Chapter 15
1348 Words
Dante
Silence.
The tension in the room was palpable.
No one dared to speak. For a second, everything else in the room disappeared. None of it mattered.
Just her.
She stood there in her uniform, like she belonged.
She didn’t. Something dark settled in my chest.
We got a tip that Lucia had been spotted on the southern coast, but just like every other lead, it was a dead end. It’s been two days of chasing a ghost and coming up empty. Two days of trying not to think about that night and how I almost broke my vows.
Two days of trying not to think about her, but failing.
When I arrived earlier, Greta had told me she was waiting in the library. I wanted to go check on her, see how she was doing, but the meeting with two of my capos needed to happen immediately, and business always came first.
She wasn’t supposed to be on kitchen duties. I made it clear she shouldn't be involved in serving.
But here she was.
I forced myself not to look at her when she walked in. One look would give too much away.
But seeing her now, I couldn’t look away.
My gaze dropped to her cheek again.
A yellowish bruise right across her face. All I could see was red.
“I won’t ask again.” My voice was dangerously low.
Aria froze under my gaze, her hands holding the plates steady. But I could tell, from the tension in her shoulders, I was scaring her, but I couldn’t help it.
All I wanted was to find who did this. Who thought they could lay a hand on her without consequences. I could feel the eyes of everyone around me, but I didn’t care, not right now.
The head housekeeper, Alice if I remember correctly, rushed forward.
“Don Dante,” her tone careful. “She’s new and hasn’t gotten used to the compound, so she tripped on some stairs and hit her face.”
Lies.
It was obvious and unconvincing.
Adriano caught my eyes.
The look he gave me was enough.
Wrong place and time.
I shouldn’t be so concerned for a “housekeeper.”
Silence stretched.
Then I nodded.
Every instinct in me pushed to drag Aria to a corner and demand the truth from her.
But I didn’t.
“Don’t worry about it, Don. I will make sure she’s well hidden when we have company,” Alice continued before practically pulling Aria away.
My jaw tightened.
From her reaction, you could tell she had something to do with it, and I fully intend to get to the bottom of things.
This wasn’t over.
Not even close.
“You can’t react like that in front of everyone,” Adriano started as soon as the office door shut behind us. It was after dinner, and the other two capos had left, and the house was quiet.
I ignored him.
“Have Greta meet me in my office now.”
“She’s already on her way,” he replied. I smirked. He was almost as pissed as I was, and we both needed answers.
We settled in the office, waiting.
After about five minutes,
Greta walked in.
“What the f**k happened?” My voice more rough than I intended.
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man.”
I exhaled slowly to calm myself. I know better than to speak to Gigi that way.
“What happened?” My voice is calmer this time. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Adriano holding back a smile, but I ignored him.
“Alice hit her,” she replied simply.
“Why?”
“She dropped something,” Greta said, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the office and offering nothing else.
“You just let it happen?”
“It happened fast, but Alice is aware it can’t happen again.”
“That’s not enough.” My voice dropped. “I want her out of this place.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“She’s lucky I don’t have her killed.”
“You aren’t killing anybody,” Greta shot back. “She might be a bit difficult, but she’s good at her job, and good help is hard to find these days.” I scowled at her, but she continued without flinching.
“You said Aria can’t have any special treatment or call any attention to herself. Firing Alice will do just that.” Greta’s voice was even. “It’s not the first time Alice has been a bit aggressive to new staff. She’ll settle, trust me.”
Greta was right. I couldn’t be impulsive.
Leaning back, my jaw tight,
“The next time she lays a hand on Aria, she’ll lose both.”
Greta laughed. “I’m sure she got the message after the show you pulled at dinner.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I was surprised. You should have told me.”
“That’s why I sent you to the library earlier,” she replied. “The poor girl must have waited for hours.”
My chest tightened with guilt, but I kept quiet.
Greta watched me quietly for a moment, then asked,
“Anyway, how is the search for Lucia going? You know, your wife?”
She looked at me like she knew the search for Lucia was no longer as important. A certain brown-eyed girl is completely occupying my thoughts.
Not intending to give anything away, I replied,
“We are on it. Our last tip turned out to be a dead end.”
“Hmmm,” she replied, unconvinced.
Then turning to Adriano,
“And you.” He straightened.
“When are you going to give me grandchildren?” she asked.
I scoffed.
“I need to find a wife first, Gigi.”
“I don’t care about a wife. I just want babies.”
“Maybe Carlos will—”
Greta glared at him, daring him to finish the sentence.
Raising his hand in surrender,
“Fine, fine. I’ll have the bounciest baby for you soon.”
“Good,” she replied before standing up and leaving.
I sat in the corner of the library, a glass of whiskey in my hand.
After Adriano left, I texted Aria to meet me in the library in thirty minutes.
The message showed she had read it.
But no reply.
It’s been over an hour, and she hasn’t turned up.
Maybe it’s payback for keeping her waiting earlier, or she just wasn’t coming.
Patience has never been my strong suit.
But I stayed anyway.
It took another twenty minutes before the door of the library creaked open.
She was here.
Aria stepped in slowly, her eyes scanning the room. I didn’t move or speak. I sat in the shadows, watching.
She had changed out of her uniform into a white cardigan and black tights. Her hair was down now, falling over her shoulders, and she looked…
“Hello, princess.” She startled, turning in the direction of my voice immediately, then folding her arms over her chest.
She was annoyed.
Expected.
“You are late,” I continued. A small part of me wanted to piss her off more.
She shrugged. “Now you know how it feels.” The corner of my mouth twitched.
Setting the glass aside, I stood and closed the distance between us.
She didn’t move or back away. She just stood there.
Waiting.
Up close, the bruise was worse than I thought. My gaze lingered on the spot before raising my eyes to meet hers.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice just above a whisper.
Her expression shifted slightly.
Silence stretched between us.
And there it was again, the tension.
I shouldn't be here, but I couldn’t be anywhere else.
I should step back, but I didn’t.
“I—”
Hesitating.
But just for a second.
Then the words slipped out anyway.
“I missed you.”
- Writer
