CHAPTER SIX
“T hat’s it. I’m going to Paris,” Cassidy declared after watching Furiosa.
I laughed and squinted. “That’s what you got from watching that movie?”
“Yeah. She reinvented herself. Kicked ass. Life goes fast, might as well live it as much as you can.”
Her answer surprised me since she was always the optimist in our duo. “What’s up?”
She stretched like a cat on the bed. “Still hoping the world would open and I can escape to a dystopian wasteland.”
“You don’t need to escape, Cass. Just take the break you need. Harvard will take you again if you reapply.”
She groaned. “The applications and references were brutal. No, I’m staying at least for a year.”
We both knew she lived for the chaos. “You’ll figure it out like you always do. Whatever you choose to do is best.” I handed her the remote, and she searched for something else for us to watch.
Chime . My phone buzzed. I lifted it and wrinkled my nose. “Unknown number?”
Cassidy sat up expectantly. “Let it go to voicemail.”
I held onto the phone and waited. Sure enough, the person left a message. Cassidy was as curious as I was, so I put the phone on speaker for us to listen.
“Hello, Adelina. I’m Tabitha with Tela News. We have a story about Rocco and Marjorie rekindling their romance following the cancellation of your wedding. I prefer to run the story with your side instead of only theirs. Call me back anytime.”
I glared at the phone. “How the hell did she get my number?”
“That’s harassment.” Cass picked up her phone from the side table and started texting. “I’ll see what my parents can do. Or actually, let me call Gunnar.”
The smile on her face somewhat lessened my annoyance.
“Ohh, Gunnar,” I teased.
She shook her head. “Not happening.”
My mouth went dry. “But I thought you liked him.”
“We friend-zoned each other after having phone sex—”
My jaw dropped. “You had phone sex with him?”
She laughed and shrugged. “Yeah. There was a lot of sexual tension between us, so we decided to explore it.”
I frowned. Gunnar and Cassidy had lawyering in common. I hadn’t seen him yet, but if Cass considered sex, he had to be good-looking. “So why friendzone?”
She blew out and fluffed her hair. “We both wanted to lead. He has a type, sweet and innocent.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can play his sweet plaything because he’s sexy for a while, but we both know it’s not my thing.”
I groaned. “I hate you for not telling me that. What if he asked me about you?”
She grinned. “So what? He won’t care. Trust me. Anyway, you’re sleeping with a sex God, so we’re even.” She called over her shoulder as she walked away to the corner of the room to make the call.
How did this woman get my number? It didn’t surprise me that she already knew our wedding was postponed, but wasn’t it cliché and predictable that the media would play that route? Marjorie had been Rocco’s BLAH BLAH BLAH, but Rocco had assured me that there was nothing but friendship between them. As Cassidy made her call, I went to my desk and laptop and typed in Rocco and Marjorie’s names.
The first result was a photo of Marjorie hugging Rocco in front of his family outside a building in New York City.
She wasted no time. And what if Rocco only told me he let their relationship go because he couldn’t leave me, but now he could? He hasn’t called yet and he must know their photos are out there. A lump lodged in my throat, and my stomach knotted. What’s going on?
“Gunnar’s getting your number changed,” Cass said, pulling me from my thoughts. “He’s also giving the woman a call, and oh, how I wish I could listen in. There’s nothing better than a rake over the coals…Hey, is that Marjorie Storm?” I glanced back at her just as her mouth dropped open.
“Well…It’s probably a coincidence. The photos only show Marjorie supporting a friend. That’s it. You told Rocco you wanted to go to your parent’s home or you’d of been there with him.”
That all was true.
“Honestly, when I received your message that you were returning here, I was shocked. You hate staying here.”
I came because I needed time to think about Mr. Marini helping Judge Colby, and what Rocco may know about it. However, telling Cassidy would only make her hate them when I didn’t have all the facts yet. I’ll tell her more soon.
I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the sting at the back of my eyes. It was easier said than done. Seeing Rocco’s arms around Marjorie…hurt.
“Wait for the facts, Lina. Give Rocco a chance to explain and if he has no explanation, make him pay dearly for hurting you.” Cassidy tried to joke to lighten the mood but to be honest, I didn’t want Rocco to pay if he wanted Marjorie back. He deserved happiness.
I had only hoped it would be with me.
Cassidy was leaving too soon. As we stood in front of the house, I held her tight. “Call me anytime. I mean it. If you want to talk after the funeral.”
I squeezed her shoulders and let her go. “I will,” I said, my voice betraying the uncertainty and fear I felt inside.
“He’ll call, but it sounds like he’ll see you in a couple of days. You can always call him.”
Despite my inner turmoil, I nodded in agreement. Rocco had sent a text late at night. It was vague, and left me with a mix of emotions.
