Dangerous Desires

36

As you entered the room, Tenebroso immediately looked up from where he was being held. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he reached out his little arms towards me. Arsenio looked up as well, his expression guarded but curious. He stayed silent, watching as me and Mark approached.

I smiled softly as I took him in my arms "Is daddy been treating you? You look so handsome baby boy," I spoke to Tenebroso.

Tenebroso gurgled happily in my arms, his little hands reaching out to touch my face. He babbled a few unintelligible syllables, seemingly excited to see me. Arsenio watched the scene quietly, his expression giving away nothing. He simply stood there, holding himself aloof, as he watched me interact with our son.

Mark stood behind me, his eyes darting between me and Arsenio, silently observing the scene unfolding before him. He could feel the tension in the room, the air bristling with unspoken emotions. 

The other men in the room stood silently as well, watching the interaction with varying degrees of curiosity and wariness. They each had their own thoughts and feelings about the situation, but for now, they stayed quiet, waiting to see how things would play out.

Mark's eyes widened in alarm as he saw the newcomer shove past me, almost making me stumble. He took a step forward, his protective instincts kicking into high gear, ready to intervene if necessary. Arsenio's eyes darkened furiously at the sight, and he stepped forward, his body tensing with anger. "Watch it!" he snapped at the girl, his voice cold and sharp. "What do you think you're doing?"

The new girl looked up, her eyes widening as she realized that she had almost caused an incident. She took a step back, her hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered out. "I wasn't looking where I was going. I didn't mean to-"

"Wait aren't you that girl who was sending texts to him? Being flirty? Okay, as soon as we break up you invite her to work here?" I looked at Arsenio.

The girl froze, her face turning a pale shade of white as I addressed her. She looked nervously at Arsenio as if looking for help, but he simply ignored her, his gaze firmly fixed on me. Arsenio's jaw tightened at my words, the truth of them hitting a nerve. He remained quiet though, not wanting to start a public argument in front of the others.

"I get it, you fell out of love with me but it hurts that you invite this girl here to work knowing that I will be around a lot," I looked at him.

Arsenio flinched slightly at my words, my pain and hurt evident in my voice. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but it was clear that my words were affecting him deeply. "It's not like that," he grumbled, his voice gruff. "She was looking for a job, and I happened to have an opening. That's all."

"So she is the homewrecker that made you fall out of love with me?" I looked at him.

Arsenio looked slightly taken aback by my direct question, the accusation in my words hitting a nerve. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out, his mind scrambling for a good rebuttal. The room fell into a tense silence as the other men watched the exchange, not wanting to interfere but clearly interested in the direction this conversation was going.

The older man, Antonio, walked up to Arsenio, his expression stern and disapproving. It was clear that he had been eavesdropping on the conversation, and he wasn't pleased with how things were unfolding. "Arsenio," he said firmly, his voice low but sharp. "A word."

Arsenio looked at Antonio, his expression a mix of guilt and defiance. He hated being reprimanded in front of his men, but he knew he couldn't ignore the older man, especially not after the conversation they had had the day before. 

"What?" he grumbled, doing his best to sound casual, despite the tension in his voice. He stood his ground, unwilling to back down in front of everyone.

Antonio's eyes narrowed, his expression unforgiving. "Follow me," he said quietly, his tone brooking no argument. He turned and walked away, expecting Arsenio to comply.

Arsenio hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering towards me and Mark. He didn't want to leave things unresolved, but he knew better than to disregard Antonio's order. Reluctantly, he followed Antonio, his steps heavy and measured.

The room fell quiet once again, but this time the silence was even more tense. Everyone was watching as Antonio and Arsenio walked away, waiting to see what would happen next. Mark stood beside me, his eyes fixed on the pair walking away. He could sense my tension and turmoil, but he didn't say anything, waiting to see how the situation would unfold.

Antonio led Arsenio into a small office, shutting the door behind them. The room was soundproof, allowing them to speak freely without being overheard. Antonio turned to face Arsenio, his expression stern and disapproving. "You've got some explaining to do," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

Arsenio looked down at the floor, avoiding Antonio's gaze. He fidgeted with his hands, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "What do you want me to say?" he muttered, his voice low and defensive.

"Don't play dumb with me," Antonio retorted. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Making a move on another woman in the middle of a messy breakup? Inviting her to work here when your ex is going to be around constantly? You're either completely heartless or incredibly stupid."

Arsenio flinched at Antonio's words, the harsh reality of his actions hitting him like a ton of bricks. He didn't have a good response, knowing that he had no justifications for his behaviour. "I-I know it looks bad-" he tried to say, his voice faltering.

"Damn right, it looks bad!" Antonio snapped, his anger flaring. "You're acting like a fool, making decisions with your heart and not your brain. You've got your reputation to think about, but more importantly, you've got a family to think about. Your son is going to be caught in the middle of all this nonsense if you're not careful."