Chapter 3-Meeting the male lead 2
1824 Words
/Valentina's POV/
My heart did a scooby-doo dance on a rotating Ferris wheel when Nora reached for the metallic knob of the mahogany door and pulled it open.
I was finally going to meet the male lead that turned me into a fan girl after just three pages of the novel, but I found myself torn between excitement and horror when the door pulled open to reveal the brutalised-looking but still handsome male lead that was described in the novel.
Theodore was described as a dangerously handsome Greek god in the flesh that turns young girls infatuation; max, anytime he flashes his bored hazel, and his still drop-dead gorgeous eyes to anyone.
He was someone who doesn’t smile often because he’s never felt excited enough to, not that he was lacking it; just after years of torture and forbearing silence, that part of him seems to have just gone extinct.
His stone-cold, square-shaped face matched the countenance described by the author.
Theodore stood tall at 6’3 with a strong presence alighted by his broad shoulders, muscular arms, strong thighs and chiselled jawline that gave him a bold, defined look.
I flinched as my crystal blue eyes met his demeaning hazel ones that raked over me with pure disgust.
With a leg sweep from Nora, Theodore was face flat on the floor, his head right in front of the flip-flops I settled for after ditching the expensive gem-etched black heels Nora offered to match my simple white flare dress with.
“You don’t look at her like that,” Nora said in a threatening, condescending voice that almost made me stagger since only one thing rang in my head.
‘Nora might just have moved my execution date forward’.
Nora had her fingers pressing down on Theodore’s thick neck, which could barely fit and one of his arms was drawn back in a way that gave Nora an upper hand in subduing him.
The rest of her weight was pressed on the other side of Theodore's shoulder, making it impossible for him to lift his body of the floor even if he wanted to.
“Let him go, Nora,” I commanded. Hiding behind my aggressive tone and blank face was my inner turmoil—the voices in my head stating how I’m definitely going to die at Theo’s hand.
“But Tina-” Her words died in her throat as she looked up to see my hardened expression.
It was the only way to hide the fact that I’m internally freaking out right now.
“Are you hurt?” I asked as Theodore picked himself back up, like he wasn’t just slammed into the dirty floor of the storage room; he was made to sleep.
Theodore recoiled as I tried to reach for his face, that had a couple of cuts across it. "Oh,” I muttered right before Nora cussed under her breath, wanting to grab Theo again but I stopped her right before she could even think of it.
My mind went back and forth between treating Theodore’s wounds first or changing his room. The room smell like old socks filled with soiled foods.
It was hard to keep myself from sneezing my brains out from the heavy waft of dust that attacked my nostrils and left them itching and twitching.
The space seems to have been abandoned for months or maybe years, though some cleaning materials like mop and a dusting broom that hung in a corner proved otherwise or maybe it’s just for storing cleaning materials that are actually not used in cleaning the space. I’m sure even a homeless person wouldn’t settle for this.
“Tina, change his room first... and not some storage but a proper, human-habitable- room,” I made clear, trying my best to give a confident command to Nora, whose face split between confusion and apprehension.
Which I decided to dismiss to keep up the bitchy-Tina act. “And get some ointments while you’re at it,” I added dryly before turning right back to face him.
The look on Theodore’s face, despite my attempt to help, was proof that he wasn’t my biggest fan. I mean, I get it. Tina has made his life a living hell.
What Theodore didn’t realise, even after the 70+ chapters I’ve covered, is that Tina actually has a thing for him.
Yeah, that’s right. Tina was in love with him. She just hates that she couldn’t get him, no matter how much she tried.
He was a strong-willed guy who hated doing anything Tina wanted and Tina who has always had her way, felt ‘challenged’ So, I totally get it when he looked at me with eyes meant for a hunter ready to gun down his game.
“I understand if that’s what you want but I can’t just leave you alone with him. It’s my responsibility to protect you and leaving you alone with ‘him.” Nora pressed emphasis on the ‘him’ as her eyes flicked over Theodore’s messy appearance.
“Isn’t exactly protecting you” She might be right. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be alone in the same room with someone as dangerous as Theodore.
It’s definitely a bad idea but I was confident that Theo wouldn’t kill me—at least not right now since it'd jeopardise his years of planning and strategizing how to leave the Raven’s house.
