CHAPTER 12

VICENZO ALDO RUSSO

One week later...

It was already afternoon when we arrived at Aliguay Island. We rode a small yacht that I own before we reached the island. All our belongings have been unloaded in the lobby of a resort I booked, and I'm just waiting to get the keycard for the room we'll be staying in.

"Apologies for the delay, Mr. Russo. Here is your room keycard, along with the extra keycard. Let me just confirm your reservation. You booked a villa suite with a veranda and ocean view, two beds, complete amenities, and free breakfast from 7 AM to 10 AM. This is under the name Vicenzo Aldo Russo. Is that correct, sir? "

I nodded and quickly glanced at my wife, who had her back turned to me. She was gazing at the ocean, letting the wind play with her long hair. A faint smile graced her lips as she looked at the shore. The waves were gentle today, their soft sound barely audible as they lapped against the sand.

"Okay, sir. Welcome to Aliguay Private Beach Resort. Your belongings will be taken to your room by one of our bell attendants. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the front desk so we can assist you."

I turned to the woman in charge at the front desk and nodded.

"Thank you," I replied quickly.

I glanced to my side as one of the bell attendants took our belongings to bring them to the Villa Suite. My eyes shifted back to the horizon, where the sun was slowly descending, painting the sky and the ocean in shades of orange as its reflection shimmered on the water. I turned back to the woman at the front desk and spoke.

"Is the dinner I requested by the beach ready?" I asked.

The woman smiled at me and nodded. "Of course, sir! It's all set. Fortunately, we found a private area near your villa, so it will be just you and your wife there."

I nodded. "Is it possible to add at least two electric candles?"

"Yes, sir. I'll call someone to handle that. Do you need them now? Setting them up where you'll be dining later won't take long," she asked.

"Yes, as soon as possible, please. I'm willing to wait. We'll head to the villa first before going there anyway," I replied.

I quickly glanced at my wife, who was now seated in a one-seater chair, her phone propped up against her woven bag as she signaled in front of it. It seemed like she was talking to her cousin again.

"My wife will just rest for a bit before we head there. There's nothing else missing, right? I've already mentioned everything that should be set up, haven't I?" I asked again.

The woman quickly shook her head and glanced at her monitor. "Everything's in order, Mr. Russo. All your requests are already there—fairy lights, candlelights on the low, small table, a mat laid out on the sand, and the beach cabana canopy is already set up for you. We'll serve your dinner in about 20 minutes, is that correct?"

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you," I said in gratitude.

The woman smiled and nodded back. "You're welcome, Mr. Russo. Enjoy your stay here at Aliguay Private Resort. I hope you and your wife enjoy your honeymoon here."

I gave her a single nod before turning away and heading toward my wife, who was now walking toward me. I extended my hand to her.

"Let's go to our room, mia cara?"

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

We rested for a few minutes inside our villa suite before heading to the private area I had rented exclusively for the two of us. I wanted to make sure we could enjoy dinner without anyone else around.

I carried my wife's handmade woven bag as I followed her down the pathway beside our villa suite. She walked ahead of me, her steps light and unhurried. Once we reached the end of the path, we would be greeted by the dinner setup I had arranged for us.

As we stepped outside, I saw her pause, her gaze fixed on the beach cabana canopy. Inside was a small white table adorned with tiny electric candles. The white fabric draped over the canopy framed it like soft curtains, and fairy lights twinkled around the structure, adding a warm glow to the scene.

"Follow me, Mia cara," I murmured softly as I approached her. I placed a hand gently on her waist, guiding her toward the beach cabana canopy.

It's a good thing we're the only ones here because I'm not sure I could control myself if any man dared to look at my wife. Fiorella was wearing a pink crochet two-piece, paired with a matching pink crochet bandana on her head. My wife looked stunning—hot, yes—but her outfit made her cuteness stand out even more.

I held her hand to lead her inside the beach cabana canopy, but she suddenly stopped. I followed her gaze and realized she was staring at a blank canvas mounted on a stand. Beside it was a small table holding painting materials.

She lifted her eyes to meet mine, her ocean-blue gaze filled with wonder and disbelief, as though she couldn't process what she was seeing.

I gave her a small smile and gestured toward the table with my hand, silently inviting her to sit down. A mat had been spread out for us with a thin cushion to sit on. Her eyes lingered on the blank canvas, captivated.

