3. Be My Girlfriend

Natalie gasped. A woman wearing the uniform of the head housemaid stood behind her, looking alert and probing. She was about 40 years old.

“I...” Natalie felt scared and confused. She glanced downstairs and then quickly shook her head. “Can you-“

“Of course!” The head maid interrupted loudly and gave her a sharp look. She grabbed Natalie’s hand and dragged her downstairs. “Sir, someone’s looking for you!”

Dante sat in a large, classic armchair made of velvet. Alex stood beside him, while in front of him, a subordinate was beating Tomas mercilessly. The man with the surname Vittorio looked like a king watching over them with a cold heart.

“Miss Smith, please help me!” shouted Tomas, whose body was already battered. Seeing Natalie was like seeing an angel to him. He tried to crawl towards her, but Brent’s subordinates immediately kicked him to the ground.

“Why are you doing this?” Natalie asked Dante cautiously. She was still a little taken aback by the head maid, who pulled her to face Dante. That middle-aged woman was really annoying.

“And why did you come looking for me?” Dante asked back. He took off his homburg hat, revealing his dark black hair. His face was finally fully exposed.

For a moment, Natalie was speechless. Don Vittorio looked foreign to her, but his good looks were no less than those of world-class models and celebrities. The man who was in his thirties had gray eyes that were as sharp as an eagle and sexy lips that were his best feature. Her ex-boyfriends were a far cry from this man.

“I think we need to talk,” Natalie said.

Dante narrowed his eyes. “Do you want to save this guy?”

Natalie snorted. Tomas had absolutely nothing to do with her. His safety was none of her business. She just wanted to find a topic, so Vittorio wouldn’t suspect she’d been caught eavesdropping on them.

“You can do whatever you want to him,” she said impassively.

“Miss Smith, you!” Tomas became even angrier. “Who is Lucas? You have to tell Mr. Vittorio!”

“I don’t know him,” Natalie replied, her face remaining flat.

“Impossible!” Tomas growled in disbelief. “He’s the one who brought you to the auction! You must know his identity!”

Natalie gave Tomas an unhappy look. She turned to Dante and found him cocking his head as he stared at her. He raised one corner of his eyebrow, waiting for her to say something.

“I just know his name is Lucas Alexander,” she said.

“Really?” Dante smiled. A dangerous smile. His right hand spun a black object that made Natalie’s body tense. It was a gun. “So, how did you meet him?”

“He tricked me.”

“Oh?”

Natalie gritted her teeth. The man didn’t believe her, and she had to think of the right answer. “Lucas picked me up from the slums. If I’d known he would sell me, I never would have gone with him.”

“Nonsense! You don’t look like you came from the slums.” Tomas didn’t believe her. “Tell the truth! Why do you have to lie? Could it be that you have some intentions?”

“Tomas, don’t forget that you are the one who let Lucas sell me at auction!” Natalie yelled. “You took a bribe from him!”

Tomas’s eyes immediately bulged. “Cavendish, you really...”

Click!

Whoosshh!

A bullet whizzed through the air past the side of Natalie’s face. Her eyes widened. Right after that, Tomas’ scream echoed throughout the room. Red blood splashed and dripped onto the floor.

Tomas bent over while clutching his bloodied arm. He almost fell, but Dante’s subordinates immediately pulled him to his feet. His face was already deathly pale, and he could only stare at Dante with trembling lips.

“I don’t need someone unfaithful. Take him away!” Dante ordered coldly. His subordinates immediately pulled Tomas away.

Natalie trembled on the spot after seeing what had happened. She hadn’t expected that Dante would actually dare to fire a bullet. The gun with the silencer helped him commit crimes freely. She was becoming more and more afraid.

Suddenly, Dante stood up from his chair. He smiled and walked slowly toward Natalie. Each step was like a grim reaper ready to take the life of his target. Unconsciously, she stepped back.

“What are you going to do?” asked Natalie warily.

The man smiled, looking more and more dangerous. He caught the wrist of Natalie’s hand and gripped it. “If you’re not lying, why should you be afraid?”

Natalie cursed silently. Who wouldn’t be afraid of a man who had shot and wounded someone right in front of their eyes?

“I’m not lying. I don’t know who Lucas is. And I don’t want to be here.” She emphasized every word.

Dante’s left hand caressed Natalie’s smooth cheek. He had deliberately shot Tomas in front of her to warn her. She had to know that he could be cruel, and he wouldn’t hesitate to torture anyone who dared to mess with him.

“I’ve bought you, so you should be here.” He lifted her chin, making her look at him. Unbidden, his lips pressed against hers, making her flinch momentarily.

“Go back to your room. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”

Natalie immediately stepped back. She hurried up the stairs and back to her room before Dante changed his mind. At least she knew what kind of person was buying her. She had to start thinking of an escape plan and strategy.

The night passed in a blur. Natalie fell asleep in bed without a blanket. The next morning, she was awakened by the head maid, the woman who had confronted her with Dante last night.

“Miss Smith, I’ve prepared some clothes for you. After your bath, I’ll take you to see Mr. Vittorio.”

“What’s your name?” Natalie asked.

“I’m Cora,” the head maid replied.

Natalie didn’t say anything else. She didn’t like Cora and had no intention of having a fake relationship with her. After showering and changing her clothes, she quickly left the room.

Cora led her to another room on the second floor. The black door was tightly closed. The middle-aged woman knocked a few times. “Sir, I have done my duty.”

“Let her in!”

“Please....” Cora invited Natalie in. Her demeanor was polite, but that still didn’t make Natalie like her.

Without saying anything, Natalie immediately opened the door to Dante’s room. The sight of a man lying on the bed in a long black shirt entered her vision. She looked at him expressionlessly. “Why did you call me?”

“Come closer.”

Natalie remained in place until Cora finally pushed her way in. After that, the door to the room was closed loudly from outside. She cursed silently, ‘Damn Cora!’

Dante smirked coldly. He nonchalantly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and got out of bed. “Last night’s situation was a little unpleasant, but now is as good a time as any.”

“What do you want?” asked Natalie without preamble.

“Cavendish Smith, why are you still pretending? It’s just me and you here,” Dante said as he stepped closer. “Do you want to find out about my business and thwart it? Or maybe you want to harm and kill me?”

Natalie immediately frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

A mocking smile appeared on Dante’s lips. “I hate liars and cheats.”

“If you suspected me like that, why didn’t you let me go?” Natalie asked with her head raised.

“Even if you want to kill me, I still won’t let you go.” Dante smiled coldly. His hand touched Natalie’s nape and stroked it. “One cannot come and go freely from my side,” he whispered.

Natalie’s hair stood on end. She couldn’t say anything. The man in front of her was full of menace. His sharp, dangerous aura would make anyone near him feel small and insecure.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

The man looked at her expressionlessly. “Regardless of who your true identity is and how you came to appear at the auction, I need a woman like you for a few things.”

“What’s that?” Natalie did not understand.

“Be my girlfriend.”

“Impossible!” She refused outright. Suddenly, the man pushed her shoulder so hard that her back hit the door. It was painful. She looked at him angrily. “What are-“

Before Natalie could finish her rant, the man kissed her roughly on the lips. His left hand gripped her right hand firmly. The look in his eyes became cold and sharp.

“Not only are you going to be my girlfriend, you’re also going to pretend to be my fiancée.”

“You're dreaming. I’m not willing to act and pretend for you!” growled Natalie, holding back anger. She tried to release the man's grip, but he only tightened it further. “Let go of my hand!”

“Obey me, or I will make you taste another dark prison.”