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9: The Attention
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Gracie MackintoshI have been gone for a long time but hopefully I’m back - albeit irregularly to post for this book. Enjoy the chapters and maybe have a glance back at everything that has happened so far to reacquaint yourself with the characters and plot. Apologies. - Gracie.
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Faking It 10: The Swim
From what I understood, we only had a few days left of our honeymoon. Armani tried to avoid answering whenever I asked about when we would be going back, though I didn't know why, so at some point, I stopped asking. He'd been slightly busier than usual today and had been missing since dinner, which was two hours ago. Sitting in the living room watching a nature documentary on TV, I was acutely aware of Bill standing outside likely cold, watching over the house and therefore me. I'd tried to invite him in but he said it was his duty to keep an eye on the house's surroundings, so I eventually just let it go and worried about him in silence. When I heard the front door open, I turned to see Armani dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, a shockingly casual attire that I'd only seen one other time during this trip. He walked over to me on the couch and sat down without a word, stretching his legs out onto an ottoman that I couldn't physically reach if I tried. I opened my mouth t
Faking It 11: The Return
Of course, I knew someday I’d have to go back to my former life, but I didn’t expect it to be so sudden. We’d planned to stay for another week in Italy, when Armani excused himself from lunch to take a phone call and returned with an expression on his face I could only describe as frustrated. His father needed him back home for business, so all I could do was faintly smile, finish my lunch alone and go back to a packed-up house. Armani was already on the driveway looking down at his phone, the convertible’s trunk left open to display most of the belongings we’d come with. He glanced up as he heard Bill’s car but didn’t make a move toward us. I took the moment to look to the side at the bodyguard who’d refused to leave my side out of the house. Bill pulled up the handbrake and reached for the door, but I quickly said, “Bill? Are you c-coming with us?” He glanced back at me, hesitation written over his face. I’d never seen him less than happy, though something about this country bro
Faking It 12: The Move
“H-Home… with… you…?”“Yes.”“B-But-”“Rose…” Armani leaned forward to grasp my attention with a hardened look I’d yet to see on his face. His jaw was set, his eyes lowered slightly; there was to be no negotiation, but I simply couldn’t comprehend the fact I’d be leaving the only house I’d ever known. “I know your father has kept you rather sheltered — everyone knows, actually. Now we are supposed to be married, don’t you think it would be strange if we didn’t live together?”“How would a-anyone know?” I whispered, afraid I would upset him. His expression eased, however, and I felt a part of me relax, too as he reclined back again to put some distance between us. “Your father has many guests at his house and your sisters aren’t exactly good at keeping secrets. Someone would find out who isn’t supposed to, which would cause some issues, to say the least.”I wanted to ask what could possibly go wrong but this time I kept my mouth shut. I looked away to my lap where my hands were subcon
Faking It 13: The House
Inside was a dream; tall walls, open space, windows so big you could see everything yet nothing at all. The isolation of the property both excited and scared me, and the longer I walked around holding Armani’s hand, the more I began to feel a little hopeful again. My concerns over the last day felt silly — presumptuous. Though a part of my brain was still very aware that this could turn sour very quickly, I allowed myself to enjoy this simple few minutes with my fake husband and even smile, just a little bit. Feeling a bit like we were touring a celebrity home rather than his own, I followed Armani to a long hallway of doors on the second floor, which was a lot smaller than the ground, until we reached two at the very end. Both were double, made of wood but sturdy and thick. “These are our rooms,” he told me, then led me into one of them. “Your sisters thought you’d like this one best.”The bedroom in question was already furnished like most of the house but none of that grabbed my
Faking It 14: The Backstory
It took only one day for Armani’s duties to call him. I should have been used to it by now after my father’s consistently busy schedule, but I wasn’t and a part of me already missed his company. We hadn’t done much the day before, merely hanging out in the same room as we had for most of our honeymoon. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be all that different today — well, that was what I thought. Shortly after I’d eaten breakfast and wandered into the living room, I heard a door opening inside the house and a small part of me panicked. Then a familiar face twisted into a slight smile. “Oh,” I whispered, “I-I didn’t know were h-here.” Bill motioned behind him at what I understood to be just a little hallway to a utility room, as Armani had informed me during our tour. “It’s safer if I live in the house, Mrs Cartelli.” “In the house?” He nodded. “There’s an annex, of sorts, just down this hallway with everything I need.”That felt wrong. Didn’t Bill have something he’d much prefer doing? If
Faking It 15: The Bedhead
