Luna got back to the Garden but didn't find Marco. She pulled out her phone from her purse and sent him a text.“Are you at work?”“Yes, why?”“I'll be there in a jiffy”She got back to where the car was parked.“Where to?”“The gallery”They soon reached the gallery in thirty minutes.“Hey babe. What are you doing?”, Luna said, hopping playfully towards him.Marco continued to stack the cartons together.“Hellooo…”“What? What do you want?”“Cold”, Luna said, taken a little aback. “Look, if it's about today, I'm sorry. I really am.”“I don't want your apologies. Where could have possibly been so important that you ditched the dinner I had planned for you?”“I had something really important to tell Emilio. He was…”“Emilio Rodriguez?!”“Yess… whyy?”“The same guy that you almost married?”“Yes. It was a life or death affair really. He texted me he was leaving today and…”“So he's the one who called you, huh? Is he disturbing you because…”“Hey, hey , hey. No, ok? Don't start having se
“Emilio!”Vincenzo exclaimed as Asher walked into the living room. He hugged his son, his expression changing from quite disturbed to relieved.“Where have you been? Andrea told me you left for America. Is it true?”“Umm… yes Father”“You were leaving? But you didn't even inform anyone. Andrea just felt you left cause he claims to have seen you with all your bags and stuff”“Yes, I was… going to travel today but I cancelled my flight.”“You should have informed me, Emilio. Things aren't done that way. I was getting a little worried about not seeing you.”“I'm really sorry, Father. I apologise. I didn't want you to make me stay an extra week. I was afraid you'd make me stay.”“Of course I'd make you stay. This is the only time I could get you to come to Italy. I want you to spend more time with your family, Emilio. (Italian ought to be here). Now you are going to have to stay the extra days or even weeks”“But Father…”“That is final, Emilio. The company isn't running away. So far, spea
“What about your coffee, Emilio?”The maid stood with the cup on the saucer. Emilio took it from her hand.“Of course ma'm. I'll just take this up to my room.”, He added some biscotti to the saucer. “With these too. Thank you ma'am. The breakfast was splendid”Emilio went up the stairs with the saucer in hand and Maria felt defeated immediately. She knew he wouldn't take it. Her mood changed instantly. She rose, dropping her napkin horridly on the table.“Anything the matter, Maria?”“Of course not. I simply lost appetite”. She shifted her chair back and left the dining table, marching up the stairs.In his room, Asher poured the liquid in the sink. He'd asked Garfy to take a sample and test it and just as he suspected - Maria had put something inside. There had been millk obviously but not the kind he was lethally allergic though still intolerant. Apart from the milk, the machine had detected traces of grinded sesame seeds- another substance he was deathly allergic to. He placed the
Marco Ricco took his seat at the long table. The Mafia king sat at the other end, smoking marijuana. The escorts, in their body revealing dresses, stood by either side of the majestic chair he sat on. The awful smell filled the room and Marco coughed, the irritating smell filling up his nostrils. He was already beginning to have second thoughts about coming here. Finally, the man stopped smoking and dismissed his escorts.“Ricco! You never come to visit. What's the occasion?”Marco smiled.“Visits require purpose and meaning, Uncle Podrego. Isn't that what you used to say?”His uncle laughed. “Stealing the old boy's quotes ei? Come vola il tempo (how time flies). You haven't changed a bit”“Ahh, Uncle Podrego. I'm no longer the child you used to play with”“Obviously Marco. You are a grown man now. A working grown man. Your father must be so proud”“I did not come here to discuss the subject of my father here, uncle Podrego”“Then why are you here? What brings you?”“I have someone on
Marco shook Luna vigorously.“Don't you ever call me insecure! Ever!”“Let go of me!” Luna struggled to get away from his grip. But Marco's eyes were filled with rage. He shook her even more.“Listen to me!”“No! Let go of me!”. She continued to struggle.“Stop it!,Stop..!” His grip tightened on her arms. Luna continued to resist.“Let go of me ,Marco!”“Don't you ever call me that again!” He fixed her neck to the wall, one hand still gripping her arm tightly.Luna squealed. “You.. you're hurting me. You are hurting my arms”Marco, like he was just snapped out of a trance, let go of her immediately.She sniffed as she'd been almost moved to tears.“Luna…”“Don’t come close to me, don't touch me”, she said, breathing heavily. “Luna, I'm sorry. Please. I.. I.. I don't know what came over me, ok? Please…”“Don’t touch me! Leave me alone” She moved slowly at the side, trying to get to the gate, scared that he might try to grab again.“Luna!” He grabbed her hand.“Let go of me! Let go!”
“How dare he trick us? That rotten little thing! How dare he?”“He thinks he has ascertained power?”.Maria sat down back, her hands clasped together, folded under her chin.“Unfortunately he power, Andrea. He may not have power here, Andrea but he surely commands something there in America. We must finish him off before he goes”“We will, mamma. Patience and planning”“There isn't enough time, mio figlio”“Patience mother. Patience”All the while, Franrigo the steward listened intensively at the door. As soon as he noticed movement, he straightened up and pretended to be passing innocently, a glass of water in hand. He knocked on Vincenzo's room door. “Yes”“Your water, Signore Vincenzo”Vincenzo had Asher open the door.“Emilio, please get the door”Emilio stood up and opened the door.“Thank you urr…”“Franrigo”“Franrigo”, Emilio repeated, quite amused.“Yes sir”“You are dismissed, Franrigo”, Vincenzo said, in a way that Emilio considered rather too serious. Franrigo bowed and d
Just then, Davidson came outside to join him. “Franrigo, il mio amico (my friend)”“What do you want, Davidson? Have you come here to laugh at me like the others do?”. Faringo rolled his eyes.“Of course not, Franrigo. I always support you”“Is that so? You don't seem to always stand up for me in front of the others and especially in front of that…Madam Tamina”, Franrigo said, calling her name with a disgusted look oh his face.Davidson laughed but Franrigo only rolled his eyes, still quite upset.“C'mon mio amico. Do you still hold a grudge? You know how impossible it is to make Madam Tamina see reason yet you keep boring her with your news.”“Boring her? So you find my news boring?”“Of course not. I find your thinking and propositions quite reasonable and you know this Franrigo. But the others, Madam Tamina leading them, all find it boring.”“The others. They are just pretending. This week, I caught Madeline telling that sister of hers almost the same thing I was thinking. And her
Chapter 60Vincenzo smiled. “Well said mio figlio, well said. Who's taking you classes on Italiano?” Vincenzo asked excitedly.“I'm picking up little by little. A few of my employees speak Italian too. Plus Riccardo's been a great help. Him staying with me is all the Italian I need”, Emilio said, the last comment making his father roar in laughter. Emilio smiled, delighted inwardly to have made his father laugh.“Riccardo ei? Riccardo can go a full day in Italian, not minding if you even understand or not. How is he anyway?”“He's splendid. He's the one overseeing the business in my position”Vincenzo raised an eyebrow. “Fantastico. He's doing a great job then. At least everything is ought to be where it should be”Asher smiled. “I have an assistant too. She's partly the reason for the success of the business too”“Interesting. And she too is of Italian descent?”“Somewhat yes.”“Aha!” Vincenzo exclaimed excitedly. “I see who's been taking you classes now”“Oh no Father!”, Emilio sai