CHAPTER X

“Where are they?” I asked, fretfully looking through the heavy curtains. After the delicious yet very suspenseful round of Ada’s mousse, the three Romano men went to talk “business”, leaving me alone with Ada in the living room.

“In my father’s office,” she said with the air of being used to the exclusion. It looked like she didn’t mind at all as she poured herself a glass of scotch with complete ease. Her choice of drink surprised me. She seemed more like a cocktail kind of girl.

She stared at me for a long time which only amped up my anxiousness. I didn’t know what to talk about with her. I had no crazy adventures to compare with hers nor rich friends to gossip about.

“You’re an exact carbon copy of her.”

I froze. Dante mentioned that it was only him and Leo who knew about our arrangement. Could he have forgotten to mention her? No. She looked like too much of a blabbermouth to confide such a secret with. Or had I been too obvious? I didn’t think she’d be smart to see even through my shaky act.

“I meant your mother. You’ve probably heard it a lot.”

“Oh. You’re right.”

“But then again, you’ve lost your memories.” Her eyes, the same shade as Dante’s, peered at me over the crystal glass. “I’m sorry about that.”

She didn’t sound sorry. If anything, her stare made me uncomfortable.

“It’s fine.”

She walked around the counter to join me by the window. I fidgeted. I felt so small near her and not just because of our height difference but the presence she gave off. I guessed that came with being a Romano. Although hers didn’t convey that she could kill me out of whim and more like she just… radiated. Ada Romano looked so put together when the kind of world she lived in imposed chaos.

The small flames from her lighter illuminated her smooth tan skin. She offered me a cigarette.

I shook my head lightly. “I don’t smoke.”

“Figures.” She blew a big cloud between us. “Are you excited to finally tie the knot with my brother tomorrow?”

I stared at the stick held between her perfectly manicured fingers and I found it more enticing than answering her question. I took it this time. My eyes watered as I inhaled the smoke and tried to suppress a cough. Ada’s smirk widened.

“Is your husband going to be at the wedding tomorrow?” I handed the cigarette back and turned the conversation to her. I wasn’t that confident with myself that I wouldn’t show what I really felt if we kept talking about my marriage with Dante.

Mimicking me, she took a long drag, only hers didn’t make her teared up like me. She didn’t answer. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. At dinner, she talked like she's in the happiest relationship in the world.

“You don’t want him there?”

“So his wrinkled hands could grope my ass all day long?” Her eyes sparkled with mirth at my puzzled face. “Oh, did I make him sound too charming in my stories?”

She reached into the side of her dress, which had a pocket all along, and unlocked her phone. She scrolled through it before showing me the screen. “Here’s my lovely husband.”

The image was of them together at some beach. At first, I thought it was a picture of her and her grandpa and my eyes wandered around to where her husband could be, but the hand on her bikini-covered ass was unmistakable in the shot.

He was old old.

I get now why Dante didn’t think our age gap wasn’t that big of a deal. Ada’s husband looked even older than their father.

“Uhm, he looks…” I couldn’t get the image out of my head even though she put her phone away. “You two—”

She interrupted me with a chuckle. “You’re too precious. You don’t have to force yourself to say something nice. I didn’t exactly marry him because his rotting teeth turned me on.”

Realization dawned on me. We’re on the same boat. Of course. “Your father forced you.” I intended to ask but it came off as an accusation.

“Not exactly the case. You see, he got a very lucrative business in real estate, not to mention his contacts from tax authorities. I understand that he’s beneficial to the growth of this family.” Suddenly, the ditzy girl from earlier was no more and I was talking to a cunning businesswoman. “He was also your father’s consigliere,” she added like an afterthought.

“And you’re okay with being used as an offering like some cow to bind that connection?”

She seemed very amused at the question. “Despite being shackled to his old ass, I still get to do whatever I want and more. As long as people see him with a young dumb wife at his side, he’s a happy man.”

A small sound of displeasure went out of me. I couldn’t hide my indignation. Maybe because I thought we could be in this together. I thought, finally a life saver was being thrown at me but apparently, the sanctity of marriage meant nothing these days.

