Happy Birthday @sandyblush! This chapter is dedicated to you!! May you have blast! 🎉🎈

Raffy's POV

As soon as I got into my office, I quickly took the decanter that was just sitting on top of the fireplace, unplugged, then poured some into the glass sitting next to it, and downed the Whiskey at once.

The bitterness of the liquor erupted in the back of my tongue, accompanied by a burning sensation, but it is nothing compared to what I felt right now.

Unconsciously gripping the glass tightly, I stared blankly at the wall, her words replaying in my head like a mantra.

"You're hopeless, Raffy!"

"FUCK!" I growled angrily, and fumingly grabbed the decanter, poured another into the glass, and downed it at once.

One swigged after another until I felt my head getting heavy, but it was nothing compared to the heaviness in my chest. It felt like a huge boulder is on top of it, causing me to feel suffocated, it's hard to breathe, and her words kept replaying in my head, taunting me to no end.

The words felt like sharp arrows. Arrows after arrows pierced my heart, leaving an unbearable gnawing pain.

Argh!! I screamed in my head as I poured another into my glass, emptying the decanter, then downed it all. My fingers curled around the glass tightly as I stared at the wall in rage, tightly clenched jaws, and eyes that's spitting fire. My blood boiled in rage, my body starting to shake in overwhelming anger, and involuntarily, the empty glass went flying, smashed against the wall, and the sound of the broken glass against the wall pierced my ears, the million shards splattered over the floor were like my heart at the moment.

I walked towards my chair, then slumped down, I let out a chuckle like a lunatic, lost its sanity.

"You're a fool, Raffy," I mumbled to myself, leaning my head and back against the backrest of the high back chair, then squeeze my eyes shut, trying to wipe out her angry image out of my head.

I felt a stray tear rolled down my cheek, and I let out a bitter chuckle.

A stray tear?

Is that considered crying?

A loud rap on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I lazily opened one eye, head slowly craning towards the door, and waited for the unwanted visitor. I opened both eyes when Grandpa walked in, donning a bright smile, but suddenly disappeared when he saw my appearance.

I subtly ran my palm across my cheek, wiping the mark of the stray tear away, then lazily sat upright, but my head was too heavy, so I had to lean back, and watched him sauntered across the room. He stopped in the middle of the room, eyes lingered to me, and I squirmed inwardly.

His eyes trained on me in an intent perusal, his eyebrows pressed tightly together, but he didn't say a word. He slowly averted his gaze, scanned the room, his eyes lingered onto the empty decanter, and then he saw the shards of the broken glass.

Slowly he shifted his eyes to me and spoke casually. "You're drunk!" he stated calmly, disapproval underlying his tone.

"I had a little bit, I'm not drunk," I responded glibly, then forced myself to sit upright, trying to convince him just that, but he wasn't the man to fool.

He raised his eyebrow, and then sat on one of the armchairs that were close to the bookshelves.

"Tell me what happened?" he probed as soon as he sat, crossing his leg over the other casually, then clasped his hands, and rested it on top of his thigh, with his back leaning against the backrest of the leather armchair.

"Nothing, grandpa!" I lied, refused to give in, but he only stared at me, unconvinced, his eyes silently perusing me, making me feel guilty, so I looked away.

"A man doesn't indulge himself too much in the company of booze," my eyes averted back to him, he looked appalled, "for no apparent reason!" he spared me a no-nonsense look, and I let out a sighed.

I always forget how annoying he can be, but he wouldn't be Nikolai Dmitri Markovich, one of the powerful dukes at his time if not of his tenacity, his controlling nature.

I leaned back in the chair, my legs stretched out, I stared at the artistically painted ceiling, mindlessly. A vision of Natalia appears, glaring down at me.

"She hates me!" I chuckled bitterly.

"And I'm sure there's a reason for that?" he responded briefly. He sounded so relax, not quite perturbed of my misery, to my dismay.

Why would he? It's all my fault.

I swallowed hard to clear my throat, Natalia's indifference to me really puts me in a sour mood, wounded my heart, and even sucked all the energy in me.

She's like my battery, without her, I can't function well, or my electricity,  when she's next to me, I felt charged up.

I spoke softly. "I was jealous, I wasn't thinking properly." I shook my head, wanting to punch myself for acting impulsively. Grandpa was still quiet, just listening. "I took Natalia's phone away while she was talking to that guy, Morrison," I swallowed again, a fusion of anger and jealousy surged through my veins. I felt my throat run dry, as I recalled my stupidity, for letting my anger, my jealousy controlled the whole thing, ruining the supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, "and dropped the phone, the screen smashed against the pavement, it shattered." I continued, shaking my head feeling stupid and let out another chuckle, filled with bitterness. "She called me hopeless, she's very mad," I explained, with my eyes still trained at the ceiling.

