Mentality of The Heart

CHAPTER 09

Alice's POV

"What the hell?!"

My voice came out louder than I intended, but I couldn't help it. There, curled into a small ball on my bed, was Mr. Bianchi, trembling like a leaf. His arms clutched my pillow tightly, his entire body drenched in sweat as though he'd just run a marathon.

I rushed to his side, my heart pounding. Was he sick? Feverish? I pressed the back of my hand to his forehead, but his temperature felt normal.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice soft, but there was no response.

"Mr. Bianchi, can you hear me? Please talk to me." Desperation crept into my tone as I crouched closer. Still nothing.

Panic began to settle in my chest. I bolted to the bathroom to grab a towel, hoping to wipe away some of the sweat. But when I returned to the room, he was gone.

"What the—" I blinked, scanning the room. He'd been there a second ago. Where could he have gone so fast?

"Mr. Bianchi?" I called out, my voice shaking slightly.

The silence in the room was deafening until a loud thud broke through the stillness. My head snapped toward the source of the sound—my walk-in closet.

Swallowing hard, I approached the closet cautiously. My hand hovered over the handle as my heart thudded in my chest. With one swift motion, I yanked the door open.

And there he was.

Dressed in one of my black cocktail dresses, its fabric clinging awkwardly to his form, Mr. Bianchi looked up at me with wide eyes. His face was an explosion of lipstick smeared across his mouth, cheeks, and even his chin. His usually impeccable hair was tied into two messy, uneven ponytails.

"Oh my gosh, what the—" I started but couldn't even finish my sentence before I burst into uncontrollable laughter.

He blinked at me, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "What are you laughing at, huh?!"

"You! Oh my god, this—this is priceless!" I wheezed, doubling over as my stomach began to hurt from laughing so hard.

"I look beautiful!" he snapped, his tone sassy and full of mock indignation.

I bit my lip to stifle another laugh. "Ah, yes. Absolutely stunning."

"Well, since you agree, could you be a darling and zip me up? I've got a client waiting, and I simply cannot be late."

Wait. Client?

"What client?" I asked, my amusement fading into confusion.

"My client, of course," he said, his tone sharp as if I were being intentionally dense.

I stared at him, my mind racing. Is this a joke? Or... oh no, is this one of his personalities?

"Who are you?" I asked hesitantly.

His lips curled into a smug smile. "Oh, darling, you don't know who I am? How rude. My name is Vera," he declared, tossing his head as if flipping nonexistent hair.

"Vera?" I repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yes, Vera. I'm assuming you've met my second cousin, Davide?"

Cousin?! Wait, what? A female alter ego?

"And what do you do, Vera?" I asked, trying to make sense of this chaos.

She smirked, adjusting the strap of the dress. "I'm a seductress."