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I had been under the impression that Claudio’s return was meant to stand up for Alessa. Never did I anticipate that upon his arrival, he’d pin me against the wall and interrogate me icily, “You told her about our agreement? And the bracelet. Why did you give it to her?”
In the face of his unfounded accusations, I instantly realized that it was my impetuosity that had spoiled his attempt to court Alessa. After all, now that the truth had come to light, the shock
I’d brought to her was nowhere near as great as the pleasant surprise that he had meticulously planned.
But, since things had already come to this pass, there was no need for me to worry anymore. I replied, “What’s up? We were in a cooperative relationship in the first place. I did this to make her feel at ease and prevent her from bothering me. Isn’t it a good thing? Besides, that bracelet
never belonged to me from the very beginning. I’ve never worn it at all.”
He was so furious that words failed him. After what seemed like ages, he spat out, “So I’m just
someone you worked with all along to you, huh?”
“Isn’t it the case?” I retorted, “You ought to know better than anyone how our marriage even
got started. I was shoved into this whole mess as just a pawn in your scheme. So, tell me, how do
you expect me to see you? Plus, haven’t you been drumming it into my head all this time to know
my place? What on earth are you getting at by asking me this now?”
He took two steps back in succession, his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at me. He
then stiffly shifted the topic by asking, “But Alessa said she just liked one of your really common
bracelets. Why wouldn’t you give it to her?”
“It’s mine. Why should I? I let out a scornful laugh and said, “During our cooperation, I wouldn’t
lay my hands on anything that wasn’t mine to begin with. But the stuff that belongs to me? You
guys can’t take a single piece of it.”
He froze for an instant. Presumably, this was the first occasion since he’d regained his
composure that he witnessed me refuting him. He clenched his teeth, uttering a series of “Good.”
one after another. After that, he cast his eyes downward and took a look at the bracelet on my
wrist, saying, “Dora, looks like I’ve underestimated you. But you’d better watch your step. If you piss Alessa off again, I won’t go easy on you.”
I made an earnest effort to steady my pounding heart before answering, “Then, Mr. Falcone,
you’d better rein in your people too. As long as you don’t touch my limits, feel free to do whatever
you like.”
He let out a cold snort and spun around to walk away.
Gazing at the back of him as he walked away, I leaned heavily against the wall, breathing
hard and fast. I had no idea whether it had been a smart move to cross him just now, yet I was certain that I didn’t have any regrets. Lifting my hand, I fixed my eyes on the bracelet around my wrist and toyed with it delicately. Although the face of the person who had given me this had long faded from my memory, it remained incredibly dear to me. Luckily, he had manag、
to keep his wits about him. He was aware that if I truly fell out with him and, in a worst–case scenario, threw my support behind Cristian, it would spell trouble and put him on the back foot.
After that day Claudio staved away for quite a while Word got around that he’d gone all out
80%
you like.”
He let out a cold short and spun around to walk away.
Gazing at the back of him as he walked away, I leaned heavily against the wall, breathing hard and fast. I had no idea whether it had been a smart move to cross him just now, yet I was certain that I didn’t have any regrets. Lifting my hand, I fixed my eyes on the bracelet around my wrist and toyed with it delicately. Although the face of the person who had given me this had long faded from my memory, it remained incredibly dear to me. Luckily, he had managed to keep his wits about him. He was aware that if I truly fell out with him and, in a worst–case scenario, threw my support behind Cristian, it would spell trouble and put him on the back foot.
After that day, Claudio stayed away for quite a while. Word got around that he’d gone all out for Alessa. He had hired a renowned Italian jewelry designer and used some of the world’s rarest gems to create a bespoke piece, tailored precisely to her taste. With all the costs factored in, the whole set of jewelry must have cost more than one billion dollars. Naturally, this news spread like wildfire within our social circle. Everyone was talking about how extravagant Claudio was and how he wasn’t afraid to splash the cash just to see his beloved smile.
It wasn’t long before the topic came up once more at a dinner gathering. Somebody there started chatting about this very thing.
“Look at Alessa; she’s got such a charmed life. Born into a top rich family, she’s been spoiled rotten since she was a kid. And now, growing up, she’s bumped into a guy who’s head over heels for her and doesn’t mind splurging. It’s enough to make anyone jealous.
“Right on. But it’s really sad for his wife from the Castro family. With all the ruckus Claudio’s making, she hasn’t even squeaked a word. She’s got some serious patience.
“Don’t you guys know? It’s because the Falcone family has got the Castro family by the throat. Right now, the whole Castro family depends on them to survive. If they get miffed, they can squash the Castro family like a bug. I mean, in a situation like that, what can that wife say? What would she even dare to say?
“Makes sense. It’s truly pitiful. People really do have different fates.”
I gripped Laura firmly as she was on the verge of dashing out and silently listened in on the chatter about me. I said, “Go easy. I’m fine.”
Laura stared at me with a look of exasperation, as if she couldn’t believe I was just letting this all slide. Then she claimed, “Look at you, still acting all calm. They’ve been talking smack about you like this, and you don’t even bat an eye? Don’t you feel anything?”
I shook my head and replied, “Nope, I don’t give a d*mn. Let them yap all they want. What’s more, it is what it is, and they’re just stating the facts.”
She was left speechless for a second, and her anger just fizzled out.
Towards the latter part of the banquet, Laura and I were set to leave. The moment we stepped out of the door, we heard someone shouting my name from behind.
12:42 Thu, 10 Apr
