CHAPTER ONE: Missing Wife
ALESSANDRO'S POV:
"Everything you asked for is in the file." Aldo, my consigliere, says as he places what seems to be a thin manila file on my desk, breaking me out of my mid-day reverie.
"Thank you, Aldo." I say with a heavy sigh as I pick up the file and place it in front of me.
I take a drag from the cigarette in my hands, inhaling slowly, reveling in the increased heartbeat and pulse. This is the most I've felt alive in a few days.
"What is it, Aldo?" I ask in an exhausted tone when I realize that he is yet to move from his spot.
"So this is it then? You are just going to give up?" Aldo asks in a hard tone as he tugs his tie in an irritable fashion.
I don't blame him though, the man could kill without batting an eye but can't handle giving emotional support.
"What do you expect from me, Aldo? My wife is dead and I'm left to carry on all by myself. I can't mourn her death in front of my men, if not they will think I'm weak, so I ask again Aldo, what do you want from me?" I ask in a bitter tone as I take another drag of the cigarette between my fingers.
"How about you channel your anger into finding her killer? You can't bring her back but you sure can send company her way." Aldo says as he falls into the chair across from me.
"I employed the best private investigators in the city and they still couldn't get a lead, so I'm left to drown in my pain." I say in a cynical tone as I lean back in my chair.
"That is contrary to what I was told." Aldo says with a smug look on his face.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" I ask as I narrow my eyes at his antics.
"Pick up the goddamned file and take a look at it, Alessandro." Aldo says in a tone that would have gotten any other man killed.
I do as he says and pick up the file, flipping it open. The first picture in the file is of my dead wife having dinner with a girl I don't seem to recognise. My brows furrow in confusion as I wonder what this has to do with anything.
I flip to the next page and my question is answered. This was the last time my wife was spotted, therefore, it was highly probable that this girl had something to do with her disappearance.
"Who is the girl?" I ask in a hard tone as I grind the butt of the cigarette on the Ashtray in front of me.
For the first time since I learnt of my wife's disappearance, I feel anger surge through my veins.
"Aurelia Delacruz. Everything you need to know about her is on the next page." Aldo says as he fiddles with his lighter, flipping it open and shut once more.
I read the one page history of her life. She was born and bred in Vernazza, Italy. A few months ago she ran away to New York City to pursue what seems to be a failing career. But she's back though, which is where she met my wife.
"We are going on a trip after all." I say with a maniacal grin that would probably come across as unhinged to the naked eye.
"I would ask what you are going to do to the girl, but I'm not sure I want to know." Aldo says with a grimace as he walks out of my office.
I lean back in my chair, staring once more into the brown hues of her eyes. I tug at my shirt, hating the irritable feelings of curiosity blooming in my chest.
Would the color of her eyes look the same from up close? There's only one way to find out I guess.
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AURELIA'S POV
I hold the tray of drinks tightly in my hands as I make the last round around the large hall. I expertly maneuver to the left in order not to hit a guest squarely in the chest with the tray.
"Hey beautiful." A flirtatious voice calls from beside me as the owner grips my wrist harshly in his, threatening to spill over three glasses filled with pinot noir.
"How may I help you? Is the wine not to your liking?" I ask with a practiced fake smile on my lips as I subtly turn my body away from his.
"The wine is perfect. But I'm not so sure about you, considering I haven't had a taste of you. Yet." The man says, pairing the last part of his statement with a lewd smile that makes my skin crawl.
His companions burst out laughing while I attempt to maintain the professional smile on my lips.
"How about I get you our signature, cannoli poke cake?" I ask as I take a lightened step away from him.
"I doubt it will taste as sweet as you, though." The man says and this time I smell the alcohol on his breath.
Perfect. Not only do I have to deal with a handsy guest, now I have to handle all that plus a drunk one. Can this day just end?
"Only the former is on the menu." I say with a tight smile, already getting slightly irritated, considering some other waitresses were giving me snide looks as they passed me by.
To them I had hit the jackpot. It was their dream to come across a guest who was willing to take them home for the night for a huge amount of money.
"No need to be such a bitch about it, they are people who are clamoring just to have my attention." The man says in a slurred but loud tone, drawing the attention of a few other guests.
