~ THREE DAYS LATER ~ SAND CASTLE~ STABLE~
“Look at me, Mommy!” Lucas called as he sat majestically on the horse his father gave to him while, the training instructor stood by his side.
Under a big umbrella which was place for shelter and leisure, Camila waved at her son blowing kisses at him whenever he ride to where she is seated.
“He looks so much like the boss. Like the splitting image of him when he was little” Selena, who was seated with Camila spoke out.
“I doubt that, he looks nothing like him” Camila denied.
“That’s because you haven’t seen pictures of the boss when he was little. Why don’t we go and check it….”
“I’d rather stay here watching my son” Camila cut her off abruptly.
“You know, if you keep denying the truth. It will get to a point where you won’t be able to distinguish a lie from a truth” Stephanie said suddenly.
“For the past three days have seen another side of the boss. A side which became possible because of you and I can boldly say that he is in love with you” Stephanie added.
“Love? I doubt if he knows what that is” Camila said softly.
“If you said this a year ago, I would have believe you but right now and at this moment, he certainly knows what love is”
“I heard this from Cora’s mom. When Mariano was little, his father loved his mother dearly but she never loved him and neither did she love Mariano”
“To her, Mariano was just a mistake. A mistake she had no choice to give birth to and she never failed to tell him that. Mariano thought he could rely on his father love but his father was his mother puppet. He gave her everything she wanted even when she was sleeping with some of the guards, he never left her and that’s how much he loved her” Selena pause to let out a deep sigh.
“Eventually, she left him to run off with her lover but they died a long the way and it was due to a car accident. After hearing that his most beloved wife is gone, Mariano father killed himself and it was right in front of Mariano. Having seen all this and also being raised by his cold blooded grandfather, Mariano grew up to be a hard man who didn’t believe in love. My guess is that he didn’t want to end up like his father who kept pining for a woman who never loved him” Selena added.
“Why are you telling me this?” Camila asked, feeling hurt for what Mariano went through.
“To get you to understand why he never believed in love. Don’t get it wrong, he didn’t tell me to tell you this, I just want you to be happy with the boss. He is a good man” Selena said quickly.
“Come with me, I want to show you something”
Camila stared at her, wondering what she wanted to show her. Curiosity got her following Selena after bidding Lucas goodbye.
“Why are we here?” Camila asked as they walk into the warehouse.
“To show you this” Selena replied opening a door for her.
Camila walked into a room filled with gifts and other accessories which had written words of *Thanks* on it.
“Not all Mafia lords are bad. Mariano is an example of one since he has been so generous to the people around him. This are thank you gifts from the people he helped” Selena said as Camila picked up a written card to read it’s content.
Camila was so immersed in the gifts and letters that she didn’t know when Selena left and Mariano showed up.
“Did he really help all this people?” Camila asked.
“I did” on hearing his voice, she turned around, knocking down a pile of gifts.
“Am sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you” Mariano said, walking into the room to pick up the fallen gifts.
“I only came here looking for something and though I wanted to leave, Selena insisted that I stay” He added quickly.
“It’s okay. It’s your warehouse after all” Camila said, taking in her fill of him.
Ever since the day he confess to her, she has hardly seen him since he’s been busy and although she use his room, he hasn’t slept there for the past three days.
He only comes to take his clothe and leave.
“Are you trying to pick a fight again?” He asked.
“No. Am just saying that am the intruder here. I was a bit lost reading this letters…did you really help this people?” She asked after hesitating for a while.
“Let’s just say that it’s me doing the best I can for the people around me”
“Each of this letter has a thank you note. You must really have done your best to help each and everyone of them… that’s noble of you” Camila said softly.
“Noble. This is the very first time you will ever compliment me” he said making her realize what she said.
“Really? I….I didn’t know. I…er…I will leave you to do your thing” She said nervously and was at the door when she heard him say.
