"Woaah, woah, woah. Rylie, what the hell are you doing?"

Rylie looked over her shoulder and continued packing my things.

"Rylie, I asked you something."

She turned around and my heart broke when I saw the tears in her eyes. Who the hell made my Rylie cry again?!

"Rylie..." I engulfed her in a hug and gently rubbed her back. "What's wrong? Tell me."

She mumbled something incoherent and hiccupped.

"What?"

"Y-You aa...eaving me."

Eaving? Weaving? Leaving?

I broke off the hug and gave her an incredulous look. "Rylie, who the hell told you that I'm leaving you? I'm not going anywhere!"

She shook her head. "You...aa."

"No. I am not!" I declared. "Now help me unpack everything you have packed."

All those tears she was shedding vanished in a second, her lips twisted downwards, forming a scowl and she shook her head like a dog wagging its tail.

"Done with your drama now?" I asked. "I swear if you weren't stuck in this place like me, you would have been an actress by now."

She giggled.

"Good. Now you gonna tell me why you are packing my stuff?"

Quickly, she pulled out her notepad and pen.

'I know everything.'

Everything? Everything?! What does everything mean? Does it mean that she knows that I have done some smooching business with the Agostini son, not once but twice or she knows that Adrian helped me out to escape from the country and was also tricked by his brother or she knows that I had a party with the rest of the men of this mansion?

Damn. I am hiding many things from her.

"What exactly do you know?" I asked warily.

'About capo's order to shift back to that room and the dinner.'

That son of a... I can't believe he is using Rylie against me! I swear when I see him next time, I am going to—what can I even do that man? Nothing! Ugh. I hate being useless.

I groaned mentally. "Rylie, please don't tell me that you agreed with what he said."

'I did. It's a wonderful opportunity!'

My nose scrunched up. "Wonderful opportunity? What have been eating lately, Rylie? Because you are talking nonsense."

She face palmed and started scribbling on her notepad. After what it felt like hours, she showed me her notepad.

'Think, Amelia, think! You have been given an opportunity to speak up against the things that have been happening. So many people working among us have disappeared over the years and we can't say anything about it. You know that chef is gone too and even I had a close call years ago. Just speak for all of us and try to make sure that they receive our plea cause I don't want you or anybody else to be gone too.'

Sometimes, only sometimes, not always, but sometimes I really feel like strangling Rylie whenever she is right about things.

Because this is one of those times.

Why didn't I think of this before?! I know that the men will listen to me. We have already made a pretty nice introduction to each other so this conversation should be an easy peasy task.

"Fine. You win. I'll attend the dinner." She gave me a triumphant grin and did a small happy dance which made me laugh.

My happy mood died down when I saw my things all over the bed.

"Rylie?" She hummed in response. "Then why are you packing my things?"

She smiled sheepishly and scribbled, 'cause that's what capo has ordered me to do.'

Order? He ordered Rylie? Oh dear God! Of course he would order Rylie to do it because I won't be following his orders and Rylie, being a baby she is would follow it. That clever bastard! There is no way I am going to let him do whatever he wants to do with me unless...

"Rylie, did Louisa agree to this? You know, since she handles and decides things like living arrangements."

She nodded her head in response and I gritted my teeth in anger.

That grandma! She hasn't visited me for weeks and now she decides for me to move away from Rylie! I will not let anybody control any part of my life. How could she even agree to something like this? Has she stopped caring about me? Looks like we really need to have a good talk.

Without any other word, I left the room and went down the stairs. Louisa's bedroom was just a floor down, in the corner of the long corridor of the staff quarters. I was about to knock on her door when suddenly I heard her laugh from the inside. My curiosity reached its peak and I pressed my ear.

"You like it?" I heard her ask.

"Si." My eyes popped out of their sockets when I heard a familiar voice. I can never forget that voice.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh freaking shit.

"You want me to go deeper?"

"Si—ohhh! That feels so good." He moaned.

My blood drained from my face when I heard more moans and very low grunts from him along with some low murmuring of appreciation—'oh! More! More! God, you are soooo good. Ahh! That's it! That's it! Oooooh, right there!'