"Let her go, Josh. Your wife is way prettier." One of the men standing close to him says with a nervous laugh, not appreciating the extra attention on the group.
"But she's the one I want tonight." The man whose name I now know is Josh, says in a petulant tone that has me gritting my teeth.
"I'm sorry but I really have to get back to work." I say with a tight smile as I successfully pull my wrist away from his grip.
I make it as far as two steps before I'm pulled back harshly by the collar of my shirt. The tray of drinks goes flying out of my hands and I'm thrown to the ground.
"Look here you fool, do you think you are better than me?!" Josh asks in an enraged but slurred tone, attracting the attention of the majority of the guests in the hall.
However, the entire hall goes silent as the man whom my tray filled with wine had hit turns towards me. He glares at me so harshly that I feel I might go up in flames.
Our head server rushes from the other end of the large hall towards the commotion as I struggle to pull myself up.
"I'm so sorry, Mr Santino. I will make sure she's duly disciplined for her incompetence." She says in a breathless tone as she glares at me. She collects the glass from the man's hands and proceeds to both figuratively and literally lick his shoes.
I pick myself up from the ground, noticing that the drunk guests and his friends were nowhere to be found. They had probably slipped out during the commotion.
"She's so lucky." A whispered voice says from behind me as I try to pick up the broken glasses from the floor.
"The last server that came within a one mile radius of Mr Santino, got fired." Another voice says in a surprised tone.
I tune out the conversation around me as I hurriedly try to gather the pieces of broken glass around me.
A piece of extremely sharp glass nips my thumb and I find myself bleeding on the floor. I cradle my hands to my chest as tears fill my eyes.
"Are you hurt?" The strong hard tone belonging to the man everyone referred to as Mr Santino calls from way above me and I'm stunned.
This was the first time any guest spoke to me like I was human. I nodded my head discreetly, my cheeks going flush with horror when the expression on his face changes.
"Good." He says to me with a sneer on his lips. "I want her fired." Mr Santino says in a loud tone to our head server, confirming my worst fears.
Oh my God. I can't lose this job. My dad's life literally depended on it, I wouldn't be able to get the required drugs needed to sustain him.
"Per favore, ti prego." Please, I'm begging you. I croak out in a bitter tone as I remain on my knees on the floor, before him, clasping my hands together as though in prayer. "I need this job." I feel the tears slip out my eyes but make no move to wipe it off.
"You should have thought about that before you spilled the drinks on me." Mr Santino says in a pleased tone as he stalks away from me.
"It wasn't my fault! I was only trying to defend myself!" I say in a desperate tone as I try to follow after him on my knees. I scream in agony as the broken shards of glass pierce the fragile skin surrounding my knees.
Our head server, Vittoria, walks towards me and grips me by the shoulder, pulling me up. The blood from the open injuries on my knees stain the floor as I'm dragged away. I feel like my whole life has come crashing down.
"I'm very sorry. I didn't throw the drinks on him on purpose! I was pushed!" I try explaining to Vittoria once we enter the kitchen.
The kitchen staff as well as some other servers give me pitiful stares whilst others ignored the whole debacle.
"Don't you think I know that? It is sad, but the rich in this part of our world are always right and are never on the wrong." Vittoria says as she pulls out a first aid kit from inside a shelf.
"Then I'm sure you can help me. I really need this job. My father needs his drugs to survive and if I don't have this job, I won't be able to pay for them. You can place me in the kitchen, I don't mind." I say in a desperate tone as tears roll down my cheeks in anguish.
"Do you know who Alessandro Santino is? He will always make sure his orders are carried out and he never forgets. It's either your head or mine and I also need this job." Vittoria says, breaking my world to pieces with just a few sentences.
My mouth opens on a denial but I shut it back having nothing else to say. I curse Alessandro Santino to hell and back.
"Clean up your injury and get your last paycheck from Nico. I'm sure you will find another job. If you need me to put in a good word for you, I will." Vittoria says, patting me lightly on my thighs, away from my injuries.
I move in a haze as I go through the motions of getting my last paycheck. I don't bother cleaning my injury as I step out of the building, I was too numb to feel anything anyway.
However, I don't get too far before I'm dragged into an alley with a hand covering my mouth. With all that is going on in my life, I don't even fight with my assailant. Death has never looked more appealing.