V: Mr. Wrong

"This is very good, Mark." His family villa was on the beach, which gave a beautiful view of the sunset and the calm ocean in the distance. This villa was no different from Xavier's house, but I preferred and was comfortable at Xavier's place because it was my brother's house.

I stepped slowly onto the balcony while Mark dropped one of my backpacks on the sofa. "Thank goodness. I was afraid that this view would disappoint you."

"Nothing is disappointing about the beach. I love the beach." I replied, turning to him.

He looked surprised. "You like the beach? I thought you liked forests,"

"I like both," I replied, tilting my head. "I've already told you about that."

"I forgot, baby." He leaned closer, kissing my forehead. "How about we get ready so we can go straight to the party?" he offered.

I nodded while holding back the slight disappointment in my heart. Damn it, I knew all about him. I still remember not liking the beach or the forest. He never paid attention to nature like me. He spent all this time in the city.

Well, but that's not important. The most important thing is that our relationship is fine.

I turn my body in front of the full-body mirror, and the bottom of my dress moves with my movements. It's a simple pastel pink midi dress with blue flowers on the skirt, which covers me up to my knees with a halter-style neckline. It's a simple and pretty dress, in my opinion, a gift from Theo on my birthday three years ago. I still wear it on formal occasions because I like it so much. It's not too flashy or too fancy, and it suits me perfectly.

I put on simple makeup and curled my hair in a ponytail. In the final touch, I put white wedges on my feet.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, pray that this meeting goes well, and then walk out of the room I'm staying in tonight.

I find Mark sitting on the couch, focused on his phone. Then he looks at me. "Ready? Let's go, then."

I raise an eyebrow, refraining from asking him to compliment me. But, damn, I should just understand, shouldn't I? He was probably tired from his work. I don't need to be that dramatic to get him to notice my appearance.

<<<

I accepted his hand as we got out of his car and headed towards the white two-story house, which had almost all glass walls and was quite luxurious and crowded.

Many people were crowding the outside and the inside of the house, and then there was the music with the low bass turned on. Sunset dodged their silhouettes, and nervousness crept up on me instantly.

"It's okay, baby." He looked at me with soothing eyes. "It's going to be okay."

"I'm afraid they won't like me."

"They will like you. You remember that I told them about you, right?"

I nodded.

"And their response was quite positive. You don't have to worry."

I swallowed and nodded again.

"Here I am." He kissed the back of my hand. "Everything will be fine."

I smiled. "Okay."

He gently pulled me into the house. We went through the living room, where several people were present.  Mark led me to the spacious balcony outside. This party was like a simple tea party. There was no typical glitz and glamour whatsoever. Everything was so simple, but I'm sure I'll hold my breath when I see the price of everyone's clothes here.

He pulled me towards a middle-aged couple who were talking to another middle-aged couple. My chest tightens slightly, and I feel nervous when I see Romano Morelli and his wife, Felicia Morelli. I often see these two faces in business magazines. Usually, they are about achievements, and the latest is the news that they've become the richest trillionaire family in the world.

The richest people in the world...

"Mom, Dad," Mark called softly as we approached.

I squeezed our hands together in my nervousness.  The four of them looked at the two of us directly, their eyes equally split between excitement and curiosity.

"Introducing.. this is my girlfriend. Jasmine Danelle Arias. Who will be your daughter-in-law since I proposed to her last Monday."

His words made my face heat up.

The four people were surprised and then lit up. I ignored the other two middle-aged couples and focused on Mark's parents' reaction. 

Felicia Morelli looked at me with a very noticeable twinkle of happiness. She moved quickly, and I was already in her tight and friendly arms. "It's you. Jasmine Arias." She said.

Arias. That was actually my mother's last name. I used it so no one would know I was from the Vargas family. There were quite a few Vargas in California, and a little investigation from the enemy would put me in danger.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Jasmine," Felicia Morelli continued with a warm smile, which somehow didn't quite soothe my anxiety. "Mark has told me so much about you. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Standing beside her, Romano Morelli nodded, though his expression was more restrained. "We hope you can be happy together. After all, this family has always supported Mark's choices."

I smiled, though nervousness and worry remained in my heart. "Thank you, Mrs. Morelli, Mr. Morelli. It's an honour for me to meet you both."

"Ah, don't call us so formally, dear," Felicia chuckled, holding both my hands. "We're going to be family. Just call us Mom and Dad."

"Sure, Mom," I replied with a forced smile.

Mark, standing next to me, squeezed my hand gently. "Why don't we join the others? There's someone else I want to introduce you to."

I nodded, relieved to be slightly away from the nervousness from my interaction with his parents. We walked towards the rest of the crowd, and we stopped at another middle-aged couple.

"They're my uncle and aunt," Mark said before we approached. "Zio, zia," he called softly to the couple.

They both turned around and looked at us in turn.

"Introducing, this is my girlfriend... the one I proposed to. Jasmine danelle Arias.” He said to both of them. "Jasmine. They are my uncle and aunt, Giovanni Morelli and Alessandra Morelli."

His aunt's mouth opened in surprise before she came over and hugged me, the same gesture his mother had made. "Oh, it's you. Gosh, I didn't expect this. You're so beautiful, so smart. No wonder he loves you."

But she was a little more excited than Mark's mom.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Morelli," I told her. I'm very pleased to meet you too, Mr. Morelli," I said as I glanced at Giovanni Morelli, who was smiling broadly at me.

