SWNOVELS The Devil’s Fire by Mariam El-Hafi Chapter 26
Althaia
“I gave birth to you! I suffered for hours for you to come out of my vagina!” My mom yelled at me through the phone.
“Mom – ”
“You’re my only child and you have forgotten all about me!” She said dramatically.
“Mo – ”
“I let you go out for a little, and now look at you, not coming back to spend time with your mother.”
“Mamá!” I said frustrated, finally getting a word in. I was not in the mood to deal with this as I was already dealing with bad period cramps. I was on the bed, talking to my mother on the phone. Actually, she was doing most of the talking… Well, I take that back. She was yelling at me because apparently, she had decided in her mind that I have forgotten her.
“Mamá, I literally send you text messages every other day. Besides, I did text you yesterday that I will be home soon to spend some time with you before the wedding.” I sighed, finally able to explain. myself.
“I’m your mother, I deserve more than text messages every other day! And you did not text me that.” She continued to scold me, making me roll my eyes a little at her. It was a good thing she couldn’t see me, or she would have pulled out the wooden spoon.
“I have been busy. I’ve been helping Cara with her endless list of things that needs to be done. And yes, I did. Check your 36 D
messages.” I was really not in the mood to be yelled at. Especially being on my period with really insane cramps and back pains. It was either to suffer every month or get pregnant, making it so wonderful to be a woman. Men had it too easy.
F*ck men.
“Don’t lie to me – oh, I see you did text me. My bad, honey.” My mother said with a little laugh, making me let out an annoyed sigh.
“Couldn’t you at least have double-checked before being so dramatic and yelling my ear off?” I scowled.
“No, sorry honey. G*d created me this way, deal with it.” I shook my head but chuckled a little anyways. She was truly a one-of-a- kind woman.
“I promise I will be back soon, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. Feel better.”
I hung up the phone and groaned as a painful cramp appeared. This was my third day in bed, and I have been giving people hell with my mood swings. And poor Rafaelle… I yelled at him for breathing too loud. I haven’t seen him ever since that episode and he was probably staying away from me after that. I actually haven’t seen anyone the whole day, the manor was quiet so there was probably no one home.
As if suffering wasn’t enough, I was also craving everything. I wanted every disgusting junk food there existed and chocolate cakes. The only problem was I couldn’t move out of bed to get any of those things, and I had to lie in a freaking fetal position.
I had been watching Modern Family on my laptop for hours now. The only show I could watch on repeat and no matter how many
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times I had watched this show, it always cracked me up. It was especially helpful with my mood.
But I was still bored.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through social media for the hundredth time in the past five minutes. I couldn’t really do much, and I was also hungry but there was no way I was going down to the kitchen to cook something for myself. Sadly, for me, Rosana had gotten a few days off and wouldn’t be here until the next two days.
My finger hovered over the number I had been contemplating calling. I didn’t know why, but I was eager to hear his voice. I haven’t seen him since our little moment in the kitchen. The way his hands had roamed my body and his hot breath against me had me feeling all sorts of things now. and these hormones were not helping me one bit as I thought of Damiano. As if it wasn’t bad enough that I wanted him badly, but now my hormones were all over the place and made it even more unbearable.
Screw it. I was going to call him.
“Althaia.” He immediately said after the first ring. I inwardly groaned with frustration at how his deep voice went straight down between my legs.
“Do you always pick up calls like this? It sounds so serious.” I chuckled, distracting myself from the dirty thoughts that had appeared.
“It gets to the point.”
“I see. What are you doing?” I asked, not really trying to hide that I just wanted to talk. He was quiet for a bit before he spoke.
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“Taking care of business.” He finally said, and as always, he would never tell me anything specific.
“So, what does that exactly mean? Like killing people, torturing them, or just plain paperwork…?” I wondered out loud, secretly hoping to get an answer.
“If I tell you, then I have to kill you.” He sounded serious but I could imagine him smirking as he said that.
