I entered the college and what caught my attention was my Tesoro. She was going inside the campus, and as my car pulled in, her eyes drew towards me. As soon as I came out of my car, the chairperson came to greet me. I glanced up and found that Elena had disappeared. (I'll catch her later.)
The chairperson led me toward a hall where all the students were already waiting. I stepped onto the stage and gave a small lecture. (If it weren't for my Tesoro, I would never have come to any college like this. I've never done these things before; they seemed boring to me, and Marco usually handles these matters.)
I finally finished my speech and asked if anyone had any questions. Students stood up and asked many questions. Then, a sweet voice came from a corner, and I already knew whose voice it was. I looked in that direction, and there she was-Elena stood up and asked me some questions. I stared at her with everything I had in me.
She felt that. Yes, she does. I can sense it. She then asked me about the qualities I look for in my interns regarding robotics and our computing systems. I answered her, and I can bet my answers satisfied her.
As we were done, I stepped down from the stage. I looked around but didn't see Elena. Where did she go? She must be in the cafeteria.
I walked towards the cafeteria and saw her. It was crowded, and she was trying to navigate through with two coffees in her hands. I got stuck as some students in the cafeteria stopped me to ask something. Suddenly, someone bumped into me and spilled some liquid on my shirt.
I looked down, only to find it was Elena who had bumped into me. My anger disappeared as soon as I realized it was her. I got lost in her eyes, and she started apologizing profusely. I didn't say anything to her but asked her to lead me towards the restroom.
She led me there, flustered and embarrassed. I couldn't help but smile at her earnestness. Inside the restroom, she offered to help clean the stain. I wanted her hands to touch me, I wanted her close to me, so I nodded and let her help.
Her hands worked diligently on my shirt, and I watched her, noticing the way her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink.
"Do you also have applied for the internship?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"Yes, this is my final semester," she replied, focusing on the stain.
"Oh, so what are you willing to work for?" I continued.
"I'm actually a psychology student, but I have skills in computing and designing," she said, not looking up.
"Impressive," I commented.
"Thank you, sir," she replied, finally meeting my gaze.
As she finished cleaning the stain, she fanned my shirt to dry it. I couldn't resist teasing her, "You're pretty."
She looked up at me, surprised. "Thank you," she said, clearly flustered.
"You're cute when you're shy," I added, enjoying the way her blush deepened.
"It's done, sir. And again, sorry for this," she said, stepping back.
"Don't say that again. You've already helped me a lot," I said, leaning in a bit closer. In a low, husky voice, I whispered near her ear, "Thank you."
I walked out, leaving her standing there. The moment lingered with me, her scent, her touch, everything about her.
I had to make sure she would be one of the chosen interns. There was no way I was letting her slip through my fingers.
After leaving the campus, I decided to do something special for Elena. I drove to a flower shop and picked out an arrangement of black and red roses. I wanted something grander, so I also got a giant plushie for her.
I called Marco and asked him for a favor. "Can you get me a recording of her father's call with her mother? I want to give her a gift she'll never forget."
Marco, efficient as always, arranged a sweet voice recording within less than 30 minutes. I embedded the recording inside the plushie so that every time someone hugged it, the voice would play.
I drove to Elena's house, my heart pounding with excitement and a bit of nervousness. Using the spare key I had secretly obtained, I let myself in and started decorating the living room. The roses went on the couch and table, filling the space with their rich fragrance. I placed the plushie prominently and added some minimal jewelry and a book I knew she would love.
I stepped back to admire my work. This would surely bring a smile to her face. I sat down on her couch for a moment, soaking in the feeling of being in her space, then quickly left, knowing it was almost time for her to come home.
As I drove away, my mind raced with thoughts of her. I've now decided to come in front of her. But not in this way. It had to be special, something she would remember forever.
This was just the beginning.Later that evening, I found myself thinking about her constantly.
I wondered how she would react to the gifts. Would she be happy? Would she feel the love and care I put into selecting everything?Unable to wait any longer, I parked my car a few blocks away and walked back to her house, hiding in the shadows.
