Chapter 7 Desires

• “Thank you for coming here, Javier,” Beatrice said as she took her bag from Javier. When her father woke up and her room was taken out from her, she asked Javier to come and get her clothes. Her father was still weak, so they still needed to stay in the hospital.
• Javier sighed. He could see the tiredness on Beatrice's face. “You should go home instead of staying here. Your father will be taken care of for sure.”
• “I can’t leave him.”
• “Then where will you sleep here? Your father still needs to stay in the ICU.”
• Beatrice looked around her. They are in the hospital’s waiting area. “I can. Here.”
• “You shouldn’t!”
• “Why? This is okay. Look.” Beatrice patted the chair. “It might be hard because it is made of steel, but that will be okay. I have my bag.”
• “Beatrice. You shouldn’t let them be hard on you. You might not be saying anything to me now. For sure, your mother said bad things to you again.”
• Beatrice looked away. Her friend knew him well and she couldn’t hide her true feelings for him. Why not? Javier had seen every unfair treatment that Veronica did to her. Javier had become his savior every time she was hurt. That was why he was often scolded by Veronica too.
• “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” She forced a smile. “You should go now. It will be dark soon.”
• “I don’t want to leave you here like this.”
• “I told you I’m–”
• “Miss Lichter. What is the meaning of this?”
• Beatrice looked in front when she heard a familiar voice. Her eyes widened when she saw Mateo looking at her with a frown on his face. Suddenly, she felt her heartbeat beating fast like she was running. She didn’t do anything but she felt like she had wronged Mateo again because of the way he looked at them. Especially when he looked hard at Javier as if he was going to eat him. Beatrice immediately stood up and faced Mateo.
• “M-Mister Bruce! What are you doing here?”
• “I am asking you. Why are you asking me back?”
• Javier stood up. “Who is this, Beatrice?”
• Mateo’s one eyebrow arched and looked at Javier. “I should be the one asking that.”
• Beatrice didn’t know what to do. Javier and Mateo were now glaring at each other. She was confused because Mateo was acting as if it was wrong she was talking with Javier. Beatrice gathered up her courage and held Mateo’s hands.
• “You can leave now, Javier. Please take care.”
• “What? Wait, Beatrice!” Javier called Beatrice. But she was already pulling the man who was still glaring at him. ‘Who was he?’
• Beatrice felt like her chest would burst. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. What did Mateo even think?
• Mateo, too, was still mad because of what he had seen. He didn’t know why his blood boiled when he saw Beatrice talking with a man. If she didn’t stop them, he probably killed that man on the spot.
• “Stop.”
• Beatrice continued walking. They were already in the hallway of the hospital. She doesn’t know where she will bring Mateo, but she needs to ensure that Javier will be safe from him.
• “Miss Lichter!”
• Mateo stopped walking. Because Beatrice was walking fast. The sudden stopping of Mateo made her almost fall on the floor. But Mateo attentively grabbed her by her waist. Beatrice gasped loudly as she felt the hard body of Mateo on her back. Her face went red when she remembered the night they met each other. She immediately removed Mateo’s hand from her and looked at him. He was not glaring anymore, which made her relaxed.
• “T-Thank you.”
• Mateo fixed his suit. “Who was that? You’re still not answering me.”
• Beatrice frowned and looked around. They were in the hallway near the hospital rooms. She could see the nurse at the station. Some of them were looking at their position. Not on her, but on Mateo.
• “It was Javier. My best friend,” she answered in a low tone.
• “Really? He doesn’t look at you like you are his friend.”
• Beatrice rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you are interrogating me, Mister Bruce. But Javier is only my best friend. Okay?” Mateo did not answer and only looked at her. She felt weird when his eyes fell on her lips. “W-What are you doing here?”
• “I owned this.”
• “Really?”
• “Yes. It’s my last name. Don’t you know?”
• Beatrice's mouth opened. ‘That’s why Amadeus sent me to the top floor. I thought he was just filthy rich.’
• “Actually, I was here to check up on your father. I heard he had already woken up.”
• “Yes. Thank you for your help.”
• “ Looks like you are forgetting something, Miss Lichter.”
• Beatrice sighed. “I know. Can we wait until my father recovers? He’s still weak.”
• “Of course. Now, can we go to my future father-in-law?”
• Beatrice looked at Mateo in amusement. He was already calling her father a father-in-law. If they were a normal couple, she would be delighted. But she felt like Mateo was up to something. She gasped when she remembered that her father didn't know about it.
• “Wait! We can’t go there yet!”
• “Why?”
• “H-He still doesn’t know about it.”
• Mateo simpered. Just like what he thought, Beatrice hadn’t told her father. That was why he came here.
• “Where are you going?” Beatrice panicked when she saw Mateo walking away from her. She followed him reluctantly. She was praying that Mateo was not going to his father. She still didn't want to let him know until they went home. But when they entered the elevator, she was shocked when Mateo pushed the button on the eighth floor where the ICU was located. “M-Mister Bruce, please. Don’t do this.”
• “I can’t wait that long, Miss Lichter.”
• “But why? I am not running away! I will do it! I will marry you!”
• Mateo’s ear rang when he heard Beatrice. He felt like he was begging Beatrice to marry him. He smirked and shook his head. He slowly looked at Beatrice with a grimace on his face. His pride couldn’t take what he had just said.
• Beatrice was intimidated by the way Mateo looked at her. She noticed that he was advancing toward her and that was why she stepped back. She did it until she felt the cold wall of the elevator. Her breath stopped as she felt Mateo’s hands on her sides.
• “Beatrice…” Mateo whispered.
• Beatrice felt like all her hair stood up. She gulped and looked at Mateo’s side. She couldn’t look into his eyes because it made her knees weak. She put her hands on her chest, thinking it would help her to have courage. She closed her eyes when she felt Mateo’s face nearing hers. Then she felt his breathing on her neck, which gave her more shivers. She felt her body turning up like she was having a fever.
• “M-Mister Bruce.”
• Mateo blew on Beatrice's neck. He smirked when he saw her tiny hair stand up. “You smell so good, Miss Lichter,” he said. Then he gave her a kiss on her neck. When she didn’t move, he did it again. This time, Beatrice reacted and tried pushing him but he didn’t move.
• “P-Please…” Beatrice trembled. It terrified her to think what Mateo could do to her in that place. Right there in the elevator. This place was owned by Mateo. He could kill anyone if he wanted. Or molest her.
• “Remember this, Beatrice. You needed me as much as I wanted you.” Mateo smelled Beatrice for the last time. He never thought that he would like the lavender scent. Then he slowly stood up straight. Beatrice was hugging herself while trembling. He grinned. Seeing Beatrice like this made him feel excited. “You wanted this marriage too. And you will want me too.”
• Beatrice looked at Mateo confused. His eyes were burning with desires that just added more terror to her. Also, she couldn’t understand what he meant in his last line. But the door of the elevator had already opened. So she went out of it rushing.