THE RELUCTANT MAFIA BOSS

CHAPTER 16

I felt pain in my chest and my mind. An overwhelming sense of dread plagued me, and for a brief moment, I believed the anguish would only worsen. The discomfort shouldn’t be more than a little irritation, but it was more than that right now.

 I rubbed my temples, and for a moment, I tried to block out all the pain to move onward. However, Enrique’s tantalizing eyes were bothersome. When I started back at him, I was afraid to listen to his response. I was scared to know the truth.

The moment of silence was terrifying that I shut my eyes before averting my gaze.  I considered giving up because there didn’t appear a chance that I could win his heart in due time. It was difficult to concentrate between the pain of rejection and the voices telling me to stop loving him.  At the moment, I wished for my bed, a hot bath or even simply a fluffy pillow to lie on, but that wasn’t open at the moment. 

How I wished I could ignore the pain!

When I glanced at him again, he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a single word, I covered his mouth with my hand. “Don’t answer it,” I told him, and he smiled.

“If you say so,” Enrique said, and then he handed me a glass of whiskey. “Do you think she will come back soon? Oh god, never mind, Tyler. Just don’t answer it.”

Enrique must have realized that every time he’s talking about Ava, he was hurting me. But, inwardly, I was glad that he’s sensitive to my feelings as well. “She has a boyfriend, Tyler.” So, I ended up lying to him, and when I glance at Enrique, I felt bad for crushing his hopes.

“She didn’t mention anything about having a boyfriend!”

“They had a lover’s quarrel, and that’s the reason why she showed up here,” I lied again.

Enrique suddenly stood up and left without saying anything. I was worried that I might do something reckless, so I followed him. First, he strolled towards the outdoor, and then he sat in one of the lounging chairs near the pool. As much as I wanted to comfort him, I didn’t want to bother him so much. A sigh escaped from my lips when I turned around to go back inside. 

“Please stay,” he called.

My eyes immediately darted towards his location and saw him looking at me. I was supposed to ask him why he wanted me to stay, but then it would be a hassle. So instead, I smiled at Enrique before taking a step towards him.

A fully-equipped pool may seem like an afterthought in a multimillion-dollar property such as the chateau – yet it's no less astonishing about their stunning aesthetics. The amazing swimming pool house has outside places for leisure and fresco eating, with a mirror-like view to the 100-foot infinity pool on the edge of which the breathtaking views of the adjacent mountains were reflected.

The setting was so calm and serene, and the moonlight illuminated the waters in the pool. It was the opposite of my bodyguard's current emotional state, who was probably seething in anger because of Ava. 

Earlier, when Enrique was considerate towards my feelings, I couldn’t stop my heart from fluttering too much whenever I was around him. If only I didn’t have to lie about Ava, then I wouldn’t feel so guilty at the moment.

“You can forget about her soon,” I said after sitting across from him.

“Of course,” he replied. “For now, I just have to focus on my job as your driver and your bodyguard,” he added.

“How about being my lover?” I jested and earned a scowl from Enrique Navarro. “You don’t have to be so angry at me. I was kidding!”

 “I know,” he responded briefly.

“If you need a refreshing environment, perhaps, I can take you to The Enchanted Tips.” Enrique frowned upon hearing the unfamiliar name of the mountain closed to the chateau. “Philip has a cottage on the foot of the mountain. Do you go there with me?”

Enrique nodded, and that’s the signal I’ve been waiting for. I got up from my seat, and he did the same. I phoned Sandra that I would go to the cottage with Enrique to let her know. The security personnel didn’t bother to ask when they saw me with Enrique.

The Enchanted Tips could only be accessed through a motorcycle because of its narrow path, and I complained at Enrique when he didn’t same to notice that the road was rough and there were boulders on the way.

He just laughed when I kept on complaining, but then I realized that taking him to The Enchanted Tips was the best decision I’ve ever made. Katerina Madrigal, Philip’s wife, spent most of her time in The Enchanted Tips after being diagnosed with cancer.

How I missed her vibrant laugh! She wasn’t my biological mother, but she has been kind since I joined their family. It’s just a shame that a kindhearted woman has to fight her life against cancer. Katerina’s illness was an eye-opener to Philip Madrigal that there were things money couldn’t buy.

Twenty minutes later, Enrique and I arrived at our destination. He gasped for breath after taking in the astonishing view of the property. Large windows flooded the inside with natural light and opened up the great views of the surrounding countryside, making it a delightful cottage. Outside, there’s a large garden with an alfresco eating area close to the tiny stream that flowed to the back of the home.

  “Magnificent!” Enrique exclaimed!

“Yeah, it is,” I replied, and then I went ahead to open the door.

“I can live here forever!” Enrique couldn’t hide his amazement at the cottage’s interior.

For a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere, an all-white living room was complimented with wooden furniture in mahogany or molave. There’s a quaint sitting area by the window, and Katerina loved to read her books there.

“I miss her,” I mumbled, but Enrique heard me.

“Who are you referring to?” He inquired.

“Philip’s wife, Katerina.” Suddenly, Enrique became silent, and when I turned around, he was no longer following me. Instead, he went to the other side of the living room, and I panicked when he’s checking the gallery on the wall. 

“I don’t see your picture here,” he noticed.

“I am…adopted,” I told him the truth, and then the corners of his eyes crinkled.

“I am also adopted,” he stated, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Are you kidding me? Do you mean to say that we have something in common? Whoa, I can’t believe this, Ken! We could be soul mates!”

“Here you go again,” he said while shaking his head. “By the way, thank you for showing this place to me. It’s so feminine, and it felt like my mother is here,” he said in a shaking voice, and I wondered why. “I miss her so much,” he added.

“Oh Ken, what should I do to make you feel better? I wish I can hug you right now, but you will be mad at me.”

“Or you can make me a hot chocolate,” he replied.

“Really?” Suddenly, I was so excited to go to the kitchen to prepare something for him. Unfortunately, although the cottage was well maintained, there are no foodstuffs in the pantry. Luckily, I brought a loaf of bread to toast and some ground up cocoa beans or tableya for the hot chocolate. Enrique had no idea that I’ve always loved to have hot chocolate in the morning and to pair it with a loaf of hot bread.

“Should I wait in the living room?” He asked when I was about to proceed to the kitchen.

“Why not? Bu then, you can also wait at the breakfast nook while I’m cooking,” I informed him, and then he nodded in agreement. I expressed a sigh of relief that, for once, he allowed me to do things for him. I should maximize the time when Ava was absent, and in no time at all, he would fall for me!

The royal blue benches and baby blue checkered chairs complemented the mahogany table beautifully. In addition, it has a striped rug that added an extra layer of cheeriness to the nook. The entire cottage was small for some people, but space was enough to live comfortably for me.

“Just tell me if you want to stay longer in the cottage, then I can phone someone at home to deliver us some provisions,” I informed Enrique while waiting for the water to boil.

“Can we do that?”

“Of course! We can stay here as long as we want to or when Philip comes home.” I just remembered that I’d got a job to do once he’s back, but in the meantime, I should enjoy my vacation with my crush.

“You never mentioned our boss since we worked together. It’s always Philip when he has retired already,” Enrique complained.

“My loyalty stays with Philip,” I replied.

“I hope to meet the new boss,” he announced and I almost burned myself in astonishment.