From a distance, I saw her arrive home. I watched as she opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the flowers and gifts.
She picked up the plushie, and I could see the tears in her eyes as she heard her mother's voice. My heart swelled with emotion. I wanted to rush in and hold her, to tell her everything would be okay. But I stayed hidden, knowing that the time wasn't right yet.As she explored the living room, touching each gift, a mix of emotions crossed her face. Happiness, sadness, confusion.
She sat down on the couch, the plushie still in her arms, and I knew that I had made the right choice.I watched her for a while longer, my resolve strengthening.
I watched her sleep there on the couch. I wanted to put her in bed but I couldn't, still, I decided to go inside and put a blanket over her. I tiptoed, making sure she wouldn't wake up. I got into her room, took a blanket, and gently laid it over her.
As I was about to leave, Elena started struggling and crying in her sleep. It seemed like she was having a nightmare. Her forehead quickly became covered in sweat. I held her hand and wiped away the sweat. She turned towards me, holding my hand tightly. I remained there until her nightmare passed, watching her beautiful features soften again.
This girl had made me crazy, I thought while a smile curled on my lips. I pecked her cheek softly and then left, making sure she was comfortable.
I drove back to my mansion, got into my room, and collapsed onto my bed. I was really tired, but doing something for my Tesoro was something I wanted to do all my life.
The morning rays fell on my eyes and I woke up. I got up to freshen up, dressed, and checked my phone. There was a text from Elena.
**Tesoro:** Thank you for the gift. It's really awesome. But how did you manage to get the recordings? How do you know about my parents? If you know anything, please tell me.
I didn't reply immediately, as I wasn't sure how to answer her. Instead, I called Marco.
"In my office after 30 minutes, okay?"
"Bro, I'm sleeping, please," he groaned.
"Doesn't matter. Be on time," I insisted.
I paced around my office, thinking about Elena's message. I knew she deserved answers, but revealing too much too soon could ruin everything. When Marco arrived, still half-asleep, I filled him in on the situation.
"Marco, Elena, she asked me about how I know her parents?
Marco rubbed his eyes and nodded. "I figured this would happen. What's the plan?"
"We keep things vague for now. I'll tell her enough to satisfy her curiosity but not enough to reveal everything. She needs to trust me first."
Marco leaned back in his chair, pondering. "Alright, but be careful. This is a delicate situation."
I sighed. "I know. But I can't lose her, Marco. She's everything."
Marco gave me a reassuring pat on the back. "We'll handle this. Just take it one step at a time."
I nodded, feeling slightly better. I picked up my phone and started typing a response to Elena.
**Me:** Happy to know that you liked the gifts, TESORO. You asks so many questions. I'll answer them someday, I promise, for now remember you're mine, I love you and focus on yourself presentation.
I hit send and hoped it would be enough to keep her satisfied for now. I couldn't afford to lose her trust, not when I was so close to revealing my true feelings.
Marco and I spent the rest of the morning going over plans and contingencies. Every move had to be calculated, every word carefully chosen. Elena was worth all the effort and more.
My P.A knocked on the door, entered, and handed me the plan for the day. "Marco, you're going to get the work done today, and make sure the shipments go smoothly."
"Okay, bro," Marco said, yawning again.
"Sir, Marco also has to check the students' work and finalize the interns," my manager added.
"I'll do it myself this time," I said coldly.
Marco smirked. "Yeah, let him. Besides, he isn't going to let anybody else handle this. He's too involved."
"Maybe you should get some more sleep," I replied, irritated.
"Yeah, bro. I'm going inside. Don't dare disturb me," Marco said, heading into my resting room behind the office.
"Okay, get me the students' work. I'll check on them," I told her.
Two hours passed as I meticulously reviewed the students' projects. I had to admit, they were quite talented. Elena's project, in particular, was incredible. Her attention to detail and innovation stood out, impressing me beyond words.
"Nikki," I called out to my P.A
"Yes, sir?"
