Exclusively Yours - Episode 44
Subtitle; {Please, Love Me}
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Author's POV
Asia stormed into the elevator, feeling indescribable rage. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, pounding on her ribcage and threatening to burst out. Pushing her way to her destination, she clenched her fist and knocked rapidly. She could hear grumbling and complaining from the other side of the door before it opened.
Immediately, she lifted her hand and landed a slap on Jade's face. Jade's face swung to the side from the impact, and her body froze for a moment before she turned to glare at Asia.
"What the f+ck was that for?!" Jade exclaimed.
"You're a f+cking bí+ch, you know that, right?" Asia bit back with even more venom.
"What did I do?"
"Stop yelling," Asia snapped, pushing Jade back and entering her apartment. Her confusion greatly irritated Asia. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know what you did. Olivia could have diéd. How could you do such a thing?"
Yes, Asia hatéd Olivia, but not enough to want to take her life. She couldn't and wouldn't even consider it.
A psychotic smirk brushed Jade's face, and then a scoff escaped her mouth. "That's a hefty accusation, Asia."
"Oh, shut your filthy mouth. Just admit it, I know you did it."
"And what if I did? What will you do to me?" Jade scoffed again. "Seriously, do you think I'm like you, someone who doesn't fight for what I want? No, I am not like you in any way."
"And you're just realizing that?" Asia snapped. "It's obvious even to a blind person. But, I must ask, what makes you think that if you succeed in killing Olivia, Riccardo will want to be with you?"
"Which man doesn't want to be with me?"
"For one, Riccardo," Asia replied. "He hates you. He has always hated you since high school, so for your own self-respect — if you have one — give up."
Jade opened her mouth to say something, and Asia would have let her if she didn't despíse her so much. Who the héll does she think she is?
Raising her index finger, Asia successfully cut her off. "Wait, I just remembered. You said you aren't me, that I don't know how to fight for what I want? Well, what I want is my childhood friend. He was always mine. He loves me, knows me, and he even lets me into his house. If you went to his house, he wouldn't waste a second in sending you out."
Jade's demeanor wavered, and she took a step back. "Get out."
"I will. But listen, and listen carefully; if you do anything to húrt Riccardo, I'll be your worst nightmare. This means, do not, and I repeat, do not touch Olivia ever again."
"Or else what?"
"I'll tell Riccardo who húrt his wife," Asia said, ignoring the stab of pain as she tried her best not to focus on that last word. "He will have even more reason to loàthe you."
Jade raised her head defiantly, and Asia watched as she put on the sweetest smile on her cunning face, bringing unwanted memories of how quickly she captivated the favor of all the students and teachers back then in school.
Sheesh, Asia so badly wanted to squeeze and snap her neck in half.
"Why are you smiling?"
Jade tilted her head, feigning confusion and cluelessness. "Me?"
Asia didn't know what her brain was telling her, but she knew it would be as bàd as her.
Asia frowned and stepped forward, gritting her teeth in angér. "Quit it."
"I'm just thinking about how you'll tell Riccardo that it was me who did it. I mean, how do you know? Are you hanging out with me?"
A hysterical laugh erupted from Asia, and she purposely let it linger longer just to annoy Jade. "You wish. I hàte you, and I'm sure I don't hide it. If he asks questions, I'll answer him in my own way."
"You must really think you have the upper hand against me because you're close to him, right?"
Unfortunately, she was right for the first time in her miseràble life.
Asia cutely nodded her head with her secret weapon smile.
"Within the next two weeks, Riccardo will be mine. Just wait and see."
What did that mean?
What else would she do?
"Jade, I am—"
"Shut it," she snapped. "If you don't want me to touch Olivia, then I won't touch her. Riccardo will come to me all by himself and be at my mercy."
The way she said it, with so much certainty and assurance, it was as if she knew it would happen.
Asia swallowed, anxiety and panic slowly rising in her body. She tried to exhale to release the tension in her chest, but it did nothing to alleviate it.
"What will you do?"
"Why should I tell you?" she retorted. "Get out now."
••
Without hesitating, Asia zoomed her car down the road, headed straight to Riccardo's house to tell him what had just happened.
She didn't care what he did or thought of her; all she knew was that Jade was ready for war. It was evident in her eyes and her tone.
Slowing the car to a stop, Asia jumped out and dashed to the door. She rang the doorbell and waited. Soon, those familiar brown eyes met hers, and she took a step back.
"Riccardo isn't home," Olivia immediately said, staring at Asia as if she had never seen her before.
Asia scanned Olivia from head to toe, strangely glad to see that she was okay. Those eyes of hers had regained their spark that made her so beautiful.
Asia shook her unnecessary thoughts away, ran her fingers through her hair, and took a step toward Olivia. "This is serious, I need to talk to him."
"Do you, by any chance, talk to ghosts? I said, Riccardo isn't home."
"He's not at his company either, so he must be with you. I need to talk to him," Asia insisted.
"Well, my husband is a busy man, okay? Seriously, I'm not in the mood for any of your tricks. Go away."
"This isn't a trick, Olivia!" Asia yelled, startling both Olivia and herself. All the negative emotions pulsed through her veins like nicotine, and what pained her the most was that she couldn't do anything about it.
Something weird was happening to her. Something strangely bizarre was happening to her body. She wasn't just concerned and worried about Riccardo's well-being, but Olivia's as well. And she didn't know why.
Asia hatéd this feeling.
She hatéd Olivia.
"You just called me by my name," Olivia sounded surprised or shocked, Asia couldn't tell. Her eyes scanned Asia's face, and her brows furrowed. "What are you up to?"
No matter how badly Asia wanted to say it, she couldn't do so with Olivia. Olivia wouldn't believe her, and Asia didn't blame her.
I mean, yes, Asia disliked her, a lot. And she did some pretty embarrassing stuff to her at the game show that didn't go according to plan. But Olivia had more reason to hate her than Asia did to hate her, and that meant anything Asia said would be fruitless.
Jade's comeback had ruinéd so many things, and Asia hatéd that she was scared of Jade's next move.
"Nothing," she replied, turned back to her car, and left.
TBC 📖✍️
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