99.

Angelica I spring to my feet immediately, the chair scraping against the ground as I push it back, throwing my napkin on the chair.“Excuse me.” Without waiting for a response, I turn around, marching out of the room, even with my name echoing behind me. I don’t stop, even when I hear the sound of his chair moving backwards, and I don’t wait when I hear him clear his throat. I walk straight out, only to bump into our waiter.He steadies me with both arms on my shoulders, eyes wide as he stares down. I step away from him with a small nod.“Restroom,” I manage to force out, one hand over my mouth, the other on my stomach. The waiter points toward the restroom, his brows still furrowed in confusion, and I practically sprint there.My vision is blurry as I grip the first thing my hands find to steady myself. Only when I blink through the tears do I realize it’s the wash basin.Bile rises to my throat, and I grip the sink until my fingers ache.Then I hear it.“Angelica~” In a sing-son

100.

Angelica I pace back and forth in the room so much the carpet should have grooves in it now.Marciano left almost forty minutes ago, but I’ve been stuck on the same thought.Weighing my options, I don’t have as many restrictions as I did before, but now there’s a higher risk of them figuring out what I’m doing.Gypsy especially.He’s indeed more protective of me than Ky is because he goes everywhere with me, but I just can’t shake the feeling that he’ll be the first to rat me out. I pause, my eyes finding Marciano’s card on the bed. “What if I tell him I’m going shopping?” I mutter. It makes sense because Marciano’s card will prove it’s totally alright, but there are barely any boutiques or shopping malls there, plus Gypsy wouldn’t let me go shopping alone.I let out a breath, already feeling defeated.“I’ll figure something out,” I say to encourage myself, but deep down I don’t think this will work. Still, I hop into the shower for a quick wash, and afterwards I get dressed in a p

101.

Angelica “What’s with the bag?” It doesn’t immediately register that his hand is on my waist until I feel a tight squeeze urging me to respond.But I can’t. My heart is somewhere in my throat because I’ve suddenly forgotten how to speak.Marciano glowers at me, clenching his jaw. He’s furious. My grip around my bag hardens and I swallow.His gaze sweeps over the street before settling on me again. If it’s possible, he looks angrier. Scarier.“Why are you alone? Where’s Gypsy?”I can’t avoid pressing my lips together. Of all the things I thought would happen today, this one never crossed my mind.Why is he here? He said he’d be home late so I thought he was traveling. Why is he here of all places?He raises his second brow, waiting expectantly for an answer.My heart is pounding so loudly that my head hurts. I have to think of something quick.“I-I got lost…?” I respond, but it comes out more as a suggestion than a statement. Marciano moves back a little, though his hand still sit

102.

Angelica I can’t concentrate.I’ve been going back and forth between the same two pages over the past hour now, and yet I can’t get Marciano’s angry voice out of my head. I also can’t wrap my head around why he’d been so angry.‘You’re lucky you didn’t go there to meet him, Angelica. Also very fucking lucky you didn’t try to—’He’d said. What was he going to say? That I didn’t try to do what?I close my study book, burying my head in my hands.Marciano is hard to figure out. I’ve known this, but I’ve also never been left so confused by him before.He was so angry yet he pressed into me, and held me like I belong against him.‘Don’t make me keep you locked up here again. I’m not a very patient man.’ He meant that. And that’s what scares me.Because if he decides to keep me locked up like he said, my escape from this life and this marriage might be a little more difficult.I shake my head.That can’t happen. I won’t let it. I don’t care what I have to do, but I won’t go back to living

103.

Angelica The sound of my heart shattering is not as loud as I always thought it would be. It’s silent, but I feel each piece falling apart as disappointment and embarrassment flood through my entire body.I’m still straddling him. My palms are on his warm chest, and I can feel his heart beneath, beating effortlessly.“Okay,” I mutter with my head hung, but it comes out as a whisper as I try to climb off his body. His fingers immediately grip my shirt tight, halting my movement. I feel the urge to lift my eyes to his face, to see the expression or emotion there. Yet I don’t, because I’m scared of what I’ll see there. It also doesn’t help that the grip only lasts three seconds before he guides me to the bed.He doesn’t look back at me when he gets up, or even when he walks away into the bathroom. While I sit on his side of the bed, staring at the closed door and wondering what went wrong. He’d been the one to kiss me, so why would he stop out of the blue? I should be angry, but as

All Chapters of The Pensive Gentleman: Chapter 101 - Chapter 105

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