Trapped: Bloody Rose

8. Entertaining

As she emerged from the kitchen, Rose met Stefan who had a frown marring his face.

“I was looking all over the place for you,” he let out in a disgruntled tone of voice.

“I was eating,” she told him sheepishly, tilting her head to the direction of the kitchen door.

“I never thought I would see the day Fi would allow a stranger into her kitchen,” he let out pensively, the ghost of a smirk settling on his face.

“Why were you looking for me?” She then asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“The boss has insisted that we should make you comfortable, thus sending me to get the list of your essentials from you,” his words, though flat, were an indication of his frustration.

“I need my laptop, and I also need some clothes,” she said, as she thought hard of what was missing. She guessed she could use the shower essentials that had been provided for her, and thus there was no need for more.

“Clothes have already been arranged for you, miss Rose,” he replied at once.

“Oh really? When should I get them?” She then asked. Indeed, she did not look forward to sleeping in her clothes again.

“They’ve been in your closet since yesterday evening,” he deadpanned without batting an eye.

Rose let out a stunned “Oh?”

She would have to give it to Roman Bianchi – he was a man who thought of everything. Though the way he went out of his way to make sure she would remain at his luxurious house, and treat him, was a little bit disturbing.

But then again, this was her first time dealing with someone like him, and she reasoned there must be worse elsewhere.

“What kind of laptop do you need?” Stefan then asked, bringing her out of her musings.

“I need my own laptop,” she told him at once.

“We could get you a new one,” he insisted.

“Mine already has everything I need,” she refused to give in, naturally too stubborn to be a pushover, especially in this case.

“Can you not be difficult about this?” He let out a deep sigh.

“I’m the one being difficult?” She couldn’t help but scoff at that point. And seeing red, she began her tirade, “Look Stefan, I know I am an insignificant nurse to you, but you guys have absolutely no right to keep me locked here. I have had to take on yesterday’s shift because Mr Bianchi refused to receive treatment from my colleagues. And now, I have to stay here so as to continue his treatment, and you’re treating me like you guys didn’t uproot me from my life, from my routine. I am not a machine, and I am entitled to my own feelings, and I can be difficult if I so please. Your precious boss has been nothing if not difficult ever since I met him…”

Stefan put his hand up in the air, as he had opened his mouth to speak up a few times, but she was too quick for him. Rose soon gritted her teeth, and then averted her burning face, not quite sure she could ever look him in the eyes again

She could not believe she went off at him like that.

How could I be so absurdly reckless? She thought to herself, biting her bottom lip.

“How about we talk to the boss about this?” He let out, relenting, it would seem. Or perhaps, he just didn’t want to have to deal with her.

Shivers ran down her spine as she realized this talk might very well be yet another unpleasant one… But she didn’t find it in her to argue, feeling as if all fight left her.

“Sure,” she nodded at the man.

“Follow me,” he then drawled.

Soon, he led her up to the second floor, where her surroundings continued to be luxurious but not distastefully so.

Before long, they stood in front of a heavy mahogany door. Stefan knocked three times. For a man his size, he sure did so softly.

But then, as she recalled how peculiar the mafia boss was, she no longer found Stefan’s behavior so surprising.

Without waiting for any instruction to come in, Stefan opened the door and stepped in, before gesturing for Rose to enter as well.

Roman Bianchi was sitting at the big imposing desk, looking at his laptop intently, as if it held the answers to every question he had – and maybe it did.

“Already got yourself in trouble, Rosalina?” He asked, an eyebrow rising, but his icy blue eyes had yet to focus on her.

Rose’s mouth was parched at that. She almost felt like his use of her given name, instead of its shortened version, meant trouble for her indeed.

She couldn’t speak for a moment. And when his eyes settled on her form, narrowed as was the norm, she wondered what could have prompted her to be so unreasonable earlier… Admittedly, she had done her best to remain calm ever since yesterday evening, when Roman Bianchi had told her that she would be coming with him, but they acted as if she should just comply with their every whim silently, and that just could not and would not do.

“I just want my laptop,” she found the courage to say after a beat.

“We can provide you with any brand you want,” he offered simply.

“I want my own laptop, for it has everything I need on it,” she insisted, defiantly looking him in the eyes.

Truth be told, her issue wasn’t so much the laptop, but rather her cat for whom she left just enough food to last her this much, and she was worried for her.

“Why is it a deal breaker for you? We can get you any additional softwares you need… You just have to name it,” the man let out dismissively, a little bit of a smirk touching his lips.

Rose inhaled deeply, and prepared herself for the derision to come, before saying in a proud manner, “I have a cat, and I am worried about her. I need to make sure my neighbor takes care of her at least.”

Roman Bianchi’s eyebrow rose in what appeared to be a bewildered manner, “And you didn’t think of your cat sooner?”

“I have left her with enough food and water,” she told him, “And I admit that I was too tired earlier to object to anything.”

The man had the nerve to chuckle at her, making her blush furiously. She knew he wouldn’t understand where this came from, but she was putting her foot down where Mey was concerned.

“You were too tired to object to anything?” He echoed after her incredulously. “Do tell me you’re joking.”

She could only narrow her eyes at him briefly before saying in a disgruntled tone, “No.”

“You’re the most stubborn and most defiant woman I ever met though,” he chuckled again for a good moment too.

“I didn’t mean to disappoint,” she told him in a sarcastic tone that she knew could land her in trouble.

One could imagine her surprise when he waved her worries off, saying, “Oh no. On the contrary, you’re quite entertaining.”

She had to fight an enraged shout. She couldn’t understand how he could take pleasure from someone else’s misery. She thus kept mum, biting on the inside of her cheek.

“Make a call first and see who’s willing to take care of your cat for you,” he then offered. “Stefan will accompany you to settle this.”

Her eyes bulged as she beamed at the man, having not expected such a gesture of goodwill.

“Is that all?” He asked after a beat.

“That’s all, Mr Bianchi,” she let out in a grateful tone of voice, and skipped out of his office.