"Take these," I said, handing over the selected projects. "I've finalized the interns. Let the chairperson of the college know that we'll be coming tomorrow to announce the selections."
Nikki nodded, taking the documents from me. "Understood, sir. I'll inform them right away."
As I was driving back home, my phone rang. It was a call from hospital Informing me that MARCO had been shot and was in critical condition.
I hang up the call and rushed into the hospital and saw a doctor emerging from a operation theater.
"Is it serious, doc?" I asked , my voice filled with worry.
"No, sir," the doctor replied. "He's stable now, but he has lost Alot of blood. The bullet missed his heart just by an inch."
I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding. " Can I see him?"
" Yes, but only for few minutes. He's still very weak."
I nodded and made my way to Marco's room. Seeing him lying there, pale and hooked up to machines, filled me with a mix of relief and fury. I sat besides him .
"You ok now?" I asked.
"You can be more polite to me, I'm lying here almost dead." He said.
"Tell me the answer, otherwise I'm going to kill you."
He groaned, " Yes , I'm ok now. You should learn to be polite. You only know , how to show emotions towards that girl." He said , teasingly and ig, irritated as well.
"Yeah, after all, she's my girl. I need to be polite with her."
Marco gave me a death stare and said, "Screw you."
I laughed, "Okay, I'll get your medicines and will see the doctor to discuss your condition. Rest well."
I got up and walked out of the room. I pushed the elevator button and when it opened, I was shocked. Elena was there, right in front of my eyes. But why is she here in the hospital? Is she okay? I was so busy today, I didn't check on her.
I got inside; she was busy on her phone and didn't notice me. She was standing near the buttons. I pressed the ground floor button. As my hands were so close to her, she looked up and saw me. She was as shocked as I was seeing her.
I smiled at her. She returned the smile. "Hello, sir," she said.
"Hi, pretty girl," I replied intentionally.
Chapter 11:
I woke up in the morning, feeling the soft warmth of a blanket covering me. Blinking my eyes open, I realized I was still on the couch. Confusion swept over me; I distinctly remembered falling asleep without any blanket. Who had put this on me? My mind raced, trying to piece together the mystery. Shaking off the bewildering thoughts, I decided to get up and start getting ready for the day.
As I stood up from the couch, my eyes caught sight of the plushie and I remembered the voice recording. I hugged the plushie again, feeling a mix of emotions. Deciding to confront my stalker, I picked up my phone and opened the contact saved as "Fuckface."I texted him: "
ME: Thank you for the gifts, they are awesome. How do you manage to get the recordings of my parents? How do you know about them? If you know, please do tell me."
I sent the message and got into the bathroom to freshen up. After getting ready, I checked my phone and saw that he had seen my message but hadn't replied. So, I decided to just go on with my day. I went to Sophie's and we both together went college and started to work on the project as my professor had told me to be prepared from the beginning. Not sure if I am selected or not, but my professor told me I should start my preparation. So, I started doing that.
During lunch, Sophie and I were at the cafeteria, talking. Suddenly, I got a call from an unknown number. I picked up the call and heard the voice of a man saying, "Your aunt is in the hospital."
I got worried, so I rushed towards the hospital. As I entered, I asked for the room number, and the receptionist provided it. My heart was racing; I couldn't bear the thought of losing my aunt. She's the only family I have left. I hurried to her room and saw her lying there, a nurse dressing her arms and antiseptic cream covering her neck.
"Aunty, what happened?" I asked, my voice trembling with worry.
"Nothing, dear, just a minor accident at the bakery. I was so busy, I didn't notice the oven was overheating. It caused a small blast. But don't worry, it's nothing serious," she reassured me.
"No, Aunty, what are you saying? I have to worry about you," I insisted, tears welling up in my eyes and spilling over
"Elena darling, I'm okay. Don't cry now."
"I'll go get your medicines, Aunty. You rest here," I said, stepping out of the room. I walked towards the elevator and pressed the button. As soon as the door opened, I got inside. I scrolled through my phone, noticing Sofi had sent me some important notes. My whole concentration was on the notes, and I didn't notice someone had already entered the lift. He leaned closer to press the lift button, and that's when I noticed it was Enzo Moritti.
