0006.

Sophia's POV.

"You're pretty tricky, little Sophia..." He said, smirking as he looked down at me. "But not tricky enough for me.'

I shot him a glare. He was always a contradiction, saying one thing and doing another.

"Don't glare at me."

His grip tightened around my neck, and a soft, yet startled sound escaped my lips.

"ah!"

He scoffed, releasing me. "Tch." He slipped off me and walked away.

My hand flew to my neck, rubbing at the place his fingers had pressed as if to erase the feeling. The door creaked open as he moved to leave.

I sat up quickly, my eyes widening.

"Where are you going?" I asked, a bit too sharply.

He didn't answer. He just walked out, leaving the door to swing shut behind him. I stood, ready to go after him, but changed my mind at the last moment.

"Damn it!" I muttered, stomping my feet. "My best chance to seduce this man has just been completely ruined."

"Why did he even stop me?" I whispered to myself, frowning. "I thought men liked these things. Why is he pretending to be different?"

"He just wants to give me a hard time," I mumbled, pursing my lips. "Such an arrogant—"

"Miss,"

I flinched at the sound of a voice and turned. It was the maid from a while ago.

"Follow me to your room," She said softly.

I swallowed hard and nodded. I followed her upstairs. As we walked, the vastness of the place made me dizzy.

"This place is huge," I commented, glancing around in awe. "I'm going to get lost..."

"You might," the maid said, stopping abruptly. "But if you use the house's elevator, you will find your way more easily."

"There's an elevator?" I asked.

"Yes, come with me," She resumed walking.

After a few moments, we reached an elevator.

"Wow," I mouthed, scrutinizing it in awe. I had seen some home elevators but nothing like this one.

"Why is clear as glass?" I inquired, reaching for it.

"I don't know," She said with a shrug. "But I've heard some staff say it's unbreakable, but has some unique functions."

"Nice..." I whispered. "Are you sure that we're allowed to use it?"

"Yes," She nodded, pressing a button to open it.

The elevator opened, and we stepped in. It was a bit chilly but incredible and as it moved, I found myself briefly distracted from the number of problems I faced.

When we got to the top floor, she led me into a room. It was massive, almost half the size of my entire house.

"This will be your room from now on. If you need anything, you can use the intercom," The maid said, a small smile appearing on her lips.

As she turned to leave, I asked, "What's your name?"

"Poppy," She answered before walking out.

"Poppy," I repeated, glancing around as I approached the king-sized bed. "This place was more comfortable than I thought. But no comfort here can match what I felt with my father."

I slipped slowly into the bed and began thinking of other ways to seduce him. I needed to be with my father as soon as possible. Any delay would get in the way of my goal.

"What am I going to do?" I sighed, running my hands through my hair.

I spent hours thinking, so preoccupied, that I lost my appetite for dinner. I didn't want food or rest, all I wanted was to accomplish my end of the deal.

As I continued thinking, my eyes grew heavy. I tried to resist the strong urge to sleep but felt myself drifting off. Then, suddenly, the honk of a car startled me awake.

"He's back," I said, slipping out of bed.

I dashed out of the room, retracting Polly's steps to the elevator. I pressed the button as she had done, letting the elevator carry me downstairs. The actions of Poppy, and the elevator took me downstairs.

As I ran into the sitting room, I gasped at the sight of Alessandro.

"Blood," I muttered, noticing the dark stain spreading over his shirt.

"What happened? How did you get injured?" I asked, moving toward him.

He didn't answer like earlier and tried walking away. Summoning all the courage, I stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"You can't just leave without answering me. I want to know why you got hurt and...why you didn't go to a hospital?"

"You do not care, so stop this act." He responded coldly, his gaze so icy it sent a shiver through me.

He was right about me not caring for him. But how was I supposed to show him what love was, if I didn't pretend to care?

"How can I care for you after what you did to my father knowing he could be innocent?" I asked, glaring at him. "But you're still human. Everyone deserves some care."

I took his hand and pulled him to the couch. I half-expected him to resist, but I guess he was too tired to.

"Where is the first aid kit?" I questioned, glancing at the drawers beneath the large TV.

He gave an ingenuine, and mocking laugh, "Since when did you become a nurse? Or should I say a... caregiver?"

I huffed in disbelief. How could he behave so immaturely while bleeding like this?

"Where is it?" I persisted.

"In the drawer."

I followed his gaze and found the drawer he meant. I opened it and grabbed the first aid kit. Returning to him, I sat close enough to see his injury. I began unbuttoning his shirt, my breath hanging at the sight of the wound on his broad shoulder. Blood was trickling from the deep cut.

"It's a cut," I muttered, reaching carefully for it. "Why do you have a cut on your shoulder?"

"That's none of your business," He replied, his voice sharp.

His gaze darkened, and I took it as a sign to stop asking questions and focus on treating and dressing the wound. My hands moved gently as if painting on a blank canvas. His body was like a piece of art, strong and chiseled even while it hurt.

Once I was done, I arranged the first aid supplies back into the box. I could feel his burning gaze on me.

I couldn't resist turning to him, and in the process, my lips brushed against his. The unexpected softness of his lips made me let out a moan before I pulled away.

I looked up, expecting a reaction, but his face was expressionless. Yet, as my gaze lowered, I noticed a shift in his posture, a tension revealing itself as a bulge in his pants.

A smirk appeared on my lips, as I placed my hand close to it, "I guess you're much easier than—"

Before I could complete my words, his face turned monstrous.