Camila

I hadn't expected Antonio to show up at the dining. I had only said that because my mouth blurted it out. Although a part of me had the hope that my effort wouldn't be in vain. I made the sauce while Nelly assisted in dressing the chicken. Then, I prepared a soup consisting of potatoes, carrots, and spring onions. I didn't know what he liked. Even if I did, he would have to eat whatever I prepared.

"Nelly, can you get me the serving spoon from the kitchen?" I asked, realizing we hadn't brought it out.

Antonio's attention was focused on his phone. He didn't even cast a glance to see what was in front of him. Nelly came back with the serving spoon. "Let me. You can go," I told her, thinking that the young girl was probably hungry too.

I poured a moderate amount of soup into a bowl, cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces, and set it in front of him. That was when he decided to divert his attention from his phone. "What is this?" He said, his brows creasing as he assessed the bowl of soup.

I first grabbed my seat before giving him an answer. "As you can see, it's a soup," I replied.

His eyes shifted from the chicken to the soup and then back to me. I didn't fail to feel a bit of shiver down my spine at the way his gaze seemed to bore into my head. "You don't like soup?" I broke the silence.

"What did you put inside?"

"I don't know if you failed to make out what was inside. I'm sure you can see potatoes, carrots, o-"

"I'm not blind. What sort of seasoning did you add inside?" He cut me off. I bit my bottom lip, wondering what the man was trying to say.

"Are you suspecting I will poison you?" I questioned back, clenching my fist under the table. Maybe, I shouldn't have offered him dinner in the first place without thinking about who Antonio is. The silence I got from him indicated my suspicion regarding his statement.

A chuckle escaped me, and I dropped my fork, reaching for the bowl of soup in front of him. "Never mind. You don't have to eat it. I shouldn't have expected a bit of kindness from you," I mumbled the last statement under my breath.

"I am not a kind person," his statement made me look at him. Something flickered in his eyes, which I wasn't able to identify. "I am not a good man. You shouldn't have high expectations of me."

If I say I wasn't surprised at his words, I would be lying. My eyes literally didn't waver on him. My heart thumped inside. The way his words penetrated my head. I shifted my focus to the food in front of me and began eating. The tension in the room was strong enough to make me rethink my decision to go along with Derek and Nina's advice. The awkwardness was killing me. "I'm allergic to carrots," Antonio's voice resonated in my eardrums.

I tried to maintain my composure, pretending his confession about being allergic to carrots didn't surprise me. My heart raced as his words resonated in my head. "Okay." I said I without shifting my focus from the food in front of me, hoping to alleviate the tension that filled the room.

We ate in silence, neither of us uttering a word. I didn't dare to look in his direction, lost in my own thoughts. Antonio seemed preoccupied, and the absence of any sounds or movements from him added to the awkwardness.

After a while, feeling my stomach getting fuller, I gently placed my fork down and mustered the courage to finally meet Antonio's gaze. My breath caught as I saw his intense eyes fixed on me.

"Where were you earlier?"

I was taken aback by his question and replied, "To spend time with my friends, of course. Why? You don't want me to hang out with my friends because you don't like them?"

Antonio's expression tensed, and he began to again. "I'm not stopping you from hanging out with your friends, but I expect you to inform me before you—"

I cut him off, my patience wearing thin. An annoyed chuckle escaped me as I retorted, "Why should I have to tell you about every little thing in my life? You're not my mother."

The tension in the room was palpable, and I could see his grip tightening around his fork. I was about to stand up and leave when Antonio's voice, low and threatening, stopped me in my tracks. "Don't you dare take another step." He warned.

I couldn't bring myself to listen, and continued to take another step away. Antonio's voice grew even more menacing as he warned. "If you dare take another step, you won't able to make it to work the next day."

Fear gripped me, but I summoned the strength to turn around and face him. Despite the fear that coursed through me, I managed a smile and declared firmly, "I'm not scared of the control you exert over me anymore. You've pushed me far enough. Feel free to continue if that's what you want. But one thing is certain, you'll never win my heart."

With that declaration, I sauntered away, leaving the tension in the room hanging thick in the air. I exhaled deeply, relieved to have shut the door behind me. The weight of the confrontation had left me breathless. I couldn't believe I'd managed to stand my ground against him knowing that would put me in trouble. His clenched fists and boiling anger were clear signs I had touched a nerve.

Locking my door, I hesitated, half-expecting him to come after me. I knew he was capable of that, but I wouldn't let it intimidate me.

A satisfied smile crept onto my lips; I had spoken my mind. If he chose to work on himself, great, but I would do what I deemed fit.

**

A hiss left my lips, for the hundredth time as I examined my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles framed my eyes, a reminder to my sleepless night. I ended up staying up through the night to work on some paperwork which I started before I left to meet with Derek and Nina.  What a wonderful morning.

