The car entered through a tall gate made of steel. Beatrice could see from inside how high the wall was. And she couldn’t help but tremble as she saw men in black suits holding long guns. What would they need it for?
‘You’ll be okay, Beatrice. This is for your father,’ she thought to herself. Beatrice had been trying to calm herself down. Her hands keep on trembling and she keeps on breathing hard because her heartbeats are fast. The car was cold but she could feel herself sweating. She was not crying anymore but the more she was getting near the stranger's house, the more her fears grew. ‘It will be done soon. You just need the money.’
Beatrice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her father teaches her to take deep and long breaths. He said that it will help her calm and it was true. Every time Beatrice felt scared, or stressed, she closed her eyes and took a long deep breath. She does it until she calms down. Beatrice felt that the car stopped so she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the fountain on her left side. It has a greek angel statue in the center that was holding a pitcher. The water comes out from there.
“Miss,” the man called her.
Beatrice looked at her left side. The door was already open so she went out from there. The night was cold and the moon was dazzling in the sky. But Beatrice couldn’t feel the beauty of the night because of the men in front of the door. They were also holding long guns and looking intently at the surroundings. As if they were ready anytime if someone attacked them.
“Follow me, Miss,” the man said again.
Beatrice nodded. The man walked inside the enormous door. The first thing Beatrice saw was the big chandelier hanging on the ceiling. Yes, they had a chandelier in their house but not like this. It was like a set of diamonds hanging! Also, the place was bright but something felt odd. She cannot see any maids inside. Is it because it was nearly midnight?
They walk on the big staircase. Beatrice couldn’t help but be amazed at the gold design of the handrails. It looked like the master of this mansion had an eye on art too. The wall had paintings hanging. It was legit paintings and not only pictures when Beatrice checked it. She stopped walking when they reached the top floor. There was a big painting of a woman with blonde hair. Her blue eyes were shining even though it was only on the painting. But something felt wrong. The woman looked like her.
“Master Bruce created that art,” the man said while looking at the art too. Beatrice almost gasped and looked at him. He smiled at her. “Sorry to rattle you, Miss. But we don’t have time to look at the paintings tonight. Your father needs you, right?”
“Ahh. Y-Yes. I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Very well. Please follow me and don’t stop.” He bowed and started walking again.
Beatrice looked at the painting again. Was this woman the reason why Mister Bruce wanted to marry her? She shook her head and followed the butler again. They then stopped in front of the big door again. The man opened it and stood on the side only while pointing his hand inside.
“Please enter, Miss. The master is waiting for you inside.”
“You are not coming?”
“I will if the master calls me.”
Beatrice nodded. She peeked inside. She could smell the stinging scent of paint inside so she covered her nose. She walked inside and the man immediately closed the door.
Thug! Thug!
Beatrice's heart throbbed again. There was no one inside. She just saw a canvas at the center of the room and things used for painting on the floor. She realized that it was a studio room. There were finished paintings hanging on the wall and some on the side wall. Beatrice could say that this man had an extreme talent for painting. Everything was beautiful in her eyes. Suddenly, she forgot what was the reason she was in the mansion. She went near one painting of a woman again. She doesn’t have any clothes but it was beautiful. It doesn’t look embarrassing for her.
“Miss Lichter?”
Beatrice almost jumped when she heard a deep voice. She immediately looked behind her only to see a man standing near the canvass wearing nothing at all. Beatrice shouted and turned her back again. She couldn’t have a chance to see his face because she panicked seeing his body.
“What are you doing, you pervert?! Where are your clothes?!” she said, panicking. It was the first time seeing a man without any clothes. Was he out of his mind?! He was expecting her but he went out without any clothes?! Beatrice tried to calm down herself and closed her eyes. But the first thing she saw was the long and big thing hanging on his center. She heard him laugh and just added more of her agitation. ‘Is he happy showing his ‘thing’ to me?! Crazy!’
“You don’t need to be scared, Miss Lichter. You are here because you are accepting my proposal, right?” Mr. Bruce said.