Unable to believe Bill’s story, I immediately got to work. Despite his protests, I marched into the kitchen to make food and leaned on the lessons my grandfather had given me: Italian cooking. Bill continued to dispute that I didn’t have to do anything for him, but even my heart felt heavy after hearing what he’d been through and I wasn’t about to let him go back to the annex alone. We ate lunch together at the kitchen island and he told me a little more about the various stages of his employment with the Cartellis. I listened eagerly to every word, until afternoon crept toward evening. It was only as I heard an engine outside that I remembered I had a husband who hadn’t been home all day. Bill politely smiled at me and stood to leave, informing me of where he would be yet again if I needed him. I resisted the urge to tell him I wanted him to stay, and turned toward the door as Armani stepped through. “Mr Cartelli,” said Bill, nodding on his way past. “Bill.” Armani’s head twis
Faking It 16: The Cartellis
“Everyone will be here, but if you’re overwhelmed, you can just stay in my office. Whenever you want to go home, Bill will drive you back.” “I-Is he coming up, too?” I whispered. Armani shook his head. “The bodyguards stay downstairs on another floor to the offices. We have plenty of security, it would just get crowded.” I nodded slowly and glanced down at my lap. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. Despite weeks at this point of getting used to Armani, I didn’t know if so many people I’d only met once would freak me out. After all, I wasn’t like most of my sisters; I could command a room or thrive in conversation. I was always the one they were hiding with their bigger personalities. “Wait here a second,” Armani told me and got out. I didn’t move, still staring at my lap when my door opened and a hand reached in. Recognising the move, I took it, standing up beside a man whose shadow cast over me easily. He shut the door, nodded at Bill across the garage, and led me toward an el
Faking It 17: The Rules
“For that reason, we’d like to set a couple ground rules with you.” “Nothing major,” Madeline added as she gave her husband a look. “We just want to make sure that both Dante and our family are comfortable with this arrangement. And you, of course.”Leo rolled his shoulders. “Information is best kept quiet unless it’s already been discussed by Armani and Dante directly. Anything you see while you’re here if you choose to visit regularly, will need to be a secret. Depending on how involved you want to be, you’ll know what you can and can’t talk about with your family.”My lips pressed together. I didn’t know anything as a baseline besides what the business itself was, and that it wasn’t exactly legal… at all. I doubted I’d be able to differentiate what was meant to be a secret and what wasn’t, so I resigned myself to accepting if I did visit, I’d have to avoid mentioning it at all to my sisters or family as a whole. Perhaps only Olivia would be an exception, though even then she was i
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Faking It 21: The Bonding
Armani’s favourite restaurant was more reminiscent of a small town caff. We walked inside together, still holding hands, and took a seat in a corner opposite one another. Although there was another young woman in a similar dress to mine, he looked completely out of place on his casual suit, the closest outfit being a pair of trousers beneath a polo shirt. After just a couple of minutes looking at the menu, a small figure caught my attention beside the table, and a young man asked for our order. The moment Armani looked up at him to answer, there was a soft gasp followed by fast footsteps rushing toward us. Anxiety rose up inside me as an elderly woman came to a stop with her hand on the waiter’s shoulder. “Cartelli,” she said, eyes wide. “You little shit, you haven’t been here in years!”Armani smiled so completely that I was stunned to silence. “Hi, Gigi.”“You’re so grown, my god!” Pulling the young man away, she stepped in front of him and reached out for Armani. He willingly sto
Faking It 20: The Drive
“I-I thought Bill would take me h-home…” I replied as I twisted in my seat to face him. He was striding through the small kitchen watching me in return. His shoulder raised. “Slight change of plans. Olivia’s information requires some fact-checking and that’s not my role here, so I’m free.” “And you’re choosing to spend that time with Rose?” asked Alyssa, a smile to her voice. I didn’t dare glance back, too focused on maintaining a casual expression. In truth, I was pleased he wasn’t going to be working all day again. As an offering, he held out a hand to me and spoke to Alyssa, saying, “Yes, I am. The rest of you bore me.” His eyes flicked to mine questioningly, and I slid my palm onto his. With a gentle, effortless tug, he pulled me to my feet. “Are you and Danny heading home?” Alyssa sighed. “G’s good with the fact-checking, so I’ll hang around until he’s ready to go. What are you planning?” Armani squeezed my hand, which I realised he was still holding. “That depends on
Faking It 19: The Arrangement
Olivia had to leave shortly after dropping the bombshell that she’d arranged for the Cartellis to meet up with the Yehudas if they chose to, and suddenly I felt more out of place than I had before. I opted to take up an offer from Alyssa to tour the building, most of which belonged to the family except a restaurant on the ground floor and a couple nice apartments above it. I hadn’t noticed it when we arrived. She walked me through all of the offices and facilities, but since Danny had been very quietly walking alongside us, she didn’t dare enter a room she called the armoury. I doubted it really was that but I didn’t want to find out either. Almost two hours later, we came to a stop in a kitchen on the same floor as the main offices, and sat down opposite one another with mugs of coffee clutched between our hands. I’d barely said a word the entire time, as she’d happily explained everything she could about the family and how it operated. It was so alien to me. “So,” she finally
Faking It 18: The Surprise
