From Heart With Hate

High (in love)

It was a usual evening at DeVille's mansion. Niccolò was in the study room going through the emails and documents when he heard a feeble knock. His eyes lit up, assuming it was his lover finally wanting to talk to him after the intimate moment they shared on the rooftop. It's been a week that Caterina hasn't spoken a word to him. Is it because he kissed her? He was thinking.. overthinking about things that won't let him sleep.

"Sir.."

Tsk, Niccolò sighed on seeing the muscular figure of his bodyguard. He raised his eyebrows, expecting the bald guy to speak.

"We were very close, sir, but he checked out of the hotel early in the evening." The poor guy looked down, not wanting to look into the raging gaze of his master.

Niccolò curses under his breath; he had high hopes this time. It's been almost 15 days that Niccolò's men have been trying to find him. EJ EJ EJ, how come to know one knows about this man .. No government records? No crime trails. The people at the strip club never saw his face. It was always covered in a black face mask, they say. They only know that his left hand was covered in tattoos. No one on the face of this earth seems to know about his whereabouts.

"Sir? What if we interrogate the strippers again if they lie to us, sir?"

Niccolò was in significant doubt. He knows that EJ knows about his every move. Someone's helping him. Someone at his house is an intruder. Perhaps?

"Where's Caterina right now?" Niccolò said as he cleared his desk.

"I saw her talking with Tristano, sir."

"Where?"

"In the hall, outside her room."

Guess she's finally decided to step out of that room.

"Tell Luna to call her to my room."

"Yes, sir." The bald guy bowed his head before stepping out almost immediately.

Niccolò's POV

"Wanna get me drunk, huh?" Caterina chuckles.

I could feel a thin smile appearing on his face when I saw her laughing for no specific reason. I think she is already drunk.

"I just wanted to talk; it's been a while since we had a proper conversation, isn't it?" I say as I pour more into her almost empty glass.

"How's my family, Niccolò? Paxe? How are they ?" She spoke excitedly.

"Your family held your funeral two months, and your aunt is now the legitimate owner of your father's wealth. And Paxe, on the other hand, moved to NYC.. with her boyfriend." My people never stopped keeping an eye on her if she ever decided to
run her mouth in the city.

My eyes moved back to her again as I saw her head between her hands while her hair blocked a good part of her face as she looked outside the window.

"Always wanted to go there, with her of course... We were in middle school when we promised to get an apartment in NYC together.."

She sighs.

"Good for her though... she doesn't deserve this fucked up version of mine."

It was for about 10 minutes that Caterina
gazed at the sky as I stared at her appearance. She looks healthier than before. I was glad she was doing well and not thinking about ending her life again.

"Why haven't you asked me yet?"

She squints her eyes, not understanding my question very well.

"To let you go."