Rocco: I heard about the call. I’m sorry. As you know, we changed your number. Isla sent it to your contacts for you. We had back to back meetings. I have a plane coming to take you and the family to the funeral on Friday in NYC. I hope you feel better. Please try to rest.
His message was pretty formal, but I understood he didn’t want to share anything personal if my phone was hacked again. I waved at Cassidy until she turned her Prius off the drive, then took a deep breath and headed back inside. I had only made it as far as Mr. Belfiore’s office when he called me inside.
“Adelina? Come in and close the door, please.” His tone was light, almost pleasant. Suspicion filled my head, and dread churned my stomach. Nothing good usually came from our small talks. However, I did as he asked.
He was dressed in a polo and slacks. His golf bag was near the door, though he was seated behind his desk.
I sat down in the cushioned chair across from him. “Going out?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered. “How was your friend’s visit?”
I bobbed my head. “ Cassidy’s visit was great. Thanks. You know you could have spoken to her at any time.”
His lips curved upward. “Dropping in without an invitation doesn’t mean I have to alter my plans. It’s poor manners, but what else do you expect with Hollywood parents—”
“Don’t talk bad about my best friend, please,” I spoke over him.
“I wouldn’t talk bad about her if she had manners. Now, that’s enough of that,” he snapped.
I blew out my breath. It wasn’t worth arguing with Mr. Belfiore and honestly, Cassidy’s visit had been much better without their involvement.
“I’ve heard news from Rocco’s lawyers.”
My pulse picked up, and I touched my throat. “You have?”
He sighed and steepled his hands on top of the desk. “Yes. As we suspected, they’d like to postpone the wedding for months. They feel it would allow Rocco to transition and take over from his grandfather.”
My stomach dropped. Rocco said a month or so. The suggestion didn’t sound unreasonable, but to my grandparents, I knew it wouldn’t be acceptable. Still, I tried. “Oh, so they have a new date in mind for our wedding in Italy?”
He gave me a skeptical look and sat back in his chair. “Come now, Adelina. You don’t believe that and know we don’t either. Rocco’s looking for an exit. That’s the only reason he’s giving himself more time. He assumes power, and his family will depend on him to lead. He will delay the marriage until we move on. In that way, he’s not going against his agreement with Luca to marry you. He’d be free to marry someone else.”
I jerked a shaky hand through my hair absently, then stuffed them in my armpits, and lowered my head. It hadn’t ever been difficult to hide in front of my grandparents, until now. Until Rocco Marini. Inside I tumbled down a well without anything to hold onto because I knew there was no good reason for Rocco to marry me if he had a choice. That was what was clear on the outside. But with Rocco, it all felt different. He made me believe anything was possible, and I wasn’t ready for the cold hard truth of reality. What my grandfather said made sense. But what I said to him was the opposite. “This can’t be true.”
He scoffed. “Oh it is, Adelina. You should know by now that people lie to get what they want. Rocco charmed you, but he wasn’t serious about marrying you. That’s a classic move from the Marinis. That charlatan Luca did the same with Constance.”
I grimaced. “What do you mean? Luca said…he said he loved her.”
Mr. Belfiore snorted. “Loved her? If he loved Constance, he’d have married her. But we all knew he just wanted her property. Anyway, we warned Rocco that we’re not allowing him to manipulate us like Luca did to your grandmother. Rocco will have to pay for not living up to his bargain, and Constance will get her property back and then some. I even arranged for you to have five million in your trust.” The smile on his face was indeed to congratulate himself on a job well-done. However, I couldn’t believe that Rocco would change everything over delays. He’d have at least negotiated or tried to talk to me.
I shook my head. “Rocco wouldn’t agree to that. He would have called—”
“Rocco’s accepted it,” he said, blinking twice. “Uh, sorry. I tried to spare you, but you insist and I had no choice. Our lawyers presented Rocco with the new terms of our arranged marriage agreement. It was well within our rights to request an increase in money, stocks, and shares since he was the one who canceled the wedding. Rocco refused at first, but when I was willing to take less money if he removed the year hold on Constance’s Longfellow property, he shut down our negotiations. It was a pittance for man worth billions, but it’s clear he has other plans. I was to hold that news until after the funeral, but it’s best you know now.”
My head throbbed, and my eyes burned. But…? What did I expect? Rocco had a chance at a new life, and giving away millions of dollars and property is only a fraction of what he stood to gain. I took a few quick breaths as I pushed down my feelings to lock them away for later; they wouldn’t be welcomed here. The only thing that mattered was what would come next. “So, what-what happens now?”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.“Your practicality is one to be admired, Adelina. Percy Sterling and I are golfing together at the country club today. We will return for lunch here, and I’d like you to spend some time with him.”
I lowered my brows, and my body stiffened. “Already?”
He jutted his chin. “Why wait?”
I frowned. “What kind of time?”
