Free Web NovelChapter 27: "Pretend This Is A Different Species"
It was not unusual for the staff of the Sartori estate to see their Don return home covered in blood.
The guards at the gates had seen it before.
The servants had cleaned it before.
Caio Sartori stepping out of a car with blood on his hands barely qualified as noteworthy anymore.
Ariana Lombardi emerging beside him with blood soaking through the sleeve of her dress, however, nearly stopped the entire entrance staff’s hearts.
As always, Mrs. Pecora stood at the estate entrance when the car pulled over. The moment she saw the blood staining Aren’s sleeve, her composure visibly fractured.
"My lady—"
She recovered almost instantly. Her head snapped toward the servants nearby, who were all frozen in shock.
"Emergency kit. Now! Someone call Doctor Capello!"
The staff scattered at once, but the sharp slam of a car door cut through the courtyard, stopping everyone cold.
"No need to call Doctor Capello," Caio said as he climbed the stairs.
Mrs. Pecora turned toward him carefully.
"Sir, Lady Ariana is injured—"
"I’ll handle it myself."
His voice was calm. Far too calm.
Mrs. Pecora had served the Sartori estate long enough to recognize exactly what that tone meant:
Caio was seconds away from violence.
She lowered her head immediately.
"...Understood, sir."
Meanwhile, Aren looked mildly confused by the panic unfolding around her.
"It really is minor," she tried to reassure them. "The bullet only touched me briefly."
Several servants looked horrified hearing that sentence spoken so casually.
Caio shot her a sharp look.
"Inside. Now."
Aren lowered her gaze, lips pulling out into a tiny pout.
’Don Caio is under high stress again.’
She followed without another word.
Not long afterward, she found herself seated in one of the guest living rooms near the west wing. Next to her, an emergency medical kit sat open on the coffee table.
Caio sat directly across from Aren, his sleeves rolled to his elbows. Several servants lingered nearby, pretending not to stare as he worked on her wound.
Antiseptic.
Needle.
Fresh gauze.
His hands remained perfectly steady the entire time.
Aren sat just as still.
The antiseptic touched the torn graze along her arm, yet she didn’t even flinch. No reaction whatsoever as the needle dove into her torn skin.
Caio noticed that immediately. His brow tightened further with every stitch.
’Does she even feel pain properly?’
The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
Near the doorway, one maid looked increasingly pale the longer she watched. Another winced on Aren’s behalf every time Caio pulled the thread taut.
Meanwhile, Aren watched him work with quiet fascination. Once he finally secured the clean bandage around her arm, she lowered her gaze to inspect it thoughtfully.
"You’re really good at this."
Caio discarded the bloodied gauze into the tray.
"I’ve had enough experience."
Aren tilted her head.
"Because of the assassination attempts?"
Caio’s hands paused for the briefest second, then continued moving again.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked her in the eye, voice tightening with unmistakable authority.
"You are to rest until this heals."
Aren blinked.
"No more events requiring your attendance," he continued firmly. "And absolutely no patrolling around my estate before sunrise."
Aren looked genuinely puzzled.
"This is a minor wound. It doesn’t affect surveillance duty and can easily be concealed beneath long sleeves."
Caio’s patience visibly thinned.
"That is not the point."
His voice sharpened enough to make several servants startle. Aren lowered her gaze reluctantly again, trying very hard to understand what she had said wrong.
Seeing the confused look on her face, Caio exhaled slowly through his nose before abruptly turning toward the room.
"Out. Leave us."
No one hesitated. Within seconds, the room emptied entirely, the doors closing quietly behind the last maid.
Silence settled heavily across the living room. Caio stayed quiet for a moment, trying to gather what little remained of his patience.
’Calm down.’
’She’s a mercenary.’
’She literally said she came from another world.’
’Pretend this is a different species.’
’An alien.’
He forced his voice back under control before speaking again.
"Aren."
She looked up at him immediately.
