“If you send me the address, I can call a driver and head over shortly.”
“I’ll send one of Ignazio’s men to pick you up. You know how things are. This fortress is locked down, so you wouldn’t be able to get a driver through anyhow.”
“Sounds good. I can be ready in about thirty minutes.”
“I’ll let Ignazio know.”
“When’s that masquerade ball you said he’s throwing?”
He clears his throat. “Uh, tomorrow.”
“You can count me, Liana, and Gui in.”
“Gui’s here too?”
“Yeah, we’ll all plan on attending if that’s okay? It’ll be good for us to meet the families since I’ve officially taken over.”
“Yes, of course. That’s a great plan, son. We’ll talk about the details later when you get here, okay?”
“That works.”
“What’s your address?”
I spew off the address of the villa.
“It looks like you’re not too far from us. I can have the driver there in an hour.”
“Sounds good, Dad. I’ll see you soon.”
“Wonderful,” he says cheerfully. “We’ll see you soon.”
Hanging up the phone, I set it on the nightstand, satisfied with how everything is falling into place. Tomorrow, I’ll be introduced to my family’s contacts in Sicily as Don of the BonettiFamily, all while having the woman of my dreams right next to me.
Just how it was always meant to be.
36
LIANA
“So, you have a bunch of wedding dresses that are supposed to be in this season’s collection, but your previous manufacturer sucked ass and now you’re scrambling to get the remaining dresses ready in time for some big bridal event you’re having?” Gui asks, sitting next to me in the back of the car on our way to Balistreri’s.
“Yes,” I sigh out. “It’s been a whole thing. Extremely frustrating and overwhelmingly stressful, but I have a good feeling about this manufacturer. Even if there are some changes they need to make to the dresses, they said they’ll work on them right away. I’m already very impressed with their service. It’s exactly the kind of manufacturer I want to partner with.”
“Wow, who would’ve thought dresses could be such a demanding job.”
I laugh. “Oh, that’s probably not even the worst of it.”
Gui lifts a brow. “Do tell,” he says, wearing a smirk similar to his brother’s.
Is it pathetic that I can easily be reminded of Massi when not long ago I hated him? Thought I hated him? I don’t know. But now it’s like I can’t get him off my mind. The table turnedreal quick for me, and I can’t say I’m unhappy about it. Once I accepted what Massi and I are, it’s like everything fell into place.
“I love my job, but sometimes, we get clients that are a bit… stressed out, and they end up taking their frustrations out on the ones who are trying to help them. Meanwhile, to ensure their experience is kept positive, we have to bite our tongues. However, this is few and far between. Now, when it comes to helping a bride find her dream dress for one of the biggest days of her life? That…” I go silent as I think about this job and what it truly means to me. “That is something that makes the stress, the headaches, the frustration all worth it.”
Gui and I are silent for a moment, nothing but the sounds of the road passing by as we make our way to the manufacturer’s until he finally says, “Hmm, it still sounds terrible to me.”
I glance over at him, taking in the playful glint in his eyes and the grin tugging at his mouth, and let out a small laugh.
“Alright, so let’s go over what to expect with me as your ever so faithful guard,” he says, and I can’t help but let out a humorous scoff.
