From the snack table, Alice could still see, in the distance, Massimo, Emma and Dante talking. Or rather, Emma and Massimo having a low-key discussion while Dante seemed to try to mediate. God knew Massimo would be outraged if he knew how protective she felt towards him, but Alice couldn't help it. Just as she knew she couldn't meddle after he asked to face that woman alone, as he had done since he was a child.
Head down and trying to convince herself that Emma wouldn't allow a real fight to break out to ruin her party, Alice looked ahead, searching across the huge table for Lucy to be at. Her husband had returned home after another business trip and so Lucy could never stay on her cell phone for long, but they had managed to talk long enough to know that they would both be there. Plus, there was a part of Alice that was genuinely curious to meet the woman named Ruby Bennett and find out if she really was
“What the...!” Massimo’s brother, or rather, her brother-in-law, cursed, pulling his lips away from the girl, but still keeping her protectively around his arms.With Dante away, Alice could see that the girl had dark blonde hair that fell in long curls down to her waist, light brown almost golden eyes hidden behind the thick lenses of her glasses and was dressed very differently from all the guests. Instead of a formal dress, she was wearing a half-open white blouse and a pencil skirt that had clearly been lifted up a bit.And, as she had clearly interrupted a special moment, Alice could only blush and put her hands in the air.“I... I’m sorry...” she stammered “I didn’t mean to come in like that. I was just looking for a bathroom...”
"Where were you?" Massimo’s voice reached her at the moment when Alice had just approached the drinks table, to drink something before being able to look for him “I was looking for you...”Chewing the inside of her cheek, Alice turned as the sound of his wheelchair's wheels came to a stop near her, expecting to find him angry that she had left him alone or suspicious as to why she had disappeared from the room to wandering around the Bianchi mansion... However, what she found on his face when their eyes met was just concern, which made her explanations evaporate for an instant.“I... I'm sorry. I needed to go to the bathroom.” She cleared her throat awkwardly.“Was that really all?” Massimo sighed, and only then could she see the annoyance behind his concern “While I w
“I thought maybe after being away from people for so long you could have learned to be a little nicer…” Christopher mumbled, his frown lines becoming even deeper because of the grimace “But, I see that no. You shouldn't be in the hospital, getting shots or something..."“And shouldn’t you be looking for someone stupid enough to be your client?” Massimo cut him off, merciless as if Christopher’s opinion was worth the same as an insect to him “If you want to grieve over the bankruptcy of yet another of your law firms, then do it in front of your father, not with me.”“That’s just a rumor.” Christopher hissed angrily, his face painted red, before he turned to the beautiful woman who was with them “You see, Miss. Bennett, it's hard to control this kind of nasty intrigue. The only r
“What a ridiculous thing!” Christopher cut off his wife, between his teeth “No one ever tried to intimidate Massimo! We were all just kids playing. Now, as I was saying...”“I'm always so happy to know someone thinks the same as me.” Miss. Bennett smiled, her once cold features changing completely as she turned to Lucy, acting as if Christopher wasn't there “I also suffered from exclusion from my classmates when I was a child, as I was the only scholarship student in my class. What worried me most was that none of them seemed to really understand why they were wrong. It’s rare, but also very good to realize that not all people born with money are like this.” With that bright smile, Ruby leaned forward a little towards Lucy, eliminating the centimeters of height difference between her, making Alice's best friend blush.
“Thanks, Josiah.” Alice sighed in pure relief as she set foot in the mansion's living room, feeling as if she had spent an entire week at the Bianchi mansion, rather than just a few hours "I'm sorry if we woke you up..."“It’s fine. Massimo always leaves these parties early anyway. So, I went to a drive-thru burger place on that road.” The old man laughed “Just don’t tell Thea. At this time she is probably in bed, but not yet asleep. If you want, I can ask her to prepare two hot baths.”“Thank you, but she has already done a lot today. Let her rest.” Alice asked, plopping down on the sofa “If Massimo needs anything, I can help him.”“Are you offering to give me a bath?” he raised an eyebrow, so serious that Alice gasped in embarrassm
“What?!” Alice gasped, her blood running cold.“A heart-warming family reunion, isn’t it?” Massimo laughed contemptuously “But oddly enough, this was positive for me. I learned from day one that I wasn't welcome by anyone in that house, other than my father. He had hopes that things would change as time went by, but my mother and I knew the truth. That same night, I begged her to we go back home, but... She was honest with me. She told me that, soon, my father would be the only family I would have, so I needed to be strong and not allow those people to destroy me. Four months later, she died.” He revealed, making Alice's eyes become heavy with tears “My father tried to help her, but it was too late. Tuberculosis led to several widespread infections, until she could no longer resist. As she told me would happen, all I had was my father.”
“My parents... Did something similar happen between you and Millie’s father?” Massimo asked, but his curiosity disappeared the moment he noticed her body tensing “Forget it. I know my father was one in a million. I how many cowardly sons of bitches there are out there, incapable of assuming their own flesh and blood.”“I... I always thought that Millicent and I would never fit into his life. When I found out I was pregnant, I was sure my baby would be a shock and a hindrance for him.” Alice admitted, although every word was like a stab at her, with her mind begging her to stop “There was a lot at stake, especially on his side, and I knew how it feels to be an unwanted child. It seemed like the best choice was to keep his life as it was, so that's what I did. A lot of things have changed in the last almost 5 years, but...” she sniffed “I don't thin
If one day someone had told Massimo that he would be supervising a children's party with the same care he used to oversee his company's projects, he would probably have laughed for hours. Yet, there he was, standing in the middle of his farm's garden, watching as all the workers finished assembling the toys, stocking the food carts, and decorating every inch of his property for Millicent's birthday.“Is that Millie’s new daddy?” a childish and frightened voice asked, and, from the corner of his eye, Massimo noticed three children who had already arrived for the party watching him, close to their mothers, whispering to each other “Why is he sitting on a chair that has wheels? Is it because he likes riding in cars?”“Can I have a nice chair like his, mommy?” another little girl asked, grabbing her mother's skirt.