"Just keep washing. Just keep washing. Washing. Washing. Just keep washing."

I kept singing to myself as I washed the dirty dishes while Rylie arranged the clean, dried dishes in the cabinet. I did notice that her eyes kept drifting to the man who was working with the gas stove, concentrated in slowly stirring the soup in the pot. The rest of the staff were doing their own duties. It's just another day at my unrequited work destination.

"There's no harm in talking to him, Rylie." I muttered as I kept a wet plate on the rack.

Shaking her head, she picked up a dried plate and kept it in the cabinet above her.

"There's no harm in trying though." I added with a wink.

She smiled weakly and continued doing her work. My face fell.

"Is this about what you wrote that day?"

A woman with destroyed tongue.

She didn't meet my eye. I pulled out my gloves and squeezed her hand.

"Rylie, don't you ever get that thought in your head again. You're beautiful. You're amazing. Talk or no talk, you are incredible and can charm any man you want with that awesome smile of yours. Now go!" I whispered excitedly as I slightly gave her a push towards our new chef.

She gave me one last look and approached the chef. Hmm... that chef is surely a good piece of meat to all the ladies here. Lean shoulders which perfectly hugged his uniform but Leonardo was the one with muscles. Neatly combed black hair and pants which were tight around his hips gave me a different impression about the chef unlike the capo who basically screamed power and danger.

Wait a second, why the hell am I comparing?

I saw Rylie tapping his shoulder then he turned his head to see Rylie waving shyly, her face flushed.

I continued doing my work when suddenly Rylie stood beside me and tossed her notepad.

"Done already?" I enquired as I read what she wrote.

'Gay.'

A short laugh escaped from me and Rylie hit my arm, her face red in embarrassment.

"Did he tell you?"

She nodded and wrote, 'John was asking me about our gardener's name and room. He wants to give him a surprising erotic night tonight. Love at first sight.'

It's surprising how people here are trying to make a life in this hell house, knowing that anything will happen to anybody any minute. Even though I had a good chat with the men, it still didn't make any sense why would someone want us to fear them. I do have a few suspects, but it's really hard to exactly blame unless I can confirm.

At least I have Rylie who believes me only after I had to spill everything that had happened. She stayed the night with me that day and we ended up having another tickle fight, both of us feeling light and happy that there are no more secrets or pent up feelings between us.

Things have been going... fine, I guess. It feels weird not to steal knives and cut bars. I don't have any reason to do so anymore. Been focusing on my college classes in the early evenings. Took a two year course of business, so I guess I am stuck here now. I don't even wanna know how these people managed to get me in. The brothers simply helped me choose the right one in less than an hour and that's it.

"Buongiorno." I heard Louisa greeting everybody.

Speak of my suspect number one.

"Louisa!" I grinned. "Long time no see."

She chuckled. "Amelia, I should say the same thing to you."

I shrugged. "No biggie. Just got shot, ran away only to find I am dead, shifted out of my room, had dinner with exactly one hundred and two men and now here I am, healthy as a horse."

Rylie jabbed my stomach and I muttered a few strings of curses under my breath. Rylie thinks that what I heard Louisa doing is not what I think she is doing. She writes that Louisa is too pure, too good to do something like that.

"Right." She eyed us both dryly. "Glad to have you back, signorina. And I am very sorry about everything that has happened."

"It's okay. I'm just dead. Not a big deal." I laughed bitterly.

"Oh Amelia..." Louisa hugged and I got a strong whiff of coconuts and varieties of fruits which I couldn't name on the spot from her hair.

Wait, what? Coconuts and... fruit punch? Oh no. It's not possible, is it? My face paled and my stomach churned in a very painful way when I remembered this scent from another person I knew.

"I am very sorry, Amelia. I had really wished to be there with you, but my presence was more required here. I do hope that Rylie took great care of you."

"S-She did." I broke off the hug with a slight push which made her frown.

"Are you feeling well, Amelia?" Louisa asked, cupping my face.

"Yeah, I do. I am fine! I am great!" I chirped and slowly pulled away her hand. "Can I ask you a question?"

Louisa smiled. "Amelia, I am in no mood to play this game again. The last time you said this—"

"I ended up asking too many questions." I giggled. "What can I say? Curious me."

She shook her head in amusement. "Ask away then."

"What is the brand name of your shampoo? It's smells... awesome." I touched the strands of her loose bun, feeling the silkiness of it.

