5

Gabriela 

It hurts. My body is trembling from the pain of what he did. Tears are begging to just flow out of my eyes because of the stinging sensation. 

I can’t even lift my body from the bed. 

Through my half-induced eyelids, I saw his figure grinning down at me. “ Learned your lesson?” he asked. He had the audacity to ask while buckling his belt. I got alarmed. 

I panicked. “ What are you doing?!” 

He smiles. “ Getting dressed. You can still lift your ass from that bed, right? I want my food to be prepared after I take my shower.”

“ I am not your fucking maid!” I shouted. 

He only laughed. Giovanni’s eyes took in my satin lingerie. It reached my knees, almost covering half of it. I am sure that desire should be in his eyes, but I saw anger.  

“ Son of a bitch. You wore that in front of him?” he cursed.  I thought I'd be given a chance to explain myself when suddenly, he’d turned around and disappeared into the bedroom.  

What is his problem? I try to move around and found a stinging sensation against the bareness of my ass. It hurts. Giovanni Dela Vin just spanked me in my ass for disobeying his orders. 

I don’t think I can live with telling anyone about that. Until now, I can still feel his palm landing on my skin. I never thought he would really do it but I guess I pushed him enough to actually do it. 

When I tried to stand, all I can feel is the pain. I don’t think he holds back earlier. Damn it. “ Dela Vin!” I shouted in anger but I only heard his laughter over the thin walls of the bathroom. 

That fucking MOB leader. He’s cruel. And selfish. 

I was grateful he didn’t kill me though. The anger in Dela Vin’s eyes earlier? I saw it before. Every time that my father killed someone before, I saw that same anger in his eyes before pulling the trigger. 

Shit. I thought he'd kill me. I am his to kill. 

“ Need a lift?” Giovanni appeared naked. My eyes widened for a second. I’m afraid they fell to the ground. “ Come on, let me help you.” 

I struggle to get out of his touch. “ Get off me! Why the fuck are you naked? Do you have no shame?!” 

“ Shame, yes. Patience, little. So stop squirming and let me help you to get in the bathroom. I’m being considerate in preparing for you a bath.” 

This was a disaster. I was like a feather being lifted up by him. Giovanni Dela Vin carried me all the way to the bathroom before he gently placed me in the tub full of lavender scents. Maybe something is wrong. I never saw him as someone like this. 

I flinched when my butt touched the cold tub.  “ Does it hurt?” 

“ What do you think, huh? You spanked me so it fucking hurts.” I blurted out. Which I regret because I saw how his eyes turned gray. 

Giovanni picked up a towel and covered his body. I knew he was controlling himself to not kill me. And maybe I wanted to know why. “ You’re my wife.” 

“ You said no when I asked you to let this marriage work.” I watched him grimace at my words and I grimaced too. My tone right now is unfamiliar. I was never fond of jealousy. Never been jealous in my whole life. 

He promised not to force himself upon me. The breeze had me feeling all sick emotions right now. “ Do you, perhaps, have another woman?” 

“ What? No.” 

“ Then am I not your type?” He nudged my chin up and made me look at him. From the very first moment that I saw him, his eyes remained the same. It was cruel and hard to read. Like a hole padlocked with unearthly keys, only heavens know how to seek. 

I had to lower my gaze to his lips when he pulled me closer. Our lips are almost touching. Almost, but it never went there. Our breathing was hard to ignore and my heart beats at his mercy. “Is that it? You don’t like this marriage to work because I am not your ideal wife?” I meant to say it angrily, but it comes out in a tone of hurt. 

“ Fuck, no,” Giovanni said. “ You’re exactly my type, Santoro. Exactly.” I saw him lick his lips, but it never slid with mine. “But you need to know that I am hard to deal with. You told it yourself, Santoro. I’m a beast.” 

“ You won’t hurt me.” 

His eyes looked up at mine. “I just did.” 

“ Promise me ‌you won’t hurt me again.” I wanted to kiss his lips, but he pulled away. “ Let's make this marriage work. There’s no way out, right? We gotta figure out how this marriage works for the both of us. I don’t want to live in vain.” 

Giovanni tilted his head. It appears to me that he can be more gorgeous in this angle. I loved how structured his jaw was.  “You’ll only get hurt.” 

“ It might be worth it,” I whispered huskily. There’s no way I am the same woman who begged her family not to sell her off in marriage.  

I pulled back. He didn’t make any noise and I don’t know what hurts the most. To be rejected for the second time around or to be left in silence. 

It was obvious from Giovanni’s expression that there was no saving this marriage, but he leaned forward and grabbed my nape. “ Fine. But remember that I warned you.” He groaned before claiming my lips.