Marianna“Here is what would happen,” he started. I gripped the table cloth used to cover my shame tightly. My heartbeat raced faster and I prayed that he would be lenient. Nina's words were slowly working its way in him. Doubt laced every corner of his eyes, Alceo no longer believed that I was carrying his child.He would have despised me but I'm sure the memories we held from the past still had an effect on him.“I'm not going to be cruel, even though I should be. Over here, we do not tolerate rubbish. You have 2 options Marianna Del Vecchio,” he said and my heart sank deeper. He rarely called me by my father's name and for a moment, I was glad that he didn't call me Bezzio.“My apologies, Mrs Bezzio,” he corrected himself and it felt like my thoughts were being read. “You have 2 options; walk away from here or render yourself to be a servant to the Russians. Make your choices well, whatever you choose, will be applicable to Diego as well.”Nina cut in immediately. “There shouldn't
AlceoFew minutes earlierImmediately Marianna chose her preferred option, a part of me was glad that I'd still see her in the compound and a part of me tried not to care.Everything happened in a split second, the clattering of dishes and a knife pressed firmly to my throat.“Don't do anything stupid, just enter that room. You and I have a lot of things to say,” he held me down and kept pushing me into the closest room behind us.“Diego, what are you doing?” She called out, obviously shocked. I was too. I had no choice but to adhere to his instructions. One slight mistake and my jugular vein would have to suffer for it.“Don't worry Princess, me and the pretty boy here just need to have a private talk,” he said. I pictured him smiling after his words. The guts of his calling me pretty boy.The door went shut and he hurriedly secured the latch on the door.“Sometimes I think you forget that this is not the Italian turf, it is the Russians,” I said as soon as he freed me.“Well confide
MariannaIt's the second week in the servant's quarters and it was kind of like what I expected a bit. Glares of death and foul words spewn the air like oxygen anytime I passed or whenever they sighted their eyes upon me. I was determined to lay low and just mind my business, I couldn't afford to make one single mistake. Anything done wrong, I would find myself on the streets. I felt like Alceo had given me a chance to save myself. I couldn't afford to go back to Javier. He must have almost ran mad looking for me. Maybe he knows where I am, maybe he doesn't, who knows? He should have connections up to that point.“Thinking again, Marianna?” A sweet serene female voice called out to me. I gently turned my head towards the direction of the call. It was Valentine, the only female friend I had there. When everyone treated me with hate and disrespect when I moved there, she was the only one who drew me close and put me through.“Not quite, I am just taking some fresh air in. Want to join m
AlceoThe past few weeks have been stressful. Both Nina and the elders of the house kept bugging me about when I was going to get married in order to assume my father's seat completely.Well I was definitely taking my time, I wasn't running away, neither was the seat.I saw less of Diego and a little bit more of Marianna. She evaded my eyes anytime we happened to be in the same vicinity.She treated me like I wasn't existing, just going about her business. I found out that the other servants are threatening to harm her.“Help, help,” my thoughts were disorganized. I jumped from my seat, reaching for my gun in the next second rushing outside to see what was happening. It was the servant girl, the one that I mostly saw with Marianna.Everyone happened to come out at the same time; Uri, the men and Nina.Impatiently, I asked. “What is it? What's happening?”She stopped to catch her breath. “My lord, it's Marianna. We were taking a stroll around the house and before I could understand wha
DiegoAlceo was nice to relieve me and Valentine of our duties that day. Valentine cried all through as she sat beside me, lamenting how careless she had been.“It's really Alceo's,” she said. “At least everyone would retract their words now.”“Yeah, I guess,” I desperately wanted to say some mean words about the Russians but she proved to me that not all of them were bad.“What if Alceo wants her back? Would you allow it?”That question was one of many questions ringing in my head. I knew this would come up immediately. I saw his expression when he saw the child, it felt like Marianna didn't birth that child. It looked like Alceo vomited him out.“Well Valentine,” I scratched my head. “There's nothing I can do, mine is to make sure she's alright.”She took her seat opposite me. “Are you sure? Because I've seen the way you look at her. Those looks do not represent a brotherly love or a protection love.”I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face.“Is it obvious?” I asked.She shrugged he
MariannaThe tone of finality in my voice sounded so strange to me. If I was ever told that I would use it on Alceo, I would have argued it to the core with whomever.“Did you understand what I said, his lordship? I said this child is mine and not yours. And when he grows, I'll let him know of the beautiful death that killed his father," I said.“Come on pretty, don't be so callous, it doesn't suit you,” he said.I passed my child to Diego after feeding him for a while. He helped me place him inside the basket and wrapped him up properly.“Don't you ever call me that name again,” I faced him, sounding a note of warning to him. He was beginning to get on my nerves and I could blow up any minute from now. “You are telling me how being callous wouldn't suit me but it suited you, right?”I adjusted myself on the bed. “You never believed me when I talked, we were together for close to 3 years and the way you treated me in the past few weeks, I deserved it?”“I'm sorry Marianna, I swear I a
AlceoThe steps I took back into the main house were slower than a tortoise's. I couldn't wrap my head around how adamant Marianna could be. Every word that came out of her mouth stung me like a scorpion's sting.I couldn't bear losing her. I wasn't even in love with Nina, even if I tried. The hope I gave her a few days ago was starting to sound like a lie. I couldn't even try to bring myself to love her. All I wanted was Marianna, all I wanted was my pretty. She had grown in every way that I just noticed today.And the way she gripped her baby closer when I talked about coming to see them broke my heart. That was our child, she told me countless times but I refused to listen.I walked right into the living room. Uri, the men and Nina were seated, watching a TV programme and laughing to themselves.I obstructed their view, grabbed the remote and switched the TV off.Uri was the first to talk. “What was that for?”“Did none of you hear that someone tried to kill Marianna and her baby?”
AlceoIt was still 2 hours till sunrise, my eyes have been open ever since. I didn't dare get a good sleep after my encounter with Marianna the previous day and also my talk with Aleksi. I was high on my desperate need to mend things with the love of my life.I paced up and down the length of my room, thinking about how that day was going to go.Replaying the things I had in mind, I had booked flowers from a flower shop last night before I slept, asking for 50 white roses to be delivered to the house.And now sunrise only proved to be stubborn. Was it trying to punish me?I forced myself back to sleep hoping that the next time I open my eyes it would be morning.4 hours laterThe persistent knock on my door was beginning to irritate me. I was lying face down on my bed, reliving the memories with Marianna that came in the form of dreams.I struggled out of bed and wore a mean look on my face as I opened the door.Seeing that it was Uri, I got more pissed. Thankfully he has been doing t