“Here’s a tip since you’ll be a part of our family starting tomorrow, in our world where men get to dictate the rules to their benefit, you gotta play your cards right. If they expect you to take no part in their business, you get out of the way. If they expect the meek heiress to be married off, you do your part well and smile prettily for the cameras,” she said in a cheery voice she had at dinner which I was now realizing was superficial.

“And when an opportunity to hit them at their weakest opens up, that’s when you surprise them. Turns out, the dumb wife has plans. The meek heiress has a backbone after all.”

Her eyes held me like a spiderweb trapping its prey. I glanced away nervously. It sounded like she’s warning me but at the same it felt like she’s just toying with me. I wondered what her relationship to Caterina was before she disappeared because Ada was basically showing me her hand. Why was that?

“Another tip—” She blew one final smoke into the air before stumping the cigarette out on the nearby ashtray. “—don’t slouch.”

I straightened up automatically, feeling like a child being chastised by her mother. The corner of her red lips turned up into a cunning smile. “Caterina never slouched.”

Before I could mull over the implication in her words, the familiar deep voice filtered into the room.

“I need to talk to Caterina.”

A very disgruntled Dante interrupted in the manner he only knows how: barging in like he owned the place.

“You’re not supposed to see the bride the night before the wedding,” Ada said matter-of-factly.

“Do I look like I give a fuck about traditions?”

“Coming from the don’s soldier with a bruised rib? I think it’s you men who won’t let go of it.”

My gaze automatically searched around his chest. He seemed fine except from the smoldering anger in his eyes.

“Fuck off, Ada.”

“My pleasure.” She raised her glass before finishing it in one gulp. She gave me a sly wink before walking out of the room.

I stepped away from the window and moved closer to where he was. “What bruised rib?”

“It’s nothing.” He went to the bar to pour himself the same scotch Ada had.

“Did your father do that?”

“It’s a small price to pay for my insubordination.”

“Small? He just punched you on your stomach.”

“Just be glad he didn’t shoot at it. He was very considerate of our wedding,” he said sarcastically before downing his drink. Immediately, he poured himself another one, the movement made him grimace.

“Da-”

“Leave it alone, Caterina. I have more important matters to discuss with you.”

I bit my lip as I waited for him to finish his drink. It felt like forever before he could as the muscles in my stomach gnawed at me while I watched the golden liquid go between his lips.

“I don’t think you understood me when I said not to talk back to my father,” he said calmly but his rigid shoulder screamed otherwise.

“When I say don’t talk, you shut your mouth. When I say don’t say a word to my father, you just don’t. Do I have to do something drastic to get you to listen to me?”

I bit back the retort forming at the back of my throat. It incensed me to know that I had no options but to obey him.

For now.

“No. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” I muttered through my teeth.

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

“I- I’m not trying to do anything.”

He sat on the stool, leaning back on the counter as he studied my squirming form. “Go on, tell me. What is it that you want that you’ve been so docile these days?”

I cleared my throat, gathering courage. What better time than now? I’m getting married tomorrow for God’s sake. It’s just fair.

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze head on. "I want to see my father."

“No.”

“Dante—”

His eyes darkened. “Rule number three, fiorellino.”

“Have I asked you for anything? Just this one time, please. I swear, I’ll just talk to him. I want to see him.” When his gaze remained unforgiving, I walked in front of him and touched his arm. “It’s our wedding tomorrow. Can you give me this one present, please.”

The softness in my voice and my gentle touch seemed to have an effect on him as his eyelashes fluttered faintly. He clenched his jaw and looked away. I didn’t get him. What I asked was a very simple request. I would have been more compliant with this wedding if he had let me see him days ago. It’s not like I could get my father out from whatever place he locked him into and escape at the same time. I couldn’t even set a foot out of his house without his guards blocking my way.

Then it hit me.

He lied.

My eyes squinted at him. “You don’t have him, do you?”

He shrugged off my hand and got up. That was the only confirmation I needed from him. A pint-sized hope started filling my chest. He noticed this as the embers in his eyes from before ablazed.

“Don’t celebrate just yet, fiorellino. You and I know that one way or the other, I’m going to find the hole that the bastard crawled into and you better hope it’s not too soon because you will be kneeling your way into begging me not to kill the man you called your father.”

I sucked in a huge breath as he suddenly cupped my cheek, his finger gently tracing the side of my neck. I felt lightheaded.

“You get it now, Caterina?”