CHAPTER 5: Giovanni

"Be your what? I am not even applying for a job with you." I told him directly but he just stared at me with those cold brown eyes. I felt intimidated by it so I couldn't help but avoid his gaze after that. This guy is scaring the whole out of me.

"I know you need it," he answered. And why did he know about that? But hell, I will never work that kind of job again. Not ever, what happened makes me realize not to trust men. They are assholes, maybe including this man in front of me. Who knows.

I stepped backwards as he remained staring. Better to keep away from him, I need to protect myself.

"I don't, so we better keep this way simpler. I owe you one, for taking me here at your mansion and giving me food to eat and I am grateful about that. However, I can't take your offer and help to me. I, I just can't. So…can you please tell me where I could get out of here? My friend is already looking for me," I said with a pleading tone, calmer than before. I am just wishing he could grant it since I don't think I can last any longer here. I don't know these people, I can't trust someone.

"Go straight that way," he said without looking at me. He turned his back and stared at the lake once again. I don't know why I felt guilty because of the way I acted but no, I don't want to feel that. I looked at the way he told me. This garden is so wide and I think I should just go to the direction where he told me to, hoping he is not lying.

But before I could step my feet out, he told me a thing, a thing that will never be forgotten.

"There is no one you can trust, but there is someone you can use."

Those words. It hits me the most. Well, I am the one who trusted so much, but the one who got used in the process.

I looked back at him and smiled a little. I don't know where it was getting that, but I am sure there is a reason. I just did not reply to him and walked away. He is right, I found the gate at the end of the garden. It's not locked so I managed to go outside. However, Manang Rosie came running to me.

"Manang Rosie," I called her name with a smile. She smiled back and handed me something.

"Here, take this." She then handed me a box. I am not sure what is inside of it but I just thanked her before going. She told me to go right of the road since the mansion is still far from the main road where I can take a cab. After some minutes of walking, I finally reached it.

I called a taxi. I did not know that this place is not that far from Haria's condo. While I am in the taxi, I decide to open the box. It was covered by a white thin cloth. I smiled as I saw the food there, and a piece of paper. I frowned, it was a calling card and there I saw his name, Giovanni Anderson. What a name, sounds well off.

"Ma'am, we are here." My mind went back to reality when I heard the taxi driver. I smiled and took the last money in my pocket. Lucky that I still have it here.

"Thanks." I told the driver as I got out of the taxi. I took a deep breath looking at the building, and then went inside it after. I hope Haria is still here. It's already her working time.

Once I reached the door of her condo, I leaned my face towards the scanner. She added my face here so I can get in anytime I want. I smiled a little as I saw it opening but a running Haria took my attention.

She looks so stressed.

"Oh my gosh! Where have you been?! I am so worried about you! You are not even answering my calls!" She hugged me, a tight one and I can't help but to burst out my feelings I can't handle anymore. I promise to myself that I will never be that weak again, but here I am, giving in. "H-Hey, what happened?" She asked me.

"He tried to rape me…" I told her which made her cover her mouth.

"What? Wait, did he successfully do it?! I will kill him!" She hysterically messed her hair out of embarrassment. I, too, was ashamed of myself. I don't want to tell other people, Giovanni, that man who helped me get out of there, just thinks I am a drunk woman who doesn't remember my car so he took me home. But there is more than that I can't tell.

"N-No, but…" I did not finish my words when she hugged me again.

"Everything's going to be fine, I swear. Just stay still and don't you ever go far from here okay? Don't worry about work, let's just fix this first. I will talk to Gray. He needs to know this. To make sure that his asshole cousin will be put in jail." I smiled as she patted my back, she is the only one I can trust now. I don't know where to go if she did not saw me in the road, and now, her arms feel like home for me that I can always go whenever I am in pain.

"Thank you…" I said, whispering. I felt her nod.

"Let's go and eat first, or do you want to rest now and I will just take your food in your room?" She asked me. I don't want to bother her that much so I said I will just eat with her.

We are in the dining room but no one is speaking, she was just staring at me, her eyes full of worries. "I will never forgive that guy for what he did. I know you don't want to remember it anymore but, how?" She asked, breaking the silence.

