Deception

Chapter 20 - One more day

~Silas POV~

Catalina sits up when I walk in, eyes swollen. Skin flushed and pale. When she sees the tray of food, her eyes widen and I set it on the bed.

"No." She says quietly, her hand over her stomach as she winces.

"Eat. You've had two grapes since you came to this house."

"I hate your Italian food."

My eyes narrow with disapproval. I'd never come across anyone bold enough to insult the food here, though I couldn't give a fuck about it now. Catalina stares at the tray like she'd never seen anymore more unappealing.

I'm getting the impression she's not eating anythime soon. Fighting the urge to spoon feed her myself, I run a hand through my hair. I never knew keeping someone alive would be this hard.

Fuck it. I drop on my haunches near her bedside, pick up the spoon and move it to her mouth. Astonished, she looks at me. But she soon realises she has has no choice and gives in.

"What are you doing?" She asks with a raspy voice, wiping her mouth. Her entire body stiffens like she's afraid, and it makes me feel weak. Fucking weak for caring even the slightest.

She watches me like I have an ulterior motive, and I wish I did.

I take a piece of bread in my hand. The food tray could feed fifty people, full of different Italian breads, a fruit platter surrounded by cheeses, and dozens of jams. Catalina pulls away from the bread I move towards her. "I don't...eat the crust."

I blink, but then start peeling the golden crust from around the bread. Half of the bread is gone by the time I was finished, and I dipped it in soup before feeding it to her.

"What about work?" She asks with a mouthful of bread. "Aren't you-"

"I don't give a damn."

Catalina furrows her brows, but stays silent as I feed her. I try to ignore the way her lips sometimes touch my fingers as she takes bites. Or how soft her eyes look in this very moment, as the dull sunlight touches them. Fuck. Maybe if I don't look, it'd be easier to ignore.

"You give a damn a lot of the time." She finally speaks, taunt glimmering in her eyes. If she thinks I give a damn right now, she's wrong.

Once I'm finished I waste no time getting up, setting the tray on the dresser before leaving to get the thermostat. The maids know where it is, they do the organising in the house.

When entering the kitchen, I see the last maid I expected to see. I forgot her name, but with how she looks my way, she hasn't forgotten me.

I thought I'd fired her. My palm swipes over my jaw and she immediately stops chopping vegetables to give her attention to me. My father does the same, who's still recovering from his poison accident.

"Get me the thermostat yeah?"

She shakes her head and leaves, swaying her hips. Making sure her heels make a louder sound with each step. I brought this upon myself, before the no fucking the employees rule.

My father clenches his jaw, still immersed in my last words. "Don't tell me its for her." He puts his cigar down and throws a finger my way. "She's the one who poisoned me, I'm telling you."