Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
VINCENZO
I n the heartbeat of tense silence that followed, I could hear the sounds of the sea crashing on the shore. Elia was one of the most powerful, but also one of the most unpredictable, bosses I had ever met. He could be smiling at you one moment and slitting your throat the next.
However, his unpredictability was one of the reasons he was so powerful. It was also one of the reasons why I respected him.
I knew that this moment would eventually come, I just wished I had had more time to prepare for it. Every other boss in Palermo was waiting for me to say those words, but getting them out was no easy feat. I wasn’t scared of them, but I knew that it would bite me in the ass if they all turned against me because of something as simple as a misplaced wedding invitation.
My mind was racing to come up with a suitable answer; an answer that would ensure that we all left the cafe satisfied with the outcome of our conversation.
“We’re still making arrangements,” I simply said, placing my hand over Isabelle’s. I knew that going into too much detail would make him suspicious. I also knew she was not expecting me to answer affirmatively to the question about our engagement. Placing my hand on Isabelle’s calmed her down, and I could hear her breathe a sigh of relief as soon as I squeezed her hand in mine.
Elia’s face relaxed and he grinned mischievously as his gaze fell onto Isabelle’s hand in mine.
Though I knew that my answer would only buy us little time, it was enough to plan everything I needed to. I hadn’t really thought about an engagement until I came face to face with Elia’s question. It was a lot to plan, even if it was just for appearances.
I realized that the need to act quickly. The fa?ade of the engagement had to be solidified, and that meant getting Isabelle a ring as soon as possible.
We also had to get our stories straight. What if people asked us how I proposed? I wouldn’t know what to say, and I’ve never been found at a loss for words in my entire life. We had to really sell this thing, if we wanted it to work.
During our meeting, despite her evident discomfort, Isabelle handled herself with grace and poise, answering Elia's each and every question. I could see her courage and resourcefulness shining through, traits I initially dismissed but now deeply respected.
Her stubbornness and courage were traits that had initially irritated me, but now I was glad they were a part of her. Elia was a very intimidating man, and it took a bold woman like Isabella to stand up to him. As I watched the back and forth between them, I couldn’t help but feel pride. Some animalistic, possessive part of me couldn’t help but see Isabelle as something I could call mine .
“Then, I’m looking forward to receiving my invite,” Elia finally responded, giving me a nod. He stood up in one swift motion, and walked away. Once he was gone, I could see the confusion on Isabelle's face, but I ignored it. I was not in the mood to explain anything to her.
"What are you waiting for? Meeting's over, it's time to go," I said.
The atmosphere in the car was very different from the one at the cafe. With the driver in front, we were both in the backseat but on opposite sides of the car. Isabelle was now leaning on the window, her arms folded across her chest defiantly. I knew that she was upset at me, I knew that she wanted to ask a thousand questions about the man that we had just seen, but there were more important matters. Now that Elia had seen us together, there was a new urgency attached to my plans.
I cleared my throat, facing Isabelle with a serious expression. I wanted her to understand the urgency of the situation, but since I still needed her cooperation, I also wanted her to know that I wasn’t being forceful with her. I tried to portray that in my tone. I found myself in an impossible situation, I had never wanted to be like my father, I never wanted to use a woman in my plans, but it was too late. All I could do was give her an option that was never made available to my mother, the option to leave it all behind after this and live a normal life.
“Isabelle,” I began, my voice firm yet gentle, “we need to talk.”
“About?”
She looked up at me, her expression wary but curious.
“The engagement,” I said, sighing. I moved closer to her, and I could see her observe my every move. She was looking at me suspiciously, what did she think I wanted to do?
“Elia's question was an ultimatum. We need to solidify our cover. That means getting you a ring.”
It was then that she started to get upset. I could see a lot of emotions on her face in just one second. I started to see things from her perspective and I realized how hard this must be for her. Her life had changed in less than a week. It must have all been so surreal. I was worried that she would freak out and mess things up for me, which is why I had kept a vigilant eye on her during the meeting with Elia. However, she had kept it together surprisingly well, which was not what I had expected.
"A ring?" Her voice was high pitched and she practically hit her head on the head rest of the passenger seat when she leaned forward in shock.
"Yes, a ring," I fired back. “Isabelle, we talked about this.”
"I still don't think we need a ring." She huffed, and I found my patience waning.
"I'm going to say this one more time. The ring is a show, it's a symbol, something to prove to those watching that we're not lying to them." I was angry, so I spoke in a condescending tone.
"There's no need to sound like that."
"Like what?"
"Condescending."
“Fine, I apologize.” I conceded. “Will you wear the ring then?”
“Ok. But this is all for show.” She rolled her eyes. I smirked at her words. “We never talked about getting engaged.”
“Of course. But we have to make it convincing. For both our sakes.”
“I need my independence, you can’t control my every moment. You need to realize that I’m my own person and I need my space. You can’t watch me all the time and you can’t have people watch me either.”
“It’s for your own safety.” Mostly.
“No, and no more monitored phone calls.”
“No.”
“It’s a huge invasion of privacy, what if I want to have a private conversation with my friends or my parents?”
“So that you can tell them what’s really going on?”
Isabelle sighed, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.
“If at this point you don’t trust me, then I don’t know what to say.”
“Of course I don’t trust you" I smirked. Isabelle sighed again.
“I’m still gonna be listening in on your calls,” I said as she started to protest, but I stopped her by raising a hand, “but I will call off the people watching you. You will be allowed freedom within my estate.”
I could see that Isabelle was determined to maintain her independence. I couldn’t deny the growing attraction and respect I felt for her. I was aware of the risks, but I was also intrigued by the challenge she presented; I just couldn’t help myself when it came to her.
Isabella nodded, smiling a little, despite how uneasy she still looked. It was nice to see her smiling. It had seemed like all she did was stare into the distance and furrow her brows stubbornly.
“Good.”
“Can we go now?” I asked.
“I’m not the one holding the wheel,” she responded sassily. I chuckled, shaking my head; I really hoped she would never lose her fire.
So I nodded to the driver who started the engine, with one destination in mind; the jewelry store. I told the driver where we were headed and focused on the task ahead. I had to get Isabelle a rock to solidify our story. As we drove there, I had a feeling that buying the ring would change my life, but only time would tell.