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The place she took me to was the very same restaurant where Claudio had his first date with her. Later on, to commemorate that initial encounter, he simply made a grand gesture and bought the entire establishment. He then had it renovated from top to bottom according to her preferences. Even the name of the restaurant was changed to “Alessa“.
I followed closely behind her, observing as she leisurely introduced me to all aspects of this restaurant. It was as if she were an exquisitely poised princess, parading the cherished gift her
beloved prince had given her. From the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes, I could tell
that she truly seemed to have feelings for Claudio. Perhaps there was a bit of business interest tangled up in it, but it was clear that the emotional bond ran deeper. I had a pretty good idea of
what her intentions were in seeking me out. No doubt it was to flaunt the love and lavish gifts that
Claudio had bestowed upon her, while also throwing in a veiled warning for my benefit.
Just as I had expected, once we were seated, she turned to me with a smirk and said, “Dora,
guess what? The seat you’re sitting on right now is where he used to sit.”
Noticing the puzzled look on my face, she then went on to explain, “Back on our first date, he
was sitting in the very seat you’re in now. He looked at me, all smiles, and told me he liked me. Gosh, it’s gotta be like nine years ago already.”
I nodded with full understanding, clearly getting her drift. All she was really trying to say was
that she’d crossed paths with Claudio way before I did, that he was head over heels for her, and
that my marriage was just me capitalizing on his illness.
Noticing that I remained silent, she reined in her smile and spoke up, Dora, I heard your
family’s company just got into a steady phase. How’s it holding up these days? Look, if you ever
need a hand, just ask for it. Me and Claudio, we’re tight. No way I’d let anything bad go down with
your company.”
I saw right through her plan. Since I wasn’t rising to the occasion and playing along, she’d
decided to target my family’s company instead. My parents had been willing to marry me off to
Claudio for the money, so it was a given fact that they wouldn’t let any issues with the company
crop up on my account. She was being polite at first and then getting down to business. It was
no surprise, really. Coming from a wealthy and influential family, she had mastered the art of dealing with people and manipulating their emotions.
I replied with a polite smile, “I get what you mean, Ms. Gallo. Don’t you worry. Claudio and I
are just working together, you know, helping each other out. It’s as simple as that.”
At this moment, something abruptly sprang to my mind. Then I asked, “Ms. Gallo, is it okay for
you to come home with me?”
She stared at me, confusion swimming in her eyes. Without a word, I stood up and made my way out. She paused, just for a second, before trailing after me, her steps hesitant.
Back at my place, I dug through my jewelry box. After a bit of searching, I unearthed a sr wooden box tucked away at the very bottom. It was a delicate thing, the wood smooth and polished. When I pried it open, there was an emerald bracelet lying within it, the quality so fine it practically glowed.
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one stored me, confusion swimming wer eyes, without a word, i stobby op status hy way out. She paused, just for a second, before trailing after me, her steps hesitant.
Back at my place, I dug through my jewelry box. After a bit of searching, I unearthed a small wooden box tucked away at the very bottom. It was a delicate thing, the wood smooth and polished. When I pried it open, there was an emerald bracelet lying within it, the quality so fine it practically glowed.
This was the very bracelet that Claudio’s grandmother had worn during her lifetime. After she passed away, it was entrusted to his grandfather. This particular bracelet was traditionally reserved for the wife of the head of the Falcone family. Word had it that his grandmother didn’t hold his mother in high regard. So, even upon her death, the bracelet wasn’t bequeathed to her. Vicente Falcone, being extremely particular about bloodlines, had always despised Cristian, the illegitimate son, deep down. In the end, the bracelet found its way into the hands of Claudio’s wife, which was me. I only wore it on my wedding day and hadn’t put it on since. This was also one of the reasons why Samanta didn’t like me. After all, it skipped her and came directly to me from his grandmother, which must have really ruffled her feathers.
When Alessa took the bracelet, her face was a mask of shock. There was no doubt she knew exactly where it came from. I paused for a second, then dug out the agreement I’d signed with Samanta earlier and handed it over to her along with the bracelet. She froze for an instant after glancing at the agreement, and then, out of nowhere, she let out a peal of laughter. Then she said, “I see. Well, all I can say is that you’ve got some seriously good luck there, Dora.”
I managed a smile and replied softly, “Well, it’s all right. I’m not as fortunate as you, though.”
However, the very next moment, her countenance underwent a sudden transformation. She locked her eyes onto the wedding photo of Claudio and me hanging on the wall, and she spoke with obvious displeasure, “But I can’t help feeling that you still have a soft spot for Claudio, Dora. I mean, look at him. He’s so brilliant. And you…”
I was lost in thought for a couple of seconds before giving my head a slow shake, refusing, “Look, since we’re working together, we gotta play fair. I know exactly what I should do and what I shouldn’t.”
She froze for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she studied me with a newfound sense of curiosity. Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated my meek acquiescence. Without a word, she tucked the emerald bracelet neatly into her purse and made her way over to our wedding portrait. With a tentative hand, she reached out and grazed the glass surface ever so gently. In a flash, the frame came crashing down. Startled, she stumbled back a step, a look of faux distress plastered across her face as she spoke, “Oh dear Dora, I’m really sorry. It must be the maid who didn’t do her job right and didn’t hang the photo up properly.”
Gazing at the scattered shards of glass strewn across the floor and the smashed photograph, the pang of bitterness that had welled up in my heart dissipated in a flash. I replied, “It’s okay, Ms. Gallo. Watch your step. I’ll call someone to clean this up. You better stand back a
little.”
With a smug grin, she sauntered over to my vanity table and peered at its contents. All of a sudden, her eyes zeroed in on a knitted, multicolored bracelet. The moment she reached out to touch it, I, with the swiftness of a hawk, swooped in and grabbed it away, saying, “Ms. Gallo,
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across her face as she spoke, “Oh dear Dora, I’m really sorry. It must be the maid who didn’t do
her job right and didn’t hang the photo up properly.”
Gazing at the scattered shards of glass strewn across the floor and the smashed photograph, the pang of bitterness that had welled up in my heart dissipated in a flash. I replied, “It’s okay, Ms. Gallo. Watch your step. I’ll call someone to clean this up. You better stand back a
little.”
With a smug grin, she sauntered over to my vanity table and peered at its contents. All of a sudden, her eyes zeroed in on a knitted, multicolored bracelet. The moment she reached out to touch it, I, with the swiftness of a hawk, swooped in and grabbed it away, saying, “Ms. Gallo, some stuff you can lay your hands on, but some things? No way. You’d better keep your hands to
yourself.”
Her face flushed with a tinge of rage. She was seething with anger to such an extent that
words failed her.
I could tell what she was thinking, so I took a deep breath and patiently started to explain, “Don’t overthink it. It’s not from Claudio. If you want one, you can just ask him to make you one. Or with your status, something like this probably wouldn’t even catch your eye anyway.”
She let out a cold snort. Then she marched off with long, determined strides. Not even half ar hour had passed since her departure when Claudio came back in a huff.
