Chapter 28
Bianca Ferrucci
I was in the bedroom, adjusting my dress. It was delicate, but the buttons down the back seemed impossible to fasten on my own. I sighed, looking into the mirror, when I heard footsteps entering the room.
“Can’t do it?” Tiziano asked, already close behind me.
I shook my head. He stepped closer, standing behind me, and I could feel the warmth of his presence.
“Turn around,” he ordered, and I obeyed, nervously holding the dress against my body.
I felt his fingers brush my skin as he began fastening the buttons one by one. His movements were slow, and the sensation of his fingers gliding over me made my breath catch. When he finished, he left his hands resting on my waist for a moment, his thumbs stroking gently.
“Are you wearing panties?” he asked seriously.
I only nodded.
“I’ll allow you to wear them this time,” he murmured. “But I can’t guarantee you’ll come home with them.”
My breathing quickened even more. I slowly turned to face him and, before I could think about it, wrapped my arms around his neck, rising onto my toes.
“Maybe I don’t want to come home with them,” I replied, allowing myself to be bold enough to challenge my own nervousness.
Before he could react, I leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his lips. But Tiziano didn’t allow it to end there. He pulled me back, his hands firm on my waist, and kissed me intensely, his tongue exploring mine in a rhythm that made my entire body burn.
“I like it when you’re bold. I really like how quickly you learn.”
He ran his fingers over my face, caressing my skin with a gentleness that didn’t match the domineering man he was.
“You’re beautiful, Bianca,” he said, his eyes fixed on mine, and I didn’t even have time to answer. “Now let’s go,” he added, taking my hand and guiding me out.
I walked downstairs beside him and got into the car. Unlike other days, Tiziano didn’t look at his phone or watch me with that lustful gaze. He seemed distant, his mind somewhere else.
“Have you ever had a boyfriend, Bianca?” he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
The question caught me by surprise, and it took me a moment to answer.
“No,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm. “Why do you ask?”
He smirked, but his expression remained serious.
“Because I’d have to kill any man who had ever touched you. That’s all. I’m the first and the last.”
I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, and maybe it was better not to say anything. The car stopped in front of my former home, and a shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t miss that place.
“Shall we?” he asked, stepping out of the car and holding out his hand to me.
I accepted his help and stepped out, finding Giulia near the door just as one of the staff members opened it.
“Don Tiziano,” she greeted him in the same exaggerated tone as always, inclining her head slightly.
“Giulia,” he replied coldly, barely giving her any attention. She didn’t bother speaking to me.
My mother appeared moments later, a forced smile on her face as she clasped her hands together.
“Don Tiziano, what an honor to welcome you into our home again.”
“Mrs. Ferrucci,” he replied with a slight nod.
She looked at me, her smile quickly disappearing.
“Bianca, I hope you’re behaving as you should. You’ve never excelled at anything, so I hope you aren’t causing the Don any trouble.”
Before I could answer, Tiziano intervened.
“Don’t forget, ma’am, that although she is your daughter, you’re speaking about my wife. You will respect her the same way you respect me.”
My mother froze. It wasn’t common for anyone to defend me.
“Of course, Don Tiziano,” she replied quickly, a slight tremor in her voice.
He placed his hand on my waist, guiding me inside.
Tiziano Constanzo
Ant?nio hurried down the stairs and greeted me. I hadn’t come here just to eat. I had come to understand what existed between them and my wife.
“Come, sit down, let’s eat,” he said, directing us toward the table.
The conversation began mundanely, a parade of artificial compliments and comments about business. Bianca’s father tried to impress me with numbers and promises, but my attention was focused on something else: her.
Bianca looked out of place, as though she didn’t belong in her family’s pretentious surroundings. She avoided serving herself, always asking permission with a “May I have some?” before touching anything on the table. A small gesture, but one that told me a great deal.
I made no comment, but watched her every movement carefully. When she finally took something, she did so hesitantly, as though expecting to be reprimanded at any moment. Her eyes sought mine once or twice, but quickly darted away.
While Ant?nio spoke enthusiastically about possible future business deals, I noticed how Lucia barely looked at Bianca, focusing all her attention on Giulia, who was dressed as though she still had some chance with me.
She smiled and cast suggestive glances my way, but she was far too transparent for me.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said, standing. Ant?nio immediately rose as well, while Lucia glanced at Bianca as though expecting her to say something wrong.
“Not at all. It was a pleasure to see our daughter again,” Ant?nio said.
“Before we leave, I have a request. I want to take Rosa to the mansion.”
“Rosa?” Lucia asked, confused.
“Yes. My wife needs company. Tomorrow, one of my employees will come pick her up, if that isn’t a problem, which I assume it isn’t.”
“Of course. She can stay at your house for as long as necessary, Don,” Lucia said.
“Bianca, you can say goodbye to your family. I’ll wait outside.”