Georgina was terrified. She didn't know what to expect from Antonio. She had never upset a Rosario so she didn't know what the consequences could be.

As Francesco and Adele left the room and closed the door behind them, Antonio spoke firmly "Costanzo and Georgio, I want you to step outside and wait. This shouldn't take long."

Georgio looked mortified "Antonio ..... what are you going to do? Please don't hurt her. She is my only family."

Antonio spoke sounding annoyed "I wont kill her. That's the only assurance you will get. Its Francesco's orders. If she wasn't a girl, she was dead for raising her hand on a Rosario. Now before I decide to make it worse for her, step outside and wait. If you come back in before I am finished, I will start all over. Do you understand?"

Georgio nodded and spoke sounding defeated "Please... go easy on her." He then walked out and closed the door.

Antonio turned to Costanzo "I asked you to step outside too. I don't need an audience for this."

Costanzo spoke "I want to stay."

Antonio spoke "I give you to the count of ten. If you haven't left the room I would make things much worse for her. You know me. I am a man of my word. Counting down 10, 9, 8...".

Costanzo walked to the door and whispered "If you love her, you shouldn't hurt her. Be a better man than your father." He then walked out and closed the door behind him.

Antonio walked away from Georgina as her gaze was not leaving him. Her heart was beating fast now. She had no idea what Antonio was going to do to her and she had never been so scared in her life. Being alone with Antonio in one room was something she always dreaded and avoided at all costs and now he had her where he wanted her.

Antonio moved an arm chair to the centre of the room and gestured to Georgina to go to him "Come here and sit down."

Georgina spoke "What are you going to do?"

Antonio sighed "You will find out. Lets get this over with. Come sit."

Georgina walked nervously to the arm chair and sat down. Antonio went behind her somewhere in the room and came back with two hand cuffs and attached her wrists to the chair's arms. He then left her again. It was impossible to see where he was going in the room and what he was doing. The arm chair she was sitting on was huge. She couldn't see anything behind her when she turned around. She just had to wait and see what Antonio had planned.

Antonio's foot steps around the room were really intimidating Georgina. She started shaking from the anticipation. She was good with enduring pain but what kind of pain was Antonio going to subject her to? Antonio was a Rosario. She only expected the worst from him.

She was holding her breath as she heard Antonio's foot steps from the other side of the room approaching her. Antonio spoke roughly as he was standing behind her "Shall we start then. Get ready. This bites but it wont kill you."

Antonio appeared in front of her and Georgina screamed as she saw what he was holding in his hand. He was holding a scorpion in his hand from its tale. Georgina had tears in her eyes now. She pleaded "Please no. Don't do this."

Antonio spoke "You don't even know what I am going to do with it and you are panicking. Wait till I tell you." He then got closer to Georgina and whispered "I am going to drop it inside your dress through your neckline." Then he reached his hand and unbuttoned Georgina's top three buttons making her scream and move violently.

Antonio started circling the chair and taunted "Stop screaming. You know this scorpion doesn't appreciate it when someone screams or moves. Keep motionless when I drop it in."

Georgina was now crying uncontrollably "Please. I beg you. No. Don't do it."

Antonio spoke while standing behind the chair "Don't move or scream. It will bite you if you do. But don't worry. Its venom is not poisonous to humans. This is a type of Scorpion Francesco keeps in glass tanks alongside non-fatal snakes in his office for interrogations. There would be no point killing the ones he needs to interrogate for information. Right? But Francesco keeps some deadly creatures in his cellar where he mostly executes people, but not here. A word of advice, if it bites you, it will sting like hell but wont kill you. Are you ready?"

Georgina started thrashing around, screaming and sobbing "No. Please. Please." and she was breathing heavily anticipating what was coming.

Antonio walked around the room again and came back seconds later appearing next to the chair. Georgina had closed her eyes shut and was crying and thrashing around. As Antonio's hand suddenly reached Georgina neckline she sobbed louder and screamed as loud as she could. Then she felt something dropped inside her dress slipping down her neckline but to her surprise it was cold and it didn't feel like a scorpion. She stopped screaming but still had her eyes shut. She whispered as she was breathing heavily "Was that .......... an ice cube?"

Antonio chuckled "How does it feel to cool off? Have more ice." He then reached his hand over and dropped another ice cube down her dress. It also made Georgina scream in shock but not as loud as before.

Georgina opened her eyes and screamed hard as she saw Antonio standing in front of her still with a scorpion held by its tale in his hand. He spoke "That's more like it. I need you to keep your screams coming so the guards standing outside, Costanzo and Georgio think you are suffering."

Georgina was looking at Antonio with confusion "Aren't you going to .... hurt me?"

