Chapter 42
Alessio
Stepping into dad’s office felt different this time. It wasn’t the usual bad news I came to deliver. The deal was closed, and Diego agreed to do business with us.
Dad smiled, reaching for the champagne, and then he poured Uncle another glass. This,” he said, holding his drink up. “Is a big achievEmilyent, Ales. Pulling Diego in is not something just anyone could have done.”
I looked back at Donni and Levi, who stood at the door. “I have Donni to thank for that,” I admitted, giving him a nod of acknowledgment. He was the one who got me the meeting in the first place.
“I wasn’t even there. It was all you,” Donni wouldn’t take the praise.
Uncle Stefano rushed towards Donni and patted him on his back. He’d always had a special affection for him. “I see big things for you in your future,” he told him.
So now what?
All sudden he was psychic?
I chuckled to myself, thinking about the drastic change in their behavior. Dad and Uncle were practically shitting thEmilyselves. Now here they were, toasting to success as if they hadn’t doubted the outcome for
a second.
“But let’s not forget,” I spoke. “The issue with the Baldinis is still hanging over us. We don’t know their
next move yet.”
Leonardo Baldini settling with ruining just one partnership and accepting the outcome didn’t sound like him. This wasn’t the end, and I was sure of it.
“Now that you mention it,” Uncle began, his gaze drifting towards Levi, and I did not know for what reason. “I often hear you with the guys, you are a deep thinker, wise.”
I turned to Levi who was caught off guard and looked my way for any sign of what to do next. I blinked my eyes, giving him the silent approval to proceed.
“You have a daughter, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sit, let’s talk.”
BLON
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Alessio
Stepping into dad’s office felt different this time. It wasn’t the usual bad news I came to deliver. The deal was closed, and Diego agreed to do business with us.
Dad smiled, reaching for the champagne, and then he poured Uncle another glass. This,” he said, holding his drink up. “Is a big achievEmilyent, Ales. Pulling Diego in is not something just anyone could have
done.”
I looked back at Donni and Levi, who stood at the door. “I have Donni to thank for that,” I admitted, giving him a nod of acknowledgment. He was the one who got me the meeting in the first place.
“I wasn’t even there. It was all you,” Donni wouldn’t take the praise.
Uncle Stefano rushed towards Donni and patted him on his back. He’d always had a special affection for him. “I see big things for you in your future,” he told him.
DEN
So now what?
All sudden he was psychic?
I chuckled to myself, thinking about the drastic change in their behavior. Dad and Uncle were practically shitting thEmilyselves. Now here they were, toasting to success as if they hadn’t doubted the outcome for
a second.
“But let’s not forget,” I spoke. “The issue with the Baldinis is still hanging over us. We don’t know their
next move yet.”
Leonardo Baldini settling with ruining just one partnership and accepting the outcome didn’t sound like him. This wasn’t the end, and I was sure of it.
“Now that you mention it,” Uncle began, his gaze drifting towards Levi, and I did not know for what reason. “I often hear you with the guys, you are a deep thinker, wise.”
I turned to Levi who was caught off guard and looked my way for any sign of what to do next. I blinked my eyes, giving him the silent approval to proceed.
“You have a daughter, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sit, let’s talk.”
Chapter 12
Levi hesitated, but ended up sitting down after giving me a quick glance. Everyone waited for whatever Uncle Stefano had in mind. He always had a lot to say, and about eighty percent of that was rubbish.
“If someone were to marry your daughter, and then broke off the engagEmilyent, humiliated her in front. of everyone while the family just stood there–what would stop you from killing thEmily?”
See? Rubbish.
“A personal apology.” Levi answered without a stutter. He couldn’t be serious.
“Thank you–an apology!” Stefano hit the desk as if he had won the lottery.
I couldn’t believe my ears. “I’m not going over there to apologize.”
