I slid myself behind the wheel, revived the engine and stepped on the accelerator speeding up to wherever place I could just clear my head. After my aunt revealed the murder of my parent, which I have been blaming myself of my unfortunate luck all my life, imagining the pain they might have gone through. His annoying handsome face flashed through my mind, the sudden feeling of destroying him arise within me.
"Who is he… and why does he exude such an aura of danger?" I asked her
Something flickers through her expression but I noticed.
"He is truly dangerous and a man of unimaginable power. He doesn't need to raise his voice to be feared, his gaze alone cuts deeper than knives. He commands without effort, cold and merciless." Her voice trembled slightly. "Mercy, to him, is weakness. Whoever betrayals him… is a death sentence." She paused, then added in a whisper, "And he is also connected to your parent's tragic accident".
Suddenly I jammed the break causing the car to screeched a halt in front of a bar called Tipsy Demon. At first glance, it looked like any ordinary roadside spot. The neon sign flickered boldly in the night, and its modern glass facade revealed nothing of the storm brewing inside me.
Taking a deep breath in before I stepped out of the car and entered the bar knowing fully well that there's no going back, though it looks like a normal bar common people visit. I know I shouldn't do this but I just needed a place to drown the weight of what Aunt revealed to me. The rich aroma of alcohol filled my nostrils and the atmosphere was stylish, even upscale-so unlike the chaos in my head, I sat onto one of the barstool and ordered a cocktail. As soon as the glass touched the counter, I drowned it in one gulp. The fiery liquid scorched my throat, but I welcomed the burn.
Just as I was savoring the sting someone appeared beside me, I turned and there he was. The tall leaned man from the ballroom,his neatly blonde hair glinting beneath the dim colourful light. Even through the haze of alcohol, I could still recognized him, He offered a smile. "Well, I didn't get the chance to introduce myself the other day." There was something soothing in his voice.
"I'm Matteo." He said, I raised an eyebrow. "Matteo? That sounds Italian."
He chuckled, and something about the sound somehow made my skin tingle.
"You don't need to tell me your name," he added, leaning in slightly. "Your aunt already did."
"Okay" I answered shrugging my shoulder,then took another sip of my final one.
Already feeling the alcohol was kicking in hard, blurring the night into smudged memories.
**********************
Rolling on the soft bed mumbling, I didn't want to wake up when something struck into my head. My head pounded from the hangover causing me to hiss,I glanced around and slowly realized that I'm in my room but wondering how I got back home last night.
'How did I get home?'
I tried to remember, piecing together of what happened last night, but my memory was foggy.
"Useless!" I said to myself before heading toward the bathroom. Staring at my reflection in the mirror noticing how my face looks tired and tanned, After brushing my teeth and showering, I slipped into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve turtleneck.
As I descended the stairs, closing my eyes to savour the smell of the toast and freshly brewed coffee, and opened my eyes to see what I didn't expect.
The guy I met at the bar last night, He sat at the table with my aunt, casually sipping his coffee casually. They had clearly been talking before I arrived, my gaze darted between both of them.
'Did he brought me home... and stay??'
"Good morning" He said, flashing a charming grin, I didn't respond right away.
"how's your hangover treating you?" He added.
"I'm fine" I answered back.
"Matteo, I'm glad you could join us for breakfast," my aunt said smoothly.
" I see that you're feeling better." directing towards me.
"I'd love to stay longer," Matteo added, rising, "but I don't have the luxury of time. I hope we get to talk again soon."
He winked at me before walking out, leaving me speechless, However I reminded myself that I'm alone with my aunt and the room went silent.
"Have you finally thought about it?" she asked, her eyes steady on me. I was about to raise my spoon, but set it down.
"Yes."
"Are you ready?"
I lazily met her gaze. "Yes."
She searched my eyes for hesitation but seemed satisfied when she found none. She nodded and resumed eating.
"The papers will arrive soon," she said as she wiped her mouth with the napkin on the table, before standing up and left the room like we'd just discussed the weather.
I sat there alone, staring into my plate. The weight of my decision pressed down within me.
***************
I flopped onto my bed, bouncing lightly on the mattress. Grabbing my tablet, I opened my work dashboard to check out the daily activities in my small company that i built over the years. After a while I contacted Emily my trusted assistant. She was holding down the fort back in New York, managing the company while am here.
With no pressing updates, I reviewed her reports, feeling the pride warming me, She had everything under control. And a message popped up suddenly above my tab