Antonio smiled weakly "If I wanted to hurt you I would have told Francesco about how you also tackled me to the ground earlier on. No, darling. I am not going to hurt you but I will do what I have to do to make you scream loud enough and long enough to make people outside this room believe that you are being hurt. Francesco has meetings with his men today all day. He likes throwing random questions around. He might ask for witnesses to your torment. obviously there are no witnesses in the room so outside the room we must convince some people that you are not enjoying yourself."

Georgina whispered "Can you at least put that scorpion away?"

Antonio spoke "Sure ..... but first I need to drop it down your dress for real. I need some more screaming from you."

As he moved the scorpion towards Georgina she started screaming harder and crying "Please no no."

When the scorpion was within inches of her neck, Antonio stopped "Good screaming. Keep it up..... Alright. Now relax. I will put it back in its glass tank now." He then walked away and Georgina sighed in relief. Then she screamed again when Antonio sneaked on her and put another ice cube down her dress.

Antonio spoke "Good. Its helping your case." He then pulled up chair and sat opposite Georgina and looked into her eyes. He reached his hand up and held her handcuffed hands in his that made Georgina flinch. He spoke "Its over now. I wont make you scream any more. Just calm down."

Georgina spoke with fear in her voice "I don't believe you. I know you want to hurt me. Do it now. I know how you operate. I have heard from my brother how you like to play games with your victims and then give them a painful end."

Antonio sighed "You are not one of my victims. Come on. I love you Georgina. I don't want you to get hurt. I want to protect you. Right now I am very worried about you. I need to know if you understand how much danger you just placed yourself in."

Georgina spoke "Why does it bother you? Its my responsibility. I don't fear death. My entire family is dead except Georgio."

Antonio spoke "Death? Trust me, death would be the most merciful fate that could come upon you if you cross someone like Francesco. You must keep out of his way. Please. Next time you pull any stunt like this, even Adele may not make him change his mind about hurting you."

Georgio whispered "So you expect me to just let you do whatever you want to me with no resistance. You want me to act like I am nothing when I am around you so I don't get into trouble with Francesco. So I should just keep it in to myself whenever you ambush me."

Antonio shook his head "You don't get it. Do you? You looked into Francesco's eyes and told him you tried to hit his cousin at his home. You admitted you tried to hurt a Rosario. No one in their right mind would ever do that. Of course, you can do whatever you want behind closed doors. But in public you must not insult me. That's the way it is. But ..... when you become my wife, things would change. You would become a Rosario. You would become mine. Still you must behave in public but you wont ever be in this much danger of suffering like how Francesco was planning for you today. It would be easier to save you."

Georgina spoke "Fine. I would watch what I do in public especially when it comes to your people. Now are you going to let me go? These hand cuffs have made my wrists feel very sore."

Antonio smirked "Its your own fault. You should have endured your punishment by remaining still. Of course you made your wrists feel sore by pulling on your handcuffs. its not my fault now... is it?" He then got up and took out a key from his pocket and was about to unlock the hand cuffs around Georgina's wrists. But then he stopped when the key was about to turn in one of the locks. He then turned to Gerogina "Look. What's that on your face. Is that a bruise? You should cover it up by make up. Let me see." He then leaned close and while inspecting Georgina's face looked into her eyes and attached his lips to Georgina's. It startled Georgina. But what did she expect. of course Antonio was going to take advantage of this situation where she was bound. She let him finish and didn't kiss him back.

Once Antonio had enough of devouring Georgina's lips, he pulled away. He complained "Why cant you kiss me back for once." He then unlocked the hand cuffs and sighed "Here you go. You are free to go. But try to look scared and hurt when you leave this room."

Georgina stood up and spoke "Thank you Antonio. I owe you one." She then leaned close and gave Antonio a kiss on the cheek and pulled away smiling at him.

Antonio narrowed his eyes "Why didn't you kiss me back just now when you were hand cuffed and I tried to get you to kiss me back. Why did you hold back if you don't mind kissing me."

Georgina shrugged and spoke innocently "Well. You have to earn it Antonio. So far you have earned a kiss on the cheek."

Antonio sounded annoyed "What do I have to do to earn a proper kiss on the lips from you then."

Georgina spoke "Get me to go out with you first."

Antonio scoffed "Hold on. You would kiss Costanzo in a heart beat without him doing anything. Don't deny it. I have lost count of how many times you have ambushed him and cornered him trying to kiss him unsuccessfully and you never had the rule that he had to go out with you but why cant you kiss me? Why are you prepared to willingly jump into Costanzo's arms and would kiss him without a second thought and not me."

Georgina spoke "Don't compare yourself to Costanzo. He is an angel. I have never met a woman who would say they would ever pass up an opportunity to make out with him. He lights up every room he walks into...."

