Chapter 19: Dinner

POV: Stefano

Beatrice meticulously chose every word so that I wouldn't have the slightest chance to think about saying no to her. Although I was aware of it, I couldn't ignore the undeniable fact that she was right, putting me against the wall would only make me even more willing to win and do anything for it.

"I would never give up on anything, least of all when my opponent is as confident as you seem to be right now. In fact, when I win, you'll have to subordinate yourself to me, you'll become my puppet, for me to use whenever I want. " I touched her chin, making her eyes lift even more towards me, reminding me of how small and weak she was, even though she might not have thought so. "It will be a pleasure to defeat you." That spark was right there at my fingertips, so it took me very few seconds to let it go again.

I turned my back on Beatrice, my figure slowly moved away in the dimness of space. Every step I took seemed to echo throughout the house due to the stillness of the mansion. Now that I was there, knowing that Beatrice had been too, I could smell her perfume on every piece of furniture, especially on my shirt. I pulled my tie tight as if the tightness of the garment suffocated me. A wave of stress ran through my body as if every muscle was tense and heavy. The feeling was overwhelming, and I needed a moment to take a deep breath and try to calm my mind, and above all, forget Beatrice's words, forget that woman completely.

I sat on the bed, unbuttoned my white T-shirt and remembered the mirror I had destroyed with my own fists after daring to look at my naked back through it. I let out a heavy sigh, and my gaze settled on the table where the same books had been sitting for days, flipped through nights ago, as a refuge from it all. There, it was illuminated by a soft lampshade, reflecting the gold of my neck. I touched the hidden cord, sliding my fingers underneath. It was a modest object, but its simplicity was exactly what reminded me of what I had to do to conquer what was inside. The man was certainly clever, but not clever enough to run away from me, to think that I wouldn't discover his attempted betrayal. The contours of the cross were delicate and weathered, with grooves on the surface, so well-made that no one would suspect that one of my men had altered it to carry the object that could be responsible for my downfall, kept almost like a second heart.

My tired hands wrapped around the pendant, and the weight of the cold metal was comforting. Closing my eyes, I plunged into memories of the past, remembering the day when this pendant became a symbol that I carried with me everywhere, like an empty reminder of my mother, as if her faith was also present in me protecting the information, but also as if it could protect me from something when I had nothing else to save me. I was searching for something that could unite us, although I knew it was all a lie, I had nothing to connect me to her, I couldn't even remember her voice. At that moment, my mind was lost in memories. The memories flowed like a current, and I allowed myself to sink into them for a brief moment, before being brought back to reality.

"Don." Giovanni's voice echoed through the door without knocking, closing it quietly behind him, our intimacy allowing such an act. "Beatrice has just thrown some notes out of your bedroom window," he said in a low but firm voice as he walked towards me, and I stood up to greet him, finally finishing taking off my shirt, used to the fact that Giovanni had seen my skin countless times. Giovanni took a deep breath, his angular face, with its short black hair, was tense, the wrinkles of worry evident, before continuing, "I didn't know what to do, so I sent some men to retrieve them. They managed to catch some, but others were blown away." He kissed my ring before putting his hands in his pockets, standing in front of me, pressing his jaw together.

"I know... I was in the bambino's room when I saw she was leaning out of the window." I said, vividly remembering that moment when Davide, sitting on the bed, was telling me about some pictures in a children's book that Giovanni had given him for a moment. My body, near the window, analyzed his posture, his way of speaking, and his agility of perception, which was rather good for his age. The moment he said that the woman on one of the pages looked like his mother, my eyes involuntarily darted to the bedroom window in the side corridor of the house, which gave me a panoramic view of everything that was going on.

At that moment, I saw Beatrice leaning out of the window, and also her ability to drive me crazy in a matter of seconds by knocking my men out of their concentration, by being extremely rebellious, and by letting her breasts show more and more in that position. I squeezed my eyes shut before asking Davide to go to sleep, turning off his lamp and receiving his warm goodnight with the word father at the end, making me lock in place for seconds. I still wasn't used to this, to any of it.

"What do I need to do with her?" Giovanni asked as he held out the banknotes toward me. I looked at the papers Giovanni was holding, taking them back, although I didn't care much about them.

"Is the man still in the basement?" I asked, feeling the urge to smoke growing stronger as a result of all this.

"Yes, the owner agreed to fire you, before I caught you in a blind spot in the parking lot, just as you requested... By the way, Stefano... you know she's becoming a problem, don't you?" He asked, using my name, as he rarely did, due to custom in the face of tradition, a vague recollection of our life before we were here. I sighed. Yes, I knew, Beatrice was a big problem that I had gotten myself into.

"I've sorted it out myself..." Giovanni looked at me with a surprised expression, for the second time in the same week. "Five months, that's how long I have to win her over and finally have her in my hands to do with as I please. Beatrice will soon no longer be a problem for us, mi amico." He, who knew me better than anyone, let a laugh escape his lips.

"Do you really think that this will ever work out, Don?"

"Of course I do, I don't enter into anything to lose, Giovanni, and besides, the boy is also at stake, there's no other possibility but to win," I replied, handing the money back to Giovanni. "Put it in an account with Beatrice's name on it. And as for what I've just told you, buy some jewelry that you find interesting, when you wake up, I'll give it to her in the morning."

"As your best friend and consigliere, I have to tell you that a piece of jewelry won't work." He leaned against the wood, crossing his arms. "That's not how you're going to win her over, she's an intelligent woman, she's thrown her money out the window, it won't be jewels that will buy her... I know you learned that from..." He didn't go on, he didn't want to remind me of that girl, the girl who smiled in that photo.

"Just do what I'm asking, Giovanni, don't make me lose the rest of my patience over this." I stopped staring at him, and walked to the window, looking for another outfit.

"You know I'm as stubborn as you are, Don, and I'm not going to let you lose the boy with your crazy ideas, it's enough that you let Beatrice stay. Invite her for dinner," he said, and I looked at him again, analyzing his amused eyes as he crossed his arms.

"When did you become so stupid? I should kill you for daring to suggest that." I growled, putting on the other T-shirt.

"I'm here to sort out whatever shit you're getting yourself into, you know that's the smartest decision, and that's why all you're going to do to me, is leave my face scarred with a few punches, sure that I'll hit back, and then we'll end up drunk, playing poker."

"You have to admit it was quite a victory last time." I teased a shy laugh on my lips, remembering how I'd beaten him, although my consigliere's ego was bruised now that I'd reminded him of it.

"It's time we had a rematch, Don. That's why I'm going to wait for you when you get too stressed out from dinner with the girl. Good night, mi amico, I'll take care of the banknotes and the rest."

Dinner. Me and Beatrice, on a date, was pathetic and crazy.

"Wait, Giovanni, there's one more thing... If I'm obliged to invite you on behalf of the family, I'd better make it fun, hadn't I?"

"What do you suggest, Don?"