“The kind that includes sitting with him on the patio or taking a walk, whichever he chooses. It’ll give you both a chance to get to know each other.” He stood and went to a closet and removed a hat and gloves, like he hadn’t just upended my life again.
“So that’s it?” I said and crossed my arms. “You’ve already agreed to marry me off to him?”
He sighed and tilted his head. “Listen. I know you’re upset to lose a movie star like Rocco Marini. You’re beautiful, but that only goes so far with a man like that. He was always well out of your league.”
I snorted. “That’s harsh, even for you.”
He lifted his chin. “I speak frankly with you because I know you can handle it. And I’m sure it’s not something you haven’t thought yourself. You’ll see how much better this is for you. Percy’s a responsible man with good core values, and he’s also willing to look past your transgressions as well as help your brother, which is a lot more than Rocco ever offered. All you’ll have to do is have his children, and then you can do as your mother does, lead charities, host dinner parties, shop, and travel with him. That’s darn good.”
Mr. Belfiore was trying to sell me the benefits of a loveless marriage as good. But hadn’t that been what I had wanted in the first place? Love only led to problems. Falling for Rocco made me believe he felt something for me. He had been kind, but he never wanted me.
“Marriages are bigger than oneself. They offer stability and security and by marrying Percy, your children stand to inherit generational wealth and never have to want for anything. Neither will you. Isn’t that better than starving and scraping by?”
Knock-Knock. The door sounded.
He looked at his watch and called out. “I’ll be right there. We will be back for lunch around 2:30 p.m. and I expect you down here with Constance when we return.”
I swallowed hard.
He blew out his breath. “Listen, I know you’re uh…upset, but this time you’ll get married and not toyed with. Hollis Sterling is one of my oldest friends. His son Percy’s a true gentleman. Now, he expects polite obedience. Put on something pretty and just let him lead you. He likes to feel like the big man in the room.”
I wanted to protest, but that would’ve been a waste of both of our times. My arranged marriage was bigger than me. Rocco knew how important my marriage was to my family. But he hadn’t taken it serious. So it’s better that he ended things between us now than lead me on.
Once I left, I headed to the stairs, but shredded pieces of my heart dropped in every step. How could he throw me away so carelessly? Hadn’t I meant anything to him? I have a plane coming to take you and the family to the funeral on Friday in NYC. I hope you feel better. Please try to rest. Why expect me to go to the funeral when he had no other use for me in his future? Cassidy had been so wrong about Rocco. I was just his plaything until he could move on. He was just another liar in my life that was full of them. But how my heart ached.
At the top, I fell down on my knees, my hands shaking, scrambling for the phone. At times like these, when I couldn’t bear another day, I’d text Luca Marini. I’d never tell him why, just asked how he was doing. He’d somehow know I needed someone to show me kindness. So he’d make jokes and I’d laugh, and I’d find a way to go on. But that would never happen again. He was gone.
I returned to the bed and cried. It was the only time I’d have for it, because later, it was a new day without tears.
“I told your grandfather that we need to delay the wedding just until we settle things here with my grandfather’s estate. A month or so. It’ll give us all a chance to settle the funeral and reschedule in Italy. But I still want you to come back with me. I’ll fix this as soon as possible. Just a couple of days.”
Lies. All lies.
“Although, Rocco, you did fix this, and you did do it as soon as possible.”
And now it was time to guard my heart yet again and move on as well.
It was almost two p.m. when I left the bed and changed into a dark blue, Georgette two-layered dress that draped over the shoulders and below the knee—something Mrs. Belfiore had chosen when I was in college, along with hose and modest heels. Before that, I placed a cold compress on my face until the red areas disappeared, then added moisturizer to my lips and a low ponytail. I stared at myself and thought I looked like a younger version of my grandmother, just as Cassidy had pointed out. When I returned downstairs and found her in the living room, she smiled, wearing a similar maroon dress.
“Good, Adelina. I’m happy you’ve taken the mature road on this change.”
The magnitude of all Rocco meant to me wasn’t so dismissive as being mature. It was pouring concrete over a gaping wound. Rocco wasn’t interchangeable, he was original. He gave his whole being to me so freely. I wanted to scream, smash everything in the room, express the rage and deep well of loneliness inside of me. I had to become steel because anything else would break me. So, I became inanimate next to her.
She cleared her throat. “I, myself, had a similar time. It gets easier. Reginald and I love each other and have been there as good friends. You can have that too, you know. True friendship.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Belfiore,” I muttered.
“You can…you can call me grandmother,” she said, patting my hand.
My eyes widened in shock, and my heart lifted in surprise. Why now? Perhaps because she believed this match would not only happen but last. She was bringing me in as a real Belfiore, something I had always wanted.
I didn’t get a chance to think or talk about it. The sound of the front door and two male voices laughing filtered to us and grew louder as they approached the room.