He would have left if he had a chance, but traitors are found and eliminated once caught, He wouldn’t compromise his chance to escape for a mere second of pleasure because tearing into my flesh would give him an undeniable madass pleasure he would slowly savour.
“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt.” Honestly, he won’t but I didn’t sound as confident as I felt.
“Tina-
“Oh for God’s sake, stop mothering me!” I snapped at Nora, who flinched like I’d slapped her.
Her expression dimmed, losing the light and enthusiasm it had seconds ago.
I felt my heart tighten to the guilt that fastened against my throat. I feel bad but this is going to save both our heads so it’s worth it.
"Sure,” Nora gave in, turning swiftly for the door before pausing to throw Theo a random, threatening glare.
She put those threats in words as she opened her full lower lip.
“If you touched even a single strand of her hair so much, I’d make you regret you were ever born,” She declared before leaving through the door wide open.
Nora wouldn’t be able to make do with that threat if Theodore had gone full-male, but right now. He was just a helpless, powerless male lead living his backstory.
“What makes you think I wouldn’t snap your neck right now?” My blood drummed in my veins as Theodore towered me despite being a year younger than me, and honestly, I shouldn’t feeling so excited right now but I can’t help it.
Is this the threatening pose male leads often assumed when they want to intimidate their female leads, Goddamn it.
It’s so cool. I thought I was feeling a strange blood rush as Theo press me to the door. I’d hate to ruin the moment but those cuts on his face were still hella disturbing.
What on earth did they do to his handsome face? I frowned.
“What happened to your face?” I asked, brushing off his earlier question.
Actually, I know exactly what happened, because Theodore always disobeys Valentina, he left himself open to contempt and bullying from people who wanted to suck up to her.
Especially the other ‘Crows’ who wanted so badly to prove themselves. To them, being doted on by Valentina Raven, the precious daughter of the family head and mafia Don Lorenzo Vance Raven, is nothing but an opportunity.
While so many of them would jump to bang the b***h, Theodore was not in anyway interested, Tina was one of the characters that was made to make Theodore’s pure but cruel attitude shine.
“Is it Jaden’s group again?” My brain quickly offered up the name of that one person who never stopped bothering him:
“Why do you care?” Ice crept under my skin as his resonant and low-pitched voice almost tempted me to go to my knees and kiss his feet.
‘Not now, girl, not now’ I immediately turned off my fangirling mode and focused on replying him this time.
“Because I hate it when you’re bruised.” Technically, that wasn’t a lie but I needed to make it a little more ‘Tina-ish’. So I added. “I’m the only one allowed to touch you.”
I’m not exactly sure what the look on his face meant, but I could tell he was confused, irked and amused at the same time.
Then he snickered and gave me a look that said, ‘Is this b***h kidding me?’
“It’s been arranged.” Nora made her presence known with her sudden declaration.
“That’s great,” I commented, skittering away from Theo’s entrapment. “Let’s go see it,” I grinned, joining Nora right outside before she had a chance to slip back into the cramped room that could barely fit the three of us.
I’m impressed, I thought to myself as Nora led us to the new room.
She did a really great job getting the details right. The room wasn’t as big or elegant as Tina’s room.
It’ll probably be too much to ask for, but it was the right amount of perfect. A four-cornered room with burnt ash wallpaper.
A medium-sized bed and even a nook and cranny for reading and stuff.
It was just perfect.
“I like it.” The words slip out of my mouth before I knew it so I cleared my throat to get back into Tina's mood because that definitely wasn’t how Tina sounded.
“I mean, it’s not half bad.” I rephrased my words before holding out my hand to take the ointment needed for Theo’s wounds.
I made Theo, who looked hella confused, sit on the bed with the intention of putting the ointment on him myself.
“I can do it" Nora offered.
“Put your hands on him and I’ll rip it right out of its joints,” I threatened before she could finish.
“Also, find those guys... every single one of them who laid hands on him needs to be taught a lesson. No one touches what’s mine.” I declared but paused a minute before Nora took the command the wrong way.
“You know I don’t mean you should kill them, right?” My tone faltered to my question and Nora’s face was blank in confusion.
“You don’t?” Her question made my eyes widened, was she really thinking of killing them?
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- Writer