"You are an asset," he said slowly. "An asset I acquired for five hundred million dollars."
Aren listened attentively.
"I’m not going to let you be reckless with your body," he continued. "And when I tell you to rest, you’re going to listen."
Aren fell quiet.
Caio could practically see the processing happening behind her eyes. Eventually, she let out a thoughtful hum.
"...Hmm."
Then she asked, completely serious,
"Can I still visit the kitchen during my rest period?"
Caio stared at her.
"...For what?"
"I have bread-making lessons with Mrs. Pecora," Aren explained honestly. "And I planned to make ice cream too when the machine arrives."
Her expression brightened.
"When is the ice cream machine arriving?"
Caio closed his eyes briefly.
’Mother of God.’
A defeated sigh escaped him.
"I already placed the order," he muttered. "It’s coming from overseas. Should arrive by Monday."
Aren’s entire face lit up instantly, unmistakably overjoyed.
"That is very early!"
Caio stalled for half a second.
Something twisted unpleasantly beneath his ribs at the sight of her looking that happy over an ice cream machine.
Slowly, he rose from the chair.
Without fully thinking about it, he reached out and brushed a hand lightly through her short hair.
It felt soft.
Still slightly messy from the night.
His fingers lingered there longer than necessary.
"You should rest," he murmured.
He stepped away before the strange feeling in his chest could deepen any further, then gathered the medical supplies and left the room without looking back.
Aren watched the door close behind him, a faint flush of pink warming her cheeks.
’Don Caio is very gentle.’
The thought lingered with her as she returned to her suite. The moment she stepped inside, Biscuit immediately looked up from the carpet where he’d been lying beside one of his toys.
The small dog visibly perked up. Then, as if remembering he was supposed to be offended, he turned his head away dramatically.
Aren stared at him.
"...Pretty boy."
Biscuit ignored her harder. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Aren crouched carefully beside him.
"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I had a busy night tonight."
Still, Biscuit gave no response.
Aren reached into her handbag and pulled out a small package.
"Look what I got you," she said while opening it. "Don Caio stopped on the way home so I could buy this for you. I didn’t forget about you, alright?"
The betrayal lasted approximately one more second.
Biscuit immediately launched himself toward her with violent tail wagging.
Aren laughed softly as he bounced against her legs.
"Yes, yes. I know. You’re suffering greatly."
She crouched carefully to pet him while feeding him treats one by one. Once Biscuit settled happily against the bed, Aren quietly crouched beside the frame and reached underneath.
Her fingers retrieved a small communication device hidden beneath the mattress support.
Every night before sleeping, she checked the device.
Every night for weeks, there had been nothing.
No missions.
No contact.
No instructions.
But tonight...
The moment the screen unlocked, surprise crossed her face.
New Message (1)
Aren sat upright immediately.
Her eyes moved rapidly across the screen.
"Test mission?" she murmured. "Sunday?"
She quickly opened the attached file.
The screen shifted into a clean operational briefing.
[ MISISON BRIEF ]
Time: Sunday, 1:00 PM
An Ombra operative will infiltrate Chiara Leone’s luncheon, posing as serving staff.
An informant of unknown House affiliation will deliver encrypted material detailing the Ten Houses.
[ OMBRA OPERATIVE ]
— Male, identity unknown
[ INFORMANT ]
— Female, identity unknown
[ MATERIAL ]
— Encrypted drive (1)
[ MISSION OBJECTIVES ]
— Identify Ombra operative.
— Identify informant.
— Connect the drive to this device to make a copy of the material.
[ AUTO DELETE IN 5 SECONDS ]
Aren watched the file disappear with growing excitement, then turned toward Biscuit with a bright smile.
"Seems like we’re going to have a very busy Sunday."
Biscuit bounced excitedly across the bed as if the treats had granted him supernatural energy.
Aren laughed and scratched beneath his chin.
"Now, you must’ve been bored inside all day, hm? Why don’t we go for a walk?"
