Page 23 of Forgive Me, Father

His patience was gone, as well as his compassion.There was nothing behind his blue eyes anymore.After all, he was working for Alfonso.He was his right hand, or bodyguard, or go fetch buddy, whatever Nico was.

I stood and ran my fingers over the robe, its softness a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me.Tears threatened again as the urge to run surged through me, but deep down, I knew it would be pointless.Alfonso would find me.He always would.

I took a long bath and sipped on the champagne that was brought up earlier.It tasted like shit again.I knew it was Golden Rouge.

When I stepped out, I froze.My mother and sister were lounging in my room, sipping champagne and giggling like schoolgirls.

“Camilla,” my mother beamed, her voice dripping with false sweetness, “why didn’t you tell me you married a Pontisello?How on earth did you manage that?”

I exhaled slowly, closing my eyes for a moment.“Leave.”

Her smile faltered.“What?”

I opened my eyes and met her gaze with ice.“I saidleave.I don’t want you here.”

“Sis?”Em started.

“Don’t, Em.Just don’t.Take Mom and get out.I mean it.”

“Honey, if I was hard on you, there was a reason.”

“I said get the fuck out of my room!”I yelled, and my mother froze.Tears blurred my vision, and I silently wished I could will them back.They had never listened to me, not once.Never had they cared enough to give me anything I truly wanted.

Now that I was married to a Pontisello, now they cared.

I still had no idea where he fit within the family, probably from some distant branch, maybe even the runt.It was the only explanation for why I couldn’t find a single trace of him online.They were keeping him hidden.

My mother set down her champagne flute, her eyes now filled with simmering anger.

“No, please, take that with you.It tastes like shit.But I’m sure you will enjoy it.”

My mother stared at me, picked up her glass, and left with my sister in tow.

I broke down and cried my heart out.I didn’t want to do this today, but I knew if I didn’t do this willingly, he would force me, and it would be twenty times worse.So, I had no fucking choice on the matter.

I would have to carry on with this consummation ritual, but he could bet his sweet narcissistic ass that he was going to wait good and long for his bundle of joy.

THE WHITE RABBIT

I felt a pang of guilt as I signed the merger contract with Noah and Fernando Solomon.Both brothers had worked tirelessly to build S.A.N.T.Distributions to the level it was at, and I could see the weight of it hit Noah when I finally revealed the truth about the DaCostas.It was clearly a hard pill for him to swallow.

I’d also promised that if he trusted my family, they would be looked after with this merger.The man literally had tears in his eyes, and then he said it.I needed to promise him that I would look after his Camilla.She had been raised to please another, not a Pontisello.

I nodded.I hated that I’d promised to give this man what he’d asked for because I didn’t know if I was going to be able to keep my word.

“Who will be at the ritual tonight?”

“It will only be me,” her father replied.“Is your father coming?”

“No, but there will be a member of my family.”

Noah nodded with a grin.He was the kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to command a room, easily pushing sixty, a lot like my father, salt streaks in his hair, suit sharp as a blade, and eyes that told you exactly how you’d die if you crossed him.

The old man was eager to sign his daughter over to me.It was such a fucked ritual to be honest, one that fathers usually did when their children were still young and not between a father and the husband.

I shouldn’t have manhandled her the way I had this morning, but I did not do well with sneaking around, not knowing where my fucking wife was.I’d always had that problem.What was mine, was mine, and mine alone, I did not share.

The man scribbled his signature on the dotted line when the door opened.The doctor emerged just in time and nodded.She was still intact.