I waited for him to say something, but he was just quiet. I sat upright, ignoring the heaviness of my head, fighting the burning moisture blurring my vision, and stared at him. He was just staring at me, no sympathy or any emotions that would at least makes me feel that I'm not alone in this, or makes me feel a little better.

"What should I do? I felt like she's slipping away very soon, and it scares me. I don't know what to do now!" I clenched my jaws as I rambled like a fool. I felt hollow, pain settled in my heart agonizingly, it's gnawing, and slowly killing me inside.

Finally, he spoke. "You know, women are very sensitive. Sometimes, we need to tell them that we care for them, an action is not enough. Same way with words, we need to show them. Actions and words always go hand in hand. What you are doing, Raffy is the opposite way. You are chasing her away," grandpa was so careful as he spoke softly.

"I tried. I thought she'll appreciate it if I'll bring her to anywhere she wants to go, accompany her—"

"And then meddled with her private conversation?" grandpa interrupted, and I stared at him, nodding slowly.

"You are not trying, son. You are forcing yourself."

I contemplated his words, but no matter how hard I tried to assimilate it, I can't understand it fully. I shook my head in frustrations, then slumped back on my chair.

"Think of pleasing her, not upsetting her!" he admonished with his low tone.

I sat upright, then stared at him, watching him rise to his feet, then gave me a sympathetic look, my head processing his words. It was sharp and clear. "Clean up, and go to bed. You look terrible!" grandpa shook his head, then headed towards the door.

As soon as he left, I called Osvaldo.

"Your grace," he responded as soon as the call connected.

"I need a new phone. The latest iPhone preferably, get it set up then send it to my room, ASAP!" then I hung up the phone.

"Think of pleasing her, not upsetting her!" grandpa's words echoed in my head. It renewed my hope, and I felt like the boulder in my chest lifted up.

I rose from my seat with a ghost of a smile broke out on my lips, and suddenly a wave of dizziness hits me. I stood still and tried to shake it off the dizziness, my head felt so heavy, but that doesn't stop me from making a step.

I slowly move, staggering towards the door, but finally, I managed to get to my room and dropped my body onto my soft mattress, with a new hope for tomorrow.

.....

Natalia's POV

I was so upset, and I'm not sure if with myself or with Raffy. I wanted to scream. Scream at the top of my lungs until the pain subsided, until I felt nothing, but numb.

I guess I acted too dramatically. I should have ignored William's call, and just call him back later, straight things out with him, and give Raffy a chance.

I decided to take a shower, and just go to bed. I don't feel like eating dinner, and I can't face the duke in my state. I'm not even sure if I'd like to see Raffy, just yet.

After a while, I'm already in my pink pajamas, a silk tank top with matching short. I crawled in my bed, then thought of calling Elle since it's just five in the afternoon, too early to call it a night, but then I thought, maybe she's busy with Nixon.

So, I decided to call Angelik instead. Besides, she's very helpful when it comes to men. She knows exactly what to do with them.

"Hey," I started as soon as the call connected.

"Oh hi, Iya!" came her enthusiastic reply. "What's up?" she asked.

"I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time," releasing a sighed, and she chuckled.

"If you called it a bad time? I'm on top of Max,"

"OH MY!" my eyes widened, different erotic scenarios flashes in my head.

I heard her burst into a loud laughter. "Silly! Don't let your mind wander down the wrong path," she giggled loudly. "I'm trying to help him with the zit that popped out in his shoulder blade, so yeah, I'm straddling his back, squeezing the hell out of his zit. Shameful zit!" she exclaimed, giggling. "Stop moving!" she hissed in the background, and I giggled softly. "Are you okay?" she ask after.

"Yeah, yeah ..." I responded as I rolled on my side.

"So how's the job?" she asked, I could hear Max uttering incoherent words in the background.

As soon as his voice died down, I responded. "I wasn't working most times. I felt like I was on vacation." I grinned. "All I did was checking his blood pressure, almost every day. His blood sugar, heart rate, all that stuff, you know? The basic stuff, except that my patient seems healthy. I have a feeling that the duke brought me here, but I don't want to assume. I'm not sure if he's playing cupid, but I can't think of any purpose" I rambled, not even sure if Angelik was listening. I could now hear her bickering with Max, and Max loud laughter.

I chuckled softly.

