As the ink dried on the documents, the gravity of the situation became painfully clear. Mr. Rossi’s gaze never wavered from Maria, his eyes cold and unyielding. He rose from his seat, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the room.“Now that Kia is legally your husband,” Mr. Rossi began, his voice cutting through the lingering silence with icy precision, “you are responsible for him in every way. His failures are your failures, his disgrace is yours, and his image is now your own.”Maria’s eyes widened in shock, the weight of Mr. Rossi’s words sinking in. Her face was pale, and her lips trembled as she tried to process the enormity of what had just happened. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.Vittoria, who had been silently weeping, could no longer contain her despair. She cried out, “Father, please, have some mercy! Maria is still young... please have mercy! This is too much for Maria to bear. She’s just a child.”Mr. Rossi’s face hardened, his eyes narrow
Maria’s breath hitched as she pulled away from Rene, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. The intensity of his kiss left her reeling, and for a moment, she forgot the heaviness of the situation. Rene’s touch was comforting, grounding her in the reality that, despite everything, she wasn’t alone.“We’ll figure it out, Maria,” Rene said softly, his fingers gently brushing a stray curl from her face. “I promise you, we’ll find a way to get through this. Together.”Maria took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. She nodded, her eyes betraying her with a look of doubt as she looked up at Rene. “Okay,” she whispered. “Together.”"Let's get you clean up first." Rene stood, offering Maria his hand.With a faint smile, Maria clasped onto Rene's outstretched arm, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He then guided her to the bathroom. The dim light from the overhead bulb cast a soft glow on their faces, adding warmth to the otherwise cold and sterile atmosphere. He turned on the
Pacing back and forth in the hall, Parblo was running over countless reasons that would give to Rene would make sense to him so they could go back together."Dad!" Rene's voice echoed down the hall, startling Parblo out of his frantic thoughts.He gazed back to see him approaching, and the moment Rene got closer, he scowled, lashing out lowly, "What do you think you are doing, Theo?! This is not the plan.""Take me back to the mansion," Rene said calmly.Parblo's scowl deepened, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What are you talking about? You just said you needed to stay here."Without a word, Rene walked past him. Parblo frowned, but he followed, his mind racing as they headed for the car.The drive was silent. Parblo’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove through the city streets, his expression tense. Rene sat in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed out the window, lost in thought.When they arrived at the Ford mansion, Rene didn’t waste any time. He stepped out of t
The moment Catherine entered the kitchen and saw Parblo with the other servant, she forgot that she was hungry and rushed out of the room, hurrying for Rome's study.As she approached the stairs, Logan was coming down, and the two locked eyes. She could see the worry in his gaze, and Catherine blurted out, "Is he here?""Yes, ma'am. But I don't think you should go in there just yet." Logan hesitated. "He's planning on staying at the Rossi, and knows the relationship between Master and him-""Rome is going to be infuriated." "Yes. I think it's best you let them talk it out as father and son and try to give them some space for now," Logan suggested, his tone carrying a mix of concern and caution.Catherine nodded, her own worry deepening. "I understand. But if things get out of hand..."Logan took a step back, giving Catherine space, stepping aside, and she gave him a faint smile before rushing up the stairs.When she got to the study, she paced nervously outside the study, her mind ra
Unable to take the suspense anymore, Catherine grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, only to see her son and husband hugging. The sight took her breath away, and for a moment, the years of tension and heartache seemed to dissolve in the warmth of their embrace.Rome looked up, his eyes still wet with tears, and managed a faint smile. "Honey," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Come here."Rene, still holding onto his father, turned to face his mother. His eyes, too, were glistening with tears. "Mother," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of relief and sorrow.Catherine hurried across the room and wrapped her arms around both of them, pulling them into a tight, heartfelt embrace. "You guys good?" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.Rome nodded, his grip tightening around Rene and Catherine. "We're getting there," he replied softly. "It's been a long time coming."Rene pulled back slightly, looking at both his parents with a mixture of hope and satisf
Rene took the envelope, his expression firm but unreadable. He carefully opened it, pulling out the contract agreement and scanning its contents. Parblo watched him closely, curiosity mixed with a hint of apprehension."Everything good?" Parblo asked, unable to contain his curiosity.Rene didn't respond immediately, continuing to read through the contract. After a few tense moments, he finally looked up, meeting Parblo's eyes. "I just needed to make sure of a few things," he said, his tone guarded. "There's a lot at stake, and I can't afford any mistakes."Parblo nodded, though his curiosity was still piqued. "Understandable. Just remember, we've worked hard to get to this point. The plan relies on everything going smoothly."Rene nodded, folding the contract and placing it back in the envelope. "I know. And I appreciate everything you've done for me, Parblo." With that, he tapped the old man's shoulder and walked off, leaving Parblo standing in the hallway, still curious, and yet,
The atmosphere in the Rossi dining room grew even more charged as Jason Rossi stood and made his way toward Rene, eyes filled with a mix of suspicion and disdain. Rene’s expression remained calm, but Maria could sense the tension in his stance. Her heart ached, knowing that he was facing yet another challenge on her behalf.Jason reached for the bag, his movements deliberate and almost theatrical. The rest of the family watched with a mixture of curiosity and scorn. Maria held her breath as Jason unzipped the bag and upended its contents onto the polished floor, causing Rene's clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, documents, and everything else to scatter on the dirty tiles.A small stack of papers and a few personal items tumbled out. Jason glanced down, clearly unimpressed. “What is this? More useless junk?”Rene remained silent, his eyes steady on Jason. Maria felt her frustration building, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew Rene had to have had a reason for bringing the bag. Sum
The next morning, Rene woke up on the couch inside Maria's bedroom. The first night of them being a married couple, he spent it away from her, confined to the couch. His back ached, and the events of the previous day weighed heavily on his mind. He glanced over at the bed, where Maria lay sleeping, her face peaceful in repose. Despite the tension between them, seeing her like this made his heart ache.Rene quietly got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up, trying not to disturb her. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he returned to the room and saw Maria stirring awake. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, and looked over at him. Their eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away, getting out of bed without a word."Good morning," Rene said softly, hoping to break the ice.Maria didn't respond. She walked past him to the bathroom, her expression cold and distant. Rene sighed, realizing that the wall between them had only grown thicker overnight. He knew better than