Taming Mr. Cold and Arrogant

"No, Sir!" I shook my head and looked at him straight in the eye. "Like I said, I want to help you and I want to help my wife----"

"What do you mean you want to help us? We're not beggars, Mr. Kelley!"

"That's not what I mean, Sir." I sighed and started to discuss about what I discovered. The things that happened to Sophia and everything I learned about De Luccas. 

"Mr. Kelley---"

"Please call me Daniel, Sir, Ma'am?"

"All right, Daniel. Get up and sit down properly. Let's not discuss about the company as it is no longer mine, it's now yours and you can do anything you want for it. And regarding De Luccas and my daughter's case, I'm afraid to say that she will suffer again from the traumas she had if we reopened the case. She suffered a lot, Daniel, and I was the one who added that suffering to her. So, if you will ask me, I would rather leave the past behind and move forward because that's what my daughter wants."

"What about that bastard, Sir? Are we just going to let him free from what he did?"

"But we don't have evidence of what happened, besides, it's been seven years. Who would believe us---"

"Then leave the case to me, Sir."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have to ask Belle for this, Daniel."

"I will, Sir."

They shared a look before Mrs. Del Mundo stood up and sat next to me. And to my surprise, she even took my hand. 

"I don't know to say thank you for doing this and of course, for letting us know your feelings towards our daughter. But I only have one favor to ask you, Daniel."

And I waited for her next words. 

"Can you promise me to love her and stay by her side until you get old?" She suddenly chuckled. "I know it's too much to ask because, knowing my daughter, she's really a stubborn sometimes."

I couldn't help but laugh with what she said. 

"You don't have to worry about my feelings for your daughter, Mrs. Del Mundo. I know how stubborn and hard-headed she is, but I have never been sure of any decision I made in my life until I realized that I love her. And if she will say yes to my proposal, I will marry her right away and tied her beside me so that she can no longer complain."

We shared a humorous laugh and even the old man laughed together with us. 

"Sir?" I was surprised as I didn't expect to hear that. 

"Yeah, why don't you join us tonight, so you can talk to her about your plans." Mrs. Del Mundo added. 

"I will gladly accept your invitation, Sir."

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

Sophia's POV:

"Do you need some help, Mom?" I asked my mother when I found her in the kitchen. Maybe she's already getting ready for dinner. 

"No, baby, Angie and I were fine." She smiled as she picked up a sandwich from the counter and gave it to me. 

"Thanks, Mom, but are you sure you don't need help?"

"Nah! Just go to your room and freshen up, we have guests later."

"Yup, so go and take your time. Make yourself beautiful, Yzabelle."

My eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

"Wait, who would be our guests that I should make myself beautiful, Mom?"

"Just listen to your Mom, baby. You will meet them later."

I really wanted to protest, but she pulled me out of the kitchen and into my room. 

"Go, get ready and make yourself beautiful."

She was about to leave my room but I think she remembered something and walked back to me.

"Do you still love him?"

"Mom? What are you talking about?"

"Mommy, why do you suddenly ask about him?"

"I just want to know." She shrugged. "You still haven't told us why you decided to leave him."

I lowered my head and looked at my hand resting on my l.a.p. 

"So, do you still love him?"

"We are over and I told you, it was just an agreement---"

"That's not the answer to my question, Belle. Do you still love him?"

I sighed and nodded at her. 

"I never stop loving him, Mom. I tried to forget him but it's so hard. It's so hard to tell my mind to stop loving him when my heart still does."

"What if he came and told you that he felt the same thing, would you give him a chance?"

"Mom, you were the fifth person who asked me that question."

"And... what did you answer?"

"It's impossible." I shrugged. "If he felt the same for me, he should have said those words to me a long time ago."

"And what if he came and told you that he loves you too?"

"Mom, I told you, that is the last thing that will come to his mind."

"Why not? A man in love will do everything just for the woman he cares about most."

"Haha... Mommy, that lines doesn't fit him. This is Italy, we are in Italy---"

"And so?"

"When we were living together, I left him and gone for two weeks. I went to Bryan house but he never tried to look for me and he didn't even call to find out where I am. What more that I am now in Italy, do you think he will fly here and sit for 20 hours just to tell me that he loves me too? Haha... Mom, I would rather stay in my room and play my guitar all day than to make myself believe for the impossible things to happen."

"But Belle---"

"And Mom, if ever what you say will come true, that he feels the same for me, I will not accept it."

"But why?"

"I think we're not meant for each other. Because for a relationship to stand strong and unbreakable, there should be trust, love and communication. That's the main foundation, Mom. But in our case, we only have love and the rest doesn't exist."

We stayed there for a few minutes before she decided to go back to the kitchen, but of course, she still insisted that I should not leave my room until I looked beautiful. 

But I am beautiful! Although not in the eyes of the person I love, but I am beautiful in my own way and perspective.

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

"What are you doing?"

My brother asked me, confused when he saw me stopped at the bottom of the stairs. A very familiar scent filled my nostrils that brought me goosebumps and made my heart beat faster. 

