Taste of revenge

22

Chapter Twenty-Two
Noelle

M y pulse drums in my ears as I startle from yet another nightmare. It's
been weeks since the dark room incident yet I still haven't managed
to move on. The fear of being violated in that manner is hard to
overcome, and to an extent, it still lives within me. Then there's Rafaelo's
cruel laughter—that ominous sound that follows me everywhere.
He set out to destroy me, and I fear he's well on the path to do so.
Especially as he seems to have honed in on my weaknesses. In the
beginning, I didn't want to believe he would be capable of something this
terrible. Yet the more I get to know him the more I realize that the love that
fuels his thirst for revenge is all encompassing.
The love for Lucero. I'm ashamed to admit that pains me more than
anything.
I've been struggling with my feelings for him from the start. They are
too out of control, fear and longing mixing together in a lethal combination.
Add jealousy in the mix and I feel lost—truly, truly lost.
As I get out of my bed, I go about my morning ablutions, deciding to
take breakfast in my room—yet again.
My initial plan of taunting Rafaelo clearly backfired—immensely. If
anything, I'm always the one who ends up on the losing side, no matter how
much I try to keep my chin up and ignore his jibes. After the dark room, our
interactions have only gotten worse, his words growing crueler with each
passing day.
Before, I may have tried to defend myself and tell him that I'm not who
he thinks I am, but he's too set in his ways. In his mind, I've already been

tried and convicted. If my own family doesn't believe me...why would he, a
stranger?
The more he insults me, the more I should learn to hate him, and the
more he mentions Lucero, the more I should just bury my emotions.
But it doesn't work like that. Not when my heart skips a beat every time
he's in the vicinity. Not when every waking moment my thoughts are filled
with him. And certainly not when his voice is the only thing that can give
my day some sense of normalcy.
Am I...getting used to being bullied? Is that it?
I've tackled this particular issue with my therapist and she'd suggested it
might be a manifestation of my guilt and the fact that he does, in fact,
embody the characteristics of my ideal man. It's just that those particular
traits of his that I admire are never aimed at me.
And as we've gone on to unravel my subconscious, it has become clear
that I am vulnerable when it comes to Rafaelo, and as such it is best if I
avoid him.
Easier said than done when Cisco had taken that one request to heart,
ensuring Raf accompanied me everywhere when I went out. I haven't had a
moment of quiet. Every single interaction we have is filled with so much
tension that often leaves me emotionally exhausted.
"Are you sure you're fine, Noelle? It's not like you to miss breakfast,"
Yuyu mentions from the doorway, but I simply burrow deeper in my
blankets.
"I think it's the change of seasons," I fake a cough. "It must be messing
with my body."
"I see," she nods, worried. "I'll have Greta bring you the food here
then."
"Thank you," I give her a small smile.
And as she leaves, I finally breathe out in relief.
It's the third day in a row that I've asked to eat in my room. I can't blame
Yuyu for being suspicious, but neither do I want to see Rafaelo. I've done
my best to keep out of his way, but it's definitely not easy when we live in
the same house and we bump into each other at every turn.
It's only when he's away with business that I get some breathing room—
but that never lasts. In fact, I've even stopped playing the piano when he is
around the house. Every time I'd start playing it, he'd show up, and without

even speaking, he would plop himself in front of the piano, watching me
intently as I'd play.
The only saving grace is that he disappears somewhere for a couple of
days a week, which is when I can allow myself to relax a little. Even that,
however, is short lived, because visions of him with someone else
constantly plague me. I'm always left wondering who he's meeting and what
he's doing. And that is not great for my peace of mind.
Although our situation had gotten increasingly worse, I have to admit
I'd learned to gain a new respect for the man after I'd heard some of the
things he's been through.
I'm not ashamed to admit I've been eavesdropping every now and then
—after all, it's better to have as much information on your enemy as
possible. And everything I'd learned so far has been quite enlightening. Like
his enmity with his brother, or the fact that he's currently a wanted man in
New York.
It had quickly become obvious why he needs Cisco's support, and why
he's taken residence in our house—for his own protection.
And that gives me pause. Because if it hadn't been for my brother...
I'm positive he would have killed me.
A shudder goes through my body at the thought but I try to push it out
of my mind.
As promised, Greta brings me a tray of food, and I quickly dive in. A
little too hungry and focused entirely on the food, it takes me a while to
realize I'm no longer alone in the room.
"What are you doing here?" I snap, placing the tray on the nightstand
and raising my blanket to my chin.
"My, my," he drawls, coming inside my room and closing the door. He
leisurely walks around, an arrogant smirk on his face. "I didn't think you'd
give up so quickly, little liar."
"What are you talking about?"
"You think I haven't realized you've been avoiding me?" He makes a tsk
sound at me before he stops right at the end of my bed, his eyes on me as
he's thoroughly assessing me.
"Get out," I demand, pointing towards the door. "You're not allowed in
my room," I try to imbue my voice with confidence.