Episode 4

"You sure, you can handle him?" Kaylee asked with hope swimming in her eyes.

I looked back at the kid who was trying to pull off the sofa covers with all his might but to no avail and in the end, he sat on it with a huff.

Luciano looked at me almost pleadingly and as much as I wanted to succumb to his pleas I couldn't defy Ma's wishes.

"Of course he is such a sweetheart, I'm sure Luciano and I can handle him, right?" I smiled, praying to whoever was out there in the sky would listen to it and made this day possible.

Luciano smiled one of the fakest smiles I had ever seen but he still made it nice and proper. "Yes."

"Oh, you don't know how much of help both of you ate. Thank you so much," She sighed in relief.

I smiled politely. "Don't thank us, it's a pleasure."

"Nana!" Zito suddenly screamed making me flinch in surprise.

"Yes, Zito?" Kaylee got down on one knee, of course with much difficulty.

"Will you being choco for me?" He asked innocently.

I frowned. But Kaylee just smiled sweetly at her grandson. "I will bring lots of chocolates for you if you behave well with Uncle Luciano and Auntie Alice."

Zito nodded at his grandma before hugging her with his little arms.

-

"Why do you think he is crying this time?" I asked tiredly as I watched Zito crying his lungs out in the middle of the living room.

Luciano shook his head beside me. "I don't fucking know."

"Stop cussing in front of him." I hissed.

"He can't hear us over all the crying he is doing." He pointed out.

"So stop his crying. He is crying for thirty minutes now, " I huffed.

"I did the last time. Now you do."

"I played with him, you are the one busy with your stupid phone."

"It's not stupid if it earns the food that you are eating."

"I don't freaking need your money, I have a Cafe which earns more than I can spend and that's enough."

"Well, why aren't you going -"

"Will you two just shut up?" Zitto said like he wasn't crying a few minutes ago. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You two are acting like a child honestly."

I looked at Luciano as he looked at me. "He was calling you a child."

"Nope, he was calling you a child." I retorted.

"You are the childish one between us."

"How am I the childish one?"

"You--"

But before he could finish Zitto started crying again.

-

"Why don't my Mama loves me?" Zitto asked suddenly as we were playing again with the cars that he brought over.

I was stunned for a moment and so was Luciano. We were sitting in the living room with Zitto after we finished dinner, waiting for Kaylee.

"I am sure she loves you," I assured him even though I didn't know his Mama.

"No, she doesn't. She do not live with me or Papa."

"It's supposed to be 'does' instead of 'do', " Luciano interrupted but shut up quickly as I glared at his direction.

"What do you mean she doesn't live with you?" I asked.

"Nana says she lives with God now but I know that she do not love me." He pouted and my heart clenched in a tight grip.

"Actually, it's 'does'-"

"Luciano!" I exclaimed.

He glared at me but obliged to my order.

But no more words could have been exchanged as the doorbell at the front door dinged making me instantly regret not having this conversation before

Zitto looked at me with pure innocence which made me mentally kick myself for not wanting to babysit this child initially.

"I really hope, Zitto didn't create any mess today." Kaylee smiled sympathetically

"Oh no, he was a lovely kid," Luciano said with a smile plastered on his face

But this time his smile was real.

***

The morning sunlight was peeking through the curtains making me clench my eyes together to block out the light.

"You know, I still haven't given you the permission to sleep here, " Luciano's voice roared through the room making me groan in annoyance.

"Let me sleep, " I grunted as I couldn't now close my eyes and fall back into sleep.

"Why don't you just go?" He said with utter seriousness.

I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you just shut up?"

"Because this is my home."

"And I'm your wife, " I pointed out.

"Just in front of the world."

"Doesn't matter. You will treat me with respect or else..." I trailed off.

"Or else?" He asked.

I turned around from my side and laid there on my back, eyes wide open but the yawn couldn't be hidden. "Or else I will tell Ma."

It was actually pathetic, how I was using Ma against this brute but I couldn't find anything better to threaten him. He just rolled his eyes before getting up and striding towards the bathroom.

I just sighed.

My frustration peaked up as the realization sunk in me.

This was going to be an everyday thing. And I had no idea if I should kill him before that or fled away somewhere else in Europe.

When did life become so complicated?

-

The house was silent as I was roaming around it, the chirping of birds can be heard from here, and honestly, that was the only thing that was keeping me sane in this unbearable silence.

The living room was looking freshly cleaned and I remembered Ma telling me that the maids would be here today. A flicker of hope burst in me, there could be someone other than me in this enormous house.