"Did you like it?" I asked as I sat beside her on the mat.

In front of us was the calm sea, its waves gently lapping at the shore. The breeze was just right—not too strong but cold enough to feel refreshing.

She took out her phone and started typing. A moment later, my phone chimed with her message. I immediately opened it to read.

Fiorella:

That's for me, isn't it? How did you know I paint?

I glanced at her, a small smile playing on her lips. Why does she look so beautiful in my eyes? I wanted so badly to kiss her right here, in this very spot, but I held myself back.

I cleared my throat, momentarily at a loss for words. Damn, she didn't know that I already knew about her painting.

"Your father told me you paint, so I thought of getting you something like that," I lied. "Did you like it?"

She slowly leaned closer to me, her hand gently reaching for my arm. Her palm slid up to my jaw, and she kissed me lightly on the lips. Even the way she held my face was soft, delicate.

I closed my eyes and responded to her kiss, savoring the sweetness of it. One of her hands rested on my bare, broad chest, and I could feel the warmth of her touch. My hand moved to her shoulder, gripping it gently as I pulled her back.

My body betrayed me—my dick was hard.

We were both catching our breath, and she just smiled at me, her gaze locked on mine. She raised her hand and signed in front of me,

"Thank you so much."

I gave her a small smile and lifted my hand to caress her soft cheek.

"Do you want to eat now?" I asked her softly. "In a minutes, they'll be delivering our food," I added gently, my tone laced with affection.

She gestured for me to wait before grabbing her phone to text me her response. I quickly read the message as soon as she sent it.

Fiorella:

Can I use it now? I really want to try painting again.

I nodded at her, meeting her ocean-blue eyes, which were full of joy and excitement.

"Of course you can. It's yours after all. Keep yourself busy with painting while we wait for the food," I replied.

She smiled at me before standing up to head over to the canvas. She adjusted the stand so she could paint while sitting on the mat.

Just then, my phone rang. I quickly answered it as soon as I saw who was calling.

"What's the news?" I asked once I picked up.

"Most of the injured soldiers have recovered. We've also spoken to them for additional investigation, but so far, nothing," Matteo replied.

My brows furrowed at his answer. I kept my eyes on my wife, who was silently painting the spot where we were sitting.

"What do you mean, nothing?" I asked, confused.

"It seems like whoever did it covered their tracks well, Vicenzo. There's no evidence left."

I sighed deeply. "What about what happened on the day of our wedding?"

"The investigation is still ongoing."

"Okay. What about Antonio? Is he still asking for more soldiers for his clan?"

"Yes. He's asking for one hundred soldiers in exchange for helping move our crates on their route, so the delivery can be faster," he answered.

"One hundred? The majority of our Soldati already have positions in their roles."

Matteo was silent on the other line. "What about the Giovani d'onore?"

My jaw clenched. "No. The Giovani d'onore are still under training, and I won't allow them to be sent to Schiavone. There are plenty of other ways to meet his demands, Matteo."

"That's what he wants, and nothing else. What can we do? The evidence is still in his hands, Vicenzo. There's an agreement between our clan and his—"

"I don't give a fuck, Matteo. Not the Giovani d'onore, do you understand me? I won't allow him to permanently take one hundred of my Soldati. I might agree to help him, but not to have my men working for him permanently. Tell him that if he insists again. Don't let him ruin our honeymoon with his daughter."

I didn't wait for Matteo's response and ended the call. I placed my phone on the table and just watched my wife. It seemed like she noticed me staring at her, so she glanced over her shoulder.

She smiled at me and then turned back to her painting.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

We had just finished dinner. Now, it was dark across the entire resort, and the only lights that illuminated the area were the few lamp posts near the resort's villa and the fairy lights surrounding the cabana canopy.

We were just lounging by the sea, making the most of the night at the private beach resort. The atmosphere was peaceful, with only the soft sound of the waves hitting the shore filling the air.

My gaze shifted when I noticed my wife staring off into the distance. She raised her hand and suddenly made a sign, still looking far away.

"I really like this place. It's so peaceful to look at, and it's so relaxing. Thank you, by the way—"

She quickly turned to me, her eyes wide, probably realizing that I didn't understand sign language. But she was wrong.

"You're welcome," I replied.

I don't know why, but she looked even cuter in my eyes as her eyes widened, realizing that I understood her.