Antonio spoke cockily "And I don't?"

Georgina laughed bitterly "Are you kidding me? You obviously don't know your effect on others. You suck the life out of every room you walk into. I didn't have many friends at college but ....."

Antonio spoke "Who's fault was that? You tortured anyone who you didn't like. Not many were left who dared come close to you."

Georgina spoke "Those I hurt back then deserved what came for them. They made fun of me because of my Italian name. I had to teach them a lesson. The ones I tortured made my first week as a fresher in college hell and I got them back. But its not like I killed them. Anyways as I was saying, my little circle of friends in college told me enough about you storming the fraternities of their boyfriends and beating the day lights out of them. At least I never terrorised anyone for the fun of it. I also never held grudges. Once I ever got anyone back, that was the end of it but you made me look like a saint with everything you did and you kept doing it non stop."

Antonio spoke "Since when do you cut your heart out for others. Darling, this is a cut throat world. You have to be ruthless to survive it. Maybe I beat up a couple of guys for the fun of it back in college. So what? Who are you? Their lawyer? But never mind. That's besides the point we were making here. The point is ...."

Georgina spoke "The point is that you don't take no for an answer."

Antonio was losing patience "Out with it. What do I have to do to get you to date me? What do I have to do to get you to kiss me and to become mine?"

Georgina spoke "Work it out yourself."

As Georgina turned around and was about to walk to the door, Antonio spoke "Wait. Let me teach you some self defense. Tomorrow night at this mansion. Is that a date? I will bring you here after the Hollywood ball in the city."

Georgina spoke "I .... will think about it. At the ball tomorrow if I save you a dance, it means yes, otherwise keep trying." She then gave him a smile and turned to walk to the door. Antonio, then grabbed a handful of ice from the ice bucket on a table and spoke "Wait. turn around." As she turned, he shoved the ice down her dress and made her scream and she removed the ice by jumping up and down. Then she looked at him with fury.

Antonio spoke with a smile "That's more like it. Keep looking grumpy,.... maybe look down and pretend to be hurt and upset. Just don't talk and look like you are very sad. I know your act would be perfect. In college, you were in alot of drama productions. Isn't that right? Let me lead you to the door though." He then walked to the door and opened the door and spoke roughly "Punishment ended. You can leave now." As Georgina walked out she was acting the part and looking hurt.

Georgio walked to Georgina and embraced her. He whispered "Are you ok? Its over now. That's all that matters." He then looked up to Antonio "Why doesn't she talk?"

Antonio spoke "Because I taught her what her place is. She wouldnt dare talk in my presence for a while. The shock must wear off. Now follow me. I will take you to the gate, so you can get your belongings back. I think Alonso must have taken Georgina's knife to the door too."

Costanzo spoke "Antonio. may I have a word?"

Antonio spoke "You may not. Not now. When I came back, meet me in the main game room. i need to play some pool too." He then turned to georgio and Georgina "Follow me. this way."

After Antonio accompanied Georgina and Georgio to the door and wordlessly said goodbye. Antonio saw Costanzo on his way back. he was waiting outside the main game room. Antonio sighed and entered. As Costanzo came inside the room and closed the door, Antonio spoke quickly "If its about Georgina, be at ease. I didn't hurt her. I just made her scream with the ice cubes Francesco holds for his drinks in his freezer. That's all I did."

Costanzo looked at Antonio with surprise "What? You mean all that screaming was for cold ice?"

Antonio spoke "Well. I also used a scorpion as a scare tactic. That's it."

Costanzo was looking at Antonio with outrage "You did what? That's going too far. Did you have to scare the poor girl."

Antonio sighed "What else was I supposed to do? I needed to make her scream and the scorpion did it. But why do you care about her? I thought you didn't like her?"

Costanzo spoke "I don't like her."

Antonio walked closer to Costanzo and looked at him in a threatening manner " Really? I hope, for your sake you are telling the truth. If you make a move on her tomorrow night at that ball, that would mean war Costanzo and unlike you I don't play nice if someone messes with me. I want her and I will have her and right now you are the number one threat to our relationship. So watch your back cousin. I am watching you. If you touch her ever,..... I will make your life hell."

Costanzo put his hands up in surrender "Trust me. I have no intention of getting close to her. She is yours. By the way, Francesco sent a message through the guards to me that you are supposed to go see him now in the dining room. He wants to know what you did to Georgina."

Antonio reached his hand up and rubbed his forehead "Oh joy. And he couldn't wait until we report to him in his meetings today when it all starts in an hour. Its always a delightful experience to report to him. Come on then. You were the witness to Georgina's screams when you were waiting outside. Come along with me now and back me up."