The suggestion seEmilyed crazy to me, almost as if Levi was trying to sabotage me. The idea of going over there to offer a simple apology to the man who had once forced others to spread his nickname “the Leone‘ seEmilyed more like a suicide mission than a peace offering.
Dad tapped his fist on the table, two times. “Listen to your uncle,” he said. “You will go over there and apologize for your mistake like the man I’ve raised you to be.”
My mistake?
it
I told these people the Baldinis were going to fuck us over either way–but it was my mistake?
“You didn
“You didn’t break off the engagEmilyent for a better offer. You ended it for a maid.” Uncle added.
I had the sudden urge to protect Emily, and this time it wasn’t pretend. “She has a name. Use it.”
Dad furrowed a brow. “Since when do we call our maids by their name?”
“She’s not our maid anymore,” I argued. “She’s a nice girl, and if you took the time to get to know her, you
would realize that.”
I could hardly believe that those words came from my mouth, but it was my final conclusion about Emily. She wasn’t a bad person, just naive and confusing. I believed she needed a bit of guidance, sure, but she wasn’t bad at all.
The conversation took another turn, “Diego also has a daughter, hasn’t he? How about you marry her instead?”
Pilar flashed through my mind. She was an interesting character. Beautiful but too strange. The way she eyed me, as if she wanted to take a bite out of me, terrified the shit out of me. Each time she stared–I stared right back at her, trying to figure out what the fuck she wanted from me.
Not to forget, the thought of Diego being in a position to control me through his daughter made me
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The Return of M
Chapter 12
cautious. Marrying her would be like marrying Maxine.
Last, she had become Emily’s friend and I couldn’t do that to her.
“I’m marrying Emily,” I stated, making my stance clear.
Dad’s face turned red. “Then marry her!” he snapped. “Stop giving me a fucking headache and marry
her!”
“Oh, I will.”
“Will you? Because I feel like all of this is just some way to get back at me.”
“Get back at you, how?” I asked.
Dad began explaining. “All of it looks fake. From the way you look at her, the way you talk about her, I can tell there’s no love between you two.”
His words stuck hard. He had practically unraveled the truth, and in this scenario, not even my mom could protect me. I knew I had to come up with a convincing response, and quickly.
“I don’t love her?” I repeated his words, buying myself some time. Meanwhile I was cracking my over how I was going to get myself out of this one.
Then it struck me..
If he didn’t want to believe it was real, I had to show it to him.
“Wait!” I ordered, marching out of the office as they all looked at me. “T’ll be back”
brains
I roamed the mansion, hoping to find Emily, and I did. She was sitting in the living room, smiling to herself while reading a book.
Her blonde hair hung over her shoulder at one side, falling just above her cleavage.
I didn’t meant to be a creep, but I couldn’t help but to stare. She used to look cute, bearable, but this new look changed everything. I knew I was fucked from the moment I saw her with that hair and that tight
dress.
She looked sexy as hell, and when she asked me to new look–I kept my mouth shut to
mment on her
refrain myself from saying something I shouldn’t.
I took a breath, pushing aside any Emilyotions as I rEmilyEmilybered the purpose of my mission.
Without a word. I put down her book. Emily who hadn’t noticed me, smiled for a second. I took her hand in mine and pulled her from the sofa. As she got up confusion was written all over her face, but there was
The Return of My First Love
Chapter 17
no time to explain.
“You need to come with me,” I dEmilyanded urgently,
“Come where?”
I ignored her curiosity and made my way back to dad’s office. As I swung open the door, revealing Emily, we were met with four surprised faces. Dad’s mouth was slightly opened. He didn’t want to believe? I would make him believe.
Driven by a need to prove a point, I pulled Emily to the center and rested my hand on the back of her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair between my fingers. Emily, who had seEmilyed to grasp the situation, swallowed her breath. I looked deeply into those soft brown, asking for consent, and when she gave me a reassuring smile, I pressed my lips against hers.
Chapter 11
Chapter 43
