CHAPTER FIFTEEN
N ico gazed down his nose at me and stood taller, his closeness intimidating.
“Excuse me,” I said in an abrupt tone, but I meant to excuse him for his lack of manners.
He’d never shown more than polite coolness toward me, and I never understood why.
“I’d like a word with you before the meeting,” he said in a flat tone, finally taking a step back. I could have refused, but I followed him to the end of the hall to at least try to clear the air between us.
“I’m just going to tell you what I think,” he began in a low voice.
I sighed. “Go on.”
“Rocco’s a rare star. He’ll make history one day as one of the greatest men in our lifetime. You must see his potential’s limitless,” Nico trilled.
I knew from Rocco that Nico had never been particularly invested in his children. Rocco had very little if any respect for this man. But at the same time, I got a sense of the pressure Rocco must have lived under. Had he ever been allowed to make mistakes? Be silly? Have fun?
“…Did you know that when he was Chief Executive Officer, he led Marini Holdings to record sales and higher stock values? He even followed me into films; all his productions have won awards. He’s special.”
“He is,” I agreed.
“But then there’s you, Adelina. You’re the daughter of a disgraced judge, a drug addict. And your mother—”
“Don’t talk about my mother,” I hissed in a deep tone, cutting him off.
His head jerked back in surprise, and he adjusted his tie, clearly not used to anyone telling him what to do. “I feel sorry for Lorelei because what he did to her was abominable.” The muscles in his jaw tensed. “I’m only pointing out the obvious.”
I crossed my arms. “And just what’s so obvious, Nico?”
“You’re not suitable for Rocco. Aside from everything else, you only have an undergraduate degree, poor relations, and your family has no money. You have nothing to bring us except scandal once the public knows everything.” It was a threat, but the Marinis would also lose if a scandal broke.
“He needs a powerful, influential woman at his side…”
Nico continued with his rant. Most of his put-downs didn’t land, but he clearly wanted something. Consequently, I decided to interrupt, forcing him to get to the point. “What do you want?”
He huffed. “I want you to step aside and let Rocco find a woman worthy of him. Someone he deserves.”
I blew out. “Have you spoken to Rocco yet? We married today.”
“Yes, I did, and it’s a disgrace how your family pushed him. You can rectify this mistake. Just agree to step aside.”
I didn’t answer but I left him and returned to the bathroom, giving myself a chance to recover from his hostility. His words echoed in my head. What do you have to offer but scandal? In truth, I had nothing to give Rocco but myself. Was that enough?
I thought of Luca again. What would he say about Nico?
“Forget that guy. What does he know? Nothing. One day, you’ll see how amazing you are.”
Will I, Mr. Marini?
“I guarantee it. You’re a diamond, Lina. You’ll grow up and shine brighter than the stars. Never let anyone tell you you’re less.”
My chest pained, and I remembered I’d never hear Luca say that to me again. However, it worked to lift my spirit. I left the bathroom and headed over to the boardroom. When I reached it, Ian frowned.
“You look different. Did something happen?”
Nico would think his insults got to me if I made a fuss about it.
I put on a smile.“Just a quick talk with Nico. I handled it.”
His eyes narrowed. “We’ll see about that. I’ll have a word with Rocco about it.”
“Please don’t.”
Raised voices came from inside the boardroom and caught both of our attention. I recognized the female voice as Olivia’s.
“She dares to force you to marry her before a funeral? She denied me my chance to see my son get married after she promised to wait. What kind of hold does she have over you? I can’t believe you’d do this to your family.”
“Mother, enough,” Rocco’s voice rose above hers.
A wave of nausea churned my stomach, and a part of me wanted to avoid them. However, I squared my shoulders and walked inside the room.
Everyone went silent as we entered, and tension thickened the air. Rocco’s parents, siblings, and his aunt and uncle, Walter and Rita, whom I recognized from our stay in Florence, were already seated around an oblong, mahogany table. I hesitated, unsure if I should say something in greeting, but all heads were turned away, avoiding me and Ian. This was the first time I was around the Marinis and they didn’t greet me warmly. Then again, we came right after the funeral.
“Come, take a seat Adelina,” Rocco called over to me. His expression was stern as he stood, and Ian and I moved forward to take the empty seats to the left of him.
I ran my damp palms down my lap, and Rocco took my hand and rubbed a circle on the back, easing some of the tension in my chest.
“Excuse me, everyone. I want to start.” A man in a three-piece suit at the opposite end of the table stood, and a projector screen lowered from the platform behind him. “As most of you know, I’m Kelvin Sears, your grandfather’s personal lawyer, and I’m here to disclose his will and trust.”
Just then, Evelyn entered the room with booklets and started handing them out to all of us.
Mr. Sears continued. “This is a current copy of Mr. Marini’s will, signed and dated. He had a video made some time ago, that I’ll play first.” He nodded, and Evelyn lowered the lights and turned on the projector.