I could not help myself from flinging into Olivia’s arms as she grinned openly at my shock. She wrapped me up completely, the four inches between us seeming far more than it ever had. Realisation of how much I’d missed her and my other sisters quickly settled in but she pulled away too soon. Her gaze was locked across the table at Giorgio, who she wagged a finger at as she said, “I am not a stray, child.”“To us, you are,” he remarked, high-fiving a none the wiser Danny like they were a couple of high school boys. The actual child just smiled on trying to keep up with the conversation clutching at his mother. Olivia didn’t waste much energy on the interaction, taking my face in both hands to squeeze me with a slightly scrunched nose. “I missed you, Rosie. Is this how it’s going to be now you’re married?”I opened my mouth but slammed it shut again. I didn’t know. So far, it seemed I could spend time with Bill and no one else, as we hadn’t really talked about having other people in t
Faking It 17: The Rules
“For that reason, we’d like to set a couple ground rules with you.” “Nothing major,” Madeline added as she gave her husband a look. “We just want to make sure that both Dante and our family are comfortable with this arrangement. And you, of course.”Leo rolled his shoulders. “Information is best kept quiet unless it’s already been discussed by Armani and Dante directly. Anything you see while you’re here if you choose to visit regularly, will need to be a secret. Depending on how involved you want to be, you’ll know what you can and can’t talk about with your family.”My lips pressed together. I didn’t know anything as a baseline besides what the business itself was, and that it wasn’t exactly legal… at all. I doubted I’d be able to differentiate what was meant to be a secret and what wasn’t, so I resigned myself to accepting if I did visit, I’d have to avoid mentioning it at all to my sisters or family as a whole. Perhaps only Olivia would be an exception, though even then she was i
Faking It 16: The Cartellis
“Everyone will be here, but if you’re overwhelmed, you can just stay in my office. Whenever you want to go home, Bill will drive you back.” “I-Is he coming up, too?” I whispered. Armani shook his head. “The bodyguards stay downstairs on another floor to the offices. We have plenty of security, it would just get crowded.” I nodded slowly and glanced down at my lap. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. Despite weeks at this point of getting used to Armani, I didn’t know if so many people I’d only met once would freak me out. After all, I wasn’t like most of my sisters; I could command a room or thrive in conversation. I was always the one they were hiding with their bigger personalities. “Wait here a second,” Armani told me and got out. I didn’t move, still staring at my lap when my door opened and a hand reached in. Recognising the move, I took it, standing up beside a man whose shadow cast over me easily. He shut the door, nodded at Bill across the garage, and led me toward an el
Faking It 15: The Bedhead
Unable to believe Bill’s story, I immediately got to work. Despite his protests, I marched into the kitchen to make food and leaned on the lessons my grandfather had given me: Italian cooking. Bill continued to dispute that I didn’t have to do anything for him, but even my heart felt heavy after hearing what he’d been through and I wasn’t about to let him go back to the annex alone. We ate lunch together at the kitchen island and he told me a little more about the various stages of his employment with the Cartellis. I listened eagerly to every word, until afternoon crept toward evening. It was only as I heard an engine outside that I remembered I had a husband who hadn’t been home all day. Bill politely smiled at me and stood to leave, informing me of where he would be yet again if I needed him. I resisted the urge to tell him I wanted him to stay, and turned toward the door as Armani stepped through. “Mr Cartelli,” said Bill, nodding on his way past. “Bill.” Armani’s head twis
Faking It 14: The Backstory
It took only one day for Armani’s duties to call him. I should have been used to it by now after my father’s consistently busy schedule, but I wasn’t and a part of me already missed his company. We hadn’t done much the day before, merely hanging out in the same room as we had for most of our honeymoon. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be all that different today — well, that was what I thought. Shortly after I’d eaten breakfast and wandered into the living room, I heard a door opening inside the house and a small part of me panicked. Then a familiar face twisted into a slight smile. “Oh,” I whispered, “I-I didn’t know were h-here.” Bill motioned behind him at what I understood to be just a little hallway to a utility room, as Armani had informed me during our tour. “It’s safer if I live in the house, Mrs Cartelli.” “In the house?” He nodded. “There’s an annex, of sorts, just down this hallway with everything I need.”That felt wrong. Didn’t Bill have something he’d much prefer doing? If
Faking It 13: The House
Inside was a dream; tall walls, open space, windows so big you could see everything yet nothing at all. The isolation of the property both excited and scared me, and the longer I walked around holding Armani’s hand, the more I began to feel a little hopeful again. My concerns over the last day felt silly — presumptuous. Though a part of my brain was still very aware that this could turn sour very quickly, I allowed myself to enjoy this simple few minutes with my fake husband and even smile, just a little bit. Feeling a bit like we were touring a celebrity home rather than his own, I followed Armani to a long hallway of doors on the second floor, which was a lot smaller than the ground, until we reached two at the very end. Both were double, made of wood but sturdy and thick. “These are our rooms,” he told me, then led me into one of them. “Your sisters thought you’d like this one best.”The bedroom in question was already furnished like most of the house but none of that grabbed my
