66- The Betrayal Revealed
POV- Sofia Vitale.
"Eleonora already knows about me." I tell my ally, who so far has not agreed to show me his face. But we have something in common and it brought us closer. About the real reasons for which he seeks revenge, I don't know. All I know is that he is helping me with everything and, in return, he asked me not to ask him questions about his goals.
"Perfect, everything is going as planned. We will both have what we want so much, as soon as possible. However, we have to be cautious in every step we take." He sighs and continues: "Viktor Sorrentino may be a thorn in our shoes, he has already shown his weapons and discovered his identity very quickly. So we need to do something so that he doesn't meddle in our affairs." I agree and say:
"I already know exactly what we're going to do, the little girl is your weak point." I give the idea, but my ally does not seem to agree, because he says:
"The baby is innocent in this whole story, let's not involve innocents in our lives. Yes, it is your weak point. However, Eleonora Vitale is too, and I don't care if you want to do something with her. But I don't want her to touch the little girl." Even though I wonder about his reaction, I am content to just agree.
"So that's right, I'm not going to do anything with the girl. And you're right, she's not guilty. Therefore..." I get up and say, before I leave, "I'll be back soon with a plan, I won't be long in coming back, you know." I don't get an answer, but I know he agrees.
...
POV- Viktor Sorrentino.
The afternoon passed so quickly that we didn't realize it was already getting dark. Eleonora is still adamant about us, but I know that all she needs is time.
I continue to contemplate our little Alessa, while Eleonora is taking a bath. He said he would take advantage of the moment I was here, to keep an eye on our daughter.
A call notification on my phone shifts my attention and I grab the device in my pocket, answering the call. Then I hear Giuseppe's voice, saying:
"Sir, more news about Sofia Vitale." He pauses, but then continues: "She was taken to Matera and was raised by an aunt of Mr. Castelli, who has already died and, according to some sources, was very mean to Miss Castelli. Sofia. And the other piece of information is that you are not acting alone, I was able to track her phone and found out that she is in contact with Antonie Bernard." I feel enormous anger knowing that this man was so close to my family that he did some evil.
"Anything else?" I ask and he says "no". "Alright, keep looking for more information and let me know if you find anything else." He agrees and so I hang up the phone, at the same moment Eleonora leaves the bathroom, only in a towel.
Just a towel...
I feel my pants getting tight, due to the excitement I feel and the desire to have them. Even though I know that she is not in a position to do so, but my desire ends with the door being opened abruptly.
...
POV- Eleonora Vitale.
"What's going on here?" Dad's voice fills the quiet room, while Viktor turns towards him. "Eleonora, what is this man doing here?" Your question makes me so nervous, that I am speechless.
"I came to see my daughter, Alfred. As a father, I have the right." Says Viktor, without showing fear.
"Your daughter?" Dad questions ironically.
"Yes, my daughter. No one can stop me from doing it." My ex-husband replies, at the same moment that Antonie appears behind Dad. Viktor, seeing him, clenches his fists and goes to him, but my father stands in front of Antonie. "Alfred, this man wants to harm Eleonora and our daughter. For this reason, I will not allow them to go near this evil." Dad raises his eyebrow and looks at me, who is also surprised by Viktor's words.
Then memories from a few days ago come back to my mind... "Sofia, you can't keep calling like that."
How did I not realize this earlier? Antonie keeps in touch with Sofia!
"What are you talking about? Why the hell would I want to do something to Eleonora?" Antonie asks, demonstrating a false innocence, which I don't know how I didn't realize before. Then I approach Viktor and say:
"Viktor Sorrentino, you've already had the opportunity to see Alessa. Now leave the way you came in." I pretend to be upset and Viktor notices, but continues with the performance and lowers his head, nodding.
"I'll go, but I'll come back to see you again." He turns his face to me and, without Dad and Antonie noticing, he winks at me and leaves.
"I'm sorry, Antonie. Viktor is crazy. Well, can you excuse me? I have to get dressed." The two nod and both leave, leaving me alone with Alessa.
As I get dressed, I go downstairs to talk to Dad. Because I know that he is waiting for an explanation for Viktor's presence here in our house. But I can't say anything in front of Antonie. If he is an ally of Sofia, it is very dangerous to say something too personal in her presence.
I meet them in the living room, Antonie stands up and waves to me, I do the same. He could not show any strange reaction, so as not to arouse suspicion on his part. "Even if Viktor has to be turned into a madman for that!"
