2. ENZO
2
ENZO
Silvano Salvatore stumbles toward us, his steps unsteady and the stench of alcohol wafting off his breath.
He grins at me.
Quinn looks at the both of us in turn, her expression uncertain, and I’m annoyed at our little moment alone being eclipsed by this uninvited and unwelcome arrival.
Someone fucked up, and they’ll answer for it.
“What do you want, Silvano?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure in front of the crowd.
His gaze travels over to Quinn. “And who might this be?”
His apparent interest is not a surprise to me. I had a similar reaction the moment I spotted her alone in the crowd of people.
What does surprise me is the instant urge to knock that sleazy smile right off his face.
“Quinn.” She smiles politely but I can sense the hesitation in her tone.
Silvano’s tall frame towers over her, and she shrinks herself.
A surge of unexpected protectiveness washes over me, and I step in between the two as a shield.
“Do you plan on leaving yourself or shall I do the honors of calling my security to do the job?” I snarl, my tone low and dangerous.
Silvano barks a laugh, “Oh, Enzo. First y-you forget to invite me to your little rendezvous, and now you’re t-threatening to kick me out? That, too, in front of this beautiful lady? Quinn, right?”
Quinn’s posture stiffens beside me, her gaze darting around as Silvano’s drunken monologue drags on. She did not sign up for this.
“Keep her name out of your damned mouth.” I tower over him.
For all his efforts to appear threatening, he only manages to seem clumsy in comparison.
Silvano is hardly phased, though. He stumbles over to the table full of samples nearby, grabbing himself a drink before gulping it down sloppily. His intent is crystal clear: he wants to embarrass me by causing a scene.
But I’m not about to fall into his trap so easily.
As I reach for my phone to call Micah to handle this, a bulky hand lands on my shoulder.
Silvano’s eyes fix on mine, a mix of bitterness and vengeance swirling in their depths. “I am sure that you haven’t forgotten that this place used to be mine and Valentina’s…. Before you took it from me.”
I roughly shrug off his hand, my jaw tightening at the mention. “I’d think twice before bringing that up, Silvano.”
“Why? You’re worried I’ll scare off your new lady of the week?” His mouth twists into a wicked smile. “Valentina and I cherished this land. We grew up here. I had plans for us before you came into our lives.”
A knife twists at the thought of Valentina—my wife.
It was no secret that Silvano was head over heels in love with her, but it was always unrequited. She’d told me when we had first started dating, laughing it off as a harmless crush.
“He’ll get over it,” she’d assure me whenever the topic came up between us. “He just needs to grow out of it.”
Decades later, it’s clear that Silvano has never gotten over anything. He’s never been able to move on from the fact that she chose me over him. He’d managed to keep his hatred toward me masked behind a business rivalry when she had been alive. But now that she’s gone, it’s apparent what his true motives have always been.
“The land belongs to me,” I assert. “You’re trespassing on private property.”
“Private property?” Silvano barks a laugh as though I’ve told him the world’s funniest joke. “This land was jointly owned by my family and Valentina’s. You’re the trespasser here.”
“You seem to conveniently forget that her father sold it to me after we got married.” I school my face back into impassivity. “I’d go easy on the alcohol; it’s messing with your ability to remember important facts.”
Silvano’s eyes blaze with anger. “It was never for sale. You forged the papers. I can prove that.”
“Good luck explaining that to a lawyer.” I smile, unfazed by his empty threats.
It’s all he has.
“The property lines need to be redrawn. Decades ago, you took what was mine .” His voice cracks, and I know he’s not referring to the property. “I’m here to claim it back.”
She’s gone. I want to scream at him. Nothing you do is going to bring her back to this world.
Silvano begins to shuffle through the pockets of his coat.
Is he about to pull out a gun? Knowing his temper, I wouldn’t put it past him to commit a crime in broad daylight.
But before I can react, he brandishes a few crumpled pieces of paper.
“You have to sign this,” he barks out before handing the papers over to me.
My eyes skim over the document.
It is a legal contract to redefine the property lines. If I sign this, legal ownership will be transferred back to the Silvano family.
Silvano observes me intently. There’s a certain desperation to it.
I look up at him, smirking in his direction. “Is that all I need to do? Sign the papers?”
“Yes,” he replies, surprised. “Valentina and I were the real owners of this place. It’ll restore what was truly meant to be.”
I nod, pretending to consider his words. “Very well, then. If that’s all it takes…”
A flash of hope crosses Silvano’s face, but it’s gone as I begin to tear up the paper right in front of him.
“You bast—”
“Never threaten me in my lands ever again,” I snarl, dropping the niceties. “You’ve grown bold, and I think you need a reminder of whom you’re speaking to.”
I snap my fingers, indicating security to intervene.
“Sir, you need to come with us,” one of the guards says to him as a few more surround him.
“You can’t boot me off my own property,” he yells.
“You’re right. Except this is my property.” I smirk.
I’ve had enough of his antics.
Valentina might have had a soft spot for him considering their history. For the longest time, I’d respected her wishes and kept my dealings with him cordial. But he’s crossed a line today bringing her up, trying to taint her memory.
“Let me go, dammit,” Silvano snarls as the guards begin to drag him away from the premises. His protests fade into the distance as he disappears from view.
Silence is all that follows, and the air is tense as onlookers gather around.
“Nothing to worry about, ladies and gentlemen.” A warm smile settles onto my face. “Just a small disturbance. Let’s not let it spoil the evening.”
I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief. From the corner of my eye, a group of curious influencers have their cameras ready to record.
So eager for drama.
I roll my eyes and decide that I’ve had enough of this madness.
“Now, where were we?” I turn over to Quinn, eager to reclaim the moment that was abruptly cut short.
But she is not there. Looking around, I spot her in the crowd, standing next to some of the girls. For a second, I consider going up to her again, but the moment has passed.
As pretty as she is, I’m not keen on chasing her.
I’m Enzo Marchetti. Chasing anyone is just not my style.
Instead, I settle on firing a knowing look in her direction. The flush on her cheeks confirms that this isn’t over, whatever this is between us.
It’s like a game of chess—where impatience only leads to downfall.
For now, I’m fine with waiting.
Your move, Quinn.