Bought by the Mafia Prince: His Hidden Queen

Chapter Twelve

Amelia closed her eyes while bringing her hands to her face. Her hands slid across her face, down to her lap, as she let out a soft sigh.

“Alright then. What should I do in the meantime?”

“We’re almost ready. If you have nothing else to do, just wait in the car.”

Before she left, she turned around to face him and said, “So you really just waited until the last minute to tell me? Was this decision made on a whim?”

He smirked lightly. He’s been doing a lot of that lately.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, she turned back and left his office.

Since there was nothing left to do inside the mansion, she went outside to get a bit of fresh air.

Her eyes glanced over, stopping at the black limo that they would be taking. As she approached it, she heard Daniel’s voice, looked to the right, and watched him give instructions to the bodyguards. She stepped forward, wanting to speak to him, but suddenly remembered how they left things off earlier. Although they didn’t end on a bad note, it was still an awkward ending. She turned around and went straight to the limo.

She opened the door and sat down, closing it. Not long after, Luca went in. This time, he was dressed more casually. A long-sleeve striped blue shirt with a few buttons undone and khaki pants with a dark brown belt. Amelia studied him. His aura seemed quieter than usual. Come to think of it, I have never seen him in short sleeves. Is it just a preference, or is he hiding tattoos or something?

Luca glanced at her and chuckled softly. “It seems you have a habit of staring, principessa.”

Her eyes snapped to his in an instant, and she cleared her throat. “Well, it’s just, I’ve never seen you in short sleeves before. And your outfit doesn’t really scream mafia prince.”

He playfully scoffed, “Well, I am going on a vacation, Amelia. And it’s not like I can just go around advertising myself as part of the mafia, so I might as well look the part.”

“It suits you,” she mumbled and looked away.

Having heard her, he turned his head in her direction with a stone expression and looked away.

The front door opened, and the driver sat down.

“Sir, we’re ready.”

“Let’s go.”

He started the car, the engine roaring to life, vibrating beneath her feet. For some reason, the familiar sound eased some of the tension sitting in her chest.

*At the Airport*

They got out of the car, and Amelia was surprised that they were boarding an actual public plane.

“Surprised we’re not taking a private jet?”

She looked at Luca and smiled.

“Don’t blame me. I’m still new to this whole mafia thing.”

Looking around, she asked again.

“So you don’t own a private jet?”

“I do. I just don’t think it’s necessary to take it on this type of journey.”

His voice lowered slightly at the last part of his sentence. I wonder what he meant by that.

Since it was first class, they followed the normal procedures and proceeded onto the plane. They sat on opposite sides and didn’t say a word. Looking around the interior, her eyes glossed as she remembered her first time here with her family. She and Cindy kept getting out of their seats to disturb their parents. Now that so-called loving memory is nothing more than the past she wanted to leave behind. She sniffled, wiped away the stray tear, and drank a glass of cold water that the air host had given her earlier.

Luca, however, was talking with Daniel in his own compartment.

“Luca, are you sure she’s ready for this?”

“She will be. It’s why I chose her after all.”

“*sigh* Yes, I know, but will she be able to-”

“She must. It was bound to be out sooner or later. Might as well be sooner,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.

Daniel gave up with a sigh and mumbled, “I hope you’re right about this,” and left his cabin to his.

Luca sipped his wine as he heard what Daniel had said and looked at Amelia’s closed cabin. “She has to be,” he said under his breath.

Once the plane landed, they were the first to disembark, and a black, polished limo awaited them, with Luca’s family crest on the hood. It was the same as the one back in New York. The only difference was the crest.

Amelia was about to open the door, but the driver beat her to it. She paused and looked at him, but she saw no sign of emotion. He just waited patiently for her to enter. She narrowed her eyes at his behavior and got into the car, with the driver closing the door shortly after.

When the driver got in and started the car, Amelia looked at Luca. He was silent, but not like usual. It was like the air turned cold, but she couldn’t figure out what was making it so.