“Right, message received.” No one said anything as I heard him moving around before hearing a door closing.
“Are you feeling better?” His tone was soft, which had me smile a little.
“No, I feel like s*it and I’m craving everything… How did you
know?” I raised my brows in surprise. It was not like I had told him I was on my period.
“I may have gotten a complaint about you.” He replied, amused.
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I asked confused.
“Rafaelle said you were being a psychopath.” He chuckled a little and I dropped my jaw in shock.
“He what…? He should try to bleed for f*cking days, and have cramps and back pains. Let’s see who’s a psychopath then!” I huffed and he just continued to chuckle at me.
“Watch it before you come on my ‘who to beat up’ list.” My brows pinched in seriousness.
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“Oh, really?” He was amused and I could definitely imagine him leaning back in his big boss chair as he said that.
“Yes. I’m strong, I could totally beat you up.” It was the biggest lie. He could crush me with his pinky if he wanted to.
“You do realize I’m twice your size? You barely reach my chest.”
“Tsk! As if that can stop me. I can just jump to get you.” I stated confidently
“Hmm, I know exactly where you can jump on.” His voice went low, and it went straight down between my legs, a steady pulse appeared, and my entire body fluttered the way he had said it.
“I – I …” I couldn’t form a sentence and it was like my body was on fire.
“Althaia.”
“Yeah?” My voice was barely audible. He wasn’t even here, and he could make me feel like that. Only The Devil’s work.
“I have to go.” It almost sounded like a sigh.
“Oh, okay.” I was a little disappointed, but I knew he was a busy
man.
“Try not to miss me too much.” I could hear the smugness in his tone before he hung up. I tossed my phone aside and groaned in frustration at the state he managed to leave me in.
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I stretched as I woke from a well-needed nap. I had to take a shower after my phone call with Damiano to take care of my crazy hormones. Then after I just felt drained of energy and passed out
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as soon as I hit the bed.
My stomach started to growl when the delicious smell of food filled my nose. I took in a big whiff and sat up. My eyes widened at the amount of food that had been placed on the coffee table. I got up and saw everything that I had been craving was laid out in front of me. It was enough to feed a small group of people.
Happy with the sight in front of me, I wasted no time and opened the pizza box, a cheese pizza with extra cheese. Just how I liked it!
It was still hot. Did someone just deliver the food? I must have been really tired since I didn’t hear anyone walk in and set it all up. Either way, I was too happy and too hungry to actually care about it. As I sat down and ate, I noticed a small black box in the middle of all the food. Curious, reached for it and opened the box.
“Wow…” I breathed out, stunned. Inside the box were two gold round stud earrings. They had one large diamond in the middle followed by small diamonds around. They were breathtaking!
A note was attached to it and a wave of butterflies erupted as I read the neat and cursive handwriting on the note. A smile appeared on my lips.
For you, my Althaia.
D.
He must have gone crazy… These were real diamonds! There was no way I could accept that! I continued to look at them, seeing just how shiny they were. I liked shiny things, and it was a weakness of mine, but these must have cost a fortune just by looking at the number of diamonds in them. I decided it was something I couldn’t accept.
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I got up and grabbed my phone from the bed and I sent him a text message.
Althaia
Thank you, but I can’t accept them.
A few minutes went by, and my phone vibrated.
Damiano
You don’t like them?
Althaia
Are you kidding me…? They are gorgeous!
Damiano
Then keep them. They are yours.
I sighed and bit my lip as I looked at the earrings. Was it really okay for me to accept such an expensive gift? I took the box and ran my fingers over them. They were so beautiful. Maybe I should try them on, just to see what they would look like…
I put them on and looked at them through the camera of my phone, and I fell even more in love with them. I took a selfie with my hair tucked behind my ears to show the earrings and sent him the picture.
Althaia
They’re stunning. Thank you.
Damiano
Beautiful. You’re welcome.
I smiled down at the message, my cheeks heating a little at the word.
The things he was doing to me.
“