"We are also very happy, dear, " he replied. "I can't believe this stupid Marcopolo could find an angel like you," Mr Giovanni Morelli said.

My cheeks warmed up, and I felt like a boiled crab.

"Zio, you doubt me," Mark said in a playfully offended tone. "By the way, where is Tristan? I want to introduce my future wife to him." He continued.

"Obviously, your brother is busy chatting with Lorenzo and Pietro. Coming here is the last thing he wants." Giovanni Morelli replied.

That made me remember that there was someone else I was about to meet: Tristan Morelli, Mark's older brother, who was already the man who made me and everyone else curious. Well, my nervousness was growing now.

"Ah, Pietro is here. I thought..."

They were still talking to each other, something I didn't understand, so I chose to scan the party, looking at how many people were there. Some were sitting on the beach enjoying a meal.

But my gaze stops on a man. A man with dark glasses.  A familiar man.

My heart beats rapidly and chaotically inside my chest.

Leaning against the iron railing at his waist height, the man in a black T-shirt, black suit, and jeans sipped his red wine and listened to the man in front of him.

I swallowed heavily.

I knew it was him.

Even though we were far away and he had his glasses over his eyes... I knew it was him.

Him... that guy...

The man who ruined my life five years ago.

I froze—every nerve in my body froze—and couldn't do anything. My breath caught in my chest, and I couldn't take my eyes off him.

Hia head turned forward.

Right to me.

A second later, a surprised expression came from him.

He knew me. Still.

I looked back at his aunt and then at him. "I think I have to go to the bathroom, Mark."

"Oh honey, come on, let me take you." His aunt said.

I nodded stiffly, and she was quickly leading me inside the house.

<<<

"Are you alright, Bambina?" The soft voice snapped me out of my reverie, and I realized she was taking me to the second floor, which was deserted. Only a few people were sitting there, and they didn't care about us.

I turned to the beautiful, shaded face of Alessandra Morelli. She looked at me so softly. "Yes, I..." I swallowed. "I'm fine. It's just that I'm still a little dizzy from jet lag."

"Oh god, he didn't let you rest, huh?" she asked worriedly.

"I rested, but my head needs more time to recover. But I'm okay. I just need to go to the bathroom and wash my face to be refreshed."

More precisely, for me to realize that what I saw earlier was just an illusion. It couldn't have been Dexter. It wasn't. It was a ridiculous coincidence.

No, it wasn't. It wasn't him.

"Okay. Take your time, I'll be waiting on this balcony, okay?" she offered. "Just use this bathroom. It's okay."

I opened the bathroom door, locked it, and sat on the closed toilet. I rubbed my face lightly. I realized that my hands and body were shaking. Everything in my body felt like it was shaking with fear or... what? I don't know. But for the most part, yes, it was real, pure fear.

I hope I'm wrong. Damn it. I hope it's not him.

It couldn't possibly be him. No. Don't be him, please.

I stood up and then faced the glass in the sink, opening the small bag containing my phone and various simple makeup tools for retouching. I washed my face lightly and then blinked my eyes a few times.

My muddled head began to make suggestions about who I had seen earlier.

It wasn't him. It wasn't him.

I dried my face with a tissue and then fixed my makeup, which was slightly smudged by the water, and then I pondered. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, which showed how beautiful I was. I tried my best to do skincare and makeup so that no one would know how dark I was. It was a mask to cover what was inside—all that darkness.

No one knows, and no one will know. Not even Mark.

But if what I saw was the man named Dexter who had stolen my virginity and gotten Bianca killed... then this mask could just crack.

What would happen if it was him? What should I do? Does that mean that I have to hide somewhere else again? Do I have to run away?

I swallowed, trying to calm myself down as the therapist said. Anxiety shouldn't invade me now, I... I have to conduct myself well in front of Mark's family.

After cleaning myself up, I stepped outside and found Alessandra Morelli talking to the man who had his back to me. The man was tall, his back large and sturdy, more athletic than Mark, who was rather thin and ordinary.

His black suit made me...

I stopped my steps, and my heart pumped a little stronger.

"Shit," I muttered.

It's him.

He's... Dexter.

Alessandra Morelli looked at me and then exclaimed excitedly as she approached me. "Jasmine. This is the one you've been waiting for." She said. "Tristan, meet her... she is Jasmine, your brother's future wife."

Brother.. Mark's brother?

I stared at the face of the man who turned around and looked at me straight and intensely.

He's... he's Dexter...

And what... what was that? Tristan??

What the fuck is this?!

"Jasmine, meet him. He is Tristan Morelli, Mark's older brother, the oldest grandson in our family."

The ground I was standing on seemed to shift, and everything felt chaotic.

Dexter...

...is Tristan?

"Hello, Jasmine." He said, his voice still the same, the feeling of my name escaping his lips still the same. "It's so nice to meet you." He extended his hand to me to shake mine.

I swallowed, trying to calm myself down. My chest was tight, full of constraints and tightness.

I returned his handshake. He immediately squeezed my hand, his hand so big and warm, contrasting with my cold and sweaty hand. "Nice to meet you too, Tristan Morelli."

He squeezed my hand like a gesture and looked me straight in the eye with a glint I knew had once misled me.

I... can't breathe right now.

My back feels like it's being licked by hellfire, and I'm sure chaos will follow me from here to the end of my life because.. how could my boyfriend's older brother be the one who took my virginity and left a mess in my life five years ago?