So Cold-hearted

“I had a separate room prepared for you,” Alexander finally spoke when we entered in the house.

"You are allowed wherever you please in this house, and you can use whatever you want. You can take your time in exploring if you would like." He explained but my mind was so far away.

I didn't respond to him but l followed him when he opened the door. The moment I stepped in it, my mouth fell open in surprise. The room was huge, bigger than my previous one. The bed was a king size with an ornate, dark wooden frame, draped in the finest pink silk sheets. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling, its dim light casting delicate shadows across the room. The walls were a soft cream, but the decor was luxurious, yet devoid of warmth.

I didn’t know what I had expected. Perhaps something more suffocating, something that screamed prison, cold as him.

"This is my room?", I asked totally bewildered.

"I don’t enjoy repeating myself, next time pay attention when I am speaking to you", He retorted coldly. 

"Okay," I muttered, glancing away. I shouldn't have expected anything else. I knew it that he was heartless then why was I asking him.

"I will be heading to my office. It is downstairs, simply ask one of the maids or my private butler, John, where it is. As for any other time of the day, my bedroom is across from yours but you are not welcome there",

"Who told you that I want to", I asked biting my lip absent mindedly. Alexander’s gaze flickered to my mouth for the briefest moment and his expression changed. Whatever thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it just as quickly.

"I have business to take care of for now. If you need anything, ask the staff. They will provide it.” He spoke. “Fine.” I exhaled, relief washing over me in waves. I had prepared myself for worse. 

Alexander didn’t say anything else, he just turned and left the room. The sound of his footsteps faded down the hallway, and I was left in the silence.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the door as if it might offer some kind of comfort, but there was none. The room, despite its opulence, felt cold and foreign. It had everything I needed but still I wasn’t so happy.

I slowly walked toward the window, pulling back the heavy curtains to reveal the vast expanse of the estate. The grounds stretched out before me, darkened by the night, but even in the dim light, I could see the pristine beauty of it all.

I glanced back at the door. Was this my life now? To exist in this house with the step brother I find devilishly handsome.

The thought made my chest tighten. To be honest I didn’t really think that I could be able to resist him.

With a sigh, I walked back to the center of the room and looked at the bed. 

I sank onto the edge of the bed, rubbing my temples in an attempt to clear the fog. How could I get through this? How could I make it out of this without losing myself entirely?

A knock at the door startled me. I tensed, half-expecting Alessandro, but when I opened it, a maid stood there, avoiding my gaze as she held out a folded set of clothes.

“Master Alexander requested these be brought to you.” Her voice was polite and full of emotion.

Master?. Uhmm I don’t think I will ever call him that. I took them without a word and closed the door before she could say anything else.

Changing into the fresh clothes, I sank beneath the blankets, but sleep didn’t come easily. My mind refused to quiet, replaying every moment , starting from the dry humping in the club to Alexander being my step brother.

I drifted in and out of sleep, my body exhausted, but my mind refused to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of Alexander’s green eyes and his tattoos. 

“Perfect!” I finally muttered as I sat then I began to go through the contacts on my phone. I wanted to tell Sarah and Mia everything but I decided to leave it and tried to sleep again.

At some point, I must have dozed off, because a sharp knock jolted me awake. My heart slammed against my ribs as I sat up, disoriented. The room was still dark, the heavy curtains drawn shut, but the clock on the wall read past midnight.

Another knock, more impatient this time.

I pushed off the blankets and made my way to the door, hesitating for only a second before pulling it open.

Alexander stood on the other side.

Unlike earlier, he was dressed down in a dark shirt and sweatpants, his usually pristine appearance softened by exhaustion. But his expression was as cold as ever, his green eyes scanning me as if assessing something.

“What?” My voice was rough from sleep, but I didn’t bother hiding my irritation.

His gaze flicked past me into the room before settling back on me. “I need you in my office tomorrow morning, to read the rules you need to follow while in my house", He spoke.

“You woke me up for that?” I blinked my eyes, fully annoyed.  The last thing I wanted was to be lectured on rules especially by him.  “Do I look like someone who needs a list of rules to follow?”, I added quickly before he could speak.

Alexander’s eyes flickered, just the slightest shift, but it was enough to make my stomach churn with discomfort.

“I’m not here to coddle you, nor am I here to entertain your whims. You will follow them for the next three weeks. This isn’t a suggestion. It’s an order.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument but still I insisted.

"What kind of rules?" I asked again.

"Meet me in my office tomorrow", He retorted and before I could respond, he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

"Son of a bitch", I cursed as I watched him leave.