Katiandra's eyes met the guest's, and for a fleeting moment, her gaze faltered. A flicker of disdain danced in her eyes, but she quickly masked it with a polite, yet detached, expression.
That threatened to disappear when her gaze met what was in the young woman hands.
"Flowers! How chivalrous of you! Um..." Katiandra's voice dripped with sarcasm as she accepted the bouquet from Michaela who handed it to her almost automatically like it was what was normal to do in the moment.
Thee older woman eyes scrutinized the flowers from every angle, her expression unimpressed. "You did your best, at least." She shook her head, the soft curls of her hair swaying gently.
Michaela's gaze wandered around the opulent foyer, her eyes widening as she took in the exquisite furnishings and lavish decorations.
She was a designer, specializing in creating stunning interiors for the wealthy elite. Her trained eyes recognized the rare, exotic flowers that adorned the space, their beauty and value undeniable. She knew that these species were only available in VIP-list shops, catering to the ultra-rich.
Like they were programmed by a curse, Michaela's eyes, whatever she tried not to finally met Katiandra's, the shiver she then felt run down her spine making her uncomfortable. It was worse than what she had ever feel watching the best of horror movie she wholeheartedly disliked.
Katiandra's piercing crystal green orbs seemed to bore into her soul, so cold she physically shivered provoking a glint in them, while a charming, yet menacing, smile played on her lips. Michaela's heart started racing, she felt like she was trapped in a gaze that seemed to see right through her.
Cold sweat trickled down the designer's back, very hot, settling into the waistband of her pants. Frightened, she was all of a sudden, irrationally afraid, but could still be grateful for the makeup that concealed her flushed face.
Katiandra's eyes seemed to be studying her, amused by Michaela's evident fear. The Italian designer felt like she was being scrutinized by a robot, her every move analyzed and assessed.
Katiandra's smirk grew, her eyes glinting with amusement making them shine in a weird but attractive way that had the designer feels a pulling sensation driving her to the woman, a desire, like one would feel when smelling the best meal being cook.
Disgusted by her own pulsion, she instinctively frown almost having the older woman chuckled like she knew what she was going through, which she did, after having humans of all layers of society, wherever she had travel for her work, lusting over her all her life.
Letting go of the young woman overwhelmed gaze, katiandra's
hummed laying her trained eyes on the flowers with indifference.
"Whatever this is," she said, her voice dripping with disdain, "it's... quaint." Her gaze lingered on the flowers, her expression unimpressed. "If this were wine, I'd say it's a poor vintage."
Tilting her head to the side, Katiandra reconnected their gaze for a solid minute, keeping the eye contact with the stranger. In her mind, she could still hear the woman's flirtatious tone as she courted her lover in that vision, calling her like she was trying to have what was hers.
She remembered the nightmares she had had where Lorelei's would invariably tell her they were over because this younger other woman won her heart. For months she could not sleep , because of this person in front of her. The memory was enough to set Katiandra's emotions ablaze. Feeling the coldness double, Michaela took a step back with caution, choosing to keep her mouth shut.
"I don't recall it being necessary for flowers to be delivered to MY home," Katiandra said, her voice icy and detached. "This is completely out of line. Why are you here? Because I'm sure no one knows I'm here. To send me welcome flowers?"
Michaela, naive and unaware of the danger lurking beneath Katiandra's polished exterior, began to respond. "I came for..."
But before she could finish, Alicia intervened, her voice firm but polite. "Me, Mama. Come on, Michaela, I told you to call first, right? You should listen sometimes. I would have told you I wasn't available today, we put work off all of this time for a reason. Mama recently arrived, as you can see we were having a family time."
Alicia's eyes locked onto Michaela's who took the young princess voice as an excuse to detach her gaze from thee girl mother's.Feeling safer, she found in the princess gaze a warning to tread carefully.
Michaela's eyes darted left, to Kayley's apologetic gaze, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. The older princess's expression seemed to be saying, "If you had listened to us..."
Mechanically accepting Alicia's hug, she was almost pushed in it, Michaela's arms returned the gesture, her body language screaming for comfort and reassurance. As they hugged, Michaela's eyes closed then opened never leaving Katiandra's face, her gaze locked in a silent standoff.
Michaela's eyes flashed with fear as she realized she was trapped in Katiandra's sights. The Italian designer's mind started racing, while she struggled to find a way to escape the predicament she had put herself in.
Not letting go, the older woman
took her in the moment Alicia released her from their hug.
"I haven't heard your name yet?" Katiandra's voice was like ice, her eyes piercing as she gazed at Michaela.
"Mom, it is Michaela, the interior designer who works with Mrs. Blake. We have been working together for years now." Alicia's voice was calm as she stepped in again, but her eyes darted nervously between her mother and Michaela.
Not giving anything away, Katiandra, the woman who would always be seen as a perpetual queen, took a moment to assess the situation.