Oh. My. God. Louisa is doing him. Louisa is giving him that...job.

What...how...why? I had no idea that this guy is into older women! And that's Louisa, the head housekeeper of this place. Is this why she wasn't pulling any efforts to see me? Because she is busy giving blowjobs to...him? That's so cheap.

"You want another round? You don't look so relaxed yet."

"Si," He hummed as I heard him breath deeply. "I am always up for another round. You are the best in this."

"Tut! Naughty boy. Stop flattering me."

Then they both laughed.

I covered my mouth in shock as I slowly stepped away from the door. This just made everything complicated and confusing.

Louisa is not what she shows she is. She has been hiding things, strange things from everybody for God knows how long and him...he just made it much more bigger.

"Rylie," I leaned by the door of our room and looked at her in concern. "Will you be fine without me in this room?"

She stopped packing my things and gave me a sad smile. "Yeaah."

My eyes roamed around the four grey walls, my bed and my wardrobe, my nightstand, my favourite three giant metal bar window which had become the cause of everything and then landed on Rylie.

"Then let me help you in packing."

*****

I woke up in a familiar super fluffy bed. A faint smile appear on my lips as I stretched out like a cat and rolled over to see the time on the alarm. My smile brightened when I saw that there was still a lot of time before I have to start my duties.

I buried my face into the soft pillow when suddenly I heard the door knock in a very weird tune.

"Go away." I mumbled and closed my eyes.

The door knocked again then I heard it click open.

My eyes shot open and I sprang out of the bed, a pillow in my arms, ready to strike. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw a white box having a picture of a laptop in someone's hands.

"Somebody ordered a laptop?" The pillow dropped from my grasp when I heard Adrian's voice from behind.

"Buongiorno, Adrian." I greeted with a small smile on my face.

"I can see your nipples." He deadpanned as he kept the box beside me.

Quickly, I covered my upper body with the blanket and threw a pillow on his face. "And you ruined my morning."

He chuckled softly. "Glad I could help."

That small effort to ease down the awkwardness between us faded and I averted my eyes from him.

"So...um, how are you?" He asked hesitantly, "You know, after what happened a couple of days ago."

I laughed bitterly and wrapped my body with the blanket. "I am dead, aren't I? It's not the end of the world."

"Amelia," He touched my shoulder and I faced him. The genuine concern was real in his baby blue eyes. "How are you?"

"I...I don't know." I answered honestly. "I mean, I can't just stop my entire life after what happened, right? It still hurts, but I do hope so that I will be fine one day."

"That's good to hear." He smiled. "And I'm sorry too, for everything that has happened. My brother is an ass."

I giggled. "Now that's something we both agree on. What about you? How are you? Did you make up or something after that ass tricked you?"

"Oh, it was nothing." He shrugged it off. "It was just a simple fight between two brothers. You know, he punches me, I punch him back, he tries to stab my leg so I stabbed him on his leg instead and heard the beautiful music of him screaming and throwing curses at me till he came to his realisations that I am always right. I don't pity that bastardo at all because I made him bed ridden for three whole days! Isn't that great?"

That teeny tiny sleepiness I had in me vanished. "You...you stabbed him? Your own brother?"

"It's no biggie. I have done it before." He said casually and rubbed his hands as he eyed the box of laptop as if it was his favourite meal. "Can we open that? I'm super excited about it because that's the latest model!"

"Oh, okay." I mumbled, "Can you at least give me my privacy to wear a bra? Since you didn't gave me the time to do so because you broke into my room."

"You mean this bra?" He wiggles his eyebrows as he picks up my favourite neon pink bra and dangles it in front of my face. "Cute colour, but I am more of a black and white lingerie man."

My face turned red in embarrassment and I snatched it from him then dashed into the bathroom as Adrian laughs loudly.

I was washing my face when I saw something through the mirror. Something crawling right behind the door. Something having a tail and a pair of eyes.

