CHAPTER 9

AMELIA

The taste of truffled chocolate, filled with cherry liqueur, floods my palate at the first bite and in a few seconds the hormones of happiness are stimulated, causing little sighs of pleasure to come out of my throat.

That was the dessert he left for me.

I finish all the chocolates in a few minutes, wondering with every bite how the son of a bitch knows my preference for chocolate, right this one should

be a candy appreciated by almost everyone, but how can he know that this one is my FAVORITE.

I groan, guilty for having eaten the whole box and being so easily manipulated.

I agreed to be blindfolded while having dinner with a stranger, I don't even know his name and even then I went, I submitted to an act of submission just to satiate my curiosity. He was right, I was turned on by the whole situation. The mystery, its hoarse voice always pulling me towards it and the whole game involves me and instigates me to want more and more. However, I'm getting tired of never getting answers. That train even knows my tastes and I don't know anything about it, but I'm more and more certain that it's someone close, this last time I had the feeling of already knowing its smell, its perfume entered my nostrils as soon as it approached and until now I haven't forgotten what I felt, not to mention that his presence is always familiar and comforting.

I throw myself on the bed, shaking my head to rid myself of last night's thoughts.

A knock on the door and Mom's voice make me jump, too surprised.

"Mouse, are you there?"

I frown, convinced my mother is really knocking on my door when she should be arguing this afternoon.

"Mommy?" I ask as soon as I open the door and see her standing looking at me. A fitted and elegant white dress covers her body to five fingers below the knee, a simple yet youthful and discreet neckline covers the bust.

"Yea?" He smiled, already jumping into a hug.

His arms wrap around my waist and they hold me tight. I return the hug, enjoying the exaggerated affection I missed so much.

This woman has been so involved with Augusto's administration that we've barely seen each other, the marketing people believe that her involvement will have a good impact on the next election campaign, not to mention that according to them, Mom's interaction with serious matters would take her out of the view of lover that many voters still have, bringing respect and admiration to the place. My first reaction when I heard this was to twist my face dissatisfied, my mother is the legitimate wife of the governor of New York, but above all she is a woman of integrity, intelligent, loving and excellent mother.

His image shouldn't be denigrated when Dad's came out unscathed, after all he was the big traitor. Mother was a smart young woman, but naive and in love with another when she met Dad, despite not knowing the sordid details of the story, I know that the woman who brought me into the world deserves all the respect and admiration without having to prove anything to anyone . But mother has always been a defender and has gotten it into her head that she needs to change to preserve me, although I've never cared for the jokes and sharp eyes of the sordid middle that is the upper class.

Everything I do is for her.

I pull myself out of his grip, staring at his pretty face with few wrinkles.

"Why are you here?" I ask, causing a glint of insecurity to flicker in his eyes almost as clear as mine.

"Were you eating chocolate?" conversation.

I move away, insinuating that she enters the room completely, she does so in silence and I take the opportunity to close the door.

"There's something to say, I don't know how you're going to react." His voice sounds strained and the room suddenly feels uncomfortable.

I scan his nervous figure, refusing to settle still in one place.

"It must be something really serious." I mutter, still watching her.

She swears a few words under her breath, making the situation even more unusual. A mocking smile threatens to break out of mine and I try to control myself, whatever the news is, it looks serious and I can't laugh as comical as it is to hear her curse.

“Mom?” I stop in front of her, holding her shoulders steady and keeping our gazes focused.

“I'm going to separate from your father.” He lets go of it at once.

I drop his shoulders, taking two steps back as I deal with his words. I return my gaze to his face, seeking answers in his gaze.

There's trepidation, fear and determination in them, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure it was something significant.

I open my mouth to ask for answers, when Aurora abruptly bursts into the room screaming, not even sparing my mother.

"Ah, the two opportunists are here."

His voice is slurred, anger present in all his features.

"Aurora..." My mother starts to speak, approaching where my sister is, but is interrupted by Aurora's screams.

"I don't know what you're up to, but you won't be able to separate me from my father. I lost my mother because of you, I won't lose anyone else." She snarls, venting fast, glaring at me.

Her red face is covered with tears and I want to hug her, her belly already shows a small bulge and I worry about her excited state.

"Calm down, it could hurt my nephew." I mean, I don't understand your attitude and accusations.

She laughs out loud, wiping away the tears that continue to fall.

"Nephew? You don't have any nephews, I already told you I don't consider you a sister."

Your words are mean and they hit my foolish heart right through. I need to be strong not to show how shaken I was.

"Okay, so calm down for your son. You're going to be sick like this."

"If you're so worried, stop meddling in my life and stay away from him.

I frown, thinking about what she's saying.

From him.

Does she talk about Peter?

" Peter and I are friends, I will not leave your friendship." I say with determination.

She huffs, rolling her eyes in a sign of impatience.

"Don't be false, I'm talking about your involvement with Henrico ."

My friend saw you having dinner with him yesterday.

I stand speechless, watching my elated sister raise a thousand accusations that I have no idea where they came from.

Who the hell is Henrico ?

"I really don't know what you're talking about." I say.

"Oh yeah? Explain that." She extends her cell phone to my field of vision, on the screen of the device is a picture of me blindfolded, at the restaurant I went to yesterday with the masked man, but in front of me is Henrico Zattani, Aurora's ex"husband and the man that Dad put in jail.

I let out a sound of surprise, the man's expressive face holds a mysterious smile on his mouth. And of all the possible suitors I had in mind, Henrico Zattani, was never on my mind