Chapter 13

Reina’s POV

“Boss asked me to take you home,” a suited armed man with a stern face said to me as he led me to a car parked and waiting.

Was he that upset about the rabbit? I knew it was definitely unlike him to keep that little rabbit alive. He wouldn’t have… so what made him not? It couldn’t possibly be… me?

No… no. I didn’t want to overthink this. Who was I for him to care about my wishes? He was just toying with me.

The view of the mansion came into sight and my heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing Rai again. I stepped out of the car and walked fast to my quarters.

“Where have you been, Reina? I’ve been waiting for you,” Corinne came out from nowhere, holding my arm.

“Come… you’re to make Boss’s meal tonight,” she said, already leading me to the kitchen.

I stopped abruptly, pulling out the pen and paper I now carried around.

“What? I’m making him dinner? But why? Aren’t you supposed to cook his meals?” I wrote quickly.

“Reina, he wants you to make his meals from now on. He made it clear the last time. We wouldn’t want to defy his orders if we don’t want our heads cut off.”

I swallowed.

He’d kill us if I didn’t cook?

At the back of my mind, I almost wanted to see if he would actually go that far, but when I looked up at Corinne, even after working for him since he was a child, she was still scared of him.

I nodded softly and she sighed, leading me into the kitchen.

I didn’t know what he liked or how he liked it. I turned to Corinne to ask for her opinion, but she had already disappeared, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

I stood there for a moment, thinking, then finally settled on a dish and started cooking. My hands moved slowly at first, then faster as I got into it. It felt familiar… like home.

I finished in about an hour and carefully dished his food.

I carried it to the dining table and saw he was already seated, his face calm like always.

I bit my lips.

He was casually dressed, wearing an armless shirt that made his muscles visible. They were toned, defined. His tattoos were on full display, stretching from his shoulders down to his fingers, even across his neck, and I could see faint traces on his chest like they were telling stories I didn’t know.

I felt like tracing them.

His muscles shifted with every small movement as he looked at something on his phone, then suddenly, he caught my gaze.

I couldn’t look away.

My mouth parted slightly as his eyes dropped to my lips, watching them.

I quickly cleared my throat, walking forward and placing the meal in front of him. I noticed his dark hair then, slightly messy like he had run his hands through it.

Rai was… raw.

Dangerous.

I swallowed.

He opened the dish and I could swear I heard his breath hitch. He stared at the food, his jaw tightening slightly, his eyes darkening for a moment.

I braced myself to take it back.

But instead, he lowered the lid slowly, still looking at it.

“You made Braciole?” he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I nodded, playing lightly with my nails.

I suddenly heard murmurs behind me. Corinne had a fearful look on her face before she quickly ushered the other maids away.

She was going to leave me completely alone with him? Even the guards, like always, were nowhere around.

I thought about the look on Corinne’s face again.

Why did she look at me like that… like she was scared for me?

Did he hate Braciole?

I bit my lips nervously as he picked up his utensils and started to eat. I held my breath as he took a bite, and suddenly, he closed his eyes like he was in pain and coughed slightly.

Shit.

I messed up.

I messed up the first meal I ever made for him.

I quickly reached for the glass of water and handed it to him, then started gesturing quickly without thinking about whether he understood or not.

“I’m so sorry… I didn’t know you hated Braciole. I’ll make you another meal… please,” I gestured fast.

He looked at me.

Then at my hands.

“Who taught you how to make this?” he asked suddenly.

“My father,” I gestured, but he just stared at my fingers blankly.

Of course… he didn’t understand.

I quickly grabbed my paper and wrote it down.

“My father.”

He looked at the paper, then at me, before going back to his food and continuing to eat.

Slowly.

Like he was trying to taste everything.

My father was a chef, and he taught me most of the recipes I knew. My chest tightened at the thought of him.

I hope he was okay.

I would go back for him.

I just needed time.

Rai continued eating quietly, and something about him felt… softer. I smiled a little without thinking.

He liked it.

He suddenly looked at me and I quickly swallowed the smile.

“You know sign language?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Who taught you?”

Bella.

I quickly wrote, “Bella taught me.”

I paused, then started to write again. I wanted to ask if Bella was okay… if I could see her… but what if she was dead?

My hand slowed.

Then stopped.

I folded the paper quietly.

He looked at it but didn’t ask, just continued eating until he was done.

After he dropped his cup of water, he suddenly looked at me. Really looked at me.

Like he was studying me.

His gaze was so intense that I shivered slightly under it. A small smile tugged at his lips, like he was trying to hide it, but I still saw it.

He was enjoying this.

Enjoying me.

“Come up to my room tonight,” he said simply, then stood up and walked away.

And just like that…

My heart dropped.