Luca appeared on the screen a lot healthier than I’d seen him in Italy. He was an older Rocco with grey streaks of hair, a polished suit, his commanding authority shone through the screen. I loved seeing him with vitality instead of remembering the greyish tone to his skin, the sheen of sweat on his face, and the dullness in his eyes. He’d been joyful that night. Did he know he was dying?
“Hello, my beautiful family,” Luca said grinning. “By the time you see this video, I have moved on, and please believe I’m ready to go. I enter the next world with a child’s curiosity and wonder, and a teen’s energy. Eager to soar and discover more about our universe. Next time I see you, my wonderful grandchildren, Sienna and Salvatore. Hopefully, I’m much older, but when we see each other again I’ll run rings around you.”
Sienna and Salvatore laughed out loud at that.
“I challenge you both to exceed all expectations. You have so much to offer, and I hope you both continue to find ways to give back to better the world. I love you both.”
“Rita, I couldn’t ask for a better sister, and Walter, you’ve been a strong force we’re proud to have in our family. Simone and Gino and their children’s children will continue our excellent Marini legacy, and continue to make us all proud. I love you both so much. The estates and property you wanted will be yours as promised.”
Walter let out a deep, relieved sigh, then hugged Rita.
“My lovely daughter, Olivia. You are the light of the sun and shine with the brightest stars. I loved you before you were born and will love you for eternity. Nico, thank you for stepping up and becoming a good man and father to your children. I know you wanted to do more with your life, but as I told you before, I’ve never stood in your way. I only encouraged you to strike out on your own like I’d done when us Marinis lost a great part of our wealth. You made your own choices.”
Nico snorted.
Luca talked about other relatives that I hadn’t met, using the video as a chance to impart wisdom and muse about their past relationships. I loved how he combined this to make them know they were seen and special. Then it came to Rocco, and I saw him move in his seat.
I squeezed his hand.
“Rocco, you are me in so many ways. You’re talented, hardworking, dedicated, and driven. You’ve become the leader I had always aspired you to become. I now feel that you are ready to take the lead and take on all the responsibilities that will come. But you need a strong, sensible woman, so I chose Adelina Belfiore to be the one for you. I’m confident that she’ll make a good addition to our family, and I expect you all to love and welcome her.”
Gasps were heard around the room, and I even noticed Olivia bow her head. In contrition? Nico, however, didn’t seem to shift his position of anger.
Even as Rocco squeezed my hand in encouragement, I was still in shock. He planned for me to be with Rocco years ago. He truly loved me and thought me worthy.
Luca took a sip of water then sighed heavily on screen. “We Marinis are a strong in history. We were the builders of this great country, and it’s our duty to push our strong lineage well into the future. Rocco, I’ve given you the same choice I gave your father. You have the talent to lead Marini businesses and ventures, and I expect you to raise strong sons and daughters to continue to grow our legacy. If you chose this path, you succeed as the head of our glorious family.”
I could feel Rocco’s tension next to me. Something was wrong.
“You’ve decided to quit Marini Corporate, and I told you that’s a big mistake. Although I also said going off to conquer your own dream is admirable, and I support you in your journey. However, that’s where the Marini family trust support ends. Studio dreams are for Marinis that built their fortune independently from our trust. If you want a movie studio, you’ll have to put in the work to earn your own capital. Therefore, I’ve blocked the use of your inheritance to fund a film studio after my death. I’ve also limited your use of funds for productions.”
There was a collective gasp from everyone, including myself.
My stomach twisted in a knot.
The video continued. “I know what I’m saying is hard, but I know it’s right. You young folk have ideas of having children in your late years. And you told me you would want to do so maybe when you’re forty,” Luca snorted. “That’s not good, Rocco, because we Marinis guide our children into adulthood. You can’t deny you’ve benefited from having me guide you through your formative years. I taught you how to not only build a business, but maintain its success. With my guidance, you became the strong man you needed to be to succeed. If I’m not here, other Marini elders will be. And that is why I’ve added a provision for children.”
“Damn it, he’s done it again,” Nico roared and hit the table.
Mr. Sears paused the video. “Do you want to take a break?”
“No,” Rocco said to him.
“Calm down, honey,” Olivia told Nico. “Let’s hear him out. Okay?”
Mr. Sears pressed the video to play again.
Luca smiled at the screen. “You might find my actions harsh, but it’s the same option all Marini men receive. Marini Corporations must remain in the hands of Marinis and that is why I’ve added another provision to your inheritance. You’ll receive two billion from our trust that you can use for your film productions and towards building your studio every time you have a child. Overall, I’ve made you a very wealthy man, but I still feel you need guidance to stay on the Marini family path. That’s why my final act is placing the trust and estate as co-trustees and head the board. However, if you return to Marini Corporate, Rocco, you will be my successor and all rights revert to you as the head of the trust.”
Rocco went still next to me and I fought back tears. Our Luca had turned against us in a profound way, withdrawing Rocco’s inheritance, and forcing us to have children for money.
Could Luca really get away with this?