Defender's Heartbeat 2

Chapter 48

Enzo

Papa (Manuel) didn't leave the room for a long time, staying until he was sure I was completely okay. Finally, I gently took his hands in mine and said, "Papa, I love you so much. I promise I'll never try something so foolish again, no matter what. I don't want to make you sad, Papa. I don't want to cause you pain. Please, trust me," I begged, my voice earnest.

I saw his eyes shining with emotion. "I trust you, baby," he said softly, stroking my hair before finally leaving my room. Every word I'd said to him was true, echoing deeply in my heart. I didn't want to cause him pain. I would never hurt him like that again. Never.

A few hours later, I heard a knock on my door. I assumed it was a servant; who else would bother to knock?

"Come in," I said, seated on my bed and engrossed in my phone.

"Young master, Mr. Gerado asked for you to come to his office," the servant said as he entered.

"Oh, okay," I replied, hiding my surprise. Since Papa had come back from the hospital, he'd wanted to talk to me, but thankfully, that talk hadn't happened. And now, he wanted to talk again... or did he want to punish me?

"Don't worry, young master. He's in a good mood," the servant reassured me, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"Okay, you can go," I said quietly, dismissing the servant.

I cautiously descended the stairs and approached Papa's office. My hand trembled as I knocked softly on his door, feeling a burning sensation in my stomach. My heart raced, and I felt dizzy. Had I done something wrong?

"Come in," I heard Papa's rough voice say. I slowly entered his office.

"Enzo," he greeted me warmly. "Are you okay, son? You look pale." I couldn't believe his words. What kind of act was this, Papa?

"Just scared," I replied honestly.

"For what?" he asked, looking genuinely curious. He seemed happy. Well, let me ruin your mood, Papa. "Just wondering which belt you're going to use today," I muttered, scratching my head nervously.

Papa's face darkened, his anger surfacing in an intense stare. That deadly look could burn someone to ashes. I instinctively took a step back.

"I'm not going to use any belt today," he replied, still visibly angry.

"That's... great," I said, feeling a mixture of relief and tension.

"Come here," he said suddenly, getting up from his chair and coming closer, locking his gaze on me. Without realizing it, I found myself pressing against the wall in fear.

"Come on," he said, taking my hand and leading me to a part of the house I'd never been allowed to enter before—not officially, anyway.

What he didn't know was that I'd already snuck into all his private areas in secret.

He sat down on a comfortable couch. "Sit here," he said, patting the space beside him. I really didn't want to sit close to him. Sure, he was handsome and smelled good, but he was still a monster. What if he suddenly got angry and started hitting me? How would I escape?

Gerado

Enzo stood a few feet away from me, looking terrified. His face was pale, and he seemed almost sick. I knew I was the reason he was so afraid, but I didn't want to show too much emotion and make him weaker. He needed to face this like a man.

"Sit down," I said firmly.

"Can I sit here?" he asked, pointing to a different chair.

"No. You need to sit closer because I have something to show you. I'm not going to swallow you, Enzo. I'm not an anaconda," I replied, catching a faint smile tugging at his lips, which he quickly tried to hide.