“I'm not coming downstairs. I know what Mr. Bonetti will say. End my miserable life and leave me alone.”
“The fuck are you talking about? It was me asking Viola to help you come for dinner.”
“I'm not hungry,” she lies as her stomach grumbles.
I scoop her up and head toward the door. “First you have dinner, then we'll talk.”
She's about to say something when we’re on the staircase but when she sees Dad walking out of his office she shuts up right away.
“Asking the princess to walk was too much for you?”
“She's injured,” I snap as I walk past him.
“So are you.” He follows me and sits on his chair. I help Leila to sit too as I take my seat at the other end of the table. Far away from him and her.
During the whole meal, I keep an eye on her. She's toying with the food and it gets on my nerves.
“If you don't eat, I'll feed you myself,” I say before I drink some wine.
She freezes while meeting my eyes. Even though she seems reluctant to touch the food, she eventually starts to eat.
“She's not easy to threaten, we’ve done our best.” He chuckles, leaving me puzzled.
“Meaning what?”
“Every kitten needs to be trained but it seems she obeys you,” Dad affirms. “Since Nicholas is gone, you need a wife, Christopher.”
“I don't need anyone.”
“One month. You can choose: you may have Leila or another one.” He smirks, leering, his eyes on her.
Fucking pervert!
“So now what, should I take Nicholas' leftovers too?” I snap as I push my plate away from me. I couldn’t miss her holding her breath. I know my words may have hurt her but he doesn't need to sense I still care about her, otherwise he'll use it as an excuse to hurt me and her.
“At all, that's why I'm giving you a choice.” He grins. “She's not good at anything, and I need grandchildren. Find yourself a worthy wife and you'll take my place.”
“Who says I want to takeyourplace?” I mock him, aware that’s a hit he can’t miss. “I’m okay with what I have.”
“So fucking naïve, Christopher,” he continues to eat, “you have nothing. All of this is because of me.”
I let out a laugh as I grit my teeth. Leila glances at his hands as thousands of questions pop into my head. I'm missing something and I don't know what.
“You're not that old to retire, which means La Sacra Corona wants your head. Doesn’t it?”
He doesn't reply but I already know the truth. I’m the one to push them in the right direction. In the last two months each one of their warehouses have been cleared and burned down. His squads didn’t see us coming. “We'll wait until the documents are ready. Until then, I have a few meetings here.” I hold my hand out to Leila as my father clears his throat.
“They didn't get married,” he admits with a smirk as I snap my eyes at him greeting my teeth.Fucking bastard!It was a charade and I fell for it.
Feeling her gaze on me I shift my gaze back and the emptiness in her eyes breaks my heart. The fuck is she doing here if she’s not married with that piece of shit?
“As you see, there’s no need to wait.”
Leila eventually gets up and walks toward the door. Viola stops in the kitchen door as I look at her. “Could you bring us two slices of your cake in my room?”
“Of course.” She smiles and nods.
I place my hand on Leila's back but the next step makes her whimper and I scoop her up. “I got you.”
