CHAPTER 32: SECRET ESCAPE

My body froze as I closed my eyes in dread when I heard the voice that I least wanted to hear. Slowly, I turned around to see Raphael coming out of the shadows as if he had been lying in wait for me. I wondered if he had anticipated that I would leave the mansion, and then I tried telling myself that there was no reason for him to be obsessing over me.

"Yes," I replied firmly without bothering to explain myself because I felt like there was no need to.

"Where are you going?" he asked, easily closing the distance between us.

I stood a little straighter as I stared directly into his eyes. It felt like if I faltered, I would end up losing control and he would dominate over me completely.

"Do I have to report to you about where I’m going?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, your mother did leave you in my care, and I intend to do my best to take care of you," he said as he brought his face too close to mine. I quickly took a step back before realizing the mistake that Raphael had come between me and the mansion’s exit.

"You don’t have to do anything like that because I don’t intend to be a bother to you," I replied curtly.

"How could my dear little sister ever be a burden to me?" he asked before he smiled too charmingly at me.

My heart leapt in my chest and I hated how my body reacted to his closeness. There was a twinkling mischief in the depth of his gray eyes that I found to be so attractive. Perhaps it would be easier to deal with him if he didn’t look so gorgeously handsome. I quickly killed that thought as I steeled my nerves. I had to get away from him no matter what, and I wasn’t lying when I said that there was something that I needed to do.

"I just quit my job, so I’m heading to my office to clear out my things," I told him passively as I tried to step around him.

Raphael moved his body to block my path with ease.

"You quit your job?" he asked slightly curiously.

"Isn’t that what I just said?" I snapped back at him.

"Do you need a huge luggage like this to quit your job?" he asked, eyeing the luggage that I had with me.

To be more accurate, the luggage was tiny, and it was nowhere near large because all I had packed were the necessities that I thought I would need for a week. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like I was moving out of the mansion for good despite what I truly wanted.

"I’m going to spend a few nights at a friend’s place," I replied while wondering why I had to report these things to him.

“Your boyfriend’s place?" he asked before he grinned at me wryly.

"No, I’m just going to go home," I replied while trying not to react to his words.

"I thought you just said that you were going to stay at a friend’s place," he pointed out, his head tilting slightly to the side as if he was both curious and amused.

"I was going to stay at a friend’s place, but it seemed like you had such a big problem with it that so I realized I might as well just go home," I retorted as I felt my frustration taking over.

Why did he have to make it so much harder on me than it has to be? Doesn’t he realize that I’m already going through a very hard time, and most of that is because of him?

"If you don’t have any more questions, can you step aside now so that I can leave?" I asked as I made another attempt to walk past him.

"Wait," he said as I felt his grip on my wrist.

"What is it now?" I asked impatiently.

"It doesn’t matter to me whether you’ll be staying at your friend’s place or staying back at your old house because you will return to sleep here tonight," he said, his grip tightening around my wrist as if he wouldn’t let me go.

"What is up with you? Why are you doing this? Listen, my mother isn’t here, and there’s no reason for me to stay in this house," I pointed out as I tried to pull my wrist free from his grip.

Raphael stared at me, and I knew that my attempt to free myself from him proved to be completely useless.

"You’re part of this family now, and this is your home. I don’t see why you need to spend the night somewhere else," he said sternly, and suddenly, he sounded like a worried older brother.

"Let me go," I demanded as I tried to shake away his grip.

"I’m not letting you go until you promise that you will come back to this mansion tonight and that you’ll be spending every single night here," Raphael said firmly, without leaving any room for negotiations.

"Fine," I was finally forced to agree because I couldn’t see another way out.

After staring at me in silence for a moment, Raphael finally relaxed his grip and let go of my wrist. I sucked in a deep breath and held it as I glared back at him while my body trembled from anger.

I wondered if he knew that he was probably the main reason why I felt like I couldn’t spend my nights here at the mansion with him. Simply put, I had no idea what he was going to do, and neither could I tell what he was thinking. The fact that I couldn’t read him and I couldn’t control him or myself properly when I was with him made me feel like he was the most dangerous person of all.

"Where are you going with that? Leave your luggage here. You won’t be needing it because you’re coming back tonight, right?" he said before smirking at me.

Before I could get away, Raphael reached for my luggage and pulled it to his side.

–To be continued...