I was shocked to see him here with me in the elevator. I smiled at him and greeted him.
"Hi, pretty girl," he replied, a smirk on his lips.
We went quiet after that.
Suddenly, the elevator stopped working. I looked towards the door, but it didn't open. Realization hit me: the elevator had stopped working. It was stuck, and we were stuck in it.
Enzo pressed the buttons repeatedly.
"Why is it not working?" I started panicking. "What happened? Why is this not moving?" Tears started falling down my eyes.
I placed a hand on my chest as I felt I wasn't breathing properly. "I can't breathe," I panicked.
He came to me and held my hand, seeing my situation. "Hey, Elena, I'm here. Shhh, baby, calm down. I'm here with you. Try to take long breaths," he said, cupping my cheeks.
"I can't breathe," I said, choking on air.
"Baby, look at me," he made me look directly in his eyes. "Try to breathe with me, okay, Elena?" he said, hugging me.
I did as he said, and when he felt I calmed down a bit, the elevator started and stopped again, making me panic again.
"Why isn't it moving?" I said, crying.
A man's voice from outside came. "Sir, are you guys okay?"
"Yes, until now, but please fix it faster."
"Sir, we are trying, but it will take at least 20 minutes."
Hearing this, my anxiety reached its peak, and I started shivering. "I can't be here for 20 minutes. Please open this."
Enzo held my hands tightly, trying to calm me down. The lights flickered and went off. He hugged me tightly, caressing my hair.
"Baby, calm down. Nothing is going to happen. I'm here with you."
He kissed my hair and pulled me closer. I wanted to push him away, but I didn't, as his presence was distracting me from my panic. My head was resting on his chest, and I could clearly hear his heartbeat, which was fast. Tomorrow he's going to announce the chosen interns, and today I'm in this situation with him. Destiny plays well.
"Talk to me, baby. Divert your mind. Tell me why you're here."
"I was here to see my aunt. She had an accident in her bakery a few hours ago. I'm claustrophobic; I can't be in small places."
"Shhh, stop crying," he said, and I realized I had ruined his shirt.
"Damn," I pulled away and apologized. "I'm so sorry I ruined your clothes."
"It's okay," he assured me.
As I was about to say more, the lift suddenly started and stopped again.
"What... what was that? Isn't it going to work now?" I panicked again.
I felt like the space was getting smaller and the walls were moving towards me. "The walls, they're going to crush me," I said, choking on air.
I felt nauseous. "Please get me out of here. I'm feeling choked. I can't be here anymore." I started breathing through my mouth as I felt the air being sucked out of me.
I cried, "Please open the damn door. Please."
"Elena, what's happening? Look at me. Tell me."
"I'm feeling out of breath. Please take me out," my voice cracked as I spoke.
"Hey, I can help you with that," he said, moving closer to me. I moved backwards until my back touched the wall.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
He leaned closer kissing my earlobe and said, " Helping you."
He moved towards my neck and kissed it softly. The moment his lips touched my neck, i forgot everything . Shivers ran down my spine as he kissed the same spot again. Seeing me not stopping him, he started to suck on that part. His suction became intense , and I could bet he'll leave marks there. But for now, that wasn't my concern, as it was helping me forgot about the situation.
When he said he's helping me, he didn't lie . It was really helping.
His breaths became harsher, and it felt like he was controlling himself from doing something sinful. He moved to the other side of my neck and sucked like a beast. I tilted my neck giving him more access of my neck. A moan left my mouth when he bit my neck. He stopped and looked into my eyes. "You are driving me crazy, baby," he said, making me confused.
"What...." as i was about to say more, his lips crushed over mine.
