Irresistible Boss Succumbing to Your Touch (Maria Anita) novel Chapter 3

Manuela’s POV

The Friday at the office was so quiet that I was watching time pass slowly. I ended up remembering the cookies from the bakery across from the office - it had been so long since I'd had them, and they were delicious.

"Hmm, I think I'll go buy some for an afternoon snack," I said to myself.

"Talking to yourself, Manu?" Lexie appeared at her office door with a mug in hand.

"It's a habit, Lexie, I talk to myself. But since you're here, would you mind answering the phone for me for a few minutes?" I asked Lexie.

"Of course not, I'll handle it." She smiled and glanced at the cell phone in her hand.

"Won't be long." I grabbed my purse and walked to the elevator.

"Hey, Manu, where are you going? You're not leaving the building, are you? Flavian said you shouldn't go out..." Lexie noticed I was planning to leave and became worried.

"It's quick, Lexie, just going to the bakery across the street. Don't worry, my father is keeping an eye on my mother, he has someone watching her and letting me know if she or Julian leave town. Since he hasn't said anything, there's no problem with me going to the bakery," I said, smiling at her as I stepped into the elevator.

“Freedom really does have a sweet taste,” I laughed to myself at the thought. It felt so good to walk freely - I dreamed of the day my mother would forget this idea of forcing me to move back home and marry that idiot, Mr. Calvin's son. I bought the cookies and left the bakery.

"Got you, little mouse!" My mother grabbed me by the hair.

"Mom! Let go, ouch, it hurts!" I complained.

"If you don't behave, it will hurt more." My mother pulled me and I almost lost my balance.

She opened the back door of a black car that wasn't hers, but to do this she had to let go of my hair and only held me by the arm. I took advantage of her loosened grip and broke free, but before I could run, she dug her nails into my arms with all her strength. I struggled and felt her nails tear into my skin.

"Mom, please, let me go!" Tears were already running down my face as I tried to break free.

"The more you fight, the worse your punishment will be when we get home," she told me.

I looked around desperately, but there was no one passing by the street at that hour. In the bakery, there were only two employees who seemed too distracted to notice what was happening on the sidewalk.

I struggled and tried to break free, but her nails dug deeper into my skin. She scratched my arms and raised her hand to slap me. In the scuffle, my heel caught on something and broke, making me lose my balance and fall. Just then, I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders trying to help me up, and I struggled even more. The person holding me from behind finally spoke,

"Calm down, ladies! I'm a police officer." I turned around and saw that familiar face I knew from seeing him every day in front of the building where I worked.

"Let go of me, you brute! Get your hands off me!" I looked at my mother, who was screaming and being held with her hands behind her back while the officer tried to handcuff her.

"No!" I shouted at him. "You don't need to arrest her. She's my mother. Just get her out of here and help me get to the office."

"But Flavian won't like this," said the officer holding my mother. He glared at me furiously.

"She wanted to take me away, and they helped me," I replied as tears started falling again. Flavian stood up and went to the police officer.

"I hope that creature is waiting for me at the police station right now," Flavian hissed, and the officer put his hands on his hips and looked from side to side.

"Detective, the young lady wouldn't let us arrest her mother. She asked us to take her to the city limits, like we did with those boys that day," the officer explained, and Flavian punched the wall but said nothing.

"Why did you go out alone, little one?" Flavian knelt beside me again. He wanted to know everything, and I wanted to know what Olivia was doing there.

I explained to them why I left, that I trusted my mother was in our city and that was why I left the building for a moment. It was just for a moment. While I was telling the story, the doctor finished cleaning the cuts made by my mother's nails on my arms. She wore some kind of gel nails, whatever, but they cut like razors. The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatories and painkillers but said everything was fine and left the break room.

"Manu, you're going home," Alexander said simply and left no room for discussion.

"Come on, little one, I'll buy your sweets and take you home," Flavian kissed the top of my head, and a bag from the confectionery was shaken in front of me.

"I already bought the sweets," Rick smiled at me, and I thanked him.

"I'll come pick you up at the end of the day, Lexie," Flavian told his sister.

"No need, I'll take Lexie home and check on Manu while I'm there," Rick replied.

We left - Flavian, Olivia, and I - after I thanked everyone for their support and concern. My whole body was aching, but my heart hurt the most. How could a mother be capable of this?