She tucked them behind her ear and laughed. "There's no brand, Amelia. It's homemade."

"Oh, really?" I raised a perfect eyebrow. "That's very new. Does anybody else know about this homemade creation of yours?"

"No. I don't think so." If I would have asked her before I jumped from the window, before I landed on capo, I would have believed her blindly. "Why? You want some of it? I can give you a bottle if you want."

After too much debating in my mind, I shook my head to avoid any suspicion when I see capo or his brother again. "No. I'll be fine without it, but I guess I am in need of a haircut again. It's been months since you cut it last time."

"Ah, si." She touched my hair which were now reaching up to my elbows. "That is true, but I think you should grow it a bit more. You'll look more bellissimo than you already are."

"Enough flattering, grandma." I teased, my cheeks turning crimson red.

"Silly girl!" Louisa laughed, playfully hitting my arm. "By the way, I have heard that capo has given you a privilege to your pending education. You must be very grateful to him, right? He doesn't do things like that very often."

Privilege? If she means by him kissing me senseless, requesting me to come with him and giving me this so-called free will to do anything I want to do, then yes. It's a wonderful privilege!

"That's good to hear. I am so very grateful to him." I kept a fake smile plastered on my face. If that man would be here right now, hearing me saying this, he would think that he has gone insane to hear things like that from me and probably get his ears checked. "How did you come to hear this?"

"Housekeepers talk." Nobody except Rylie, the Agostini brothers and a few other men who may have worked on my application form for classes know this. "It's so good to hear from you again, Amelia. I'll see you later. You may go back to your work."

"Louisa, wait!"

She turned around and frowned. "Si, Amelia?"

"During the dinner with the men, I heard something..." I bit my lower lip nervously. "Since you have been working here for... how long again?"

"Almost thirty years."

I nodded. "Almost thirty years. So I was hoping you that could tell me whether the housekeepers used to stay away from the men back in those days. Did something happen during that time?"

Her face broke into a sweet smile. "Not that I know of, Amelia. I have been working here long enough and I don't remember anything like that at all. The women here have been living away from the men of this house for as long as I remember. You have had a dinner with them and I am relieved that you came back safely from it and from everything that has happened to you. Anything else, Amelia?"

Unable to find any words, I shook my head.

"Good. I'll see you later."

Louisa just rubbed her third lie straight on my face and for the first time in my seven and half years of stay here, I trusted the men more than her.

*****

"Shakespeare again?"

I gasped in shock, placing a hand on my chest to calm my sudden wild beating heart.

"Jesus Christ! You startled me."

Leonardo Agostini tilted his head slightly, his lips curving upwards. "I did."

I gritted my teeth. "Very good then. Now get lost and let me read."

His eyes diluted. "I don't want to get lost. Finding my way back would be a waste of time. I rather stay here."

Seeing him after a week, I did notice a few changes. His hair had grown longer along with his facial hair and my fingers were itching to run through it. His usual white shirt was crinkled and black tie loosened. His eyes were literally shining with the help of moonlight.

"Fine." I huffed. "Then stay here."

"You didn't answer me."

I frowned. "Answer what?"

"Shakespeare again?" He eyed the book on my hand.

"No." I mumbled as I checked the author's name. "It's Austen. Shakespeare is out of my league."

"You like Jane Austen?" He asked curiously.

"No." I mumbled again, "Just found out that this is Jane Austen."

A throaty laugh escaped from him. "Do you... do you just randomly pick books from the library and start reading without seeing what it actually is?"

I didn't answer him and buried my face into the book.

"You do, don't you?" He laughed again. "I won't be surprised if I find you reading erotica one night."

My lips twisted downwards. "I am not that blind, August-mini. I was just... leave me alone, will you? There is no point in talking to you."

"And why would you think like that?"

I shut the book close and faced him. "You wanted me to shift back in this room, I did. You wanted me to reach my home and see the truth myself, I did. You wanted to pull me back down to Earth, I am down now. You wanted me dead, I almost died by your hands and I am dead to my loved ones. So next time when you ask me why I should not talk to you, remember what you did to me in these past months and that will give you your answer."

Silently, I continued reading the book which I borrowed from the library in haste while the Agostini son gazed to the night sky with no stars.

"Adrian's fine. If you ever ask. Feeling guilty, but he is fine." Capo said after a few minutes of silence.

