CHAPTER 24

"What do you mean child" Aunt Amelita, said turning away from Rosa and picking up her shawl from her nightstand.

"I know you want to tell her the truth mom, you have been against the wedding since Lorenzo ordered it" Rosa whispered furiously.

Aunt Amelita sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

" I want what is right for her Rosa, everyone deserves the right to be with the one they love"

"I know Mom" Rosa muttered, going over to sit on the seat by the dresser,

"But I have never seen Lorenzo look at someone the way he looks at her and even though she loves Marcello, he is with Lucia Caruso," she said

"That's exactly why I kept quiet, but such a sweet girl doesn't deserve such deceit. Marriage is a tough duty and unless the couples understand each other then they would eventually fall apart." Aunt Amelita said,

Rosa nodded, feeling ashamed of her own selfishness. The truth was that she wanted Celeste to be part of the family and she was the only one suitable to be their lady.

"You have a point Mom, but since it's Lorenzo's business it's best we let him figure it out or you talk to him instead since he listens to everything you say" Rosa implored.

She had a feeling that if Lorenzo played his cards well then Celeste might actually fall for him especially when she finds out Marcello is serious with Lucia. If only she could help out in a way.

"So, why did you come in running like the devil was on your heels?" Aunt Amelita asked.

Rosa immediately became alert as she remembered why she had come in such haste.

"I was going to the wine cellar to get Louise a bottle of wine when I overheard Dad scheduling a meeting with a man tomorrow. He said that with Lorenzo busy with the wedding it was a perfect opportunity to kill off someone" She blurted wide-eyed.

Aunt Amelita frowned, she knew her husband hated the twin brothers with every fiber of his being, but the reason for his hatred and what he did was something that would haunt her forever.

She had been 24 years old when she had returned to Italy after years outside the country, with her best friend Vincenza who had been the mother of the twin boys.

During a party, they met her husband Pietro who had been a dashing young man and Aunt Amelita had fallen head over heels for him, but the problem was that he was attracted to Vincenza her best friend.

They had spent the evening together all three of them. However, Aunt Amelita had been more of a third wheel as she watched Uncle Pietro shower Vincenza with all his attention, sparing her only a mere glance whenever she tried talking to him.

However when as time went by with Uncle Pietro trying to win Vincenza who was adamant, Aunt Amelita could only watch from the corner and admire him in secret.

Vincenza wasn't interested in him but as the romantic believer she was, she kept seeing Uncle Pietro so that Aunt Amelita could spend time around him and hopefully get him to fall for her.

This continued until the day he invited Vincenza for a family dinner and she brought Aunt Amelita along with her. Everything was going fine as usual with them playing their usual games until Uncle Pietro's elder brother Dante Martino walked in.

Vincenza's gaze was locked on his instantly, and their chemistry had been off the charts. Before that night was over Vincenza and Dante had gotten on like lovers who had known each other since forever.

Uncle Pietro had been livid and extremely jealous so out of spite he turned to Aunt Amelita who had been naive and so crazy about him that she thought with time she could sway him.

30 years of marriage now and Uncle Pietro still hated her for not being Vincenza but that was her cross to carry. He had hated his elder brother the most. One night he had been drunk and wished aloud that his brother had died on the way back home so he wouldn't have met Vincenza.

That night was the night the twins were born. Aunt Amelita had been terrified to hear that and had warned Vincenza to tell Dante who had been under the boss of the Martinos then.

However, Vincenza refused saying that she was not about to create problems for Aunt Amelita in case Dante confronted Uncle Pietro. The both of them had kept it a secret for both Aunt Amelita's sake and for the brothers too.

The charade of peace went on for fourteen years until the couple's anniversary. When they had been involved in a suspicious car accident which Aunt Amelita later found out was Uncle Pietro's doing so he could be under the boss and marry Vincenza.

He had come home that day extremely excited and even danced with Aunt Amelita and made her, her favorite food. But that night when he discovered that Vincenza had died too, he had turned ashen and buried his head in his arms mumbling in shock.

Heartbroken Aunt Amelita had gone to comfort him knowing he was devastated that the woman he loved was dead. But when she had held out her arms and he collapsed in despair into them, he kept mumbling " I killed her".

Aunt Amelita had been terrified upon hearing that, and later she found out through a trusted source that the accident had been meant for Dante Martino but unfortunately, it killed Vincenza too.

Aunt Amelita had been furious since her best friend had been pregnant and she was the only one who knew about it. Vincenza had meant it as a surprise for her husband but she never got to tell him.

Instead of getting the divorce she wanted, she stayed to take care of the orphaned boys as a last gift to her best friend who would have done the same for her too.

Since then she kept keen eyes on her husband, and when Rosa was mature enough to understand, she told Rosa the truth and Rosa welcomed the twins as her brothers.

She also suspected her husband to be involved in the recent decline in harvest and the deaths that occurred but she didn't have evidence yet to show Lorenzo. But with what Rosa said, she had to make sure actions were taken to stop Uncle Pietro.

"I think it's time I spoke with Lorenzo," she said and Rosa nodded, relieved to hear it.

"Talk to him about Celeste too," she said before leaving.