Chapter 12
Millie
Alessio and I didn't have sex that first night, which was a sharp pivot from our usual modus operandi.
When stony words and disagreements flared between us, we usually shook off the tension with a bout of vigorous and passionate lovemaking.
The slate was essentially wiped clean, and we started afresh the next morning as if nothing was amiss.
But last night was different. It felt different.
The band of strain between us had stretched just a little too long for comfort, and our most true and tried solution would have done nothing more except unravel that fragile connection.
Our marriage had reached a stage neither of us could ignore or sweep under the rug.
The convenience didn't feel so simple anymore.
Morning came too fast for my liking, and it wasn't long before the sound of cars approaching and doors slamming interrupted the quiet of our solitude.
"Buongiorno, Millie," Giada greeted me warmly. Her arms were weighed down with shopping bags, which were swiftly taken off her by the awaiting staff.
We kissed each other's cheeks before I bent down and gathered her children in for a hug. They'd grown so much since I last saw them, and I was thrilled that they still remembered me fondly.
"Have you been good this year?" I asked in Italian.
Their heads bobbed up and down, yet I caught the exaggerated eye roll Giada gave me. I laughed and placed a kiss on both their heads before complimenting them on their pretty dresses.
"There are my two favourite troublemakers!"
I winced as two ear-splitting screams rang out. I was quickly forgotten as four little legs raced to be the first to reach their favourite Uncle Alessio.
My heart thumped wildly as he crouched down with a laugh. He lifted Valentina in the air and whirled her around, eliciting excited giggles from her. My mouth curved at the scene, and that spot deep in my stomach twisted in yearning.
"Where is Gino?" I asked Giada. I hadn't seen her husband among the arriving guests.
Her pretty face clouded over for a split second before her shoulder lifted in a careless shrug. "He had business to attend to in Rome, but said he'll be here for the party."
Gino was a business associate of Cesare's, and he and Giada had married when she was twenty. He wasn't quite the same age as her father, but there was a significant age gap there.
"Although if Alessio can take a week off to be with family, I don't see why Gino can't. His work isn’t half as important as my brother’s."
Her voice held a sting of bitterness, the frayed edges weighted with anger.
I had no idea the circumstances of Giada and Gino's marriage, and I couldn't judge him based on the handful of times I'd met him.
That being said, if I had to tally the hours I'd spent in his presence over the years, it would probably amount to about three.
"Alessio's only taking time off because of my studies. At times, we're like two ships passing in the night."
"He misses you," Giada stated, her eyes bright and mouth downturned. "It's not the same with mine."
I was saved from answering when she swiftly changed the subject, and I obliged her need to move on.
Alessio's father arrived then and greeted me with the same warm welcome.
His arm was kept tight around his wife's waist as we chatted about our Christmas plans and the upcoming party.
Katherine was quiet next to him, but I caught the look of adoration she gave Cesare.
It was clear as daylight that, despite their significant age gap, Katherine loved him.
As the week trickled on, more of Alessio's relatives came to stay. The once-quiet villa was now teeming with aunties, uncles, and more nieces and nephews than I could wrap my head around. I loved it though. I found his big Sicilian family warm, funny, and loud—in a good way.
I spent the week leading up to the party lounging by the heated indoor pool, reading in the huge, well-stocked library, and getting reacquainted with his family.
But it was the evenings that surprised me the most. Those were spent with Alessio.
Such a difference from last year, when he stayed in the main house with the other males in the family, drinking expensive whisky and smoking cigars.
He knew he didn't have to worry about me, knew that I would be with all the other wives gossiping and wrapping presents.
His nights were spent crashing in one of the many spare rooms or crawling into bed beside me just as dawn started its ascent.
But this year was different. Every evening, after coffee and dessert, he would take me by the hand and lead me to our private wing.
I'd watch some cheesy Christmas movie while he read next to me, his large hand like a warm blanket on my knee.
It unnerved me to spend so much time with Alessio.
He still made my heart beat in an odd pattern, especially when his thumb would rub gentle circles on my bare thigh.
