Page 18 of Forgive Me, Father

I got dressed in the jeans that Nico had brought and pulled a shirt over my head.It all fit like a glove.The jersey was soft and the boots a bit big, but they rounded off the look beautifully.

I dried my hair and reapplied some makeup that the makeup artist had left for me.All my things were still in my room.

A knock came at the door, and the butler pushed in a tray that probably had my food.

I thanked him, and he pulled out the bottle of Golden Rouge.My father had promised me that when we moved up in the circle, he’d buy me a bottle, worth 1.2 million.Yet here, they uncorked it as casually as if it were just a bottle of Pellegrino.

The butler poured in half a flute and handed it to me.I was literally shaking as I tried to do the math of how much I had in my hand.

He nodded, and I brought the glass to my lips, taking a sip.The taste hit me immediately, sharp and bitter.I never understood why people raved about expensive champagne.It wasn’t sweet or refreshing.It was an acquired taste, and frankly, I didn’t care to acquire it.The flavor lingered like sour disappointment and shit on my tongue.Not that I knew what shit tasted like.

To me it was this champagne.Maybe I just wasn’t a fan of expensive drinks.

I thanked the butler as he returned the black beauty to the ice bucket.The bottle itself was a work of art, its pure gold emblem gleamed against the deep, obsidian-black surface, as if it were crafted from the night itself.

I devoured the burger in a few bites, washing it down with a sip of champagne.A pang of longing hit me as I thought about sharing this moment with my dad.He’d probably agree about the taste, and we would’ve laughed together over it.

I finished the last bite of my burger and switched on the TV.Put it on Netflix just to kill the silence and the war going on in my head.

A knock on the door made me sit up in bed, and Nico entered.

“Cartier is waiting for you.”

I nodded as he eyed the bottle of champagne.

I looked at it.“I just asked for champagne.They brought that up.Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.It’s not my taste, but Alfonso would enjoy the fact that you love it.”

I didn’t, but I wasn’t about to tell Nico that.

I followed him into the lounge and was taken aback to see Alfonso lounging on the couch, dressed in jeans and a white sweater.The outfit made his eyes stand out even more.He was breathtakingly handsome, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what I was going to do with him tomorrow night.

“Come sit, Camilla.”

I thanked the heavens that he didn’t call me that Italian name and plopped down ungraciously onto the couch next to him.

He placed his hand on my back, and I couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through me.That magnetic pull I couldn’t explain was back.It made my throat dry, and I had to squeeze my thighs together to keep myself from doing something impulsive with my husband tonight.

That was what he was: my husband.

It sucked to be a Don.I wondered why he couldn’t get the crowd attending the other ceremony tonight to come to ours instead.I could ask him, but it would only make me sound desperate, and I was sure that Nico was going to tell him that I liked the Golden Rouge.

“The choice is yours,” Alfonso’s husky voice lingered, the kind of voice that could make any woman melt.

I tried to focus on the rings.They were beautiful, but each felt far too extravagant for my taste.

When I glanced at Alfonso, his gaze was locked on me.

“What is it?”he asked, his voice dripping with that honeyed tone that made my stomach flip.Already?

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my composure.“Do you have something that won’t make me feel like I’m sinking when I swim?”

His smile was knowing, and he turned to the jeweler.“Something more understated,” he requested, his eyes never leaving me.

The old man smiled softly, taking the larger box away and replacing it with a smaller one in front of us.

These rings were smaller in diamond size too.My gaze landed on a piece, and I wanted to reach out for it, but stopped.I pulled back my hand and apologized as my mother’s years of training kicked in.