Chapter 14 - Darya
It has been such a frustrating past few days, more so than ever before since that weird and uncomfortable incident the other morning—I still don’t even understand what actually happened.
He made me feel incredible, he always does, and then when I tried to do the same for him, he literally pushed me away. I don’t know if I was just doing a really horrible job of it—I mean, how should I know? It was the first time I had ever tried anything like that.
Maybe I was hurting him.
I sigh in frustration at the memory of how embarrassing it was.
I mean, it must have been really terrible for him to actually stop me and leave.
And now the last few days he has been acting so weird to me. He has been cold and distant and hardly interacting with me at all.
We eat dinner together, and that is about the only time he spends with me. The rest of the day he is in his office with the door closed.
I know he probably has a lot of work to do after everything that happened at the warehouse, but I also know that something happened that morning that I don’t understand.
I don’t know how to talk to him about it. Especially if he avoids me like this. He hasn’t even snuck into my bed lately, and I am too embarrassed to go to his.
To make matters worse, he told all of the security guards that I am not allowed to leave the house until the whole thing with Marco Colombo is resolved, and I am literally going crazy stuck in this house with nothing to do.
Not for the first time, I mutter under my breath as I roam the hallways, “Why does everything have to be so complicated with you?”
Except I jump in fright when I realize I am not alone.
“Darya? I was looking for you.”
Embarrassed and hoping that she didn’t hear me, I turn towards the housekeeper.
“Tamlin, morning. Did you need me for something?”
I am actually relieved for this kind of distraction, so whatever she needs is a welcome situation.
“Yes, you have a visitor.”
“Oh.” I wonder who is coming to see me.
“Chiara is waiting for you in the living room.”
Wow, I adore Chiara, and I am so in need of some girl time.
I rush through to the living room and find Chiara sitting on the sofa waiting for me, a cup of tea in her hand.
She stands up and rushes over to me when I walk in. “Darya, how are you?”
“I’m amazing, but happier now that you are here,” I grin, sitting next to her.
Tamlin comes in and asks if she can bring me tea as well. I tell her to bring us some snacks, too.
“Did you want me to call Stefano, too?” I ask, sure that she came here to visit her brother.
“No, that’s okay, I’m sure he is busy. I came by to say hi to you.”
I grin again, feeling happier with her around today.
We chat for ages about anything and everything, what she has been up to, how my brother Maxim is doing, and some other things. It is relaxing and fun to talk to her, and all of my stress seems to be drifting away for the time being.
“You guys left the wedding so quickly the other day, I didn’t have a proper chance to say goodbye or anything,” Chiara laughs.
“He really whisked us out of there. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. Sorry about that, it was rude.”
She shrugs. “Stef is known to be a little different, I guess, so when he gets something in his head, he just acts on it.”
“Tell me about it.” I giggle, shaking my head.
“But, I mean, is everything okay with you guys? I know you were sort of thrown into this situation, so I just wanted to ask…."
“Did Maxim tell you what happened the other night at the meeting?” I am assuming he did, and my brothers were all so worried about me that night, so I imagine Chiara would have heard about it, too.
“He did, but it isn’t really why I am asking. I’m just asking because I know Stef pretty well, and he can be a little difficult to understand sometimes.”
“No, everything it perfectly fine,” I say, with my most reassuring voice. I don’t want her to go back and tell my brother anything and make everyone worried all over again.
“Darya, you don’t have to do that with me, you can tell me how you are really feeling. Remember that I was also pushed into an arranged marriage, and I know that the adjustment can be pretty big.”
“I don’t want my brothers to worry about me,” I say softly.
“Well, this conversation is between you and me, not your brothers.”
I sigh, biting the inside of my cheek nervously. I really do need someone to talk to, and Chiara and I have always gotten on so well.
Finally, I give in. “I am struggling a bit. I mean, it’s not like it’s terrible or anything. He isn’t mean—he’s just…" I can’t seem to find the right word.
“He’s difficult,” she laughs.
“Yep. I don’t understand him. I mean—um—ever since he found out that I haven’t ever been with anyone like—you know—he’s been so weird about it.”
“He found out you are a virgin?”
“Well, I kind of had to tell him.”
“Have you guys slept together since then?”
“No, he has been really off towards me. One minute, he seems super into me and then the next, he’s giving me such an icy cold shoulder that I don’t even know if he wants me in this house. It’s frustrating, and kind of hurtful. I think maybe he thinks he chose the wrong girl. Maybe he regrets marrying me.”
Chiara looks at me for a little while, sipping her second cup of tea. “I don’t know if you know, but Stefano had CCTV installed all over the inside of this house. He has never had cameras indoors in any of the places we lived in before. He never bothered with that. We had a few cameras outside the house, but never inside. I noticed he has a whole new setup now.”
“I guess he wanted to increase the security?” I tilt my head, confused about what her point is.
“No, Darya, he had them installed so that he can keep an eye on you. He cares about you and wants you to be safe. There is nothing else inside this house that he would want to watch—besides you.”
“Do you think he did all of that for me?” I ask, shocked. “I actually didn’t even realize there were cameras all over the place. I thought they were just outside and the ones inside were targeting the entrance doors.”
