04| Same bedroom

The room was grand with one wall entirely made of strong glass, offering a view of the night sky and densely towering trees dancing with the air. Miliani stood near the glass walls observing the outer atmosphere, her small frame was dwarfed by the vastness of the room.

Daniel felt outrageous at the unchangeable condition where he had to share the bedroom with a girl. It was his mother and he was five when he last shared his bedroom, after that he never allowed any woman to spend the night with him apart from this, his very own wedding night. Crazy things people do in the name of marriage he thought. It's just a matter of one night, tomorrow he would head out to his mansion and finally have his way with his life he determined while unbuttoning his shirt.

The vast Romano's estate was separated into three different mansions for the three families.

Desperate to just leave this fucking place at the earliest, Daniel had not bothered to bring his luggage here and directly ordered to settle them in his part of the estate. That's why, Miliani was still in her elaborate dress which was too fancy to casually sleep in. After observing the green forest outside to escape the dreadful, grim reality when Miliani rounded back, she noticed Daniel, eyes closed, resting his head against the bedframe with one leg folded on the other. She quietly laid down on one of the sofas and kept tousling her hair looking at the ceiling.

It was incredibly awkward to sleep with a man in her room like this, not just any man, the man, she feared with all her might.

As the night deepened, the weather outside became stormy, thunder clouds started rumbling. Miliani, wide eyes with no sleep in them, could see the outside, thick trees swaying violently against the howling wind while heavy rain pounded the glass walls. The dark sky illuminated with charged air and flashing lights scaring her so much. The question arose in her innocent mind which would have been more scary - staying alone in this frightening weather or sharing a room with a terrifying man like him. She had never slept alone, let alone in such terrifying weather but him being with her was no less than any peril.

The storm outside and the presence of Daniel inside her room kept Mili awake for hours. Miliani wondered what time it might be back in the States. She remembered Rose, Daniel's elder brother Kevin's wife and her half sister, the only person she had dearly adored during her stay at the Knight's mansion. Rose had given birth just a day or two earlier. Did they even know about what Daniel had done to her in their absence? Definitely not, they were still in the hospital after Rose's delivery and Kevin's injury in battle with Tristian.

Miliani just wanted to let Rose know about her dire condition even though it might not be the best time. But her eyes had already fallen on Daniel's cell phone on the bedside table which accelerated her desire to reach out to Rose. Maybe Rose would not be able to directly help her out over Daniel but Miliani considers her as someone special, she just wanted to share her misery with Rose.

Miliani got up on her sofa, noting that after the moment they had entered the room, Daniel had neither acknowledged her presence nor glanced her way for once. By the same position he was in, Miliani was sure that he was sleeping. So, she tiptoed near the bed and crouched near the bedstand. Daniel would surely have Rose's number saved in his device right! Grabbing his mobile, she tried unlocking it but to her dismay, it required his fingerprint.

Miliani looked at him intensely in the low light. She had never risked looking at him this closely out of her own timidity, always keeping her gaze downcast in his intimidating presence. But as she took in his visuals, she could not help but be mesmerized by his sharp jawline, thick eyelashes, slim nose, also, his bare chest decorated with abs and muscles that defined the word perfection.

Her cheeks flushed when she realised she was gawking like a hawk at a man's bare chest for the past fifteen minutes. No one taught him manners it seems Miliani muttered under her breath, trying to ease the rising guilt of her own actions, as he was sleeping with his upper body naked in someone else's presence. But it wasn't her fault, she had never seen any man's bare body before, especially not one as perfectly sculpted as his.

Mili lightly shook her head to regain her composure, her eyes drifted towards his hands resting either side of his body. Is he a deep sleeper or a light sleeper remained unknown to her. But observing his stone like stillness while sleeping suggested the previous one. Should she just make the screen touch his finger! Gathering all her courage, Miliani kept his phone in her shaking hand not knowing if she would be able to execute this.

Biting on her lower lip and doubting her decision again and again, she repeatedly pressed on the power button of his mobile causing the screen to flicker on and off. With utter hesitancy when she finally dared look up at Daniel again, she found his eyes looked on her face with a wicked bemusement spread across his face.

•~•

It was a conspiracy of fate, an execution of devilish force and a fabrication of innocence - weaving a tapestry of dark romance.