Beatrice opened her eyes again. She couldn’t look back at him so she just nodded her head. “Y-Yes. I am.”
“But I heard you’re not accepting it? Why the change of heart?”
Beatrice tightened her fist. “D-Didn’t my mother already tell you about it?” she asked back. She doesn’t have the heart to talk with him. She wanted it to be fast and done already. She doesn’t want to be left alone with this psycho man in a room. Especially if he doesn’t wear anything. Mr. Bruce didn’t answer her. Beatrice was feeling frustrated only and thought that she was being toyed with by the man. But she almost stopped breathing and her body froze when he touched her arms. She couldn’t move and look at him because she was worried to see his body again. “W-What are you doing?”
“But I want to hear it from you, Beatrice,” he whispered in Beatrice's ears.
Beatrice gulp. She could feel the hair on her nape standing because of the warm breath hitting her skin. “G-Go away!” She tried to remove his hand from her and step forward. But the man turned her around instead and locked his hands on her body. Beatrice's eyes widened when she felt his hard thing on her tummy. She tried to resist but the man pulled her closer to his body. Feeling it more even.
That time, Beatrice felt like cold water was poured on her. No. Was this place getting hotter or was her body reacting to that thing sticking on her tummy?
Beatrice felt her time stop. She couldn’t find any words to say to him. It felt like her tongue was cut out and she didn’t know what to say anymore. ‘What was that thing?!’ Beatrice kept on asking herself. She was terrified and shocked at the same time. But this man with his big green eyes was just looking at her as if he was enjoying her expressions. She could see his eyes smiling while he was grinning too. Her heart skipped and her breathing became hard. She wanted to push him but her body was frozen too. Indeed, this man was gorgeous. His nose was pointed as if it was molded. He was like the paintings she had just looked at earlier. His hair was not long, but it was curly and was adding more of his strong features. Too gorgeous for a man to be real. “You look tense, Miss Lichter? What are you worried about?” Mateo asked, not minding their situation. He even looked at Beatrice's lips and his eyes immediately twinkled. He immediately had the urge to kiss her, but he tried to stop hi
After Beatrice and Mateo talked, he immediately ordered Amadeus, his butler, to pay for David Lichter’s hospital bill. That night, David was sent to BMH and started his operation immediately. The surgery will be a long operation. It will take up to twelve hours. “Thank you, Mister. My husband will live!” Veronica said with tears in her eyes. Amadeus smiled. “You should thank your daughter.” Beatrice looked away. “I-I’ll go to the cafeteria.” “Hmph! Yes. You should. Bring mother some coffee!” Clementine's second. “Ah, you don’t have to, Miss Lichter. We have already provided a room for your family. You can rest there, Mrs. Lichter. As you wait for your husband,” Amadeus interrupted. BMH was not just a hospital. It also had hotel-like rooms for very important people waiting for their sick family. Having this, families are one building away from their loved ones. Clementine raised her eyebrows. She never liked it when someone was favoring Beatrice. Veronica noticed it and she stop
After the surgery, David was still unconscious. The Lichter's then never left the hospital for David. Beatrice was at least relieved because Mateo was not bothering her while she was still waiting for her father. It’s as if he was being considerate. And Beatrice was thankful for that because she was not yet ready again to face him. Beatrice was having her breakfast in the room that Amadeus provided her. She had never left the room since she came here. There was an hourly update for the nurses about her father. So, Veronica and Clementine decide to visit her in the room. Beatrice heard a loud knock on her door. She immediately stood up and opened the door. “Mother? Why are you–” “Oh, stop. Let us in,” Veronica said, and did not even wait for Beatrice to open the door. She let herself in and Clementine followed her. Beatrice stood up by her side while waiting for her stepmother's words. She was still holding the bread she was eating. She put her hands behind her to hide them from th
