somehow disgrace his cousin?

 "I believe so," I replied with a smile. I wasn't exactly sure what it meant to be the mistress of the house, but the maid did refer to me that way. I thought it was best to just roll with it.

 "Interesting. I've never seen Caelum show interest in any woman before. What family do you belong to? " Her eyes locked onto mine, revealing the jealousy she felt. She desired Caelum, and honestly, sweetheart, you can have him. He'd be a beast in bed. I was certain my body would be marked for weeks afterward, which was really not my preference. 

"He doesn't feel that way about me. I'm positive. " My gaze returned to him. My thoughts wandered to some of the darker adult films I'd watched. His large, muscular frame bending me over while. . . oh no, I was not thinking about being intimate with him. What was wrong with me? I needed to locate Vincent. 

"Do you know Vincent? " I asked hastily, diverting my thoughts from that monster. 

"Of course. We all know Vince," she responded, looking puzzled. 

"Do you know where he is? "

 "His body is being prepared for viewing tomorrow, silly. Don't you know the process? " Now she regarded me as if I were foolish. What on earth does preparing his body entail? 

"Viewing? I'm a bit lost. I don't live in this city. " I hoped that would be an acceptable explanation.

 "The made men will pay their respects to his body before the burial. They must verify he is dead with their own eyes before the transfer of power can occur. " As she spoke, my insides turned to mush. My glossy eyes found Caelum's, and he immediately began heading toward me. Burial? Dead? Vincent wasn't dead.

 "Vincent is. . . " I couldn't complete the sentence. 

"What did you say to her? " Caelum glared at the woman furiously. 

"Vincent is dead," I whispered to him. He looked bewildered. Everything around me started to spin faster and then abruptly settled, bringing the harsh reality crashing back. Vincent was dead. In a surge of emotion, my hand flew up and struck Caelum across the face. 

"You monster! You left me up there for three days. Three whole days thinking he was alive. How could you be so cruel? " I pounded my fist against his chest while I yelled and cried. I could see the fury burning in Caelum's eyes, and the fear etched in everyone else's faces for witnessing me hit him. I didn't care. 

"If you want me dead, then kill me! You bastard! You absolute bastard! " I screamed through my tears. Caelum seized my wrist and turned to pull me upstairs. I tried to resist, but I lost my balance in my heels. My ankle twisted, and I collapsed onto the floor. Caelum swiftly scooped me up, tossing me over his shoulder as he continued toward my room.