My father sold me to the Mafia King-Chapter 102 - 103/The Thorns of Jealousy

Chapter 103:

Robert’s Point of View

I remained frozen in my place, feeling a numbness spreading through my limbs from the sheer shock.

I asked in a sharp voice that almost spiraled out of my control:

"And what does she want from you?"

Carlos replied while adjusting his jacket coldly:

"I brought her some roses on the occasion of her becoming a personal assistant."

I repeated after him in a choked voice, as if the word were foreign to my ears:

"Roses?"

"Yes,"

Carlos continued, smiling a smile that provoked every cell in my body,

"And because I brought so many, she felt angry at first, but now she is happy... we’ve become friends, Robert."

I felt a wave of rage sweeping through my chest, only for him to add fuel to the fire by saying:

"I think Julie is starting to soften, and she’s really starting to like me."

I felt a sudden heat emanating from my body, as if the blood had boiled in my veins all at once.

I clenched my hands behind my back so hard that my knuckles turned white, and I said tersely:

"Alright, Carlos... goodnight."

He waved his hand at me as he moved away:

"Goodbye, my friend."

Carlos left, and I remained alone in the dark hallway.

I changed my destination; I no longer wanted to see Sarah or anyone else.

I entered my room and bolted the door violently, then raised my hand to my necktie and undid it with a hysterical movement that almost tore the fabric.

I wanted to smash every piece of furniture my eyes fell upon, and I didn’t understand for certain why this rage was gnawing at my insides this way.

Julie’s Point of View

In the early morning, I had put on my black athletic clothes that clung to my body.

I pulled my hair up and tied it firmly, checking my face in the mirror; the mark of Olivia’s slap had completely vanished, but its memory was still burning my soul.

I left "Axel" sleeping peacefully and went down to the lower floor.

Max was standing by the door like a mountain, watching the corridor with hawk-like eyes. I said in a serious tone:

"Good morning."

He replied while scanning my ready appearance:

"Good morning... are you ready?"

I nodded my head firmly:

"Yes, absolutely."

He asked me as he walked beside me toward the gym:

"Have you practiced sports before?"

I answered him while trying to organize my breath already:

"Yes, I used to train in my room... lifting water bottles as substitute weights, and running in the morning whenever I had the chance. I never had the opportunity to enter a real gym, but I did my best."

Max hummed with suppressed admiration:

"Interesting... let’s go then, to the gym."

It began with harsh warm-up exercises that made my muscles scream, then we moved to lifting small weights followed by rounds of fast running on the treadmill, and strenuous exercises to strengthen the pelvis and abdomen.

Sweat poured from my forehead, and I felt my lungs burning.

I said while panting heavily, placing my hands on my knees to steady my trembling body:

"I’m... I’m tired."

Max replied in a stern voice that knew no mercy:

"We can’t stop now... weakness begins in the mind, not the muscles. Come on, continue!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The torture of training continued for three consecutive hours, until my strength completely failed and I threw my body onto the rubber floor.

I said, my breath coming out with difficulty:

"Enough... I can’t take another inch."

Max replied with his usual coldness as he watched the sweat dripping from me:

"Because your body just stopped moving, that’s why you feel this heaviness."

I closed my eyes and felt a sharp sting in every corner of my body:

"I feel like my muscles have actually torn, Max."

Max laughed a rare laugh that sounded coarse in this silent place and said:

"A few days and your muscles will get used to the effort."

Then he added sarcastically:

"And you want to learn how to fight too?"

I said with pique while trying to organize my breath:

"I thought we would start learning to fight immediately."

He answered while wiping his hands with a towel:

"You can’t fight while your body is weak; we have to strengthen it first so it can withstand the shocks."

I stood up with great difficulty, feeling a cramp in my legs that almost made me fall again, and said:

"Alright... I’m going."

Max commented before I left:

"If you have the chance at night, come so we can train again."

I shook my head in despair:

"I don’t think I’ll come; I feel completely paralyzed."

I exited the gym, and with every step, I felt electric stings running through my limbs.

I entered my room to find "Axel" waiting for me; I headed toward the boxes the maid had brought, took out the food dishes, and set his meal for him.

Then I went immediately to shower with warm water, hoping it would calm the surge in my muscles.

After I dried my hair, I wore a short black skirt and a shirt of the same color, and I intentionally chose flat shoes; the idea of wearing heels in my condition was suicide.

I had my quick breakfast, then my eyes fell on the bouquets of roses that filled the room with a charming scent.

A flash of my fall over Carlos crossed my mind, and I felt a sudden heat staining my cheeks red again.

I stood before the mirror adjusting the strands of my hair, and muttered with frustration:

"Why does my face look pale as if I were in a hospital?"

I opened the vanity drawer and used a little foundation and mascara, with a light touch of lipstick, until my face regained some of its vitality.

Suddenly, the door opened and Robert entered with his dominant aura and his luxurious black suit.

He scanned the room as if he were inspecting every corner, while I thought about that strange coincidence that made us both wear black today.

"Axel" jumped toward him, playing, but Robert didn’t take his eyes off me, and asked me in a dry tone dominated by a suppressed tension:

"Did you like the roses that Carlos brought?"