Chapter 2
2
Jennifer
Calm down, calm down, Jenny. He won't hurt you, he is someone powerful, but he also seems a nice man. Why would he hurt a stranger in a lift? You didn't do anything, right?
The lift chimed a ticking sound and slid the doors open, I internally thanked the Lord and let my adrenaline hormones dash me inside the lift. I made sure to stand at the corner and act composed from outside. As I forwarded my index finger to hit the '3' button, our fingers collided. I immediately backed off as the spark circulated by the touch froze the blood in my veins. Relax, Jennifer.
My breath got shorter. I tried hard to distract myself from the intensity this man had brought in the lift. I kept circling my thumbs and entangled myself thinking about the night I had with my old friends, the last dinner in England before coming to Italy. That thought surely always brought a distraction to my anxiety.
I was so lost in admiring the moment that I didn't heed a piercing gaze until the intensity blocked my chest. I tried to side-glance to my right to see if I was correct or delusional. The suited man's lusciously golden yet inky eyes made me steal away my sight when I discerned he was actually staring at me. My body began to stiffen against his stare, and I was visibly uncomfortable.
I shut my eyes and prayed to God to make his ride end sooner and, after a minute of turmoil, the lift chimed again and I was the first person to leave the lift without noticing if it was the right floor or not. I jogged towards the ladies' restroom and stood before the sink and a mirror. My hands were grabbing the edges of the sink yet I was busy looking at my face and panting hard.
Why was that man staring at me?
He was scary, his death stare almost gave me a heart attack. I wasn't worthy of his not demanding attention. I was someone who deserved to be away from such Richie-rich's sight, that man openly, shamelessly stared at me as if I was dressed like a whore in a nightclub.
That's because he was horny and you seemed a tight chick to take down in that tiny elevator.
I didn't like what my subconscious told me, but that sounded authentic enough to be true. Yes, such men only stare at women to satisfy themselves and I must look like nothing but a common tolerant walking whore.
It would be no shock if he would be standing behind me in the next ten seconds and ask to take him in. Again a stupid thought crossed over my head and made me shudder under my mercy. I hurriedly turned on the tap and splashed water on my face at least eight times or more. I kept on splashing water until his face was eradicated from my eyes and I was able to see reality.
No, he was not going to rape me. He won't hurt me. I kept convincing myself because now, I was scared to get out of the restroom and go back to my friends. What if he would meet me again in that lift and this time he'd force me to do anything that I wouldn't like? How would I protect myself then?
"No, he won't!" I grumbled and slammed my hands on the sink while maintaining eye contact with myself through the mirror. I inhaled deeply and walked out of the restroom.
While heading towards the lift, I was busy thinking about my assignment I finished last night and I didn't realise something was ahead of me until I bumped into it and I fell on the ground. I definitely hit a pole because the strike on my head was hard. My mind registered a crack and I was dead sure, I broke my phone's screen because it was in my back pocket.
Fuck, no!
I was rubbing the temple of my forehead when I heard an intensely deep, smooth, rich tone of voice that dropped my stomach and made my legs feel like jelly. "Stai bene, piccola? (Are you alright, little one?)" He spoke in Italian that I failed to understand.
Before raising my head, I wished it wouldn't be the same lift man, but to my worst luck, he was the same broad-chested man.
He extended his hand in an offer and I could notice how his tight-fitted biceps that were clutched with the suit jacket were moving with every movement he made. I must admit he was recklessly seductive, his face called out to me, but I couldn't ignore the fact he looked much older than my age, maybe twice, as the maturity and age lines on his face made it clear.
But before I could really lose my mind in him, I was reminded of the 'lift moment' when my eyes got lost in his eyes. "I asked if you're okay," He asked firmly, stressing his words as if he got irritated. This man was intimidating me because I had lost the courage to use my tongue to reply to him.
Also, he recognised that I was stupid enough not to catch his Italian words.
"I—I'm—Alright," I stuttered pathetically, avoiding eye contact while dusting off any particles on my t-shirt and jeans.
"Next time, try using your eyes, otherwise you can even jump off a cliff without realising it," He schooled me, making me feel like a clumsy ass, though I was one, but no one ever pointed that out and humiliated me like that.
"I—I'm, s—s—sorry," My heart didn't take his insult in a good way.
"Whatever..." He mumbled. "There was a crack of something, doesn't sound like a bone, check yourself," He pointed towards my phone and I fetched it out from my back pocket only to find out it was a mess of broken glass. I frowned, looking at my wasted phone and thinking I had another extra expense to cover.
"Yeah, it's my phone," I whispered mutely, disappointed and not caring if he could hear me or not.
I sensed him moving and my eyes followed his movements, he was taking out something from his suit-jacket pocket. What was he planning to give me? Money? No!
"Here's my card, take it and show it to any store, they will hand you any new phone of your liking for free," he extended his official card, towards which I hesitated. I gulped down while thinking if I should accept his offer or not. It was not his fault that I broke my phone, I was clumsy and careless.
