Chapter 33: The Flamboyant

"Why isn't she here yet? " Leonora looks around searching for Team leader Conte. "This is weird," she added.

"Leonora, what are you doing?" Signora Jolanda questions the startled Nora from behind her.

She fake a smile. "N... nothing, Signora." she lies.

Signora Jolanda raised a confused eyebrow at her. "Have you by any chance seen Team leader Conte this morning? I have something to talk to her about." she frowns. "This is weird, she never comes late. Did something happened to her?" 

With hearing this concern from Signora Jolanda, Nora gave in a sheepish grin. "What can happen? perhaps she is feeling guilty of something she had done."

Jolanda furrows her eyes at Nora as she hits her shoulder dramatically. "You're always fond of saying rubbish. Go and do your work." 

Leonora grimace. "Yes, Team leader."

Gisella carried the coffee mug on her tray.  She sips from her cup, immediately she turns around, she came in contact with Bianca Conte who has bruises all over her face and she was soaking wet as her hair drips water down to her bag and shoes. 

Gisella musters a shocked expression. "Team leader Conte, what happened to you, why you look so disheveled?"

Bianca groans in rage, raising her arm to slap Gisella. "You sluty rag, how dare you!"

But Gisella gets hold of her hand, hanging it up high with her arm. "Team leader, Why so angry?  do I sound dishonored towards you? or am I making you dishearten?" 

Bianca jerks her arm away from Gisella's hold as her face filled with shock. The look on her face left her feeling disgruntled. "Stop pretending! you are behind what happened this morning right? you did what I have done to you back on me? Are you tired of life? do you want to die? Gisella Molinero!" she yells angrily.

Gisella looks at her in a disembodied way as if not knowing what Bianca is talking about so she fake a stunned face filled with surprise. "Team leader, what are you talking about? what did you do to me?"

She grasps in disharmony. "You..."

Gisella smiles purely at her. "Even Team leader Conte herself can't say it out. You must be mistaken so you came to me," she pours salt on her injury. "You know that today's work is important, I will advise you to make excuse and go home to rest before coming back to work," she added with all glory in her meek voice.

Gisella turns to walk past her but she grabs her hand in which she was holding her cup of coffee.  Gisella looks deep in Bianca's eyes then throws the hot coffee on her dress which she knew that it will scald her skin. "Ah... " she screams in pain. "You slutty bitch, you've scalded my skin," she added.

She elucidates. "Oh, my goodness. Team leader Conte, I am so sorry why did you pull me out unnoticed? I wasn't paying attention,"

Bianca groans. "Get lost!" she pushes Gisella hard on the floor.

Gisella notices that everyone has gathered round to see what the fuss is all about. So she played along. "Team leader Conte, You're becoming too much." her voice winces. 

Bianca is now furious with Gisella. "What did you say?"

Gisella smirks a little and put s the act back on. "You're a Team Leader, I am just a junior publisher. You've been targeting me since I join this company for no reason. Even when I try to get in your good shoes, you still end up pushing me out. I accidentally poured my coffee on you, I wanted to wipe it for you but you push me down," her sonorous voice deepened as if to cry.

"I saw everything that happened. It was Team leader Conte that attacked her first and didn't want to let her go." One of the publishers defends.

"Coffee wasn't even hot. She is just pretending that it scalded her. So dramatic." Another person added.

"That coffee was..." Bianca was immediately sophistry.

"Team  leader Conte..." Gisella calls as she gets up from the floor. "I felt that you were not looking healthy, you need to go to the hospital... please," she sounds sorry.

She flames up in embarrassment as she murmurs between anger. "Gisella, I won't let you off that easily.

Gisella smiles and held her hands and walks closer to her whispering. "Very well, you can go back and tell Viola Santoro that if she truly wants trouble, I will surely give her trailers of it. Don't blame me for being rude to you. And also, you should investigate more clearly before you call me a Mistress to Nicolo Caruso or Pietro Santoro. Why not ask Viola some questions about who I am or who my husband is?" The looks on Gisella's face were like the one her husband gives to others.

"Husband?" she surprisingly asks. "You're Married?" she whispers back. Gisella smiles and walks away leaving her stunned and everyone follows.

-

"Signora Caruso, You're indeed my mentor," Leonora dance out of excitement.

Gisella exhaled reluctantly. "I only did to her what she taught me,"

Leonora hugs Gisella tightly, but it occurs to her that she is pregnant so she drags herself out from the hug. "I'm just so happy that I melt you. I have learned a lot from you like, you don't have to step on other's toes to become successful," she says dramatically with all bask of glory.

Gisella smiles. "I am glad too because you've taught me how to fight back when they think you are nothing, Because of you and my husband, I've learned something new. Never let your guards down for your slaves to tremble upon."

Their confession conversation was interrupted by a lady. "which of you is Gisella Molinero, Please," she gave us a smiling gesture.

Gisella looks from her to Leonora and back to the carton of chocolate that she's carrying.

Lenora looks at Gisella. "She's Gisella," Leonora announced. "What? don't look at me with those scary hazel eyes," she warns Gisella with the glare that she was shooting her with.

The lady smiles. "Thank you. You have got a Lunex delivery please sign here," she hands over the box of chocolate to Gisella and also the book to sign.

Gisella signed it with confusion crawling on her face. "Who's this from?"

"Oh, there is a note beside it," The lady announce once more. With a thank you, she exits the office.

"Who do you think it is from?" Leonora asks the confused Gisella.

"I don't know, let me read the note." she facilitates. 

She handover the box of chocolate to Leonora and opens the card. "Pietro Santoro?"

"Why did he send you chocolates? Is it still not enough for you to be misunderstood?" Leonora says.

Gisella frowns. "He just won't give up, will he?"

She weirdly looks at Leonora's face. "Go do your work," she pushes her lightly.

"Gisella, please wait..." she groans and murmurs.

Immediately, her phone started ringing from an unknown number. She picks up and puts it closer to her ears. "Gis... Gisella! Thank goodness, I wasn't expecting you to answer it."

"What do you want?" she says drastically.

He sighs over the phone. "I want to treat you to a meal. Is it okay? Don't worry, It won't take too much of your time." 

"Well..." she sniffs.

"Doesn't your company wants to interview me? As long as it's you, I will accept meeting you at any time." He ensures.

"If I'm meeting you, am meeting you for work, I guess your wife won't get mad right?" she overvalued her words.

"Don't worry, Viola will not do anything to you, I will protect you," he added.

"Well, see you soon." she hangs up before he could say another word.

Viola Santoro, what I've suffered through will be paid back to you in double folds. she oversimplifies her mind.

She takes hold of the box of chocolate in rage. "Nora, I'm meeting Pietro Santoro for the interview. When Signora Jolanda and Tiziana are back please let them know that I am out," she furrows her hers, giving Leonora a scary stare.

Leonora looks scared. "Do you want me to come along, just in case his wife comes again, and you will be in trouble!" she pleaded.

Gisella smiles at her. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," she ensures her.

She walks away from Leonora and carried her bag and the box of chocolate. On her way to the door exit, she throws away the box of chocolate into the trash can.

"Chocolate?" she murmurs to herself. "Oh... Pietro," she frowns in rage. 

My favorite chocolate is not Cioccolato di Modica, but Bacio Perugina