Introvert 102
The air inside my room was thick with the scent of aged wine, roasted rosemary, and the cloying notes of the head chef’s cologne. I sat perched on the edge of the velvet chair, legs crossed, silk robe barely tied at the waist. My fingers toyed with the rim of the glass, eyes fixed on the swirling liquid, but my mind was elsewhere–with them. Lucy and Kaiden. Even just thinking their names made my stomach twist in disgust. “Are you really going to keep pouting the whole day?” Chef Marco’s voice slithered through the heavy silence, amusement curling at the edge of his tone as he approached from behind, his hands gently settling on my shoulders with an all–too- familiar ease. I shrugged him off sharply, my skin crawling beneath his touch. “I’m not in the mood, Marco,” I muttered coldly, my gaze locked on the untouched wine. (+45) “Oh?” He circled around me like a lion toying with its prey, the silk of his shirt open halfway, revealing the smug confidence of a man who believed he was always in control. “The great Selena Sterwalt… not in the mood? That’s new.” I snapped my eyes up at him, my jaw tight. “Don’t push me.” He raised his hands in mock surrender, stepping back with an exaggerated sigh. “Alright, alright.” I exhaled sharply, frustration brimming under my skin like a storm threatening to spill. With one swift motion, I tilted my glass back and emptied it in a single burning gulp, the wine tracing a warm, bitter path down my throat. The empty glass made a sharp clink as I set it down on the glass table with deliberate force. “It’s them,” I finally said through clenched teeth, standing up abruptly, the hem of my robe brushing against my thighs. “Lucy and Kaiden. Those fucking idiots.” His smirk widened as he leaned against the edge of the fireplace, the glow of the flames dancing in his eyes. “Still obsessing over your step–kid hooking up with your real one?” I glared at him, the weight of his words hitting harder than I expected. He chuckled, grabbing the decanter and pouring himself another glass, the liquid glugging like slow poison. “So what if they’re screwing behind your back? Let the kids have their fun. You know teenage love–they fuck and forget within five weeks.” “She chose him,” I hissed, pacing restlessly across the room, my hands gripping my elbows. “After everything I’ve done for her. That ungrateful little brat. I gave her a new life. A home. A chance to shine–and this is how she repays me?” He took a sip, letting the flavor linger on his tongue before speaking. “She’s a teenager, Selena. They rebel. Just punish them, teach them a lesson, and move on.” “She humiliated me,” I spat, voice shaking with suppressed rage. “Last night. She fucked him knowing that I was right behind the door. She has no respect for me. This morning too, they were making noises like deranged people. God, I hate them both so much that I wanna destroy them.” He raised a brow, amused, swirling the wine in his glass. “I am shocked that you have tolerated so much. If my kid had done 1/3 The air inside my room was thick with the scent of aged wine, roasted rosemary, and the cloying notes of the head chef’s cologne. I sat perched on the edge of the velvet chair, legs crossed, silk robe barely tied at the waist. My fingers toyed with…