I first checked the kitchen, hoping that someone would be there, maybe a cook or anyone. But the kitchen was empty, just like the whole house. Then I decided to check some of the guest bedrooms, maybe someone would be there to clean it, or just taking a break.

But there too was no one.

I was coming back from one of the guest bedrooms when I heard a loud squeal.

"Who are you?" A woman asked with fear and panic laced through her words.

A wide grin spread across my face. "Oh my God, you are human."

The woman scrunched up her face in confusion. "What?"

I shook my head, too happy to let her confusion get through me. "Nothing, you are human and you are here."

"You have never seen any human?" She asked bewildered.

"No, I haven't seen any human for like two hours now. "

She nodded in understanding. "That explains your reaction. This house can get really eerily quite."

She paused foot a moment. "Who are you?"

I looked at my feet awkwardly. "Ah, I'm..."

I was what?

Owner of a cafe?

A married woman?

Wife of the don?

"I'm Alice De'Amelio, " I smiled at her.

"Am I supposed to know her?" She asked in a confused voice.

"Uh... I'm married to Luciano." I said awkwardly as my confidence faltered a bit.

Her eyes grew comically wide as she opened her mouth to say something but closed it then again opened it and then closed it again.

"You are Alice Rossi?" Her voice was sounding perplexed and baffled.

"No, I'm Alice De'Amelio, " I forced out those words. Slightly annoyed that how she just assumed that I had changed my surname even when I introduced myself.

She quickly recovered from her daze. "I'm sorry, I just never thought that Don would marry someone like you."

Her words weren't meant to be bitter but the way she said it actually was a harsh reminder that how I was not the typical type of my husband's choice of women on bed. But it was only fair as he was not the type of man I associate in bed with.

But I didn't let it show, I smirked in her way. "Why, am I too good for your Don?"

The dry humor of my words didn't go unnoticed by her as she threw a smile in my direction. "You seem different, good different.",

I wasn't, I was exactly the same. But she didn't know it yet.

And I didn't want anyone to know how spineless I had become to protect my family.

-

"And that's how The special Ragù of Eleonora," Eleonora announced proudly as she did the finishing touches of the Ragù - a meat-based sauce commonly served with pasta.

I rolled my eyes as the smug look in her face was taunting me how I messed up the Pasta. "Stop looking so happy."

"You ruined the whole pasta, " she pointed out.

I pouted. "It's not that bad, we can eat it."

She sighed but served the plates nonetheless. "Do you know when will Don be back?"

I shook my head. "He didn't say anything this morning."

She gazed at me with sympathy. "Is he treating you right?"

The question lingered.

She asked the same question, Ma had asked and now I was confused if he ever did anything to harm his family.

"Yes, of course, " I smiled again.

Suddenly a giggle erupted from the living room and Eleonora and I looked at each other in confusion. I stepped away from the kitchen and strode towards the living room, not wanting to think about what was happening there. As soon as I reached the room, a sudden pang of jealousy and resentment settled in the pit of my stomach.

A woman was there, sitting on Luciano's lap, who I didn't know was in the house in the first place. Luciano was grumbling something incoherent to her, and she giggled some more. She looked drunk and the bloodshot eyes of her was a dead give away that she was intoxicated.

I smiled one of the fakest smiles that I had mastered in. "What's happening here?"

Luciano looked stunned and alarmed as soon as the words left my lips. He quickly got up from the sofa and the giggling lady who was still giggling, if that makes sense, fall on the ground like it was her second home.

"Alice." He whispered. "I swear it's not what it looks like, I didn't know she will be here like this."

His eyes were pleading and I was shocked to see that the don of the Italian mafia was pleading me to believe his innocence. Pride swelled in me but the fear remained there.

He used the most common line a cheater could say.

"Uh... What is happening here?" I asked the same question again, uncertain as to what to say.

Luciano looked like he could kill someone with the rage that was pouring out of him as he stared down at the woman, who was lying on the floor, and still giggling. "Viola, get out of here before I throw you out myself."

Viola giggled. "But... You said you would be here when I will need you. Now I need you."

Luciano sighed. "That was two years back, Viola, now get out of my house."

I looked at him, trying to gauge his motives or just something. He looked like a mess as his hair was disheveled and the shirt had two buttons missing and the veins in his neck popping out.

A hot mess.

"I want to be with you again baby... I'm sorry." And that was the last thing Viola said before she passed out on the carpet.

I sighed. "Go drop her somewhere, dinner is ready."