MY SECRET LOVER

CHAPTER SIX

MOVING INTO HIS HOUSE

SOPHIA'S POV

I couldn't sleep throughout the night. I tossed and turned on my bed, a restless energy coursing through my body.

How can this be happening?

How can fate be so cruel?

I have known Lucien Thorne ever since I was a child. He was my playmate and my best friend.

I was always with him. My mum died after giving birth to me, but Dad refused to remarry. He made me the centre of his world.

He wasn't always around then, it was always just me and uncle Lucien, as I liked to call him then.

As the years went by and I grew up, evidently stepping into the threshold of womanhood, something changed. Something significant.

I stopped seeing Lucien as my uncle. I began to notice how handsome he was, how beautiful his grey eyes were.

Whenever he wore just singlets around I always noticed how defined his muscles were.

With time weird things began to happen to me whenever he was with me. My heartbeat always increased, as if I was running. My face always flushed, making me turn a very vibrant shade of red.

I wasn't sure if he noticed these changes within me then. I still tried to behave myself around him, until everything changed and he left.

Thinking about what happened that day still made my heart squeeze. I saw a different look in his eyes that day.

What would have happened if my nerves didn't push me to stop him?

I sighed and buried my face on my pillow.

He left for so many years. Seven good years and now he is back into my life in a very twisted turn of events.

He has done quite well for himself. I've been secretly following him on social media, but it was a useless effort because he was never active there.

The only way I ever got to know anything happening in his life was through the news.

He built the formidable Thorne enterprises within those years. He rose quickly to become the most eligible bachelor in all of Calcutta.

He became a chronic womanizer after attaining so much wealth in such little time.

Paparazzi always caught him with a different woman every week.

He never got married though. I felt a twisted kind of satisfaction knowing that he never decided to tie the knot with someone.

These thoughts racing through my head weren't helping my situation in any way.

I have a huge crush on Lucien Thorne and living in his house was a recipe to an epic disaster.

Dad won't be happy to hear that I am having a thing for his best friend. He won't support it. I know him enough to know this.

I sighed and draped my blanket over my face.

It wasn't long before someone knocked on my door. It was Mistress Wood by the sound of her knock.

“Good morning, Miss, rise and shine,” she said in the most mechanical manner.

“It is morning already?” I asked, still feeling a bit groggy and tired which was as a result of my sleepless night.

Mistress Wood squinted at me still lying on my bed.

“Looks like you weren't able to get enough sleep last night, child?” She asked, a dose of concern lacing through her words.

If I didn't know any better I would say that Mistress Wood was feeling quite emotional today, but Mistress Wood doesn't feel anything; just order and precision.

“I don't know why Dad wants to spring something like that on me without discussing it with me,” I exclaimed softly.

“There’s no point in questioning him now. I am done packing all your suitcases. Stand up and freshen up before your dad leaves.”

“As if. I could just refuse to be going anywhere with him,” I said softly, realising that this is actually happening.

Mistress Wood ignored my childish comment and went about clearing and cleaning up my room.

After taking my bath, I began to dress up.

I decided to wear jeans trousers and a black polo over it.

I went to the sitting room where my dad was seated waiting for me.

“I'm ready, Dad,” I said, trying my best to sound cheerful.

I got the sense that tge work that was taking him out of the country was a very dangerous one, so I didn't want him to think for a second that I wasn't happy with the arrangements that he made.

“Alright, let's go.”

We got into his car, and he took out his phone, typing away on it.

“You don't have to be scared, my darling. Lucien will take absolute care of you,” he said, and raised his head momentarily to look at me.

I scoffed at him,

“I'm not scared, Dad,” I said calmly, placing my hand on his for a while.

We didn't say anything after that until we got to Lucien's house.

To call it a house was never going to do the structure before my eyes justice.

It was so huge, so beautiful.

I thought Dad had taste. This was classy, elegant and sophisticated in a way that didn't even try to really show it.

It was a sprawling mansion.

“Wow!” I said quietly.

“I know, darling, Lucien has always had very good taste in these things. Anyways, let's go inside.”

We both walked inside, Dad's bodyguards trailing behind us and spreading out at strategic points as we went further into the mansion. We walked into the sitting room. It was a really beautiful sitting room with very little decorations.

Before we could seat down, Lucien came out, dressed impeccably in a sky blue suit.

It made his grey eyes quite difficult to ignore.

I was more prepared this time and I handled myself better than yesterday.

“Romano, you are quite early,” he said in that rich baritone voice of his.

“I have to leave for the airport very soon. I promised my daughter that I would bring her here myself,” Dad replied with a wide smile on his face while settling down on one of the sofas.

I looked at Lucien, not sure if sitting down when he didn't invite us to was okay.

He didn't even so much as glance my way, he kept his gaze firmly on my Dad as if he couldn't bother himself to look my way.

I shrugged inwardly, if Dad could sit then so could I.

I carefully sat down beside him and crossed my left leg over my right leg.

“What time is your flight?” Lucien asked Dad as he walked towards a corner almost out of the sitting room and pressed a button that wasn't so obvious on the wall.

A shelf filled with so many drinks; wines, gin, vodka, rum, all looking so expensive came sliding out of the wall compartment.

He took out a bottle from the top shelf, brought out two glass cups and pushed the button again, sending the shelf back into the wall.

He handed Dad one of the glass cups and kept one for himself, after which he opened the drink and poured out a very tiny quantity for both of them.

Dad chuckled and thanked him, he swirled the drink in his cup looking at it intently.

“You know I've stopped drinking Lucien, I would have actually preferred a coffee, and my flight is in the next hour,” Dad said after a while.

“I know you would, but I am currently out of coffee. My maid comes in during the weekend to restock,” Lucien said, sounding somewhat apologetic?

Dad smiled and glanced at him, he then took a very tiny sip of the drink and closed his eyes.

“I've missed the taste of these.”

He sighed and looked at Lucien,

“Lucien, you are the only one I can trust to absolutely keep my daughter safe. I'll be out of town for a year if not more but I hope to finish up business there as soon as possible,” Dad said, sounding quite grave.

“You know I will, Romano,” Lucien said looking at my father with so much reassurance in his face.

With the way he ignored me earlier I don't think so, but looking at the heated eye contact they were exchanging, it made me realize that they were having an unspoken conversation and I think Dad saw exactly what he wanted to see in Lucien's eyes that reassured him.

He broke eye contact and looked at me, he placed the glass cup on the sofa, and gently took my hand in his.

“Sophia, my angel, make yourself at home here. Lucien will take absolute care of you, and before you know it papa will be back.”

My Dad rarely showed this much emotion and this just proves how unhappy he is to leave me.

I smile sweetly at him and place my other hand over his,

“Dad, you don't need to worry so much, you just focus on business. A year isn't so much time you know, you'll be back before you know it.”

Dad smiled back at me and gave my hand a gentle but firm squeeze, cleared his throat and stood up.

“I have to leave now so I don't miss my flight,” He said while standing up at the same time.

He gave me one final look, shook Lucien's hand and walked out the door.

I walked after him, watched him enter his car. I waved at his car as his driver and his guards drove off.

I stood there for a while watching my bags which the guards dropped off at the entrance of Lucien's door and suddenly I felt alone.

“Come inside, the butler will be out shortly to bring your bags inside. You are free to roam around the house except for my study and my room.”

I turned to see him walk out of the sitting after delivering his command.