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But safe.
However, that wouldn’t save Arianna from the discipline lesson I’d give to her when I got to her. Regardless of who was around.
I needed to send a message, even to loyal employees of mine, that my wife wasn’t theirs to help. She belonged to me, and so did they. There were rules to follow, even for them.
When we were on our way, I finished watching the footage of my wife’s escape. Molly left the property a few minutes after checking on her and my wife changed into a pair of blue jeans and a grey wrap-style cardigan and then… disappeared.
I wasn’t sure how she did it, but she went into the bathroom and never returned.
I scanned footage from outside of the bedroom and then from the exterior of the house and four minutes after she walked into the bathroom, she walked out the butler’s entrance on the lower level and walked straight down the driveway. She wore a thick black coat that one of the maids wore when walking the grounds and kept her head down as she left through the servant’s gate.
Gone.
My gut burned, trying to tell me that I was wrong about where she went. Perhaps she didn’t go to Molly’s, and she was well and truly gone.
But I couldn’t stand to think about that. She never would have gotten so far away, or at least had her absence unnoticed if I had been in residence.
If I hadn’t been hiding.
I knew people, I studied them and could read them easily. Except for Arianna. Like I told her, I couldn’t read her. I didn’t know what she was thinking or what she was going to do as I could with everyone else.
“Do you think Molly helped her?” Matteo asked a while into the ride, having watched the footage himself.
“I think Molly is aware that my wife is not at home in our bedroom where she is supposed to be.” I replied, “But I also don’t believe that Arianna would have allowed Molly to actually help her and jeopardize her safety and position at Armarow.”
“Why is that?”
“My wife is many things, Matteo. Proud. Strong-willed. Stubborn as the day is long.” He snorted and I kept going. “But she is kind above all else. And she cares for Molly, so I don’t think she’d risk my wrath being aimed at your maid.”
“She isn’t my maid.” He rolled his eyes, rubbing his jaw absently.
“Whatever you say.”
“What do you plan to do when we get there exactly?”
I cocked my head to the side and took a deep breath. “What I do will depend on what she does when I arrive. So I plan to play her game however she sees fit to play it.”
“I can’t wait to see this.” He smirked and leaned his head back against the seat. “I’ve never known Nico Capasso to take ques from someone else, much less a woman.” He winked at me when I glared at him. “I like the change.”
Chapter 11 – Arianna
“Thisallsmellsamazing,”I said inside the Bussa home kitchen as Molly’s parents and siblings worked in sync, preparing their Sunday family dinner. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?” I asked for the third time since I arrived.
“Please, Ari,” Molly’s mother Isabella smiled brightly, “just relax and let us show off our language of love.” She said sweetly.
Isabella was by far the sweetest person in the world, just like Molly said she was. When I had shown up at her home, unexpectedly and empty-handed, she hardly missed a beat as Molly pulled me inside and told them all that she had invited me. Sure, Molly didn’t think that I was going to get off of the grounds of Armarow Estate undetected but was happy about my arrival nonetheless. Even if she knew eventually my absence would be noticed and my outing would be no doubt cut short.
When Nico left the estate last week, I was happy to see him go.
Or at least relieved to have some space to get my feelings and emotions in check.
I took my first deep breath in days when I realized he was gone with no expectation to return quickly.
As the days rolled on without him in the magnificent home, the loneliness crept in. Which was absurd, given that the last time I saw him he literally choked me unconscious after telling me he was going to murder my brother.
I was so fucked in the head to feel more outraged that he left without a word, waking up alone in our bed when I had been standing in the bathroom with his hand wrapped around my neck what felt like only moments before. Alas, I had missed him and our verbal sparing as the days dragged on.
I missed his touch.
