Chapter 6 The Lingerie

Sophia's POV

Luca’s sudden movement closed the distance between us.

I dared not breathe, focusing intensely on his face just inches from mine.

My ears were turning pink, and a flush was rising on my cheeks. My heart hammered, ready to leap from my throat.

I closed my eyes, resigning myself to face Luca's inevitable fury.

"Sophia, you're blushing."

The expected pain never came. Instead, only his soft chuckle.

"So cute."

He casually slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Since you're fine, I'll be leaving now."

The hospital room door closed again. I gasped for air like a fish out of water.

After Luca left, the atmosphere immediately softened. After finishing my checks, the hospital recommended that I recuperate at home.

I gave a bitter smile. After breaking ties with the Klein family, where was home for me?

Luca's second-in-command was standing at the door. Seeing my predicament, he approached courteously.

"Ms. Klein, for your continued health, Mr. Luca has arranged for you to rest at the estate. We have the most professional doctors and nutritionists to monitor your condition around the clock."

The man in the suit gave me no room to refuse. Within half an hour, I was transported to Luca's private manor.

I swallowed hard. I knew Luca was afraid of me getting into another accident, which would implicate him, so he had sent me to this secluded place.

But this was the old Vittorio estate.

I stood there, looking at the huge, opulent mansion, feeling completely out of place.

"Miss Klein, please follow me."

I was led to an enormous room. The closet was overflowing with the latest seasonal collections from various luxury brands, seemingly piled up like cheap clothing. But they all shared one trait. minimal fabric.

I frowned instantly.

Most of the servants here were old Vittorio staff. Not only did they ignore my instructions, but they looked at me with open disdain, clearly knowing I was just a pitiable woman who married for convenience.

One morning, I went downstairs for breakfast and saw Martha, the maid in charge of the meal, slowly polishing the silverware.

She merely glanced at me and continued her work, making no move to set my place.

"Where is my cutlery?" I sat at the dining table.

Martha replied, "Mr. Vittorio hasn't woken up yet. Estate rules dictate that no one eats until the master has finished."

I tapped the table. "I am Luca's fiancée, the mistress here. Now, bring me my breakfast, and reread the estate rules. Starting today, I set my own dining schedule."

Martha paused, clearly not expecting my defiance. But she quickly regained her look of contempt, setting down the silver tray. "Miss Klein, you seem to forget the name of this estate is Vittorio, not Klein."

"I haven't forgotten. But I will be a Vittorio very soon." I stood up and walked up to her. "Is this how you treat the future lady of the house?"

Martha paled. Though unwilling to concede, my aura forced her hand, and she reluctantly turned toward the kitchen.

But when the breakfast arrived, I dropped my knife and fork.

The fried eggs were burnt black, and the bread was hard as a rock—utterly inedible.

I looked at her coldly. "How do you expect me to eat this?"

Martha insisted, "This is all the ingredients we have. I couldn't do anything else."

"You couldn't, you say?" I smiled and didn't argue further. "Fine."

I then went straight to the butler's office, pulled up the estate's management protocols, and pointed to a specific rule. "According to the rules, anyone who neglects or disrespects the master must have their monthly salary deducted and receive a written warning. I expect you to deal with Martha's actions immediately."

The butler looked conflicted, glancing from Martha to me, but he dared not disobey and nodded.

Martha looked utterly wronged, but she couldn't challenge the butler. She glared at me, her eyes filled with malice.

I knew she wouldn't let this go.

Sure enough, when I returned to my room that afternoon, the bedding had been replaced with the coarsest, oldest set, and the clothes in the wardrobe were tossed in disarray.

I instantly recognized Martha's work. She probably thought Luca didn't care about me, so she could bully me freely.

But she had definitely chosen the wrong target.

I intentionally made the room even messier, then sat calmly in the main area to wait.

When Luca returned and passed by, he stopped, looking at me with inquiry. "Why aren't you resting so late?"

"I can't sleep," I said. "My room was broken into."

Luca raised an eyebrow, glanced at Martha trailing behind him, and looked back at me. "Is that so?"

I led Luca into the room, letting him observe the chaos.

Martha, who had been nervously trailing us, turned instantly pale when she saw the scene inside.

Luca immediately understood everything. He turned to Martha, his tone ice-cold.

"Go take your punishment. I don't want this happening a second time."

He meticulously wiped his hands, his verdict delivered without emotion, sealing the maid's fate.

Martha finally crumbled, sinking to the floor.

It wasn't until the servants dragged Martha away that we were left alone.

Luca walked toward me, leaning in close. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His male pheromones enveloped me again. I turned my head away, avoiding his gaze. "Would telling you have helped?"

"I wasn't talking about that," he chuckled, pinching my chin to force me to look up. "I mean, why didn't you tell me you bought so much sexy lingerie?"

With an easy flick of his finger, he held up a piece of black lace from the bedside table right in front of me.

I looked at the minimal design, my face flushing crimson.

"That's not mine!"

I quickly snatched it from his fingers. His other hand wrapped around my waist, the cool touch of his skin on mine making me involuntarily flinch. My ears were turning red uncontrollably.

My subtle reaction didn't escape him. The amusement in his eyes intensified.

"You can blush?" His thumb grazed my lower lip. "I thought you were always so ice-cold."

I wrenched my face away, my heart skipping a beat. "Don't touch me."

He pressed his advantage, trapping me between the headboard and his chest. "Put it on for me? It's rare that I feel this interested."

His intense gaze made me incredibly uneasy. I tried to push him away, but he held my shoulders firmly.

His eyes were deep, filled with an emotion I couldn't decipher, stirring a strange panic in me.

"Getting more and more interesting."