I’ve been in this house for a week without leaving. I stare at my father’s diary, trying to decide what to do with the new information I’ve just found.I just read a significant entry, my father mentioned my uncle and a fallout regarding a ‘deal’ made earlier.It can’t be nothing, this deal is so crucial that it leads to my father falling out with his brother, and luckily for me, his name was revealed.Matteo Conti, my uncle. He shouldn’t be so hard to find right? How many Matteo Contis could there be in this city?I pace back and forth in my room, how do I find him?Wait, social media. Yes, yes, yes.I plop on my bed and pull out my laptop, Facebook.The social media app for their generation.I search ‘Matteo Conti’, many names pop up. Well, fuck.I spend the next minutes looking at their profiles, one was a high school kid, one a gay rights activist, another an 80 year old man with only a picture of his wife and dog posted, I found that cute. One was a young professor, another seeme
Emma isn’t back yet. I came home early today expecting to meet her, but she isn’t here.Hmm.I told the security to alert me when she gets back as I remain in my study. I wonder what’s keeping her out this late. Is she safe?I can’t risk her getting exposed to the media, or worse, what if Mother or Serena did something?Why do I care this much? Of course, I should. It’s natural to care about someone’s safety as a normal human being with empathy. After all, she’s my wife. If anything were to happen to her, that means I’ve lost the battle against Mother, and I have broken the promise I made to Emma.Well, I’m not a loser and I always keep my promises. So, yes, as a good businessman, concern is my top priority.My phone rings, it’s the security.“She’s heading into the house now,” he says.I end the call and head to the stairs immediately.She sees me and attempts to walk past me, but I grab her arm.She looks at my hand on her arm first, then to me, and back to my hand. Her defiant look
Is Liam Caruso…jealous?No way, impossible.I try to avoid the incoming gazes as a result of his loud enough declaration mere seconds ago.My hair is packed in a braided bun, leaving my neck and shoulder exposed, the mask hides most of my face, but my bodily features are here for them to see."Who is she?" I gather from the countless whispers.My breathing rises, and the panic attacks I usually used to get are back, I thought I had gotten rid of them.I place my hand on my chest and nervously look around, they're all wearing masks but I can feel their cold stares, judging, inquisitive."Are you okay miss…Mrs. Caruso?" Marco asks and places his hands on my shoulders, in an attempt to soothe me. I can feel the sarcastic bite in his tone, mocking me.They're all mocking me, watching me, judging me, they see me as… oh my God.Emma calm down, breathe in breathe out.I fling Marco's hands off and walk out, I need fresh air.I need to be alone, away from their prying eyes.I make my way to a
It's been some minutes since Emma walked out and Marco went after her. I should not be as bothered as I am, but I am.Of all people she had to be with, it's that fucker, with his smug face, always thinking he's better than me."Liam." a familiar voice drawls.It's Amber Luciano, wife to the former Chief-of-The-Defence staff, Admiral Giuseppe Luciano. A British musician with distant cousins in the royal family.Her husband is forty years older than her, but his fortune and name could last her three centuries.She clutched her husband's arm but called my name seductively, a strategy I was used to.Young girls marrying men old enough to be their grandfather for money and seeking out younger, attractive men to be their sex toys, Amber pulls the same tricks at every event.She's annoyingly persistent."Ah, Admiral." I nod in respect to her husband. "Amber, good evening."Her green eyes darken as she sweeps over my look, her eyes remind me of a snake eyeing its prey. Ironically, she wore th
I never expected this from Liam, and he looks proud.Marco stands from the ground and wipes his lip but he doesn't look like he wants to land another blow.He spits out blood, nods to me, and walks out, leaving Liam and I alone.That was very respectable of him, even though he probably did it to wound Liam's ego.After a moment of silence, Liam doesn't look at me nor does he utter a word.I say nothing to him either and head out as well, there's nothing worth saying anyway.That night back home, I stared at Tasha's number, unsure if I should call now, if I did, what could I say?After a while of pacing up and down, practicing scenarios, and seriously contemplating, I dial the number, and if she doesn't pick up after the third ring, I'll hang up.She picks up after the second ring."Hello?" she says."Hi, Natasha, it's me, Emma."Silence."Text me," she says and hangs up.I feel so stupid for not thinking of texting her first.Oh Emma, you big big idiot.I send her the first message:E
We finally arrive at Capetown after hours on air, Emma is very tired.The truth is, I didn't plan to ask her to come with me from the start the thought had just come into my head that morning and unlike me, I brought it up immediately.Half of me expected her to argue as usual, the other half hoped she would agree quickly without fuss, no matter how delusional I seemed at the moment.Why did I ask her to come? Pity? Loneliness? To show off? I don't know, but I did.And now, she walks by my side, her hair ruffled from sleeping the last hours of the flight through. I give myself a pat on the back mentally, the flight must have been so comfortable for her to sleep with such ease.All thanks to me.I, on the other hand, didn't bat an eye throughout and yes, I'm very tired. But, I can't sleep knowing I'm surrounded by so many people, I'd hate to experience my nightmares and people finding out… or, history repeating itself."It was a nice flight," Emma says, interrupting me from my thoughts
I can't sleep, but Liam on the other hand, got knocked out immediately his head hit the pillow.I turn to stare at him, he looks so peaceful, one would mistake his true nature in this state.Just when I'm about to turn back, I notice the knotting of his eyebrows, he looks tense and worried.It's probably just a little nightmare.He groans a little then goes quiet. Aw, who'd have thought the almighty Liam Caruso fights little demons in his sleep?But then, the tense lines show up again, and little stress lines form again, knotting his eyebrows. He starts moving, muttering incoherent words.Should I wake him? If I do and it is nothing it'll be inconsiderable on his part, he needs sleep.I wait for a moment but he starts to toss, still muttering incoherent words.Now, I have no choice."Liam." I shake him, he doesn't wake.Yeah, it's gonna need more than that because now he's starting to scare me."Wake up!" I yell and tap him.Still tossing and some thrashing.I shake him once more and
This color.It makes her fiercer, she wore this same color when I saw her for the first time, dancing like she didn't have a single fuck left to give.It's bold and I'm addicted.Now, she has me apologizing.It's time I learned some manners anyway.She walks ahead of me, her hips sway seductively and I have no choice but to keep my eyes on them and her bare back.I want to lick her creamy skin again, savor the taste on my tongue, I can't keep relying on flashbacks.But I'm a gentleman, one holding on to bare strings.Perhaps I should have chosen a less attractive wife."Oh, look at me leading the way like I know where we're heading," she says turning around immediately, almost catching me ogling."Yes." I agree and walk by her side. 'I'm not sure if you'll like South African cuisine.""Only one way to find out. I can't come here and have Italian food, I'm in South Africa after all."I sigh in relief…quietly. I know I should have asked what she wanted to try for dinner, but I also want