Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
But now I was just relieved and suddenly hungry.
“This is where the magic happens,” Giulia said, gesturing around the kitchen. “Paolo and Thomas are making lunch.”
The two men nodded respectfully in our direction before returning to their work, but my attention was drawn to the single platter at the center of the kitchen island. A dozen perfectly frosted cupcakes were arranged in a circle, each topped with delicate piped roses in various pastel shades.
“Those cupcakes look good.” Holy shit, I wasn’t drooling, was I?
Giulia’s face instantly lit up, like a giddy child. “I baked them myself this morning! I love making cupcakes and they seem to be everyone’s favorite.” She moved toward the platter, picking up a cupcake with pale pink frosting. “Do you want to try one?”
I blinked in surprise. “You bake?”
“Don’t be so shocked. Baking is my hobby.”
She seemed to be trying to tell me that she was more than just a pretty face daughter of the Salvatore family.
I liked that Giulia was sassy, that she had a hobby, that she was talkative…
She was more.
She was beautiful and vibrant. Colorful in ways I didn’t expect.
Despite her family controlling her life, just like mine did, she still found her own identity.
“I’d love to try one,” I said, accepting the cupcake she offered.
The frosting was smooth and buttery against my fingers as I peeled back the wrapper. I took a small, careful bite, the sweet vanilla flavor spreading across my tongue. Wow.
“This is delicious,” I began to say but the words died in my throat.
Heavy, uneven footsteps approached from the hallway behind us, followed by the distinctive tap of a cane against the marble floor. “Paolo, I’m hungry,” a deep, gruff, male voice said.
I turned, my mouth still full, and froze. My heart thudded in my chest.
A tall figure entered the kitchen, his gait halting and uneven as he leaned heavily on an ornate black cane with each step. He wore an expensive suit that hung slightly loose on his frame, but it wasn’t his limping that made my breath catch in my throat.
His face was entirely concealed behind a grey mask, not the decorative kind from the masquerade, but a rigid, full-face covering that reminded me of something from a horror film. A smooth, expressionless surface with only narrow slits for eyes.
The man stopped abruptly when he saw me, his body going rigid. Behind the mask, I could feel his eyes boring into me, intense and unsettling. Furious. A low, animalistic growl emanated from behind the expressionless facade, sending a chill down my spine.
I took an instinctive step back.
Oh my God…
Without a word, he pivoted on his good leg and stalked out, his cane striking the floor with sharp, angry taps as he disappeared down the hallway.
“W-who—” I stammered, blinking at his departing figure.
“Gabriel!” Giulia called out after the man. “Oh no!”
Gabriel… the name sounded familiar.
Shit, I remembered now.
Giulia’s twin brother!
Damon had given me a quick overview of the Salvatore members. I was told Gabriel was a recluse. He had been in a car accident two years ago that left him severely disfigured and with a heavy limp.
“I’m sorry.” Giulia apologized hastily. She looked a little… heartbroken. “That was Gabriel. Uh, I forgot to tell him you’d be coming and he doesn’t really like company.” She took a step away, smiling tightly. “I need to go see him. I’ll be right back.”
She started to walk away but then paused at the kitchen’s doorway. “Actually, if you want to explore a bit while I’m gone, that door over there leads to the back garden.” She gestured toward the heavy wooden door at the far end of the kitchen. “There’s a stable just beyond the rose garden. Matteo actually bought a horse, a mare, for you. As a gift. Beautiful creature she is. He told me to show you but if you want to see her right now, the stableman, Mason, can help you get acquainted with her.”
Her words struck me with surprise. A horse? For me?
I didn’t even know how to ride a horse. Why would Matteo give me a horse?
“I’ll find you after I’ve spoken with Gabriel.”
Before I could respond, she was gone, hurrying after her twin brother. Leaving me alone in the kitchen with the two chefs who cleverly pretended not to have witnessed the awkward scene.
I stood there for a moment, still holding the half-eaten cupcake, uncertain what to do. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, too stifling. I could feel the eyes of the chef boring into my back, waiting for me to leave.
But I wasn’t sure where to go or how to act. It wasn’t like I had complete and unrestricted access to the mansion. I wasn’t a Salvatore yet, so I was still just a guest.
The longer I stayed standing in the middle of the kitchen, the more awkward it became, and the more suffocated I felt.