They were about to pass a small café when Luca spoke up.

“Stop here.”

“Yes, sir.”

He parked at the entrance. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the café through his window and looked back at him. Luca, not sparing her a glance, stepped out of the car silently, expecting her to follow him. Amelia stayed still for a moment, trying to rack her brain to figure out his irrational behavior until she opened her door and went after him.

There were seating areas outside the café, and Luca sat down on one of them, waiting patiently for Amelia to sit before him. Amelia arrived and sat down. Her eyes fixed on him, but Luca didn’t even look at her, which made her pretty frustrated.

The waiter came out of the café with a menu in their hands to serve them.

“Buon pomeriggio, signore. Benvenuto al Jack’s Cafe. Cosa vorresti ordinare?” (Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Jack’s Café. What would you like to order?)

Without looking at the waiter, Luca replied, saying, “Vorrei una fetta di cassata siciliana e per la signora una panna cotta.” (I would like a slice of cassata siciliana and for the lady a panna cotta would do.)

The waiter wrote it down in his notebook and looked up again, saying, “Avrete bisogno di rinfreschi?” (Will you be needing refreshments?)

Luca glanced at her for a second and looked back at the waiter, saying, “Un bicchiere di spritz di vermouth rosato per la signora e un bicchiere di spritz contratto per me. Questo sarà tutto.” (A glass of rosé vermouth spritz for the lady and a glass of contratto spritz for me. That will be all.)

After writing everything down, the waiter bowed slightly, telling them it would be a moment before their dessert arrived, and they left.

Amelia, who watched the whole conversation, thought, “It’s like he’s deliberately trying to tell me how far apart we really are and how little I know about him and his world. I mean, he could have easily told the waiter to speak in English.”

Luca’s eyes dropped to her mouth, and the corner of his lips twitched. “Is everything alright, Amelia?”

Amelia, who was having the sudden urge to throw a small tantrum, calmed herself, remembering who it was that was sitting in front of her. A man whose emotions could easily flip at who knows when.

“It’s nothing important. I was just a little irritated that I couldn’t understand what you were saying.”

He hummed.

She tapped her fingers on the table and looked away.

It wasn’t until later that the same waiter went to their table holding their order.

“Didn’t he just order a few minutes ago?” Amelia thought.

The waiter told them to enjoy while lowering his head and left.

“Eat, Amelia.” He said warmly, yet it caused a shiver down her spine.

She picked up her glass and took a sip.

She looked back at Luca, who was completely composed as he ate his dessert.

She finally said,

“You’re really not going to explain anything, Luca?”

“Explain what?”

“What you were talking about.”

“It wasn’t important, Amelia.”

“Then why couldn’t you have spoken in English?”

He looked at her.

“You could always learn Italian.”

She scoffed, and Luca smirked at the sound.

As they ate, Luca glanced behind her, and a shadow quickly vanished from his sight. He scoffed softly, and Amelia looked at him as she was in the middle of eating.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Well, that didn’t sound like nothing.”

He looked up at her from his dessert.

“Finish your dessert, Amelia.”

*At the Moretti Castle.*

Upon reaching their destination, they stepped out of the limo, facing the building. Before Amelia could fully appreciate it, she looked at Luca and instantly flinched. His face was in a permanent scowl as he looked at the castle. She shifted slightly away from him and instantly caught herself when she realized what she was doing. It was like the man who was teasing her at the café was just a mere figment of her imagination. She thought to herself, “If I hadn’t lived with him these past few months, I wouldn’t have questioned, or rather believed, anyone if they told me he was a mafia prince.”

She finally turned towards the building. It was beautiful, yes, but at the same time it felt so cold. Amelia wondered how anyone could live there.

Once they entered the castle, everything was so different than the mansion in New York. But as soon as they entered, everyone from where they were stopped what they were doing and said, “ACCOGLIETE LA VOSTRA ALTEZZA.”

Amelia thought, “Again with the Italian. I wonder what-”



“It means ‘Welcome, Your Highness,’” someone whispered.