“I wanted to check on you,” I answered, holding her gaze. She looked pissed. Seriously pissed off with me, and I couldn’t blame her.
“Check on me? Or check to see if I spoke to anyone and ratted you out?” She smirked without humor.
“No, it wasn’t that.”
“How do you think I am, Xander? Do you think I feel good? Do I look like I’m okay to you?Really?” She shook her head and snapped her gaze over me from head to toe. “Xander Cage, my father spread his bed so he can lie in it. It’s what happens to liars and people like him. Liars and those who take advantage of others.”
She was talking about me.
I couldn’t answer one way or the other.
“I live in a very dark world,” she added. “I know what seeing too much and saying too much can do to a person. So, you don’t have to worry about me spilling your secrets. I promised you I wouldn’t say anything and I meant it. As far as I’m concerned I heard nothing. I saw nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing ever happened. Not between you and me.Nothing. It never happened. I never met you, never felt for you, never hated you.Nothing. So please just leave me alone.”
As she turned on her heel, the sting of her words left me numb.
It was what I deserved though.
She was right. In the grand scheme of things nothing happened.
I was a shadow.
I practically didn’t exist.
Chapter 4
Jia
The aromaof basil mixed with ripe garden tomatoes tickled my nose.
The dining room had filled with the scent as it drifted in from the kitchen.
Pa always got the best. All the ingredients he used when he made a meal were organic and fresh.
Whenever he made lasagna he went to town.
Fresh everything and even the timing had to be exact so at serving the flavor would work in the perfect fusion blend.
Ma had been like that too.
That was how she met Pa.
Their marriage was actually arranged but it was the kind that worked in their favor since they were already sneaking around to meet each other years before they got wind of being betrothed to each other. It was like some blessing in disguise. I could imagine it must have been nice.
Both of them had shared their stories with me in different ways. It was supposed to be our little family secret that we kept amongst ourselves - How they’d outsmarted their families, my grandfather in particular who was exactly like the Godfather.
Speak the name Marchesi in Italy and people knew to watch themselves. It was the same as the Rossi’s who ruled Chicago until recently when the Morientz’s took over.
We were older though. Old money, old wealth. It created opportunity and certain expectations.
Like how the daughters had to fall in line and obey when they were told to do something. Even if it was to their detriment.
I’d gotten here for dinner at six, just as I was told to.
Pa had told me to sit at the dinner table and wait while he finished off the salad.
He was in there finishing off the food and pretending to be a father, doing his best rendition offather. He’d even been wearing an apron when I got here.
I’d been waiting for about ten minutes and was told Armand was on the way. He’d be joining us for dinner.
