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I nodded, deep in thought.
“Your mamma is feeling better?” he asked, changing the subject suddenly. I blinked back at him as I tried to stop the spiralling panic in my head.
“Yes. Seems to be. Though she is not happy about the marriage arrangement,” I answered truthfully.
“She will come around. She is emotional. She doesn’t understand the sacrifices we must give up in order to be in positions of power.”
I nodded again and he stood up. “I will be in touch, Giovanni. Start strategizing with Max and Leo. We will speak soon. Enjoy your present,” he smirked wickedly as he walked out of the room with an air of arrogance and authority. I stayed glued to my chair as I tried to process what I had just heard.
Start strategizing… To avenge my father’s death or get out of this marriage?
There had to be a way I could do both, surely?
The Boss
Cecilia
“Where’s Liv?” Sani asked for the fourth time today.
“I told you darling. She is not feeling well. She needed a sick day. She will be back tomorrow, I expect.”
He frowned but went back to building his Lego.
“Aren’t you happy to spend time with your mamma instead?” I smiled and Raya nodded her head enthusiastically.
“Yeah, I guess you are okay,” Sani said before bursting into giggles when I tickled him. He had Giovanni’s dry sense of humour.
“My eyes are deceiving me! That cannot be Santino Buccini all grown up!” His voice immediately made my shoulders tense. Sometimes, I could have sworn he sounded just like Vinny when he lost his sharpness in his tone.
“Uncle Sal!” Sani jumped up from the floor and hurtled towards him. He stopped by his legs, not actually wanting to physically touch Sal. It was that intimidating aura he gave off. I watched as Sal ruffled his black curls and smiled down at Raya who had shuffled closer to me, unsure.
“Wow. Soraya, you are twice the size you were when I last saw you!” She hid her face behind her teddy, and I jumped to her defence.
“She is very shy.”
His dark eyes moved from her to me, and he gave me a small smile and nod. “Cecilia.”
“You are well?” I asked formally.
“Yes. You?”
“I could be better. Sani, come and finish your Lego. Children, I am just going to speak to your zio for a moment. I will be right back.” I walked towards the playroom doorway, which Sal was blocking with his towering frame and he stepped aside for me to pass. I nodded to Marco to keep his eye on the kids as I took Sal into Sani’s bedroom, away from the children’s little ears.
“Cute bed,” he said flatly, looking over at Sani’s racing car.
I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. “How dare you bring a stranger into my house to live without consulting me!”
He smirked and leaned back against the wall, folding his own muscular arms as he did. “Let’s not get into this again Cecilia. I thought you would be happy that I am allowing Giovanni to get to know the girl he is going to marry beforehand.”
“Oh! So, I should be thanking you? That you are trapping my eldest son into a business marriage that will only benefit you!”
“It will benefit us all.”
“Bullshit! You only ever do anything for yourself! Whatever reason you have for pushing this on my son, is for your gain, so don’t stand there and lie to me Salvatore!”
His dark eyes glimmered with controlled rage as they narrowed but an amused smirk formed on his lips. “I am not forcing Giovanni into anything. He understands the importance of this alliance for the family, and he is doing what a good boss does. He is putting his family first.”
“Enough with thisfamily firstcrap! If you really cared about Giovanni, you would allow him to find happiness with a woman of his choosing and find a different arrangement with Aiani. You just don’t want him to marry for love. That is the real reason you are doing this!”