My eyes would drift to watch him more than my movies, and I was keenly aware of his own perusal when my attention focused elsewhere.
By the time the infamous Ferrante Christmas party arrived, the villa was packed with esteemed guests and their families.
The house had been completely decorated over twenty-four hours.
Not one, but two Christmas trees stood tall and proud, side by side in the foyer.
A tasteful display of greenery, white Christmas lights and red bows lined the banister, leading all the way up the winding staircase.
Soft lights glowed, making the large home feel cosy and warm.
A fire crackled in each fireplace, and subtle Christmas music flowed from hidden speakers.
Tomorrow we were leaving to go back to England, and I felt a stab of sadness at the thought of it. I'd had a surprisingly good week with Alessio, and I was afraid that a return to the real world would burst our happy bubble.
"You look beautiful tonight, Katherine," I remarked as I approached Cesare's wife. She was standing in the open doorway to the ballroom, a glass of champagne in hand.
"Thank you, Millie. And thank you again for the beautiful earrings you gave me. They go perfectly with this outfit."
The gold drop earrings glittered prettily in her ears, complementing her gorgeous ruby floor-length dress. She and Cesare had been very generous, too, gifting me an exclusive spa package and a Chanel clutch that complemented my growing collection well.
I followed her gaze to watch Dante, who had been firmly planted by Alessio's side for most of the night. My husband's eyes crinkled as he talked with his brother, his hand around his small shoulder. Dante adored his older brother, and Alessio hadn't minded one bit that he had been his shadow.
"He's very good with him," Katherine noted.
"He is. He loves his brother a lot." I turned to Katherine. "Dante talked about joining us for part of the summer. I hope you know he's welcome to come anytime."
"Thank you. We would love for him to spend some time in England. Dante…" she hesitated briefly, her eyes crossing to her son. "He's not like other kids."
My head tilted curiously. "Oh?"
She shook her head, her hands clutching her wine glass. "He has a lot of friends and is well-liked. But he is so serious all the time. He's constantly reading and is well above his peers in his studies." Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. "He actually reminds me a lot of Alessio when he was a kid."
My head whirled to her, eyes wide. "Wait, what? You knew Alessio as a kid?"
Her puzzled brow glanced from me to my husband. "You did not know? Alessio and I grew up together. I mean, I wouldn't call us close friends, but we ran around in the same group."
"I…see."
She gave a little gasp and clutched my hand.
"Please don't think anything bad about me and Cesare.
I was twenty-five when we started dating.
Still a significant age gap, I know, but I had such a mad crush on Cesare growing up.
When I found out that he was divorcing again, I knew I had to take my chance.
I'd been half in love with him since I was sixteen, but he never once looked at me that way. He barely even acknowledged me."
I nodded, turning to spot her husband in the crowd.
I could see how someone would develop a crush on Cesare.
Even now, he was a very handsome silver fox, with a full head of hair, broad shoulders and a trim figure.
He was not your typical retiree, that was for sure.
So I could only imagine how devastatingly handsome he would have been in his younger years.
I would've definitely been a giggly schoolgirl around him.
"I watched him go through quite a few wives," she continued. "And this may sound naive, but I just knew that he was meant for me. That once he noticed me, that I would be it for him."
"You love him." It wasn't a question. I could sense and see the love radiating from them a mile away.
She gave me a slick grin. "People think I married him for money. Including Alessio."
My gaze dropped from hers because I couldn't deny it. There would be no point in lying since Alessio barely gave Katherine the time of day. I often attempted to bridge the gap between the two of them, but Alessio rebuffed my efforts each time.
"He had a lot of stepmums," I offered in a way of an excuse and left it at that. I didn't want to breach Alessio's privacy, but I knew that seeing a revolving door of mother figures was not healthy for him.
"Yes. Unfortunately, Cesare picked the wrong women.
" Her voice was haughty, and a trickle of jealousy lay in her words.
"Despite his astute business skills, he was a hopeless romantic when it came to matters of the heart.
By the time I let my feelings for him be known, he had hardened himself from the possibility of falling in love again. "