A V E L I N A"Mr. Salvatore–" Mr. Smith said, but Lorenzo cut him off."Smith, I would like to make a few changes. First of all, Ms. Marquez has not mentioned anything about the cost, and how much the restaurant would cost. Secondly, we have not yet seen the budget, and the profit that will be generated. And thirdly, we have not even discussed the name of the restaurant. These are important details, and we cannot approve of her restaurant until we have the complete picture. I cannot approve of her restaurant, when we have not seen all the details," he said, his voice calm and cold.The entire room was silent, and I could feel the anger rising inside me. Of course, he had to find a way to ruin this moment for me."Ms. Marquez, would you mind explaining the cost and the profit?""Yes, of course," I said, and pulled out a file."The cost of the restaurant will be five million dollars, and the profit will be thirty million dollars.""And how did you calculate the cost and the profit?" Lo
A V E L I N AI stared at the mirror, my mind running wild with thoughts. I was nervous, and I didn't know how to control myself.Today was the day of the party, and I was a mess. My thoughts were all over the place, and I couldn't concentrate.I had tried on several outfits, and nothing seemed to look right. I was a mess, and I didn't know how to stop this feeling.I had finally settled for a red strapless dress, with a plunging neckline and a slit on the side. It was sexy, and it accentuated my curves.My hair was loose and wavy, and my makeup was simple. I looked sexy and sophisticated. My engagement ring was sitting on my finger. I took a deep breath, and checked my appearance one last time. I was ready.I drove to the address Mr. Smith had sent me, and I was surprised to see that it was a hotel. The hotel was huge, and it looked luxurious.I parked my car, and walked towards the entrance. I showed the security guard the invitation, and he let me in.The inside of the hotel was be
A V E L I N AThe car ride was silent, and the tension was thick. I could feel the anger and hatred coming off him in waves, and I was nervous. I didn't know what was going through his head, but I knew he was planning something."Where are you taking me?" I asked, breaking the silence."Where else would I be taking you?" He responded, not taking his eyes off the road."To your house." He finally responded."How do you know where I live?" I asked, the panic rising."Avelina, do you really think you could hide from me?" He asked, a smile spreading across his face."I wasn't trying to hide." I spat. "All I want is for you to stay out of my life and personal business." I said, glaring at him.He laughed, a humorless laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "You think that's possible?""I didn't do anything wrong." I said, trying to reason with him. "We divorced five years ago, Lorenzo. What–""Because you cheated on me. With several men. With my own fucking brother. Need me to continue?" He
A V E L I N A"What?!" Carina exclaimed as I told her the events of last night. "Don't tell me you guys fucked. Avelina, you didn't right?""No, of course not! I stopped him before it could go further. I made a grave mistake, Rina. I shouldn't have even let him come close to me, talk more of driving me home. It's all my fault." I said, tightening my robe as the morning breeze blew.I ran my hands through my hair my eyes still swollen from lack of sleep and my head banging as a result of hangover."It's not your fault, sweetheart. You were drunk and if he didn't drive you home, who knows what worse could have happened. At least, he didn't try to take advantage of your state.""He fingered me, Carina. That wasn't the influence of alcohol. I knew, I didn't stop him. I hated to admit that I wanted it. Wanted him at that point. I thought I had made progress over the last five years, but just one touch from him, I was back to being that weak pathetic girl.""Oh, darling. It's completely nor
A V E L I N AI sipped on my hot coffee as the thunder boomed. The night was dark and stormy, and it was a perfect fit for my mood. It had been a week since the opening of the restaurant, and things had been going well. The opening had received a lot of positive feedback, and the reviews had been amazing. But, my mind was a mess.Ever since that day, Lorenzo had been avoiding me. I had been glad at first, but I was starting to wonder if he had believed my lie. There were many times when I had wanted to tell him the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't imagine his reaction.My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. I frowned, wondering who could be visiting me at this time of the night.I opened the door, and there stood Lorenzo, his shirt soaked and his hair sticking to his forehead. It was raining heavily outside and the thunder roared in the background."Lorenzo? What are you doing here?""My car broke down just a few miles from here, and I walked the r
A V E L I N AI woke up the next morning feeling like crap. I hadn't been able to get much sleep. All I had been able to think about was how I had cheated on Raphael.I got dressed and left the room, the smell of coffee filling the air. I went down the stairs and into the kitchen, and Lorenzo stood in front of the counter.He wore a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and his hair was styled."Hey," He said, looking up from his phone.I ignored him and went straight to the kitchen, I could hear his footsteps as he followed me."About last night, we shouldn't have done that. It was a mistake." I said, turning to him."Avelina," His voice was low, and his tone held a warning."No, we shouldn't have done that. I'm fucking engaged, Lorenzo. What the hell were you thinking?" I said, frustrated. He frowned, "Don't try to blame me. I'm not the one who gave in. You're a fucking hypocrite. You were the one begging me to fuck you."I winced at the word, the memories from last night rushing back. I di
A V E L I N AThe day was warm, and the sun was high in the sky. The birds chirped, and the smell of fresh grass filled the air.I looked around at the people milling about, and my heart filled with sadness. Coming back to New York has been filled with nothing but sadness, and the pain was almost unbearable.The last few days had been a blur. After making my decision, I couldn't find a way to break the news to Raphael. I just couldn't. I was ashamed, ashamed that I couldn't keep my legs close.I had broken down, and I knew that I was just being a coward. I needed to tell him the truth. It was the only way.He had the right to know, and I couldn't hide it from him anymore.Giovanni's visit to my house earlier today was sudden and I couldn't get our conversations out of my head. The threats he'd thrown at me."So, the rumors aren't really rumors after all." We're first thing he had said as soon as I opened the door.Then he proceeded to ogle at me, my body curling with disgust. He looke
A V E L I N A He carried me into the bedroom and laid me on the bed, his hand gently caressing my face. "Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern. He was worried about me, and the fact touched my heart. "No," I replied honestly, my voice breaking. "I was so scared. I didn't think that would happen to me. I was so scared he was going to hurt me. I've never been that scared in my entire life." "I'm sorry," He said. "I'm so sorry, Avelina. This shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. I should have kept you safe. If I had known, I wouldn't have left you alone. I'm so sorry." "It's not your fault," I replied. "You didn't know. You didn't know what was going to happen. Please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. It's mine. It's my fault. If I had stayed at home and not went anywhere, maybe this wouldn't have happened." "It's not your fault. Don't say that." "But it is." "It's not." He said firmly. "You couldn't have known. That bastard deserves