I didn't want to pretend anymore that I didn't understand her because I knew how hard it must've been for her to type on her phone.

We were sitting side by side now, half of our bodies submerged in the water as we sat on the sand. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence between us until I finally spoke up.

"I understand sign language."

She looked at me and started signaled in front of me. "Why? Why did you only tell me now that you understand?"

My wife is like an open book—her emotions are easy to read. Her brow furrowed, and there was a mix of emotions in her eyes, as if she felt betrayed and hurt.

"I didn't have the courage to tell you, and I didn't want to explain why I understand sign language," I replied.

Her brow furrowed even more, and she signed again. "Why? I'll listen, Vicenzo. I'm not the type to judge anyone, if that's what you're thinking."

I took a deep breath, gently holding her waist to lift her. I positioned her sideways on my lap, facing me, with one of her hands resting on my bare chest. The night breeze was cold, but we didn't feel it because of the warmth between us.

"Mia cara, you're the reason I learned sign language. I know I probably sound creepy right now, but I don't give a shit about that. I've known you for a long time. I love your work, your paintings. When I found out you were mute, I started learning sign language," I spoke softly to her, my eyes focused on hers—those ocean-blue eyes still gleaming in the moonlight as she looked at me.

"I learned to sign language because of you and because I love you. Matteo and I have attended your exhibits countless times, especially the last one before you quit, and he even called me creepy, but I didn't care. I don't fucking care, Mia cara," I said, my hand gently caressing her cheek.

I don't know why my heart is beating so fast. I'm nervous because my wife isn't signing back, and I'm waiting for her response to my confession.

Fuck it! Pull yourself together, Vicenzo.

Slowly, she raised her hand to sign in front of me while not taking her eyes off me. "Have you known me for a long time?"

I nodded in response and wrapped my forearm around her waist to keep her on my lap.

"Yes. How do you feel?" I quietly said to her.

She blinked at me a few times, then slowly shrugged her shoulders. She raised her hand and signed again.

"I don't know. I'm surprised by what you just said, Vicenzo," she signaled to me. She lowered her head as if unsure about her signs, but when she lifted her head again, her hand rose in sync to sign in front of me. "But I wish you'd told me sooner that you understand, because both of us are struggling when I want to communicate with you. I know not everyone knows or understands sign language, so I adjust for you."

I couldn't answer her. I kept my mouth shut. I exhaled deeply before gently brushing her cheek.

"It's okay. I understand why you feel this way. Maybe I surprised you," I responded to her. "Sorry if I didn't tell you I understand sign language. I just didn't want to sound creepy."

She only nodded at me before signing again. "So... You've been stalking me for a while. You know me, but I don't know you."

"I know you as Lella Fiore, a painter. Not as Fiorella Carla Schiavone. I didn't even know you were part of a clan in the Camorra. I didn't stalk you. I could have done that, but something in me didn't want to, because I don't think you deserve to be background checked."

She blinked at me a few times. Looking up at me, her round, ocean-like blue eyes stayed fixed on me as she listened to what I said. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry—"

I couldn't continue what she was saying when she placed her index finger on my lips to stop me from speaking. She just shook her head and continued to look at me.

"You surprised me. I didn't know you were one of the people who liked my paintings. Thank you, Vicenzo. I just don't know how to react now because I'm feeling so many emotions after what you admitted," she signed to me. "I've heard so much now... and I don't know what to say."

"It's okay, Mia cara. I understand."

She just gave me a small smile and wrapped both of her hands around my arm while still looking at my face. I couldn't miss the way her gaze stole glances at my lips. Didn't she know that she was biting her own lip while staring at me?

"I know you want to kiss me, Mia cara," I whispered.

My hand moved down to her waist and pulled her body closer to mine.

She was slightly startled by my words since I caught her stealing a glance at my lips. I leaned in closer to her, and with barely an inch between our faces, our lips were almost touching.

"Go ahead. My lips are yours and no one else's. If you want to kiss me, kiss me," I whispered provocatively against her lips.

She hesitated at first, but in just a few seconds, our lips collided once more, savoring the heat of our kiss that we shared together that night.

I let her do whatever she wanted with me. I let her savor my lips that night.

And here, in our spot, it was just the two of us, savoring and making the most of the night, knowing that no one else would see us.

SHANGPU