Chapter 57
I'd been thinking about this the whole time, and forgot how I even got back to my room.
Kane suddenly pulled out a photo from the drawer and placed it in front of me.
I blinked, focusing my eyes on the photo. I could tell right away that Kane was standing in the middle.
From the looks of it, this must have been taken when Kane was around ten years old.
His face looked completely different from now - he had a bright, sunny smile, and his eyes showed warmth.
Behind him were two adults who looked very gentle.
Especially the woman in the haute couture dress - she looked about seventy percent similar to Kane.
I looked up at Kane in surprise and asked, "Are these your parents?"
Kane nodded and sat down beside me, pointing to the elegant woman and saying, "This is my mother, Tina. She's a very gentle woman. I think you two would get along really well."
That's when I realized that since Kane and I got married, I hadn't met his family.
I knew his father had passed away early.
Kane looked down at me, reached out to pat my head, his tone somewhat relaxed.
But I could still hear a hint of nervousness underneath that relaxed tone.
He asked me, "Would you like to meet my parents?"
I blurted out without thinking, "But your father, he..."
I realized I'd said the wrong thing and quickly covered my mouth.
Kane just shrugged it off. "After my father passed away, my mother married an Italian businessman. She's living in a small town in Italy now. When she heard I got married, Tina said she really wants to meet you."
I couldn't help but feel nervous.
After all, Kane's mother looked so elegant and noble - would she really like a daughter-in-law with my background?
I anxiously fidgeted with my dress.
Kane's hand suddenly grabbed mine.
I looked up and met his eyes, which were full of warmth and tenderness.
"Don't worry, my mother will definitely like you. You're a lot like her when she was young."
I couldn't help but wonder why Kane would say that. "How could I be like your mother when she was young?"
Kane smiled and tapped my nose, saying, "My mother was also forced to marry my father, but my father loved her very much, and they lived very happily after marriage."
I see.
It suddenly made sense, and I laughed.
I looked at Kane, wrapped my arms around his waist, lifted my head, and rested my chin on his chest, looking at him and said, "So you do know that you forced me to marry you."
Kane wasn't angry at this comment. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and smiled, "But you're happy now too, just like my mother, aren't you?"
I nodded in agreement. "So, when do we leave to see your mother?"
I hoped Kane would give me some time to prepare.
But to my disappointment, Kane said directly, "Tomorrow."
Tomorrow was way too short notice.
I wouldn't even have time to learn what kind of girl Kane's mother would like.
And I wouldn't even have time to prepare a gift.
I frowned and said, "I haven't prepared anything. If I just go see your mother like this, won't she be unhappy?"
Kane shook his head. When he mentioned his mother, his expression was always gentle.
"My mother isn't the type who cares about formalities. She'll be happy just to see you."
Hearing Kane say this, I breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension in my heart slowly faded.
I nodded at him. "Then at least tell me what your mother likes, so I can prepare something."
Kane stared at me for a long time, making me nervous.
Finally, he pulled me into his arms, rested his chin on top of my head, and gently stroked my back.
"Do you care that much about what my mother thinks of you?"
I answered without hesitation, "Of course I care. After all, she's your mother, and I'll be calling her mom from now on."
Kane's hand patting my back paused. I heard his voice filled with an emotion that was hard to describe.
"I believe you and my mother will get along very well."
I used to think that as a mafia member, Kane should be decisive and ruthless.
But sometimes he shows a delicate and gentle side, which seems contradictory.
Now, seeing the photo of Kane's mother and hearing his comments about her, I felt relieved.
Perhaps it was having such an excellent, beautiful, and gentle mother that Kane's tough personality hid a soft side.
But I still felt it wasn't right not to prepare a gift.
After thinking about it, I said to Kane, "Maybe I can make something by hand to bring to your mother."
Kane raised his eyebrows, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "What do you want to make?"
I didn't have any particular skills.
But back at the church, I learned to make some desserts from an old nun, and she said I had talent.
So I said to Kane, "Does your mother have any food allergies? I'm planning to make some cookies or cupcakes or something like that."
Kane nodded with satisfaction. "My mother doesn't have any allergies. You can do whatever you want, and I think my mother will be very happy to receive your gift. She loves sweets."
Hearing Kane say this, I immediately got up from the bed, eager to start.
The castle's kitchen was luxuriously decorated, with some appliances I'd never even seen before.
A woman who looked like a cook stood beside me. She nodded at me and said, "Mr. Moretti asked me to assist you. Just tell me what you need, and I'll prepare it for you."
I scratched my head a bit, embarrassed, and said to her, "I want to make cookies and cupcakes. Could you please get me the ingredients according to the recipe?"
The cook nodded elegantly and turned to prepare things for me.
I stood in the huge kitchen and started thinking about what to make.
Plain cookies were a must.
Kane said his mother liked sweets, so I thought I could also prepare chocolate and vanilla flavors.
As for the cake, nothing would be more suitable than red velvet.
Thinking of Kane's mother's appearance, I somehow felt that red velvet cake suited her perfectly.
The cook quickly brought everything over.
I methodically started making the cookies and cake.
A sweet aroma slowly spread through the kitchen.
Other chefs and cooks also came over curiously.
When they saw me add a bit of apple juice to the cookie dough, they were all curious.
One chef who looked chubby but very kind asked me, "May I ask a question, Mrs. Moretti? Why are you adding apple juice to it?"
I smiled at him and said, "This is my mother's secret recipe. Adding a bit of apple juice makes the color brighter and the taste sweeter."
The chefs looked like they suddenly understood, and some even took out paper and pen to write it down.