Chapter 8

Tom’s POV

As the waiter nicely put the drinks we ordered on the table, I looked at Kiara's shocked face. I loved the way I could make her feel afraid and curious, I loved being unpredictable in front of the people around me, especially in front of Kiara, she was my spot. The waiter left.

"So, why did you take me here?" My doll asked.

"Good question, you started with." I smiled "Do you like it?"

She looked around "Yes, I love this place, we could've stayed at home to talk, so I didn't have to dress like this. But really, this place is breathtaking!" Kiara said.

"Thank you." I took a sip of my whiskey.

"Is it yours?" she asked surprised.

"Yes, of course. I own almost every place in here." I put my cup back on the table.

"Very impressive, I would say." she said, taking the menu to have a look at it.

"The reason I took you here is to talk about the marriage."

Kiara, who was previously engrossed in the menu, suddenly shifted her focus towards me with an air of eagerness. As she locked eyes with me, I couldn't help but feel a wave of excitement wash over me, signalling the start of an engaging conversation.

"What about it?" she said.

"We will marry at the end of the year. I want to give you some time to get used to your new life. But don't forget that you are mine! You can't see anyone or talk to anyone, that I don't know about. Any questions?"

"Why do you have to know everything about me, but I don't know anything about you?" Kiara asked.

"Okay, then." I leaned my back on the chair and crossed my hand in front of my chest. "Ask."

"Tell me about your life, since you know mine. Tell me about your plans or family, maybe work." she insisted. "But first let me get something to eat, I'm starving."

I smiled and called the waiter. She ordered her meal and so did I.

"Now. Tell me." she said excitedly.

At times, I found it difficult to understand her behaviour towards me. There were moments when she appeared to despise me, and then suddenly, she would switch her attitude and treat me like her own sibling. It was confusing.

"Okay." I began "I don't have any other siblings but Vincent. I can't tell you about my work, first, it is none of your business, second, I really can't tell you."

She rolled her eyes "Of course, you can't. Anyway and?"

I felt increasingly frustrated by her behaviour. Every time we talked, she managed to push my buttons and try to get under my skin. I couldn't tell her that I was stalking her ex-boyfriend and trying to find out about those words she told me the other day or the people I sent to follow him. I couldn't tell her that I planned to ruin his life if he had done anything to hurt her.

"I plan on making you my wife and having a family with you." I finished my whiskey.

She looked at me with a disgusted face "I'd rather die than have a family with you." she said.

"Oh, truly? Should I get my gun, already?" I looked and admired her shocked and scared face. Then I leaned across the table and whispered "That's what I thought. Because like it or not, I will be the one. The one to touch you, love you, hate you, fuck you or even kill you."

She left a slight gasp and looked me in the eyes "I hate you." she said.

I smiled and leaned back in my seat.

As we sat at the restaurant waiting for our food, the waiter arrived with our meals. He placed my order in front of Kiara, and hers in front of me. As Kiara reached out to grab her plate, she accidentally bumped into her glass, causing it to tip over and fall off the table. She quickly became flustered and looked at me with a nervous expression, worried that she might have caused a scene. The glass shattered on the floor, and a few pieces of ice flew out onto the carpet.

''I'm very sorry, let me fix it.'' She crouched down to clean up the broken glass on the floor.

I got on the floor next to her and grabbed her hands into mine. ''Hey, it's okay. Calm down.''

Her face turned red ''No, I really should've been more careful.''

I grabbed her face, so I could gaze at her frightened face ''Don't worry, it's nothing.''

I called the waiter for assistance. He immediately rushed over to our table and offered to help clean up the mess. In an attempt to make things right, he also kindly offered to bring Kiara another drink. After the situation was resolved, we got back to our seats. While I adjusted my tie, I couldn't help but wonder why Kiara reacted so strongly to such a simple accident.

It dawned on me that something must have been triggering Kiara's fear. Perhaps something damaging had occurred in her past that still affected her today. I knew I needed to find out more about what was going on, but it didn't feel appropriate to ask her about it right away. I decided to wait for the right moment to approach the topic with her.

''Are you okay now, little bird?'' I asked.

''Yes, I just got worried because...'' her hand gently moved up to the back of her neck, fingers kneading the skin lightly. I couldn't help but notice that this was a habit of hers, one that she seemed to do whenever she was feeling particularly worried, scared, or deep in thought. It was as if the act of massaging her neck provided her with some comfort, a small sense of control in a world that often felt unpredictable. ''It's that this place is very beautiful and I just, thought that this could have ruined the carpet.'' she lied.

''This is the last thing that you had to be worried about at that moment.'' I said. ''You could've cut yourself.''

She nodded in agreement, but her body language suggested otherwise. Sensing that something was amiss, I decided to wait and observe. A few minutes later, she slowly began to eat her food, and I followed suit. As she ate, her face started to relax, and her breathing became more even. It was obvious that she was trying to calm herself down.

Given her heart problems, I was concerned about her well-being. I kept a watchful eye on her, making sure she was okay. It was important for me to ensure that she was not experiencing any discomfort or undue stress. As she finished her meal, her facial expression returned to normal, and she appeared to be more relaxed. I was relieved that everything seemed to be fine, and I could tell that she was feeling better. She nodded and soon she began to eat her food, as so as I. Her face slowly got back to normal and she calmed herself. My only mission at the moment was to make sure she was okay, especially with her heart problems.

After we were done, we left my restaurant.

''You drank whiskey you can't drive.'' she said.

''I'm a mafia boss, remember?'' I laughed.

''I'm not going.'' she crossed her hands ''I'm not risking my life because you are a mafia boss with a big ego, you can't get over.''

''And the normal Kiara is back'' I picked her up "Come on, little one.''

''No, put me down!'' she begged.

I opened the door and put her in the car. Then I sat on my seat.

''Seatbelt.'' I reminded, adjusting mine.

''I know what to do, Tom. I'm not first grade.'' she argued.

''Good then.'' I began driving.

As I attempted to engage her in conversation, she remained silent and gazed out the window, lost in her thoughts. I decided to drive at a normal speed, taking my time to navigate the roads, allowing for a peaceful and smooth ride. In an effort to break the silence, I turned on the car radio, filling the empty space with some background noise, hoping it would ease any awkwardness or tension.

''Hey Tom?'' she finally spoke out.

''Yes, little bird?'' I looked at her for a second, then turned to the road again.

''What happened with the first waiter, why didn't he come back?'' she asked, looking at me.

''He got what he deserved for looking at my future wife like that.'' I shortly answered.

Of course, I was not going to tell her how I went into the kitchen and grabbed the guy from the back of his working uniform. Next, I threw him on the floor in the basement, then I slowly began to write ''she is mine'' with my knife on his leg, admiring the pain it caused him. Lastly, I shot him with my favourite gun for idiots like him and got back to Kiara as if nothing happened.

After we arrived at our house, I made sure Kiara stayed in her room.

''Be ready for dinner.'' I said.

''I won't come, I ate enough.'' she replied.

''That wasn't a question.'' I closed the door and went into my office to get some work done.