The Slave of Pleasure
Chapter 66

Rachel

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Vincenzo's gaze on me. He didn't say anything, just stared at me with that serious expression, waiting for an explanation. My heart was beating fast, and I knew I was running out of options. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"I went to the store... to buy you something to surprise you. Something that would make you happy when you finally woke up." I tried to sound confident, but my voice shook slightly. Vincenzo continued to stare at me, his expression unchanging. The silence between us was suffocating, and I didn't know what else to say.

My hands were cold, and my mind was spinning, trying to replace a way to divert my focus, but instead, I blurted out the truth. "But... something happened while I was there." I felt a blush rise to my face, which only made me more nervous. "Nancy... she said that everyone had to try something on before buying anything from the store, so she... strapped me into the device I bought for me to test and did some... things to me."

As soon as I finished speaking, the silence that followed was almost palpable. Vincenzo slowly shifted his gaze to Nancy, who stood completely still. She stammered, clearly unsure of how to respond to what I had just revealed. The discomfort was palpable, and I didn't know where to hide my face. I felt a wave of shame rise up in me, not only for the embarrassing situation itself, but also for remembering what Nancy had done to me.

"Wait a minute..." Vincenzo finally broke the silence, his voice firm. "I've been to that store a few times, and I've never had to try anything on before buying. Not me, or anyone I know." His eyes were focused on Nancy, who now looked like she was about to explode with nervousness.

I blinked in disbelief. Anger had been building inside me. I stared at Nancy with wide eyes, trying to process the fact that she had lied to me so blatantly to make this moment seem less bad. How could she make me believe that absurd story? I felt so stupid, so exposed. My eyes flashed with anger as I glared at Nancy, who avoided my gaze.

Nancy, sensing the tension in the air, finally stood up, trying to get out of the situation. "Maybe I should let you two talk in peace. I don't want to intrude..." She said, already with one hand on the door, ready to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"No!" Vincenzo ordered, his voice low but full of authority. "You stay!" Nancy stopped in her tracks, clearly disconcerted, not knowing what to do. She didn't have the courage to leave, so she just stood there, standing like a statue. I didn't know what to expect anymore. Vincenzo seemed to be processing everything, but before he could say anything else, the butler appeared at the door, interrupting the moment. "Miss Rachel," he said, "there's a...order for you." Vincenzo smiled, a smile that made me even more uncomfortable. "Right on time," he said, as if he'd been waiting for it all along. I felt my stomach sink as Vincenzo told the butler that he would go get the "order" I'd placed himself. The butler, ever discreet, seemed to understand what was coming, giving me a wary look before leaving to follow Vincenzo's orders. There was no doubt he knew things were about to get worse for Nancy and me. Vincenzo stood, his posture imposing and his eyes fixed on the two of us. "Wait in my room," he ordered, his voice low and firm. Nancy and I exchanged nervous glances, but neither of us dared say anything. He looked at the butler and added, "Take care of the mess their carelessness has caused. Replace everything." I want this house to look as if nothing had happened."

The butler, ever efficient, immediately replied, "Promptly, sir." Then he left the room, leaving us alone with Vincenzo for a few more seconds. He turned to us again, even more serious, and said only one word: "Go."

Without question, Nancy and I stood up and began walking toward his room. The tension in the air was palpable. My heart was beating wildly as we walked down the hallway. I didn't know what was coming, but I knew it wouldn't be pleasant. Nancy, walking beside me, broke the silence after a few minutes. "What do you think he's going to do to us?" she asked, her voice, as casual as she tried to sound, was full of nervousness.

I could only glance at her, unable to hide how uneasy I was. My brain was spinning, trying to replace an answer, but the truth was that I had no idea what to expect from Vincenzo right now. He was acting in a way I had never seen before-sly, and sociable, almost as if he were one step ahead of us the whole time. "I don't know," I said, my voice low. "But it can't be good."

We arrived s to Vincenzo's room, and I slowly opened the door. The space was exactly as he had left it before everything started to fall apart: organized, elegant and imposing. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the cold atmosphere of the room only made my nervousness grow. Nancy threw herself into the armchair in the corner of the room, but I remained standing, my thoughts completely disorganized. I paced back and forth, my fingers drumming nervously on the armrest. Nancy, for her part, tried to hide her fear with her usual irreverence, but I could see in the depths of her eyes that she was worried too. "He's going to make us pay for this, somehow," she murmured, her voice finally admitting the truth that I also feared. I turned to her, sighing, while trying to remain calm. "Of course he will. We destroyed his house, Nancy. There's no way around it. But what I really want to know is why he's acting like this, like he's been plotting this all along."

Before we could delve any deeper into this conversation, the sound of the door opening caused us both to turn around suddenly. Vincenzo walked in with the covered easel held by two delivery men, his face impassive. He watched us for a moment, as if pondering his next move, and finally spoke, his voice low but full of authority. "Now, let's settle this!"

My entire body went rigid. I knew the real punishment was just beginning.