"Thank you but this is too much and it was not your fault but mine," I replied to him and politely denied his offer, but I think he didn't like my words. His eyes darkened and his jaw sharpened like a blazing knife—which didn't miss out any chance not to cause me stress.
"I said take it. I'm not fond of repeating myself, little one," He gritted, those eyes that felt normal once, now exhibiting harshness. I didn't risk annoying him anymore, I took the card and decided to leave him alone. It would be my decision whether I would go to the store and use it or not—which I won't because I never liked using people.
I took a step away from him and he blocked my way, scaring me even more. His eyes were stoned on me and I saw him sighing hard. I blinked twice to see if this was real or a dream, but it felt real. He felt close to my face but before he could reach my lips, I waived off the thought and ruined the moment, "Sir, I'm sorry for bumping into you. I was distracted, my mistake. I'll be careful next time. Can I leave now?" I said blatantly, locking my eyes with his. I saw him gulping down a lump in his throat.
Whoa, was he nervous or did my imagination do the editing work?
"There will be no next time," he replied in his darkish shade, once again making me feel like a whole packet of jello.
I couldn't find words, I was so lost in his eyes that I forgot my whereabouts for a while. I didn't understand what I should do next to make it all look justified. He was getting close to me.
"Jennifer?" I heard my name and instantly averted my head from the tall man. Thank God, there was Andrea standing, absorbed, witnessing everything going on here.
"Hey, ah, umm..." I stepped back and still couldn't find perfect words to rectify the situation. Not wasting any second, I jogged towards her and we started going back to the lift.
I sensed Andrea coming closer to my ear and whispered, "What was that?" She asked, cluelessly.
"What?" I moved my mouth but didn't voice the word.
We walked inside the lift, "Everything that was going on there," She stated. Once she observed he wasn't behind us, her eyes holding sparks. I scoffed at her. The doors of the lift were about to close but a hand stopped them and that same anonymous man went in, making Andrea's eyes wide open. We stepped back and he went inside.
Andrea gave me weird looks and kept touching me until I gestured to her to stop.
"Good evening, sir," Andrea didn't hold back and called him out. He didn't move one inch, only hummed. That's it?
Did this man have no manners? First, he talked rudely to me and now when she called him out, he totally ignored her. He should've turned towards her and greeted her back, that's the basic manner a human learnt from his childhood.
Andrea looked towards me, embarrassed. I eyed her to stop calling him out again but she was Andrea Romani, a stubborn Italian lady. "How are you, sir? I... I'm a new intern at your company, it's a pleasure to see you here," Andrea spoke, her eyes were dripping with cheerfulness, but no one could expect any good from him. He was root-rude.
"Good." That's what he said without even sparing her a glance.
The lift bell chimed, before he stepped out, "Do me a favour and help your friend buy a phone," He stated sternly, stiffening us and leaving the elevator, leaving both of us flabbergasted.
"Yes, sir," Andrea whispered, but I was sure he didn't hear it because he was out of the lift, leaving us both in shock.
I tried hard to concentrate on my plate but I just couldn't. My sole focus was now on the tinted windows and a feeling that the tall man was staring at me kept bothering me. I was frustrated over the fact that he talked to me. It would have been better if he had kept quiet. At least, I wouldn't be feeling negligent and imperfect.
"Jenny, stop thinking about what happened. We will manage a new phone, don't overthink about it," Rory said, gaining my attention. I smiled at him, how sweet of him that he actually cared about my loss.
"No, I'm not stressing over anything. It's just about the behaviour that proud man showed us," I told him, and Andrea rolled her eyes over it.
"Jen, they're rich, they don't care about anyone, it was a blessing if he gave you his office card, you know you can even buy an island with this now," Andrea bragged about the card thing. Phew.
"What's so special about this card? It's just a plain card with a name written on it," I said, taking a mouthful of bite. Ah, this dish is heaven to catch in my mouth.
"It's not just a card, Jen, you're so naive. It's a card of the main heir of the company—didn't you read the name? Luciano Bernardi, the brain of the company. He is an influential man who blessed you with his gaze. Thank God, he didn't kill you. I heard so many things about him. People considered him asexual and some even said he was allergic to women—like he hated them," Andrea exaggerated again. But this time she brought the criminologist within me.
"What do you mean he didn't kill me?" I lashed out politely, but the irritation inside me became visible the way I spoke.
"I mean, you really don't know that he is a mafia man?" She lowly mumbled, looking to her left and right.
"Mafia?" I raised my eyebrows in bewilderment.
"Yes, he is considered one of the most ruthless and cruel men,"
"Don't try to joke me, Andy. Is he really a mafia man?" I asked, holding my rage back or at least trying hard.
"Not only a man, a leader," She enlightened me and I went unresponsive. I apologised to a mafia leader while becoming a criminologist. So spineless of me.