“What I felt wasn’t disapproval”
“Huh”
“You said that I disapprove of you on the first day we met. That wasn’t disapproval Camila, It was love at first sight, I didn’t realize it then but I do now. Have been in love you for years” he revealed, stunning her to silence.
*****
~ LENORA’S ROOM ~
Lenora stood at the balcony watching Enzo and Luna at the garden.
She was so immerse with them that she failed to notice Matteo’s arrival.
“Wh@tëver you called me for had better be important” Matteo spoke, joining her at the balcony.
“What are you going to do about Luna? Aren’t you angry that she’s dating someone else right after she broke up with you?” Lenora demanded.
“Right now, I have more important things to do than to think of Luna”
“So you don’t want to get back at her?” Lenora asked.
Matteo shrugged.
“Fine then, if you don’t want to do it. I will do it and I will make sure she regrets messing with me” Lenora said thinking about the slaps she received three days ago.
“Why don’t you just seduce Enzo like you did with me. Though Luna might not show it,she was hurt when you seduced me, you can also do the same with Enzo and hurt her once again” Matteo suggest and left her thinking about it.
*****
~ BIANCA’S ROOM ~
“Did you get it?” Bianca asked as soon as Paolo walk into the room.
“I did and let me tell you that it was hard” Paolo said but an excited Bianca jump into his arms, showering him with kisses.
“Show it to me” Bianca said sometime later when they were both seated.
Paolo brought out a little container which she immediately, snatch from him.
“Easy girl. Just a smear of that thing on your skin and your dead” Paolo said.
“Is it that poisonous?”
“Very. This isn’t the normal poison kind of poison. Just a little bit of this on one’s body will lead to dead, let’s say that the poison and one’s skin are mortal enemies” Paolo told her.
“So, if am to just put a little of this on Camila’s skin then it’s death, right?”
Paolo nodded.
“Great, just great” Bianca said with joy.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Oh, right. I have everything set for you, my house down town has been cleaned and prepared and all I have to do is to get Cora to go there like you want” Bianca told him.
“Excellent”
“Tell me, what do you plan to do to the poor girl when she gets there?”
“What do you think?” Paolo asked in return and she did a shrug.
“As long as it won’t ruin me, I don’t care. Just make sure you leave my house intact”
“Don’t worry, I promise to leave your house intact ” Paolo replied, his eyes dancing with mischief.
*****
~ THY SAVAGE ABODE ~
“Sorry for interrupting, Lilo. But your sister just called” One of Lilo trusted men inform.
“She did? What did she say?”Lilo asked.
“She said she had something urgent to tell you and when I told her to tell it to me and that I will pass it along, she refuse and said that it’s something that will make you angry and that she has to tell you herself” the man said.
“She better not be getting cold feet. She wouldn’t like it when I get angry” Lilo muttered, irritated by the news.
“Let me in” Matteo said, forcing his way into Lilo’s office.
“I dont think we have an appointment today” Lilo said to Matteo.
“We don’t but it’s time for you to fulfil your promise that’s if you want me to help you ruin Mariano”
“From what I remember, you already took the cash we offered you” Lilo said, watching him calmly.
“I did and also I remember telling you that you’ve got to introduce me to the spy working with Mariano” Matteo reminded.
“Fine then. Today is your lucky day since the boss is around, shall we?” Lilo said making way to door.
They went down an hall way and up the stairs which led to the second floor.
Lilo knocked on the door and when they were told to come in, Lilo open the door followed by a curious Matteo.
“Boss, someone is here to see you” Lilo said to a man standing against the window, he had his back turned to them and so Matteo couldn’t see his face.
“Is it someone important ?” He asked and Matteo couldn’t help but to recognize the voice.
“It’s Matteo, boss” Lilo said and slowly, the man standing by the window turn around, making Matteo too stunned to speak when he saw him.
“I….I can’t believe it’s you, Cesare” Matteo wailed out in shock.
“You are wrong Matteo. I might look like Cesare to you but am not Cesare, you see Cesare died a long time ago” he revealed shocking Matteo to the core.
TBC💚
