Alice had been acting strange lately. Maybe that was just Massimo’s mind trying to deceive him, but, every hour, that idea came back to bother him, especially at moments like that.
He had just left the room, after a hot sex session with his wife that had made him feel like he was in heaven. However, after they had recovered from their last orgasm and had another one of the casual conversations that made Massimo's day a little better, he could have sworn he heard her start to cry a second before the shower water drowned out the sound.
He'd even gone into the bathroom to ask her what was wrong, but she'd just acted like as if nothing had happened and encouraged him to go back to the island of papers he was reviewing before he could officially return to work.
But no matter how hard he tried to believe her, Massi
Massimo's teeth ground together and he saw red. Hell, he didn't know who were the little bastards that had scared Millie enough to make his little girl doubt the love he had for her and Alice, but he was going to make them pay dearly. Very dearly.But first, he had to reassure his baby that they would always be together, especially when brats like that tried to get in the way.“That little sons of a...” Massimo growled, but managed to stop himself before scaring Millie even more with his fury “They're damn liars, Millicent. That's what they are. Nothing and no one in this world will make me stop loving you or being your father. Did you understand?" he looked at her, wanting her to feel the seriousness of that promise “I will always be with you, whether to play, to read you a bedtime story or to defend you from bullies. No matter what your age is or if you want to solve things on your own, your father will be here to protect you, understand? This is a promise."“Thanks, daddy.” A smile
"You saw her? Kendra and Amber were saying that she only looked beautiful at the wedding because of the makeup artists Massimo hired, but I don't think so. At every party so far she looks stunning. Could it be that Amber always hid it because she was afraid that her sister would overshadow her?”“It seems like you’re on the tip of everyone’s tongue here, don’t you?” Massimo said, his voice standing out among the not-so-discreet whispers of the other party guests.“Better that than them continuing to talk about that theater Amber did at our wedding.” Alice sighed, her hands resting on his shoulders as they pretended not to notice all the eyes on them, everyone probably confused with the reason why Massimo was at an event of middling relevance like that “I just wish they were a little less ironic. ”“Do you think they are looking down on you?” Massimo’s gaze lifted to her “I never thought I would say this, but they are being sincere, perhaps for the first time in their lives. Amber and
“So, miss...” the unknown man spoke, very casually, as if his intrusion hadn't made them both freeze “Would you like to keep your hand raised until security arrives?”“That...” Amber quickly lowered her arm, her expression turning tearful in record time “Oh, sir, thank you so much for helping me! We were having this horrible argument and I was running out of options to defend myself, until....”“I had never seen an argument where the person who was defending themself tried to attack first.” The man snapped, his tone filled with a contempt that Alice couldn't understand.“You're misunderstanding me.” Amber whimpered “I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was just looking for my mother when that woman approached me and started saying horrib
“Wait, Massimo...” Alice moved away from Micah, wrapping her arms around Massimo’s shoulders to try to calm him down “It’s okay. I'm fine, I promise.” “Kendra married you to a Bianchi?!” Micah gasped behind the two, his voice sounding half shocked and half revolted, which clearly didn't go unnoticed by Massimo.“You fucking bastard!” her husband growled, trying to move his wheelchair towards Micah, but Alice wouldn't allow it “If I see you near my wife again I swear I'll strangle you! Don’t think you can threaten her to try to make me hand over my father’s company to you!”“I see that not even almost losing your life has changed you, Massimo…” Micah grumbled, that strange yet kind man she had known suddenly gone “But I never thought your personality could get worse.”“Watch your words when talking about my husband, Mr. Griffin.” Alice took the lead, irritated “I'm grateful to you for helping me during my argument with my sister, but this doesn’t give you the right to offend Massimo!”
“And there's this new lemon pie recipe that my sister and I learned during this workshop! I can't wait to make one for you to try. It's a shame you couldn't come on this trip with me! I know you had your insecurities about doing a food show in the south of France, but I promise it's just fantastic! Oh, and I'm also trying a new meringue-based recipe that…”Stretched out on the sofa in the living room, Amber just rolled her eyes in silence, regretting that she had already used too many times the trick of pretending that her call with Casey had suddenly fallen apart. Now she understood why Alice had been interested in him in the first place. They were both equally idiotic, boring and fucking frigid. Of all the guys she had dated, Casey was without a doubt the most annoying of all, always talking about some new recipe or asking what candy she w
Anyone would think that, living without working in a huge mansion and surrounded by servants to do whatever she wanted, Alice would have time to catch up on her nursing studies. But, apparently, not. For perhaps the hundredth time, she tried to focus on what was written in the new anatomy book Massimo had bought her, but the notification from her smartphone, another wedding gift, sounded again, distracting her with Heidi's message.“Do you think it would be a very risky move if I convinced Dante to spend the day at his brother's house, now that he managed to convince his mother that he is going on a travel?” Dante’s girlfriend asked and, even through the text, Alice could tell how nervous she was.“Well, they were alone in a room waiting for Micah Griffin for half an hour. I think a few hours would be good training. They don't need to know we're doing this for them to try to make amends. Just tell them it’s because of the company and they’ll agree.” Alice replied.“
There was something wrong with Massimo. That thought had been hammering in Alice's mind all night, not letting her sleep for even a single moment. Well, for that reason and because Massimo hadn't come to sleep with her in his room, as had become a custom between them. She had even gone around the mansion several times, looking for him in every room she could find, but still Massimo had managed to evade her somehow.All this to avoid having a conversation about what had happened in the afternoon of the previous day.Christ, she knew how to deal with Massimo when he got mad and started shouting, but to isolate himself like that, as if he didn't even want to see her? It wasn't possible that he had taken that scene halfway and believed that she was responding to that asshole's flirting, right? He had seen her kick his balls, for God's sake! What reason did he have to be angry? And, if he wasn't angry and being surly around like he always did... Then what was wrong with
“What?!” Those last words left Alice so shocked that she could only gasp “How could you think that jerk was right?! You that I…?!”“I’m not saying I think you’d leave me for a jerk like that or anyone like him!” Her husband hurried to explain, seeming to know very well how that sounded. “But hearing anyone say that makes me look at myself, even though I don't want to. And, mostly, it makes me think about you. About how we're different and how you deserve someone better than me, in so many ways. I mean, just look at you. You are a beautiful, sexy, sweet and intelligent woman. One of the Dawsey's heiresses, who will soon have a career in nursing. You will be like a shine jewel attracting crows, more than you already are.”"Massimo…!"“I know what you’re going to say.” he snorted, never looking at her “That you don't want any other man, that you respect our commitment. But then, Alice? I've seen every type of marriage in High Society, from those that were purely for status