"Antonie, I really feel sorry for Viktor. He's completely crazy, he came here with some strange stories, but I ended up not believing it. Nothing he says I will take into account." I grimace and smile.
"It's... Okay, the important thing is that you know that I will never do them any harm. Well, I'm going. I have some things to do at the agency." He smiles and extends his hand to Dad, then approaches me and leaves a kiss on my cheek. Soon after, the same goes away, leaving Dad and I alone.
"Eleonora, can you explain to me what that man was doing here?" Mr. Castelli asks, in a serious tone. I sit next to him and sigh before answering him.
"Dad, a lot of things are happening and Viktor came here to warn us." He frowns and waits for me to continue. I ponder whether I really talk to him, but I couldn't hide something like that, so I say, "I have a twin sister." I say at once and he widens his eyes. "And she's trying to get revenge on me, because she believes I'm to blame for her being taken away." He watches me, incredulous at the information he receives.
"A twin sister..." He looks at the floor, but then at me and asks: "How did you find out about this? Who told you?"
"Viktor, he told me that her name is Sofia Vitale. And seek revenge for having been the only one who had the opportunity to be on your side. Dad, she's been calling me and saying she'd make me suffer for everything she's been through."
"But you are not to blame..."
"I know that, but in the same way, she seeks revenge. But the only thing I fear is that she will try to harm Alessa." I say sadly. "And there's something else..." He turns his eyes to me slightly. "Antonie can be your ally, because I heard him talking to a certain Sofia on the phone and told her not to keep calling, that at the right time he would act."
"Antonie? But I've known him since he was a baby and I know he wouldn't dare..." He says, but I cut him off before he finishes.
"Papà, I don't want him near Alessa, don't invite him home anymore. If I can't do that, I..." I stop in the middle of the sentence.
"You what, Eleonora?" Raise your eyebrow.
"Dad, understand that the best thing will be if I go with Viktor, he will protect us." I speak, afraid of his reaction.
"Are you saying you're going to go back to him? Is that it?" I swallow hard.
"No. I still haven't forgotten what happened, but it's not just about me anymore. Now we have Alessa and she's still innocent, she's not to blame for our mistakes."
"And what was your mistake, my daughter?" He asks, and I answer him with nothing but the truth:
"My mistake was to have fallen in love with Viktor and given myself body and soul, before stopping to measure the consequences of my actions." I lower my head, embarrassed. While Dad sighs and smiles sadly.
"I want you to know, that whatever you choose, I will be here and support you. Because, in spite of everything, I want to see you happy and if you feel happy next to Sorrentino, daughter, I will not stop you. I can't do that..." The hug, moved by his words.
"I still don't feel ready to forgive him, but if to protect our daughter I will have to swallow my pride and accept his help, so be it. In the future, I will not regret what I will have to sacrifice for Alessa." Dad agrees and a few seconds later, I get a voice call.
It's Viktor!
"Just a minute." I talk to dad and stand up, moving away a little and finally answering the call. "Hello?"
"Are you okay? I certainly got you in trouble with Alfred!"
"No, he's a little upset. But I ended up telling him what happened and he understood." Sigh.
"Tomorrow I will go there to talk to Alfred. If I want to fix things between us, I have to start by winning over my father-in-law again." He laughs at his own joke, while I do what I can to hold back his laughter. Since Dad stared at me, analyzing my reactions.
And the less it showed, the better!
"Well, then come. But I'll warn you that I'm not going to say or do anything that eases your bar for him, don't expect anything! Oh, and we have a lot to talk about yet, there are things we haven't talked about yet." I hear him sigh, but he says "okay" and says he'll come tomorrow night, because in the afternoon he has some videoconferences to do.
So we say goodbye and he wishes me a "good night", I do the same and so we hang up. I walk up to Dad and give him a smile, saying:
"I'm sorry, I know you're sad." He opens his arms, I snuggle against him and close my eyes, feeling his paternal warmth.
"My daughter, I have already said that if you are happy, content, I will be too. Because for me, what matters most is to see your smile and satisfaction. And whether it's with Viktor or anyone else, it doesn't matter to me. Only you, mio piccolo caramello." He kisses me on the forehead, making me sly. But a little cry ends up interrupting our moment, so smiling at the situation, we get up and go to Alessa's "rescue".