“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
Alice expected Massimo’s family reunion to be many things: tense, a battle of barbs, a big mess that would end with her husband and brother-in-law yelling at each other.But she could never have imagined it would be so… Silent.Standing in the front yard with Millie hiding behind her legs, Alice stared at Dante Bianchi, waiting for his cold and unreadable expression to change, even in the slightest. However, nothing happened. He remained there, with Heidi by his side and his arms crossed, as if he were making a business visit to the house of some stranger, not his older brother. And, well, she had to admit that Massimo wasn't behaving much differently. The only thing is that he is not only indifferent, but also disappointed to see his brother there.“
“Oh, Mr. Bianchi, it’s so good to have you back.”Faced with that fake laugh from the man standing in front of her and her husband, Alice struggled to smile, while keeping her hand firmly on Massimo's shoulders. Of all the things she expected she would have to do at yet another party where Dante and Massimo would try to talk to Micah Griffin, the last thing Alice expected was having to stop her husband from leaving several of the High Society bigwigs talking to themselves.“It is always a pleasure to meet your family, Senator Bingley.” she tried hard to sound as friendly as possible “Thanks to the good wishes from all of you, Massimo is recovering much faster than the doctors could have imagined. You can be sure that soon you will see him again not only at parties, but also at the Bianchi company. Right, darling?” Alice
Alice's shock paralyzed her for a few seconds, long enough for Micah Griffin to hold her by the shoulders, standing in front of her.“I’m sorry for saying something like that so suddenly.” he murmured, looking genuinely embarrassed “But, I guess after the way we met on the wrong foot, there's no other way than to be honest with you.”“You… How can you say something like that?” she stuttered, still unable to form a coherent thought “I know who my father is. His name is Roger Orwell.”“Like I said, I'm not entirely sure…” Micah raised an eyebrow, as if that lack of certainty wasn't entirely true “But, I have good reason to believe that. If you’ll just give me a few minutes of your time, I promise I’ll explain my reasons.”“Is that why my mother had such a strange reaction when she ran into you at the last party we saw each other at?” Alice swallowed h