Forbidden Deception (Deception)

7

T he nerves are twisting inside of me every minute I look at Rafael’s phone. It’s right there, but I can’t reach for it. Two weeks of no mistreatment doesn’t mean I will be given access to Rafael’s phone.

From visiting all kinds of construction sites with Rafael, to giving him feedback on the smaller models made for him in cardboard, to even dealing with his contractors, it has been a good, fulfilling two weeks.

“I think it’s going to rain.” I point out eyeing the misty clouds.

Rafael sighs, running a hand through his softly curled caramel locks sprinkled with grey. I love his hair. I love his rough yet clean look. I love how his age reflects on his face, the sharp edges of his face. His white sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, his brown tie neatly hangs in the centre of his shirt, and his matching slacks are fitted to his legs.

Rafael is so much older than me, rougher, quieter, and when he speaks, it’s always some kind of veiled insult. His dry humour cracks me up sometimes.

“Do you think I am a good assistant?”

Silence.

I place my chin on my hand, propped up by my elbow on my leg. And I watch him.

I only had lunch in the canteen twice, and then I just stayed in my office. Having been in a boarding school full of girls who argued, bickered, and blackmailed each other, taught me to identify when and where I should and shouldn’t be.

Boarding school was both a good and bad time for me, though I haven’t talked about it to anyone yet, despite leaving four years ago. I refuse to believe it was part of my life. I refuse to acknowledge I went through that trauma because my parents disowned me and didn’t want me.

Remo and Aurora made me feel loved, gave me my own apartment, space, job, and everything so I could feel like I have control over my life again, but I still didn’t talk about my time in the boarding schools.

I’m not ready to open that Pandora’s box.

“You have a meeting in an hour with the managers,” I mutter quietly, finally giving up. Maybe he does like silence, as he said, and I am just bothering him.

He will end up hating me more than liking me, and forget ever thinking about befriending me.

“Did your parents not teach you manners?” Rafael mutters, making my heart stop.

He looks up from the sketch he’s working on and pins me with a dark, thunderous stare. I tremble.

“Sorry?” I hate to admit this, but my voice squeaks.

“If there is silence, you don’t have to fill it. Especially if the other person isn’t replying to your attempts at conversation. Have some dignity, please.”

Words climb up my throat, retorts and remarks that I want to shoot at him, but he’s jabbing at a deep, painful wound.

“I—”

“Venezia.” He takes in a deep breath.

My skin prickles with irritation. Why does he hate everything I do so damn much?

“I wouldn’t know. Mine left me at an orphanage’s door.” I stand up to my full height, flip my hair over my shoulder, then smirk at him. “Glad I irritate you. It’s the least I can do, considering what you put me through.” With a huff, I turn to leave.

At the door, I pause, then turn back towards him. I walk straight to his desk, posture stiff. Rafael’s eyes are on me the whole time, and his ‘boss’ mask slips. His brows furrow, and he looks truly flabbergasted. He’s stopped working, his hands still over his sketch, while his eyes are stuck to me in shock.

Picking up the coffee cup I gave him, I take a long sip while keeping my eyes on his.

I make sure to finish the remaining sip and place it back in front of him.

“I make a damn good coffee,” I murmur.

Hoping to not get fired, I turn and stride from his office, then wait in the safety of my office.

I don’t know what that stupid stunt was, but I had to do something so I didn’t lash out at him and risk losing my job.

An hour later, we are both sitting in the meeting room, surrounded by at least fifteen site managers with their updates. There are mostly men, but there are women, too, and that makes me happy to see. Rafael sits at the front of the room at the head of the table with me on his left. He silently watches everyone’s presentations and gives feedback, while I jot down important notes.

The tension is so palpable between us that I don’t even risk glancing at Rafael in case I find him glaring at me.

I don’t smile at anyone; in fact, I keep myself in check, not giving anything away. In the business world, you can’t act all bubbly and happy. That’s not how it works. I may chat Rafael’s ear off, but my work truly reflects my experience as an assistant. Neat, precise and accurate.

The marketing manager stands up. I love all the creative aspects of the marketing field, but my major is in accounting.

I turn towards Rafael to see his eyes flicker over to me.

