Chapter 20


    Chapter Twenty


    Sephie


    We continued walking around the maze of rooms. The staff quarters were off the kitchen. More


    bedrooms for guests next to the staff rooms. There was a library on the other side of the kitchen, which


    I was excited about exploring. Another grand room held a few couches and oversize chairs. There were


    French doors leading outside to the pool and the gardens that I could see from my balcony. We walked


    outside, as Adrik said he wanted to show me the gardens up close. As soon as we walked by the pool,


    we were hit with the loveliest floral aroma from the gardens. It was even stronger than what I could


    smell from above. It was like walking through Heaven. I inhaled deeply.


    “You like?” Adrik asked as we walked through the small maze of familiar flowers and flowers I had


    never seen before.


    “I love. It smells amazing. I want to bottle it and wear it all the time,” Iughed.


    “This is one of my favorite ces on the property. Ie here often when I can’t sleep,” Adrik said.


    “What are your other favorite ces?” I asked.


    “In good time. We don’t have time right now. We must feed you before your stomach wakes up the


    neighborhood,” he said poking me in the stomach.


    I blushed, “yeah, sorry. My stomach has a mind of its own. Clearly.”


    He let out a smallugh. “I’m notining. You’re not the only one who hasn’t eaten today. My


    stomach is grateful


    yours sounded the rm.” I smiled up at him, loving how rxed and at ease he seemed anytime he


    was near me. I’d


    seen the tension and the murderous aura he gave off when he was taking care of his business, but I


    knew I’d only seen a peek of what he was capable of. I’d seen the other bosses in the city enough to


    know how dangerous they were. If


    Adrik was above them all, that meant he was even more dangerous.


    “Excuse me, sir? Your dinner is ready,” Tori said from the back patio, by the pool.


    “Thank you, Tori. We’ll be right there,” he said. He watched as she turned to leave and pulled me in


    close. He kissed me sweetly, his arms wrapping around me the way I had already grown to love. I


    returned the kiss, but then stepped out of his grasp.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “Race you!” I said, not even giving him time to register what I said before I took off running to the


    house.


    “Oh, hell no,” I heard him say as I heard his footsteps behind me. I giggled as I ran around the pool,


    trying to stay ahead of him to get to the door first. I barely made it to the door ahead of him and raced


    inside. I weaved in and out of the couches and chairs, while he chose to simply jump over them. I


    laughed at him, as he caught up to me and passed me. He turned just before we made it to the kitchen


    and caught me, sweeping me off my feet. I squealed as he lifted me into the air, spinning me around


    once.


    “Got you,” he whispered, slightly out of breath.


    “No fair jumping the couches,” I said,ughing, trying to catch my breath.


    “Oh, now you make rules? After you lost?” he asked, still holding me like I weighed nothing. I wrapped


    my arms


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    Chapter Twenty


    around his neck as he carried me the rest of the way into the kitchen. Tori had set two tes of food on


    the bar of therge ind in the middle of the kitchen. She was washing a pan and looked up as we


    entered the kitchen. Again, I caught her eyes go wide and this time she dropped the pan she was


    washing, making a loud bang. She immediately dropped her gaze and kept washing.


    We sat down just as she finished up. “That’ll be all, Tori. We’ll clean up. Thank you,” Adrik said.


    She simply nodded, as she was drying her hands on her apron. She kept her gaze down and left the


    kitchen.


    “Why was she so surprised when we came into the kitchen?” I asked, cutting into my steak. It cut like


    butter. I was going to enjoy this. My stomach was already grumbling in anticipation.


    Adrik looked at me, confused. “What do you mean, solnishko?


    I finished the bite of steak I had just taken – God, it was better than I thought and said, “she was


    surprised when you asked me what I wanted to cat and again when you carried me into the kitchen.”


    He chuckled, as he cut another bite of steak. “They’re not used to seeing me with a woman, solnishko.


    I don’t bring women here. Some of the staff even think I’m gay because they’ve never seen a woman


    here with me.”


    “Why not?”


    He rested his hands, fork and knife still in hand, on either side of his te, seemingly lost in thought for


    a moment. “Because I’ve never found anyone worthy ofing here, until now.” He turned and looked


    deeply in my eyes, as I was so stunned that I had quit chewing. Ms. Jackson’s words,ing back to


    mind. “Do you know that man is in love with


    you?”


    I just stared at him for a moment, as he took another bite of steak. “Are you just going to save that bite


    forter or are


    you going to eat it?” That smirk that I loved back on his face. I started chewing again, somewhat


    snapped back to reality. My mind was still racing.


    “How could they think you’re gay? Don’t you have hundreds of women throwing themselves at you?” I


    asked, trying the mashed potatoes that Tori had made for us. Sweet Jesus this woman was now my


    favorite person because of her culinary skills.


    “They try, yes. When I was younger, I dated a few of them. I slept with more of them, but there was no


    depth there. No feeling. They were all more interested in the empire than they were me.”


    I sighed. I took a drink of water, looking toward the staff quarters. “How sad.”


    “Hmm? What’s sad?”


    “It must be difficult to be in your position. You don’t know who you can trust and who you can’t. That’s


    sad. Everyone needs people they can trust.”


    He nodded in agreement, lost in thought for a moment. “I have my men,” he said. “I trust them


    completely. They’re actually good judges of character. In the past, they’ve saved me from women who


    were just after money and power. The women showed a different side to them than they did to me.” He


    took a drink of water, adding, “that’s how I knew you were special. Every single one of my guys loves


    you like a little sister. I’ve never seen them act the way they do when they’re around you.”


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    Chapter Twenty


    Iughed, “even Ivan? Because I’m still convinced he would like to murder me in my sleep.”


    He set his fork and knife down beside his te and turned in his seat toward me. He grabbed my chair


    and turned it so 1 had no choice but to look at him. “Especially Ivan, solnishko. Do you know how many


    years he’s worked for me?”


    I shook my head.


    “Ten years. He’s worked for me for ten years and today was the first time I’ve seen that manugh. I


    might’ve seen him smile once or twice, maybe. But never, ever, have I seen himugh. He’s the most


    serious man I’ve ever known. Until he’s around you. You cracked his imprable defenses.”


    “I just asked him to teach me how to drive like he does.”


    Adrik shook his head, chuckling. “You still don’t see it.”


    “Don’t see what?”


    “How special you are.”


    I scoffed. “Now you sound like Ms. Jackson.”


    “If she said you’re special, then she’s a very smart woman,” Adrik said, standing up and taking my


    completely empty te to the sink. My stomach was so full and happy now. I leaned back in my chair


    and patted my full belly, my mind still racing. As Adrik turned on the water, I realized I was being no


    help and jumped up to help with the dishes.


    “I can wash those,” I said, standing next to him.


    “Net. I’ll do it.”


    I grabbed a towel and hopped up on the counter beside the sink. “Ok, you wash, I’ll dry.”


    He smiled as he handed me a clean te.


    “Teamwork makes the dream work,” I said, drying the te.