Her eyes, a piercing green, seemed to bore into Michaela's very soul, as if searching for any hidden secrets. Her expression was a mask of calm, collected elegance, but Michaela could sense the underlying tension.
The mother's intuition trained for decades of reading humans behaviour, could see through what her daughter was doing, but knew so far she had not lied starkly to her, maybe just white lies, which was certainly for Lorelei's angelic heart.
Katiandra's gaze lingered on Michaela's face, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the younger woman's features.
"Hmmm, Ms. Michaela. Treat my daughter well. These kinds of flowers, I suppose they are for her, are just unacceptable." Katiandra's voice was laced with disdain, her tone dripping with condescension. That she did not let go completely was meant to show the girl on which league she had shown her face.
"Ma!!! We are not a couple or anything like that. Those flowers are certainly for Lorelei. You know she certainly remembered she was not feeling well lately." Alicia's voice was firm, but her eyes darted nervously to her mother, as if seeking approval.
Amazed at how big Alicia had become to dare to do what she was doing to save Michaela's life, Katiandra chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent a shiver down Michaela's spine. Her eyes gleamed with amusement, but her expression was still icy.
"Then it is worse." The sarcasm and disdain in Katiandra's voice were so crude that even Martha, the loyal housekeeper, felt bad for the young Italian designer. Martha's eyes darted to where Michaela stood quietly like the others in the room, her expression sympathetic.
Getting cold at the blunt answer, Michaela looked at Alicia for help, whatever the young princess had to offer, she could take at that point. Her eyes were wide with fear, her face pale. But she was saved by Lorelei, who was not amused by her lover attitude.
She left the breakfast table to walk towards them, smiling.
To say she was not disturbed by the predicament they were all in would have been a lie.
Lorelei thoughtfully brainstorm on the way to treat the matter while approaching carefully, knowing that nothing good ever came from someone who found themselves walking on eggs.
Her eyes met Michaela's, and she could see the fear and uncertainty lurking beneath the surface.
She felt a pang of sympathy for the young designer, but knowing that she had warned her clearly that there would never be anything between them, she knew her loyalty go to her lover who had to be feeling threatened eventhough with no reason.
But stubbornness was written in both women souls.
Diverted by the young professor approach, the designer eyes settled on her forgetting all around her.
The way Lorelei looked had Michaela's mouth slightly parted in awe. It was as if an angelic presence had descended upon the room, radiating an otherworldly calm.
The young professor's relaxed demeanor was mesmerizing, she looked nothing like the last time she had seen her. Her eyes shining like dazzling diamonds that illuminated everything around her. They hold hers for a moment a small smile on making the Italian heart beat faster.
Then, she looked at Katiandra again, and Michaela's mind snapped back to reality. At that moment, it was as if the light in Lorelei's eyes and her general demeanor had intensified to an unbearable degree. It was clear there was a particular bond between them. The Italian could only watch what was unfolding before her eyes.
Lorelei's smile at her partner was a gentle attempt to calm her down, offering the assurance she needed. She knew her so much, and jealousy was not something she ever wanted her to feel.
Caressing her fingers around the flowers firstly, Lorelei's smile widened keeping her gaze in hers.
"Come on. A gift is a gift. I recall those flowers are actually good."
Taking the bouquet from Katiandra's delicate hands, Lorelei hummed softly as she examined the flowers, her voice a soothing song to the tense atmosphere. Her kind words almost made Katiandra rolled her eyes though her partner tenderness was not lost on her.
Puffing out her chest like a satisfied cat, Katiandra pushed Lorelei's words aside with the back of her perfectly manicured hand.
What she did wrong afterwards, was looking up, meeting Lorelei's gaze, right there, her features softened completely, a transformation that was unsettling for Michaela, who could only stare in confusion.
"Good is not enough. We already have those in the garden, and they're not even the best." Stubbornly the older woman continued feeling her resolves crumbled.
The vendetta was clear, and the room fell silent, as if death itself had descended upon them. Michaela had to grasp Alicia's hand to stop herself from shaking.
The poised woman Michaela had heard about on TV was in full force on her case, determined to destroy her emotionally without caring that others were witnessing it.
To make matters worse, Katiandra was doing it all with a smile, her eyes glinting with malice.
Still smiling, Lorelei's shoulders shrugged to make her point, while her body shifted near Katiandra, whose hand automatically found a place on the younger woman's lower back.
"My point," Lorelei countered, her gentle smile still plastered on her face as she let Katiandra's arm pull her closer.
Michaela's eyes quickly took in the scene, her gaze lingering on the way Katiandra's hand seemed to fit perfectly on Lorelei's lower back. The Queen was the real definition of a MILF, and Michaela couldn't help but feel a pang of envy almost understanding what was going on.
No wonder Lorelei's only response to Katiandra's pull was a wider smile, almost a giggle, her eyes sparkling with amusement, while she nestled in the side of the woman looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing ever create on earth.