The Coldwell

Living with the Damascos

Vanessa felt a shiver run down her spine; Darius appeared calm. After all, he was there to defend his sister, and he wouldn't allow anyone to harm her.

"I've sought advice from Vanessa, I hope you don't mind," Darius said.

"About what? If you don't mind me asking," Dante replied.

"I want to give a gift to Dina."

"And why wouldn't that go well?"

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you might not like what I'm about to say." Vane turned to her brother with pleading eyes, hoping he wouldn't dare to tell Dante the truth.

"I'm listening," Dante said in a displeased tone.

"It's about a ring. I know it's very soon, but Dina is the woman of my life."

"You're out of your mind. Do you think my sister would commit to you that quickly? We don't even know your family." Dante ran a hand through his hair.

"That's why I'm hesitating. What if I ask her to commit, and she rejects me?"

"She will reject you. My sister isn't foolish; she just met you."

"Then I'll wait, the time it takes to earn the trust of all of you and make you realize that my feelings are sincere."

Vane listened to all of this in silence. There was no doubt that Darius was a Coldwell, even though he always complained about it.

"The Damasco men are going to explore the olive and almond groves. Are you coming?" Dante asked Darius.

"Why only the men?" Vanessa was about to question Dante when Dina's voice interrupted him.

"Because we women take advantage of that time to visit the town. It's a good opportunity for shopping. Trust me, you won't enjoy walking among olives and almonds."

"You've convinced me," Vane said with a smile.

"Here, my love, take my card. You can buy whatever you want with it." Vane hesitated to accept her boss's card.

"Don't be silly, sister-in-law, take it. My brother has much more than that, and what better way to spend it than by his future wife."

Darius didn't want to be left behind and handed his card to his supposed girlfriend. Fortunately, he was a prepared man and had one in the name of Armand Davons.

"I won't be left behind either. Take my life; you can carry mine," he said.

"Haha, thanks, but believe me, you have no idea what you're getting into. I plan to spend a lot, and I'll make sure Vane does the same."

The two guys turned to look at each other, wearing resigned expressions, and the two girls laughed at them.

The Damasco men hopped onto some golf carts to explore the entire property. Darius got in next to Dante.

"Do you love Vanessa?" Dante raised an eyebrow upon hearing his supposed brother-in-law's question.

"Why do you ask? Is it any of your business?"

"Haha, not at all. Dina occupies my heart and mind, but I just have this feeling that something's not right in your relationship."

Darius intended to have some fun by making him uncomfortable for a moment.

"If she didn't, she wouldn't have asked me to marry her, don't you think?"

"Well, that's a valid point. Good for you for falling in love just when your father was about to disinherit you."

"How do you know about that?" Darius asked with displeasure.

"I accidentally overheard some rumors about it."

"I don't like people who make up or believe in rumors, so now you know, brother-in-law."

Darius chose to remain silent. Meanwhile, the girls arrived in the small town. Sicily was on the other side, the villa was in the middle of the city and the town.

It was a typical small Italian town with cobblestone streets and white houses.

"What do you think?" Dina asked Vanessa.

"It's beautiful!"

"Too bad mom couldn't join us. Lately, she gets tired too easily."

"She looks haggard."

"We've noticed, but she has something against doctors, hates clinics, and anything related to them. I think I'll have to tie her up to take her for some routine tests. It's better to make sure everything is in order."

"You'll see that everything will be fine. Let's hope it's just fatigue, but as you say, it's better to be sure."

The girls entered some stores. Dina wasn't lying when she said she planned to spend a lot, but she didn't want to be abusive. She only used Darius's card for some of the purchases.

After a couple of hours, they sat in a café in the middle of a square. The sky had painted itself a beautiful reddish hue, and the girls took some photos.

"Do you really love Dante?" Dina asked. At that moment, Vane realized the reason for the outing, perhaps why Dante's mother hadn't gone.

"Why do you ask?"

"I wouldn't want you to make him suffer. He has already suffered too much in the past; that's all I can tell you. It's not my place to give you the details; he'll tell you when he deems it necessary."

Vane remembered what she had read in the report about Dante, perhaps referring to the death of his fiancée. But she didn't understand why he had suffered if he had abandoned her at the altar.

"You have nothing to worry about." She felt really bad lying that way.

"I hope so, truly. He deserves to be happy, and if you're the woman who will give him that happiness, I thank you."

Vane took the cup and took a sip of hot coffee. She didn't want Dina to notice that she was lying or her obvious nerves.

"Well, I think it's time to go back. We haven't left a single store unexplored, haha." Dina laughed, seeing the amount of shopping they had done.

"The guys will be shocked when they see the enormous number of bags we have, especially when they think we made all the purchases with the cards they gave us. We'll let them suffer for a while before telling them the truth," Vane said, amused at the thought of their faces.

"I think we'll get along great, sister-in-law. We have the same kind of thoughts, haha."

Upon reaching the villa, they realized that everyone was gathered in the backyard, sitting around a campfire. Dante's mother was toasting some marshmallows.

"Toasted marshmallows! My favorites!" exclaimed Dina.

"Santa Madonna, they've emptied all the stores," Diego said, seeing the enormous number of bags.

"You're being exaggerated, brother; this is nothing. We only bought a few things with the cards our boyfriends gave us."

"Guys, if it's true that you gave them your cards, my sincerest condolences. Your cards have died," Daniel said, bowing as a sign of mourning.

"When I have a serious girlfriend, I'll never give her my credit card, especially if it's unlimited. Please, brothers, when that day comes, remind me."

"Haha. Haha. The difficult part is for you to fall in love," Dina knew that day was very far away.

"Why settle for one when I can have them all."

"Your day will come, little brother. You have no idea how much I want to see that."

"Well, get used to the idea that you won't see it, little sister."

The girls went upstairs to drop off their purchases in their rooms and then came back down to join the rest.

Later, Vane crossed her arms. The air was cold, and she couldn't help shivering from time to time. Dante, noticing, approached her and wrapped his arms around her.

"My love, it's better if we sit by the fire. You'll be more comfortable."

In the warmth of his arms, Vane felt reassured. When he moved away from her, she had the strange sensation that something was missing.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the campfire, Darius took off his jacket and placed it over Dina's shoulders.

Watching, Vane had the impression that it wasn't fake. She just hoped Darius wouldn't fall for Cupid's arrow, especially not for a girl who was the sister of one of his targets. Nothing good could come of it.

Dante's parents were sitting at the other end. Vane could see that they continuously showed affection, an enviable couple.

She wondered what their hidden story was—all marriages that last for years have them, at least that's what Greta always said.

"When you see an older couple still together, you should know that if they are, it's the woman's merit, not the man's. She's the one who endures and forgives infidelities, even physical a***e. Some men, over time, realize that despite everything, their woman is still by their side and learn to appreciate her. But there are others who never do."

Dante approached her again, feeling her shivering from the cold. He passed his arm over her shoulders to pull her closer to him and share the warmth of his body.

To Vane, this seemed strange but at the same time pleasant. The cold suddenly subsided, and she felt the heat of Dante's body against her own.

The guys were joking cheerfully among themselves, not seeming like a family that would harm anyone.