"Did you change your cologne?"

"No. Why do you ask?" He walked towards me and let me smell his shirt. 

"Nothing, it's just the scent is quite familiar." I shrugged. 

"Maybe it comes from our guests."

"Guests? Have they already arrived?"

"Yes, they are now in the dining room and I heard one of them was the one who bought Dad's company."

"Really?" I turned to him, slightly surprised. 

Then I suddenly feel the courage to meet the new owner of our father's company. 

We walked towards the kitchen with him following behind me. I can't explain the loud pounding of my c.h.e.s.t as we approached the dining room. 

"Ouch! Why did you suddenly stop?"

He complained, c.a.r.e.s.sing his chin. He hit the top of my head when I came to stop. Actually, I also felt the same pain, but I was suddenly frozen into my post. I couldn't move and I couldn't open my mouth to apologize at least for what had happened. 

The last person I could have ever imagined seeing in our dining room was here, Daniel Kelley. He is currently sitting across my mother's seat and laughing together with my father, Andrew and our maid, Angie who is sitting next to my Mom. 

"There you are---what happened to you, son?" My mom didn't finish her greeting as she noticed my brother was sulking next to me. 

"She suddenly stopped walking and my chin hit her head!" He complained as if he were five years old. 

"Oh, poor boy." Mom said and they laughed at him, even Dad and Andrew. 

But I couldn't laugh. I couldn't smile and I couldn't even notice their exchange of jokes and laughter in the kitchen, since my eyes were focused on the only person that made my breath stuck in my throat and caused my heart to jump out of my c.h.e.s.t when our eyes met. 

What is he doing here? Was he the one who bought our father's company? But why? Why would he do that? 

"Belle, come and sit next to your Dad."

"Huh?" I was brought back to my thoughts when I felt my Mom's hand on my right arm. 

"I said sit down next to your father so we can start eating."

I don't know what's going on, but when Mom pulled me to where I supposed to seat, which is in the middle of my father and Daniel, I stopped her and insisted on sitting next to her. 

But when my b.u.t.t touched the seat cushion, I mentally cursed myself when I saw our seating arrangements. 

Dad is at the end of the long table with Mom on his left and Steven on his right, while I am sitting next to my Mom, Angie next to me, Daniel across my seat and Andrew next to him. 

I felt Daniel's stares when I finally settled in my seat. I wanted to greet Andrew but I just remained quiet and waited for Dad to speak first. 

"Belle, aren't you going to introduce our guests tonight?"

"Dad?"

My mouth hung open and I turned to my father, confused as to what he was supposed to mean by his words. 

"And why did you choose to sit next to your mother? You are should sit next to your man." He winked at me. 

My head snapped to Daniel as my eyes widened in surprise. 

"I-I thought you were the one who will introduce our guests, Dad?"

I said but my eyes were focused on the man sitting across my seat. I don't understand the way he looked at me. I couldn't even read every single emotion written on his eyes. 

"Oh, yeah, but I realized that you already knew that he is now the new owner of our company, so I think it is not necessary for me to introduce him to all of you."

"Then why do I have to introduce them again if you said we already knew him?"

"Because I know you know him better than we do. So, aren't you going to introduce your husband?"

"Daddy?" I couldn't help but feel shock again. 

"Well, I told you I wanted to meet your husband----"

"Excuse me, but, can I talk to you for a while, Mister?" I interrupted my father as I stood up and glared at Daniel. 

"Yzabelle, you can do that later. For now, let's finish our dinner first."

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I think I lost my appetite."

"Ohh..." Andrew said, his mouth forming an 'O' shape. 

"Sure----"

"Follow me!"

I just ignored the glances I gained from all of them and I motioned my fake husband to follow me into the living room. 

"Yzabelle----"

"Honey, just let them talk." I could imagine how Dad stopped my Mom by holding her hand. 

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

"What the hell are you doing-----huh!"

But I didn't have the chance to continue what I am about to ask as a pair of soft and warm lips covered mine in a hungry and suffocating kind of kiss that left me short of breath. 

I felt Daniel's hand encircled my waist and pulled me closer to him. I really wanted to push him, but my body didn't cooperate with my mind and I just found myself responding to his kiss.  I could feel my world swirling around me as I also feel my insides melt just by the thought of being in his arms again, and with his lips that are hungrily, desperately and possessively taking mine. 

My knees suddenly felt weak and became unstable but he held me and put my arms around his neck. 

"I missed you."

He whispered through his kiss, but since I didn't expect to hear those words, I thought it was only in my imagination. 

"Oh, God! I missed you so much!" He said breaking the kiss and put his lips on my forehead. 

It was only then I realized why I pulled him out of the kitchen, it is to talk to him and not to be under his spell. I blinked my eyes repeatedly and took a deep breath before I pushed him and slapped him across his face. 

How ridiculous isn't it? We are just like the lead characters in a movie in which the female lead slapped the face of the male lead after kissing her and she realized that she too responded to his kiss.