“Thank you for coming here, Javier,” Beatrice said as she took her bag from Javier. When her father woke up and her room was taken out from her, she asked Javier to come and get her clothes. Her father was still weak, so they still needed to stay in the hospital. Javier sighed. He could see the tiredness on Beatrice's face. “You should go home instead of staying here. Your father will be taken care of for sure.” “I can’t leave him.” “Then where will you sleep here? Your father still needs to stay in the ICU.” Beatrice looked around her. They are in the hospital’s waiting area. “I can. Here.” “You shouldn’t!” “Why? This is okay. Look.” Beatrice patted the chair. “It might be hard because it is made of steel, but that will be okay. I have my bag.” “Beatrice. You shouldn’t let them be hard on you. You might not be saying anything to me now. For sure, your mother said bad things to you again.” Beatrice looked away. Her friend knew him well and she couldn’t hide her true feelings f
Beatrice let out a deep long breath when she turned on the left hallway. She rested her back and head on the wall, then closed her eyes. ‘What just happened?!’ Beatrice touched her chest. She could feel her heart throbbing as if someone was chasing her. She tried taking a deep breath again and slowly until she calmed down. “He is crazy,” she whispered. Then she touched her neck, still feeling the goosebump she felt earlier. Why did she have a weird feeling when Mateo blew on her neck? It was like something was crawling from her neck and going through her chest. To her tummy and her… “Urgh!” she groaned and started walking again. She shouldn’t let Mateo get into her system. Into her mind. She must not be scared of a psycho man. Yet what he said was true. She needed him as much as he wanted her. They liked using each other. Thinking about it, they were like partners, so Beatrice hadn’t been scared of the man. “What are you doing here?” Beatrice noticed her stepmother and sister wer
At that moment, Beatrice didn’t know what to say. They were all shocked when Clementine started her tantrums. Well, it was not really that shocking for Beatrice because Clementine was always like that. Every time Clementine saw that Beatrice was being favored over her, she would do anything just to have more than Beatrice. “Is there something wrong, Miss Lichter?” Mateo asked confusedly. Veronica hemmed. “Ahm. I think Mister Bruce should come at another time.” She went to Mateo’s side and touched his arm. “Come. I will guide you through the door.” But Mateo removed her hand and did not move. He sighed. “Okay. I will come back again when Mister Lichter is really okay.” He looked at David again. “You should probably talk with your daughter, Mister Lichter. And I want to remain on what’s on our deal. You wouldn't disappoint me, right?” he said with a tone of menace. David gulped. He knew exactly what Mateo meant. His grip on Beatrice's hand tightened and he then didn’t say any words.
David Lichter’s recovery was fast. After another week in the hospital, he was finally discharged by his doctors. But Mateo still sent them personal nurses for him to be checked 24/7. As the day passed, Beatrice could feel the tension in their house. Clementine and Veronica kept on asking David if Clementine would marry Mateo instead. But Mateo only wanted Beatrice. “You!” Clementine faced Beatrice with tears in her eyes. She had just left David's room. Beatrice was going there to give him juice. “What?”“What did you do to Mateo Bruce, huh?! Did you really fuck him already? That's why he only wants you?!”Beatrice gasped. “Watch your words, Clementine! I would never do that! If only I could stop this, I would!”Clementine smirked in disbelief. “Then prove it. Prove that you didn't want to marry Mateo. Tell him that you will not marry him anymore!”Beatrice was taken aback. She knew it was impossible because Mateo was firm in his decision. Her hands trembled and she looked away from
In the morning, all the staff of Lichter’s resort were busy. They were installing decorations in the hall where the party would be held. They also stopped accepting tourists because they reserved rooms for guests. The Lichter's might be facing bankruptcy, but they were still the most prominent resort in the province. No one could compete in their hospitality and luxurious rooms. The receiving area was a big mansion and it could be used for special events. There were rooms for the guests too. Then there are a lot of recreational activities for rich people. Yes, because a night at Lichter's resort would cost someone fifty thousand dollars. And it could cost up to half a million if someone rented a villa and personal staff. The resort was located on a small island not that far from the city. It was owned by the Lichters since the grandfather of David. It was like their family heirloom. But David was ready to take the risk by selling it just to save his daughter. “Is everything okay?”