Max and Angelik were a cute pair, but Max was too oblivious, the way Angelik stared at him with adoration. Men are just too dense, I guess.

Angelik spoke between dying giggles. "I think you are right, Iya. Perhaps he's alarmed, you are beautiful, and a lot of men was vying for your attention."

I burst into chuckles. Such assumption. "Oh stop, Angelik. There was only William!" I answered, objecting furiously at her comments.

"You are too oblivious, Iya. There's doctor Morgan. He's been eyeing you since you arrived at the hospital. If only he's not in his mid-forty and divorce, he could have been the right man. Respectable, kind man, genius, and faithful kind of guy," she rambled, and I rolled my eyes.

"You're crazy!" I snapped playfully, and she burst out giggling. "Alright, I'll let you go, I think Max is calling you now," I said when I heard Max voice in the background.

"Oh, he just needs a hand. You know him, he can't live without me," Angelik boasted, chuckling.

"Go help him," I chuckled.

"Later, he can wait," she responded shortly, and I smiled. I'm so grateful I have friends. I missed talking to them, hang out with them.

"So what happened? You sounded distressed," Angelik probe.

"Oh, I'm just so frustrated, and I'm not even sure with whom," I groaned as I recalled what happened today, and how I acted so dramatically.

"Sounds interesting. Spill it!" Angelik enthusiastically squealed, and I heaved a sigh before relaying what happened a moment ago.

"I acted so dramatically. I felt like, he wasn't really making an effort. He just infuriated me, and I'm not so sure of what I want him to do, too. That's the thing. I felt like he was lacking something, but I have no idea what is it? It's just frustrating," I rambled, venting out all these pent-up frustrations.

"Okay, now I don't follow. So what did he do that you sounded so pissed off?" Angelik asked, causing me to inhale another deep breathed trying to relax.

"He asked for another chance, and I agreed. He brought me to a dentist, and we were supposed to go the salon when William called—"

"He was jealous?" she interjected.

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"What did he do?" she asked again. Angelik was a really good listener, I wished she's right next to me.

"He grabbed the phone away as I was talking to William, then dropped it on the pavement, causing my phone to shatter."

"So which phone are you using right now?" she asked randomly, she seemed enjoying my distress. 

I inhaled dramatically, trying to ease the irritation bubbling up in my system.

"Just asking," Angelik added, but I could hear the amusement in her tone. 

"My old Greece phone?" I answered, a little sarcastic, "Perhaps my third sense knew that someday I'm gonna need it. There is a reason why I got so lazy to transfer the contacts and kept the phone until now," I sighed.

Angelik giggled. "You're so cute. Okay, so after that?" she asked.  

"I got so furious, I called him hopeless, and now, I realized, I acted so dramatically. I think he was right. I gave him a chance, yet I'm leading William on, but that's not my intention?" I tried to justify myself, but it is very obvious, I am at fault, too.

"I can't blame him, Iya. In my opinion, I think he was trying. If you gave him another chance, then straightened out with William or any man that's trying to get your attention. It will only make the duke crazy when he knows he has competition, and William is a great competitor. He's charming, rich, and well, everything that a woman would dream of a husband," Angelik giggled giddily, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's why Max doesn't realize that you loved him because every man that you encountered with, with a frame of muscles, chiseled jaw, piercing eyes, you gushes at them openly," I chided playfully, and she just laughed at me.

"Oh, Iya. Max is not into me, and he will never will. I think he's into someone, and for that, I won't just sit here and wait for him to notice me. I had to enjoy my life, too? Hell, women pouring out like raindrops in his life, I'll enjoy the company of these men who was showing me interest, too!" she ground out stubbornly, and I just shook my head incredulously.

She's so different, but I love her.

"I know you can handle, Angelik. I wish I had that spirits, too!" I heaved a sigh.

"Anyway, back to Raffy, I think you need to be appreciative. The poor man obviously doesn't know how to court, and he was trying his best, I hope, to win you again. Cut him some slack if he screwed up sometimes, don't be mean. And you should be happy when he showed jealousy, I would flip if Max would do that to me, be a possessive bitch, I will make it up with a hot sex!" she bluntly commented, causing my cheeks to feel hot.

I heard Max voice in the background. "I think he needed you badly," I said, and Angelik sighed.

"I wish he needed me badly in his life," she sighed audibly, and I chuckled.

Then back her pumped up voice. "Well, I'll talk to you soon, Iya. Regards to the dukes." With that, she ended the call.

I put the phone on silent, place it on the side table, then decided to just go to sleep.

......

A/N: here you go. ENJOY!!