Rafael’s eyes have never felt cold to me, as my brother’s sometimes do. They may feel strict and sharp, but they don’t feel empty.

Rafael’s gaze feel like this city feels to me.

Troubled, expressive, and warm. Though he does sometimes spew bullshit at me, I think he does it to test me. He warned me he’d be harsh on me. Yet every time Rafael looks at me, a nostalgic feeling of my time in this city takes over me, raising goosebumps, and making me not hate this city as much as I want to.

“I like this team the most,” I murmur in an attempt to diffuse the tension between us.

A soft smile pulls at my lips when Rafael answers.

“I can image you having the most fun with this team. They manage the creative aspects of the company including interior design. I imagine it’s something you would enjoy doing. You’re free, limitless, and expressive enough to be working with them.”

My mouth parts.

Rafael glances down at my iPad, juts his chin towards it, and gives me his side profile.

That’s the first time Rafael has ever said anything positive about me.

“What if I told you that may not be true?” I say absently, still not over the fact that he actually continued a conversation without me pushing him.

Placing his arm on the table, he leans forward, the scent of his cologne drifting around me. My eyes trail over his veiny hands and his manicured nails. Not many men have attractive hands, but Rafael does.

“Doubt it,” he replies smugly.

I bite my lip to hold in a laugh. “You don’t know me at all.” I lift a shoulder.

“Maybe, but I am getting used to your dramatic self,” he murmurs.

I bite my lip to stop the smile.

“Dramatic? Me?” I whisper-yell, pointing to myself. I can’t believe he called me dramatic.

“You.” He lifts both his brows, and I quieten down.

I look away from him to focus on the presentation and see Danyi step up.

“For the rest of the of year, our plan is to keep up our current strategy, with Gustav Industries being the powerhouse of Gustav conglomerates. We need to keep up with the demand through our carefully constructed budgets of each team.” I didn’t think Danyi would be presenting. Though she is a direct contact for me, I haven’t had to call much, as I’ve never really struggled with my work.

The few times I did try, she shut me out, so I took the hint.

I take a few notes on my iPad about her strategy, then feel eyes on me. Tingles skitter from my forehead to my cheeks and down to my lips. I look up to see Rafael’s eyes dart from me to the papers before him.

A frown tugs on my lips. Did he need something? He has his water bottle next to him, his notes, and I have my iPad. Nothing is amiss.

“I think—”

Rafael’s head snaps up from his papers, and his eyes settle on me, giving me his full, undivided attention. My heart skips a beat, and words fail me for a second.

I clear my throat. “Danyi is the last one. That was quite a long meeting.”

Rafael nods at me, then looks away. My gaze lingers on him, entranced by his side profile. His grey suit fits him so perfectly, stretching across his broad shoulders and chest. Every time he is near me, I can always faintly smell his strong cologne, a musky, clean, refreshing scent. Rafael is truly my type, and it’s sad that our circumstances mean nothing can happen between us. In any other situation, I would have fallen for him at first sight because of his looks.

“Thank you, everyone, for your hard work,” Rafael says curtly.

He stands, and I rise as well, my iPad in hand. I make eye contact with everyone until my eyes land on Danyi, who gives me a small smile. I gasp.

I turn to tell Rafael, but he is making his way out of the room. Everyone else is still seated and waiting for him to leave. I run after him, and as soon as we are in the elevator, I turn to Rafael, a wide grin on my face.

“Danyi smiled at me.”

Rafael slides both hands in his trouser pockets and raises a brow.

“Can you believe it? That’s the first time she’d smiled—forget smiling—first time she’s even looked at me with anything near a smile.” I turn around, facing the doors, my heart feeling light.

As soon as the elevator doors open to the lobby, I exit, sliding my iPad into my bag. I glance out the windows and grimace at the downpour of rain outside. It’s going to be hell to walk in.

A sigh falls from my lips when I walk outside. I wish I brought an umbrella, but then Rafael won’t feel bad, and he will most definitely not care then. Or maybe he would just think I am an idiot for not bringing one.

Drowning in the rain it is.

Pulling my bag to my chest, I wrap my arms around it and descend the steps to the pavement. I take a couple of steps forward, rain completely soaking my clothes, making my black dress stick to me like a second skin. This dress going to need to be dried carefully due to its material. What a shame.