“No, I noticed when I went to the bathroom just now. He has them everywhere,” she laughs.
“But why would he want to watch me?”
“Well, he didn’t do it to watch himself inside the house,” she laughs again. “Look, Stefano has been through a lot over the past few years—actually, his whole life. I don’t know if you know the full story of what happened with our father?”
“Not really. I mean, I know what your father did—"
“Our father manipulated us both, but Stefano got the worst of it. I mean, Stef found out that the man that was supposed to love and care for him killed his mother and his real father. Murdered them for a stupid revenge plan. The same man that had been 'looking out' for him and pretending to love him as a son but was actually just using him as a pawn in some elaborate scheme. Stef’s trust in people was already rocky to say the least, but after that he closed off even more. I think I am the only person he really opens up to—and even that is rare.”
She talks to me more about what Stef experienced and how he grew up and my heart breaks a little because of her stories about him.
I take a deep breath, nodding, finally understanding a little more about him.
“He is really closed off. I feel like I have seen little glimmers of who he is in odd moments, but then he shuts down so quickly and he never wants to talk about anything,” I shrug.
“Stef is someone who cares really deeply, he just doesn’t know how to show it. And he might be completely obsessed with you, but holds back because he is afraid that if he trusts again, he opens a space that will hurt him. Give him some time, be patient. He has a really good heart. Ever since our father died, he has been so gentle and supportive of me. I mean, he dove in front of a bullet to save my life—he really does have an amazing heart beneath all the tough guy exterior he puts on.”
I sit quietly for a while, thinking about her words. I had no idea Stefano went through all of that with his stepfather or how he lost his parents. I guess I never asked, so why would he have told me? It’s all really intense and painful, so probably not something he even wants to talk about.
Suddenly I can’t help giggling. “So, you really think he had these cameras set up inside just to keep an eye on me?”
Chiara laughs as well. “I have no doubt.”
“Thanks for telling me all of that, Chiara. I really appreciate it. It actually helps a lot to see him in a different light. I will try and be more patient, and work towards letting him know that he can trust me. I want him to trust me.”
We chat all afternoon, and I begin to relax. It feels so good just to have someone to be completely honest with, and Chiara is so patient and understanding, she helps me through a lot of my thoughts.
When Chiara leaves, I feel as though our conversation has lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders. She gave me a whole different viewpoint and understanding of why Stef is the way he is.
I walk through to my bedroom with a grin on my face as I glance up at the cameras neatly tucked into the corners of the house. I never actually noticed them before. I didn’t really think about it or pay attention. They are so tiny and inconspicuous. I wonder if he has one in every single room. Was he ever going to tell me about them?
Walking into my own room, I look around carefully until I find the camera on the ceiling just beneath my light. I can’t believe he has a camera in my bedroom.
What if he had caught me doing something? I flush with embarrassment.
Well. I giggle to myself. If he wants to play games like that, I can play games, too.
By the time I climb into bed that night I am tired, but feeling a bit more hopeful about what is happening between Stef and me. I will do my best to help him trust me and to make this work. For my family and for the alliance, but also just because I can’t help but admit that I want him to like me.
I close my eyes, thinking about the camera above my bed, and how I can use it.
Tomorrow is a special day for me, and regardless of everything going on, I would like to enjoy it. If that means playing a little trick on him for fun and to try and break through his walls, then so be it.
***
In the morning I wake up with an idea. A cheeky one, but one that makes me smile.
It’s my day after all, and I want to have fun.
Stef has already left for work, and if Chiara is right about everything, he will be waiting for me to wake up and perhaps keeping an eye on me through that camera.
I throw the blankets off my body and stretch out in bed, letting my hands run over my body. My heart beats faster with the thrill of thinking he is watching me.
Lying on my back, I slowly pull my top over my head and then casually toss it off the bed, covering my breasts with my hands, then letting them roam low over my hips and dip beneath my silky pajama pants.
I arch my back as I touch myself.
Then I stop, and slowly start pulling my pants off, letting them drift down my legs as I run my hands over my smooth skin.
When I am completely naked, I lie back down again and let my legs drift apart.
I brush my fingers over myself, teasing myself as much as I hope I am catching his attention.
I arch my back, press my fingers inside myself and gasp slightly, turning myself on.
I don’t know what I expect him to do, but I want to drive him a little crazy.
I close my eyes and think about how he makes me feel, the sight of his body over mine, and how badly I want to be with him.
It doesn’t take long at all before my body is pulsing with pleasure beneath my fingertip.
When I am done, I grab my phone and run out of the bedroom to the bathroom.
I dial his number.
He answers before the phone even rings once. I grin. He was definitely watching.
“Darya,” he says with a thick voice.
“Stef, did you leave for work already?”
“You, uh, thought I was still in the house?” He clears his throat, sounding uncomfortable.
“I wasn’t sure. But I actually need you to come home, please. It’s a bit of an emergency.”
“What emergency?”
“Please, I need you to come home.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I hop in the shower and get dressed quickly. I throw on a pair of tight jeans and a crop top, put my hair up into a messy bun, and touch up my lips with gloss.
I hear him rushing into the house downstairs.
“Darya?” he calls my name, sounding worried.