He sucked on my lips softly, his hands caressing my back. I was shocked by his sudden action, but after a minute, i found myself responding to it. He nibbled on my lower lip, making me moan into his mouth. A small smirk appeared on his lips while kissing me. He pulled me closer, making the kiss more intense. I placed my hands behind his neck, and he continued to kiss me. He pulled away, giving me a moment to breath, then kissed me again. He wasn't kissing, he was devouring me. His lips moved rhythmically over my lower and upper lips.
He pulled away, and i looked at him in confusion. He stared at me like nothing had happened, like he didn't have his mouth on my neck and lips seconds ago.
"why did you stop?" I asked, confused.
He caressed my face with his thumb and, with a soft smile, replied, "Baby, i didn't know my act will distract you so much that you didn't realize the elevator has started."
I looked around ,only to find the elevator had actually started moving. He leaned in and pecked my lips once again before saying, "Baby, you taste like nirvana."
With that he just walked out of the elevator.
Embarrassment flooded me as I came to my senses. What just happened? What did I do? I kissed... no, almost made out with a stranger, and that stranger was none other than Enzo Moritti.
As I stood there in shock, Sofi came rushing towards me.
"Elena, babe, are you okay?" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly.
"Yes, Sofia, I'm okay. Don't worry," I replied, trying to calm her down.
"You're claustrophobic. I was so worried when I heard you were stuck inside an elevator."
"Sofi, I'm okay. See, I'm right in front of you."
"Thank goodness," she sighed with relief. "Come on, let's go."
We walked away from the elevator together.
"By the way, Elena?" Sofi started.
"Yes, Sofi?"
"I saw Enzo coming from the elevator too. Did you meet him?"
"Actually, Sofi, he was stuck in the elevator with me."
Sofi looked at me, shocked. "Bro, no. You mean you were stuck in an elevator with Enzo Moritti for almost 30 minutes?"
"Yes, and because of him, I was okay inside the lift."
She looked at me with a million questions in her eyes. "What do you mean? How did he help you?"
"Sofi, Sofi, Sofi, I'll tell you later, please."
"No, you're telling me right now, Elena. I'm waiting for answers, baby."
"Okay, he just... kissed me."
"What?"
"Wait, tilt your head, Elena."
I did as she said.
"What on earth happened inside that elevator, Elena? You have so many hickeys on your neck!"
And it's when I realized-shit, the marks. I had completely forgotten about them.
"Sofi, I'll give you details later. First, help me hide these. I can't go in front of my aunt with these."
"Okay, okay, calm down. Come with me," she said, pulling me into a restroom. She pulled out a concealer and color corrector.
As she was hiding my marks, she said, "Elena, tomorrow he'll come to the college and announce the selected interns. What situation you're in now," she said, laughing.
"Sofi, please, babe. I'm already feeling messed up. Don't pull my leg now."
"Okay, I'll not, but on a serious note, do you think he has a thing for you?"
"Sofi, he was helping me with my anxiety and trying to divert my mind."
"Okay, let's consider this, but what now? How are you gonna face him tomorrow?"
"I'm not. I'm not going to come in front of him. Besides, I'm sure I won't be selected. There are more brilliant students on our campus whose chances are higher than mine."
After we left the restroom, Sofia and I quickly composed ourselves, hiding the hickeys on my neck as best as we could. Sofia's concern was evident, and her teasing about Enzo didn't make things easier. As we walked out, my mind was still reeling from the events in the elevator and the unexpected intimacy with Enzo.
Once I spoke to the doctor and ensured Aunt Maria could return home, I made the decision to stay with her for the rest of the day. Seeing her safe and recovering eased some of the tension I felt. I knew she needed me, and being there for her was my priority.
The drive back home was quiet, the weight of the day settling in my thoughts. Despite Sofia's questions about Enzo, I couldn't deny the rush of emotions his presence had stirred within me. The anticipation of seeing him again at college tomorrow added to the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
As I settled Aunt Maria into bed and prepared dinner for us both, I reflected on how life had a way of surprising us. Tomorrow's internship announcement loomed large, but for tonight, I was grateful for the chance to be with Aunt Maria, to cherish the normalcy of family amidst the whirlwind of emotions and secrets.
Write a comment ...