I lift my head to look around for Rafael’s car when a firm grip on my elbow spins me around and smashes me against a hard chest.

My wet hair slaps into my face, getting stuck to my lips and in my eyes when I try to look up at the person who has grabbed me. I brush it away from my face to find Rafael standing before me, his expensive suit getting drenched by the rain. With each breath he takes, his chest heaves against me, against my breasts, which are pressed to him. Heat suffuses my cheeks, and his dark eyes narrow.

Did I just get what I wanted?

Rafael is standing under the rain with me while his driver holds an umbrella farther down the road with his car door open.

Here he is, looking down at me like it’s my fault it’s raining, and yet, his expression of annoyance doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, it makes me feel triumphant. I won.

“Do you have any brain cells in there?”

I gasp.

His hold tightens, pulling me impossibly closer, stealing my breath away. “Do you think it’s a good idea to walk in rain like this?” he snaps. His eyes flick all over my face. “And this hair…” He lifts his other hand and carefully removes each lock of the hair stuck to my face, tucking it behind my ear.

Then he’s pulling me towards his car.

And I can’t help my tiny smile and the skip in my heart.

What a stubborn man. Took him long enough.

Shaking my head, I jog to keep up with him. I shoot a covert glance at him, then smother a giggle. His eyebrows are pinched, his jaw is tight, and his lips are pressed in a firm line.

“Are you worried about me?” I tease, then shut up when his sharp eyes snap to me.

I quietly climb into his car and watch him take out his phone, acting like he didn’t just drag me into his car to save me from the rain.

He doesn’t know I have a car waiting for me, or that I don’t mind getting wet in the rain. I will be gone before he realises it has all been a ploy. His handsome face won’t save him from the menace he has become to society with how many careers he has ruined.

But, the small towel he throws on my lap doesn’t let me hate him as much. I shake that thought away.

“Thank you.” I add a sniffle for dramatic effect while wiping my face lightly so I won’t rub my makeup off.

I am about to open my mouth when my thoughts come to a sudden stop.

“I live on 23 Billsly Lane,” I blurt before I fuck this up. It’s the apartment on my CV and all my documents, the one Remo purchased for the sole purpose of this mission.

“I know,” Rafael mutters.

Finally, the car slows down near the fifteen-storey apartment building, and I notice a familiar car and perk up. Leo is sitting in the car parked across the road, waiting for me already. How he reached here before we did, I have no idea. Maybe he knows some kind of shortcut but I am so thankful I could hug him this second.

“Oh, you can just stop here.” I smile.

Rafael nods towards his driver, and he parks the car.

“Thank you, Mr Gustav. I don’t know how I would have made it home today. My umbrella broke the other day, and I haven’t had a chance to replace it yet.”

Rafael is looking around the neighbourhood, so I take this time to get out.

It’s still pouring rain.

“Thank you again!” I wave at Rafael and quickly run to the entrance of the building and breeze through the lobby doors, then take a left into the mailroom. The window at the top of the room gives me a good view of the front of the road, so I bend low and peek from the bottom of the window.

The Range Rover is still there.

What is he waiting for?

I’m already in the building, aren’t I?

Eventually, his car leaves.

“Ms Venezia?” Leo calls from the lobby.

I rise and rush to him. I have never been this happy to see someone.

“Leo, how did you get here so quickly? You are my saviour.” I wrap him in a tight hug.

He awkwardly pats me on the back. “You’re welcome. It’s my job, miss.”

I let him go and point a finger. “Don’t call me miss outside. Don’t blow our cover.”

“Very well. Should we go?”

I nod and head out towards the car, staying carefully beneath the umbrella Leo holds over my head.

“I can’t wait to get out of these clothes. I am so done with the day.”

Once home, I do a quick check in with the staff when I notice a small envelope waiting for me on the dinner table.

Placing my spoon down next to my plate, I open it.

I scan the words, and my stomach lurches.

Dear Venezia,

I hope this letter finds you. Using a phone, as you know, could leave a trace.

We have some unfinished business together, don’t you think?

I need some help and you leaving abruptly four years ago didn’t make it any better.

You will know where to find me soon.

Your best friend,

Medora.