I didn't know how I ended up zoning off for so long, and surprisingly, my alarm hadn't rung. Or did I forget to set it? I didn't waste time picking an outfit; I just grabbed the first thing my hand landed on.

I was about to leave the room when it hit me—I hadn't taken my phone from the nightstand. A last-minute retrieval, and I was ready to start my less-than-enthusiastic day.

As I made my way out, I overheard Antonio's conversation from his door. "Yes. Inform the investors that if they are not willing to accept our terms, then they should forget about doing business with us." He spoke with a tone of authority.

Antonio had a reputation for being relentless when it came to business. I wonder which unfortunate soul was on the receiving end of his morning wrath.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I muffled my steps, inching closer to Antonio's door. He was just unlocking his door, leaving the keys hanging when I arrived, and a wicked idea danced through my mind. I quietly turned the keys and locked the door, leaving him temporarily trapped.

An excited smile played on my lips, and I made my way downstairs, enjoying the idea that I'd added a little inconvenience to Antonio's morning routine. Of course, if he found out it was me, he would probably be furious, but for now, it was a tiny victory.

As I descended the stairs, my inner voice chimed in, always ready to remind me of the consequences that often followed when I pursued trouble. But sometimes, trouble was a welcome distraction. I was met with Nelly who was coming out of the kitchen with two plates. "Good morning, Ma'am." She bowed down slightly.

I answered her with a smile. "Morning Nelly." My thoughts were still lingering on the look that Antonio would have when he discovered his locked door. That tiny victory made my morning a bit brighter.

Nelly seemed ready to set the dining with me, but I stopped her, informing her that I'd grab breakfast on my way. "Don't worry about me Nelly. I will grab something on my way." I was in no mood for the formality of a shared meal at the moment.

As I headed outside, my attention was drawn to an unfamiliar car parked next to mine. Curiosity nibbled at me. To my surprise, the car's door opened, and there was the familiar face of Brandon, Antonio's friend.

"Brandon? What are you doing here?" I express my surprise.

"Didn't Antonio inform you? I'm going to be your new bodyguard," he replied with a grin.

"You must be kidding me," I retorted.

Brandon's smile widened, which irked me. "I'm not. Let's get moving."

I shot back defiantly, "You and who? I'm not going anywhere with you. I have my car." My fingers worked to unlock my car door.

Brandon didn't seem fazed. "No problem, then. I will watch over you from behind. I value my life and don't want to get killed by Antonio."

I gripped my car door and turned to him, his insolence setting my anger alight. "I think I will be the one to kill you," I hissed before getting inside my car. I threw him a final glare as he waved at me. Why on earth would he assign his best friend as my bodyguard? What kind of person is he?

"I will surely deal with you, Brandon," I muttered before starting my engine and driving out of the house.

As I headed to the office, I noticed Brandon's car following behind me in my rearview mirrors. My phone's ringtone interrupted my thoughts, displaying Antonio's name. I smiled, knowing he'd realized the door was locked.

I chose not to answer the call and allowed it to ring and end. Another call followed, and I ignored it as well. The third call came through, and my smile widened. "You haven't seen anything yet, Antonio," I whispered to myself. After that call ended, he didn't try to contact me again.

"Has he given up already?" I wondered aloud. I was lost in thought about how he might react when my phone beeped, indicating a new message.

I read it out loud. "I will deal with you. Be well prepared." His words gave me pause, and my body weakened, but I knew that even if he punished me, it wouldn't change the fact that I had made him late. I was certain he was also running behind schedule.

The growling of my stomach reminded me of how hungry I was. I decided to grab something light before heading to the office. I ordered a sandwich and a cold cola, my eyes occasionally drifting towards Brandon, who was seated a few tables away. It seemed he had ordered the same thing. I noticed how few college girls were eyeing him, probably thinking he was some kind of model. If only they knew he was a bodyguard.

I leisurely ate my breakfast since I was already late, and there was no need to rush to the office. I ignored Sam's persistent calls coming through my phone. He could be impatient at times. I was about to pick up the call that was coming in when it ended.

Once I finished my meal, I grabbed my bag and phone and headed out. "Camila, you..."

I raised my hand and halted Brandon from whatever he was about to say. "I don't want to hear anything. Leave me alone."

I hopped inside my car and drove away. The office was only a ten-minute drive from the restaurant where I had stopped for breakfast. I hummed to some soft music as the elevator doors opened. Brandon hadn't followed me up to my office.

"Ma'am," A worried Sam rushed up to me.

"What? Why do you keep calling me as if I was kidnapped or something?"

"That's not it. Someone is here," he said anxiously.

"Who is that someone?" I asked, pulling out my keys to open the door, but Sam beat me to it.

"I've already unlocked the door," he replied, his voice trembling with nervousness. It was unusual for Sam to act this way. I pushed the door and stepped inside. My legs came to a halt as I met his gaze. He can't be fucking kidding me.