I took a deep breath remembering what happened that night. "At the bar, he told me to come for a business meeting. He kept telling me to drink until he successfully did it, I don't know why but in just a shot of a glass I felt like I was so drunk and my world felt like it was going to explode. My body got so weak, I couldn't move my feet and hands properly. And then he took me to one of the rooms there, telling me to rest. But the next thing he did is what creeped me out the most, he started taking off my clothes—" I clenched my fists and closed my eyes after that. Now, I can clearly remember it.

"Okay, stop there. I am sorry I asked you to tell me," Haria told me but I just smiled in return.

"It's okay, I know you are worried." I weakly said.

"I am, really. And I will do everything to make him pay for what he did, he gave you so much trauma. I know you are not yet moving on for what your father did to you and then here, it's such a shame. It's my fault, I asked you to take the chance of working. I did not know that this would happen, I am so sorry Ariadne." She held my hands above the table.

"H-Hey, it's not your fault. I am the one who trusted that much. It's my fault, really. I am such a weak girl." I told her what I think I really am. I don't want to bother her that much, especially the bills, I want to help. However, what happened left me a very traumatizing experience that I can't forget.

"Don't blame yourself as well. It's that asshole's fault. He will be the one who needs to be punished. But, by the way. How did you get out of there?" She asked, her face was so curious. If she's not my friend and I don't know her well, I will think that she was just asking for information.

I sighed. "I don't really know the details. But I went to a car, accidentally. I don't know who's the owner of it but I took that chance to hide. I couldn't think clearly that night because of the alcohol. And the moment I opened my eyes, I was already in bed. I am laying down in a bed inside a mansion." She looked so confused at first but I smiled at her. "They are nice, they took good care of me." I added.

"You mean, the owner of that car you got into took you home? And he is living in a mansion? Oh my gosh." She covered her mouth. "Didn't he take the chance to touch you when you were still drunk?" That was the thing I was thinking the moment I saw myself lying there. But because of his personality, I don't think he will ever waste his time touching a woman. He looks so fine that even a single dirt will be embarrassed to go and touch any of his clothes or even the skin.

"No, he did not. Don't worry."

"Is she handsome? You know, what if he's the one for you? What do you think?" She asked with excitement in her eyes and voice but that made me laugh a little.

"No, I don't think so. He is so cold and won't even dare to touch anyone. He is a fine man but there is something in him I can not explain, he is somehow creepy." I told her.

"Oh, did you ask for his name?" She asked.

"Giovanni, Giovanni Anderson, that is his name," I replied.

She nodded her head and thought of something, a deep one. "You know, I think I already heard that name before but I can't really recall it in my mind. Maybe next time, I will tell you." She told me. "By the way, I will not go to work today. I will stay here with you, I am so worried about what happened and can't take the risk anymore to leave you here. So you will be seeing my face for the rest of the day." She smiled after saying those. I just nodded my head. I am thankful I have her.

"Thanks."

"No big deal. I will also contact Gray to tell you all the things you said to me. You don't need to repeat it to him, I will be the one to tell him. I know he is a man, and you might get awkward telling him what his cousin did to you. I know they are not that close, that's why it's just easy for me to confess it to him. For now, you need to rest after we eat, okay?"

"Yes, thanks." I replied and smiled at her.

I think it's way better, I don't want to recall those bad memories again and again. It keeps me going back to that scenario when I am fighting for my life, for myself.

We started eating after that and talked about something else, trying to divert the topic. I tried to do that and I succeeded for a while. After eating I decided to go to my room here in the condo. I took my towel and went inside the bathroom after, I needed to refresh my mind by showering. I turned the shower on until I felt the first touch of water in my skin, I closed my eyes as I let my thoughts be washed away by it. The coldness makes it more effective. My body shivered while the soap in my hand was roaming around my body. I need to clean it all, I need to take all those out of me. From the way that asshole touched me.

While I was in the middle of showering, a face flashed in my mind. It was him, Giovanni. Because of it, I opened my eyes. My heart beats fast, and I don't know why.

Why am I thinking of him?