over. Despite my repeated demands to let me dress, he’d told me I was fine just the way I was, and carried me to my room—completely naked. Instead of leaving like he always had, he laid my body on the bed, then disappeared into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, he’d returned to the room only to sweep me into his arms again and carry me to the bathroom where he submerged me in a warm, lavender bath. More than ever before, he’d seemed relaxed and content as he kissed me goodnight and left me to enjoy the soothing bath. In all of the months I had been married to him, he had never done something so caring. And now he joined me for breakfast which was another unusual thing.
“Good morning, tesoro,” he greeted. “Did you sleep well?”
I flushed again at the question. His tone insinuated I had slept soundly that night. I nodded and got distracted when Henry entered the room, but didn't carry any food with him.
“The hairdresser is here, Sir,” he notified us.
“Good,” Alessandro said, keeping his gaze locked with mine. “Show her in.”
Henry left without saying another word. Why was a hairdresser here?. Both Alessandro's and Henry's hair looked immaculate and recently trimmed. “I didn't know you were getting a haircut,” I said in a baffled voice.
He smirked and looked straight into my eyes. “I'm not. You are.”
“Wh-What?” I stammered, racking my brain for what was going on.
“You didn't think I would just let yesterday's incident slip and pretend nothing happened, did you, piccola?” he asked in an amused tone while I stared in horror.
A blonde, short woman dressed in a red shirt and a pair of jeans sauntered in with a small suitcase. My heart started thumping out of my chest. There was no way in hell I would let anyone touch my hair, let alone cut it. Following my instincts, I surged from my chair and rushed into the hallway.
“Olivia!” Alessandro called after me, but I didn't stop.
I ran straight into my room and locked myself in the bathroom. Desperate, I sat down and hugged my knees, wondering how long it would take for Alessandro to find me. To my dismay, it took him two minutes to figure out where I was hiding. He pounded on the door, spitting threats.
“Olivia, open the door. Don't make me break it down,” he uttered a warning in a cold, calculated voice. “You’ll regret it.”
I didn't care. There was no way I would let him in. I wasn't about to make it easy for him. For a few minutes, Alessandro kept calling my name and demanded I open up. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he reminded me I had chosen to make this difficult for myself. I startled as a loud bang resounded. He’d kicked the door open in one swift move and stormed inside. Jerky and trembling, I scooted away when he took a few short menacing steps toward me. But there wasn’t a trace of rage on his face. Instead, he was patience and coolness personified as he stood in the middle of the bathroom and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Come here,” he demanded, crooking his finger. “The hairdresser is waiting.”
Panic smacked between my eyes, making me dizzy. I didn't know how to defend myself. All I knew was I didn't want that hairdresser anywhere near me, so I did the only thing I could—I pleaded with my husband.
“Alessandro, please don’t make me cut my hair,” I mumbled in honest despair, but he didn't care.
“Don't waste your time, Olivia and don't complicate things,” he warned. “It's going to happen whether you like it or not.”
I stared with widened eyes. How could he be serious? What had I done to deserve such a cruel punishment?
“Why are you doing this to me?” The confusion was evident in my voice.
“Why?!” He shook his head and laughed with irony. “You let another man touch you, and you ask me why.”
The memory of Mr. de Lucci touching my cheek and hair right before Alessandro entered the room sprang into my mind. I shuddered. His behavior in these past few hours had been nothing but a game, leading up to the grand culmination when he would extort his vengeance by making me cut my long hair.
“Alessandro, it wasn't my fault,” I tried to reason with him.
“You didn't push him away,” he said simply.
“I don't have a lot of experience with men. You know that,” I attempted to convince him.