I screamed in horror and ran out of the bathroom. Adrian saw my terrified state, quickly pulled out his gun as I hid myself under the covers and gave me a last look before he carefully stepped into the bathroom.

My eyes grew big when I heard Adrian emit a shrill scream accompanied by five gunshots and a bursting of pipe.

Then I felt a huge dip on my bed and the covers being shuffled till I saw Adrian beside me, trembling and hiding his face in the mattress.

"A-Adrian!" I whisper yelled. "Is it dead?"

"N-No." He squeaked.

"Then do something!" I smacked his arm. "At least it's not a snake or else we would be running for the hills!"

"I-I can't! I hate those things and they scare the shit out of me. They are like mini crocodiles and I hate crocodiles."

"Crocodiles can't climb walls, you idiot. This can."

"I don't care!" He snapped, "I tried shooting and it didn't die. That's the problem."

"My, my. Little girl, if you wanted to do the dirty deed under your sheets, at least lock the door because you are quite a screamer." My breath hitched when I heard the capo's bored voice and I slowly peeked from the blanket to see him leaning by the door, yawning.

"I am not doing anything dirty, August-mini." I gritted. "There's an animal in my bathroom."

"I don't think so." He yawned again, "I see one right beside you."

"Hey!" Adrian intervened. "I'm your elder brother. Show me some respect."

He ignored him and went straight into my bathroom. Shamelessly, we got out of the bed, clutching each other for our dear lives and waiting for the capo to give us some sign that he killed that mini crocodile.

A few minutes later, he got out of my bathroom with the biggest smile on his face.

"There you are! I have been searching for you." My face paled in a very strange manner when I saw the mini crocodile in his palm.

"Eek! Kill that thing, Agostini." I shrieked and jumped straight back into the bed.

"Why?" He asked innocently. "It's just a lizard and not any ordinary lizard. It's my lizard. Leo the lizard."

Adrian cringed and took a cautious step back. "Not good, fratello. Throw that thing away."

The Agostini son tickled the lizard's stomach which made it twist and twirl then crawl up on his arm. "No. I rescued this cutie pie only a couple of minutes ago from my balcony."

"Cutie pie?" I mentally gagged. "That thing is not cute."

The lizard crawled higher and reached his shoulder. Yup, definitely not cute.

"Of course you won't find Leo cute because you find my ass cute. What a strange taste you have, Amelia." He smirked.

My cheeks turned crimson red and Adrian coughed awkwardly.

Dammit! These brothers sure know how to ruin my morning.

The Agostini son picked up the lizard and placed it on his head. "There, now you don't have to worry about Leo eating you up."

"Hey, I have a question for you guys." I said as the memories of yesterday flashed in my brain. "Where were you guys last evening?"

The brothers exchanged a look with each other.

"Why?" Adrian asked. "Did you miss us?"

"No." I deadpanned. "It's just that I moved back to this room last evening and didn't receive any 'welcome back little neighbour' party." I lied smoothly. In reality, I had one of the best nights ever with Rylie because we had a pillow fight right in this room.

"We were at the company's office." The capo answered. "We were stuck in a meeting with padre since afternoon."

"Si. We came back really late last night." Adrian added, "And padre bought me a new set of Hello Kitty pajamas!"

Liar. I should have guessed that he would lie and that too in front of his brother! Either his brother is also involved or he is telling the truth on his side.

I kept exchanging suspicious looks between the brothers while they did the same then I shrugged. "Whatever. I want to take a bath. Get out!"

The lizard jumped from the capo's head and made a perfect landing on the floor then crawled out of my bedroom through the door.

"Hey! Leo! Wait!" The capo ran behind him but stopped at my door. We followed him and saw that the lizard had already reached at the end of the corridor where a maid was sweeping the floor. I recognised her. Her eyes went to the lizard and in one swift motion, she hit it with her broom and swept it away.

Leonardo Agostini kept gawking as the maid walked away with the dead lizard.

After a few seconds of silence, I heard Adrian whisper in my ear.

"Damn. That has to be the shortest lived pet I have ever seen."

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