Chapter 8

ERICA

With shaky hands and an anxious heart, I set the tray of toast and the coffee pot on the dining table, my heart beating rapidly with every second that ticked by.

Raffael, who already had a scowl drawn on his face, watched me closely. I could feel his piercing gaze on me, but I dared not connect my eyes to his.

I could tell he was angry; he didn’t even need to say it. His jaws were clenched so tightly that they could slice through the air itself.

Opposite him, Clarissa sat, obviously enjoying the tension simmering in the air, an impudent smile coating her face.

I turned to leave when Raffael’s hoarse voice called me back, “Erica.”

Timidly, I spun around. “Yes, sir,” I replied.

“What time is it?” he calmly asked, his face suddenly void of any emotion.

I took a side glance at the wall clock and swallowed the lump in my throat. It was already 8:30.

“8:30, sir,” I muttered under my breath.

“And when did I say breakfast must be ready? Huh?” The words rolled out of his mouth slowly, as if he wasn’t about to give me the scolding of my life.

“You said it must be ready by 8—” I had barely completed my sentence when Raffael erupted like a throbbing volcano.

“Goddamn it! So why did you serve my meal by 8:30!? Do you know how much I hate lazy and tardy people!? I hate them so much I want to kill them!” His voice shook with fury.

His words made me almost jerk out of my own body, and I froze in place. Suddenly, the air around me felt too tight to breathe.

“I’m not lazy, sir. Neither am I tardy,” I responded, fighting the urge to yell back at him.

“And I prepared breakfast before eight, sir, I assure you, but—”

“But what? Huh? What lie or excuse are you searching for to cover up your irresponsibility?” Clarissa chimed in, her eyes toxic and full of hate.

My fist clenched as I glared at her. She was the reason I served breakfast late, and she still had the audacity to hurl such nonsense at me.

“Raffael, this girl—she’s lazy, tardy, irresponsible, and disrespectful. Give poor people a roof to lay under, and they start demanding that you give them the world. Imagine she hasn’t even apologized to you; instead, she’s looking for excuses to cover up her actions. What sort of person doesn’t take responsibility for their actions?”

This bitch makes me so mad. My eyes burned with hatred, an intense fiery stare as I watched Clarissa spew all sorts of rubbish at me.

“Like father, like daughter. Isn’t that right?” Raffael taunted me. I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him and his fiancée in disdain. “I’m nothing like my father,” I snapped back.

“And with all due respect, sir, I don’t believe making assumptions or passing judgment without knowing the full picture is taking responsibility either.” I spat at him, my exasperation tightening my throat.

Raffael’s eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous flicker of amusement crossing his cold features. His lips curled into a smirk, but he didn’t say a word immediately, letting the weight of my words hang heavily in the air.

I could see his fingers tapping lightly on the dining table, as if he were deciding whether to find my boldness amusing or offensive.

“What the fuck did you just say to him? To your boss? Your literal owner? Are you insane!? How disrespectful can you be?!” Clarissa attempted to lurch at me, but Raffael held her down in the blink of an eye.

His fingers clamped over hers with startling speed, pinning her hands firmly against the surface of the table.

“Get a grip of yourself. Are you about to physically fight her? Not in my house, Clarissa,” he sternly warned her.

“But she was rude to you, and—” Clarissa protested, but Raffael cut her short.

“Exactly to me. Not you. I don’t see why you are fighting my battles. Act sophisticated,” he chided, letting go of her fingers.

I tried stifling back a laugh; she woefully failed at trying to act like some sort of heroic woman for him.

Clarissa, on the other hand, stiffened in her seat. Her jaw clenched in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief before quickly narrowing again.

Her face flushed with a mix of anger and surprise as she struggled to maintain her composure. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she crossed her arms tightly, as though restraining herself from lashing out, but the venom in her glare spoke louder than words ever could.

“Fuck, I need to get to work. You two have made me lose my appetite. I hope you both are happy,” Raffael groaned, using a napkin to wipe his hands before tossing it on the dining table.

Clarissa’s face tightened as Raffael stood abruptly, pushing his chair back. Her eyes flickered with a hint of frustration, her teeth gritting with anger.

She quickly regained her composure, though her fingers clenched tightly around her napkin.

“Leaving already? Why don’t you just come eat? Erica will apologize properly, Raffael. Don’t go to work on an empty stomach because of this foolish girl. Just come have a sip of the coffee my love please,” she implored him, her voice strained, attempting to sound casual.

When Raffael didn’t respond, merely grabbing his keys and turning away, Clarissa’s eyes darkened, and her jaw tightened, barely holding back the irritation that flashed across her face.

“You caused all this!” she yelled at me, her stare icy.

“Me? How?” I was shocked by her words.

Pushing back her chair, she stood up, facing me with an air of authority. “You made him lose his appetite for his meal! He didn’t even have a cup of coffee!” she scowled.

“That’s not my fault. You caused all this when you made me prepare another set of toast. Or have you forgotten how you ruined the first?” I retorted.

“How dare you talk back to me?” Clarissa took a step closer, but I stepped back two steps.

“What did Raffael say before leaving? He warned you to behave sophisticatedly and not fight me in his home. Remember that,” I goaded her further, enjoying her now provoked anger.

“You ingrate. You think you have won this time around, right? Well, don’t bask too much in your victory. I will deal with you mercilessly in this house,” she threatened before walking away.

I watched her leave, heaving a heavy breath.

This mansion is a nightmare.