Oh. That's a bit of relief to hear even though I never asked. I hummed in response, keeping my eyes down to the book.

"What are you reading?" The Agostini son asked.

I shot him a glare. What part of 'not talking to you' does he not understand?

"Emma." I muttered and looked away.

He hummed. "Can you read it for me?"

I shot him another glare. "I don't think so. You can't just disappear for a week then reappear only to ask me to read for you. You and your brother have been doing that a lot lately. Especially you."

"Aw, did you miss me?" He cooed.

"Absolutely not." I snapped. "The last time I saw you, you didn't even said a word regarding what your brother did to Rylie, scratch that, you haven't said a single word regarding this whole matter in the entire time."

He frowned. "Why would I? Adrian is old enough to take care of his problems. I have no right to intervene."

Shutting my book close, I scoffed. "Right. And if it were me, I would have been dead, buried and decaying right at the backyard of this mansion."

"I don't have any intention of hurting you anymore. I will not hurt you. I did promise you that, didn't I?"

I rolled my eyes and opened my book to read.

"How are your classes going on?"

I cursed under my breath. Why can't he just let me spend my night in peace? "They are going fine, capo. Thank you for asking." I said formally.

"That's good to hear. Did you have your dinner?" He asked.

I cried mentally. Why can't he leave me alone? I have had a very peaceful week and I wanted it to continue, but now, it's over. It's all over! My life is over!

"Yes, I did." I answered curtly.

"What did you eat?"

"Pasta."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did."

"What did you have for lunch?"

"Pasta."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did." I can go like this forever if I want.

"What did you eat last night?"

"Pasta."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did." I bit back a smile, but failed miserably and started laughing.

"What did you eat for lunch yesterday?" Capo was still controlling himself from laughing.

"P-Pasta." I hiccupped.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did." Then we both burst out laughing.

"Seriously? Same pasta everyday?" He asked, laughing.

"Oh, no." I breathed out. "It's pasta of different flavours twice or thrice a week. I just had two days of pasta simultaneously."

"That's just sad." He said flatly which made me snort. "If you weren't supposed to eat pasta, then what would you like to have?"

"Burger and fries." I sighed dreamily and my mouth watered. "It's been so long since I've had a bite. I would kill to have a bite."

He nodded slowly and didn't say anything else after that.

"Hey, capo? Can I ask you a question?" I asked warily.

"Si."

"You never told me the brand name of the shampoo you use."

His head snapped in my direction, eyes narrowed at me. "Why would I tell you that?"

I shrugged. "I did ask you when we first met, but you didn't answer me and manhandled me instead."

He frowned. "I didn't?"

"No."

"Adrian is the one who does all the shopping on my behalf, Amelia. My clothes and toiletries which also includes shampoo you are talking about, he brings it for me." He said nonchalantly.

This just made everything more confusing. Now, I don't know who is lying and who is telling the truth. Either both Louisa and capo are lying together or Louisa is the only one who is lying to me. Wait, what? Am I saying that I am trusting this man? Trusting Leonardo Agostini is the last thing I'll ever do. I guess, Adrian is the only one who will actually answer my questions... truthfully, I hope.

I gave him a stink eye. "Why?"

"I'm too busy to do shopping for myself."

"So you use your elder brother as your personal shopper?" I asked in disbelief.

"No. Adrian does it because he like to be normal, likes to do normal things like normal people." He explained.

"So you are too busy to spend some time doing shopping for yourself, but you are not too busy when you are sitting here, idle and annoying the shit out of me? Unbelievable." I muttered the last part to myself.

His expression became unreadable and he scratched the nape of his neck. "It's night. I don't work at nights." He defended.

I rolled my eyes again at his pathetic excuse.

"So will you read for me now?" Capo asked awkwardly.

I blinked rapidly, taken back by his request. "You... You actually want me to read for you aloud?"

"Si."

"Why?"

"Can't a man hear some bedtime stories before he goes to sleep?"

"If that's the case, that man can read some stories for himself and leave his neighbour alone."

He smirked. "You are the one with a book, so why can't you simply read it loudly? Or else I'll think that you don't know how to read."

"Fine." I gritted. "I'll read."

"From the beginning." He added with a very mischievous smile on his face.

Oh boy, this is going to be a very long night and something tells me that there is a huge motive behind this little story telling persuasion by Leonardo Agostini.

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