Chapter 77 THE BLAME.
\~~~RAINA.
I finished packing my hair into a soft bun, grabbed my phone, and hurried out of the room. I was wearing a two-piece jogger and hoodie set, comfy for whatever this was about to be. When I got to the sitting room, Luciano was there. He turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing a bit.
“Heading somewhere?” he asked, glancing at the wall clock. It was past 5 p.m.
“I want to meet Alessia outside,” I answered, keeping my voice steady.
“Alessia? You mean my sister, Alessia?” Luciano widened his eyes, surprise flickering across his face.
“Yes!” I snapped, not in the mood for his questions and I hurried out of the house before he could say more.
I had called Alessia after my meal when I woke up. I apologized for not coming to work and lied that it was because I was hungover. She bought it, or at least acted as if she did. Then she said she was going to stop by to visit. I didn’t really believe her until she called to tell me she was outside. My heart raced a little as I stepped out. The cool evening air hit my face, and I spotted the car parked neatly across the street. I walked over, opened the door, and got in beside Alessia.
“I didn’t think you’d come!” I said, buckling up as I settled in.
“Told ya,” Alessia chuckled, her smile easy and warm.
She had that confident vibe, like nothing fazed her. To be honest, I wish I had half of her energy, personality… everything.
But, how had we gotten here?
We used to not like each other.
“Why wouldn’t you want to come in though? It’s your brother’s house.” I glanced back at the front door, half-expecting Luciano to pop out.
Alessia just smacked her tongue and ignited the engine. “I’d rather speak to you without Rafael’s prying eyes.”
“Are we going somewhere?” I asked, fastening my seat belt properly.
“Just the nearby cafe. To speak comfortably, you get?”
I nodded my head. The car pulled away smoothly, and I watched the house shrink in the side mirror.
The drive was short, about ten minutes. Traffic was light, and Alessia hummed along to some soft radio tune. I stared out the window, thinking about how weird my life was becoming more and more.
We pulled up to the cafe, a cozy spot with warm lights spilling out onto the sidewalk. It smelled like fresh coffee and baked goods as we walked in. The place wasn’t too crowded and only a few people were at the tables, chatting quietly. We found a booth in the corner, away from the counter.
Alessia slid into the seat first, grabbing a menu. “What do you want? My treat.”
I scanned the options. “I’ll have a latte, please. Nothing too strong.”
She nodded and went to order.
Alessia came back a while later with a tray, a cup of chamomile tea steaming in a mug, my latte frothy on top, and a couple of pastries on the side.
“If I knew you were such a light drinker, I never would have brought you out then to drink,” Alessia chuckled as she sat down, stirring her tea.
“God, that was so embarrassing!” I palmed my face, heat rushing to my cheeks. That night out had been a disaster.
“I guess you remember the whole drama you performed. You asked for your husband and you said you would not leave till I brought him to you.”
“Can we not talk about it?” I groaned, sinking lower in the booth. Alessia laughed harder, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“You love my brother, don’t you?”
After a few minutes of silence, Alessia asked it just like that, casual but pointed. I choked on the drink I had just sipped, the latte burning a little as it went down wrong.
“What?! Me?!” I widened my eyes, coughing to clear my throat.
“W…. Well… We are married, so I love him. Hehehe,” I forced a laugh and looked away, fiddling with the edge of my hoodie sleeve.
“What do you take me for? A baby? Of course, I know your marriage is arranged. How old do you think I am?” She rolled her eyes and grabbed her cup of tea, taking a slow sip.
I pressed my lips together and tried to search for words to defend myself, but Alessia was faster, leaning forward with that knowing look.
“I mean, he is my brother. You think I’d believe that he met a woman and married her within just a month that I was out of the country?”
“W… we could have been dating for a few months,” I smiled awkwardly, my voice trailing off. It sounded lame even to me.
“Spare me that, baby. I am Rafael’s sister. I am older by two years. You think I don’t know him?”
I breathed out and then shook my head. “Right.” No point fighting it. She saw through the whole charade.
“So, do you love him?”
“It is… too early to say,” I hiccuped, the nerves making my stomach twist. The latte wasn’t sitting well now.
When I noticed Alessia staring at my neck longer than usual, I realized there was a hickey mark there. Panic hit me, and I hurriedly covered it with my hand, pulling up my hoodie collar.
Alessia laughed and nodded her head. “I will wait for your answer. Take as long as you want, okay?”
That day might never come, sadly. Maybe by then, Talia would be back. After all, I had no space here. I was just filling in a temporary spot as his wife.
The thought made my chest tighten so I sipped my latte again, letting the warmth distract me.
After a few minutes of silence, Alessia spoke up again, her tone shifting to something heavier. “Our father’s death.”
I raised my head, caught off guard. “Uh?”
“The rumors are true,” she said, and I breathed out, my heart pounding. The cafe noise faded into the background.
“Only that, Luciano didn’t kill our father.”
Her words hung in the air like smoke, thick and impossible to ignore. I stared at her, my mind reeling.
What?
Luciano didn't kill their father?
People thought he did!
I mean, he admitted to it too!
They said he killed his father just to take over the organization.
But…
That was not true?
“It was me.”
“Ehn?!” A yell escaped my throat.
“I mean… What… what do you mean?” I whispered, leaning in closer, my voice barely above the hum of the cafe.
“Rafael took the blame to protect me. He didn’t kill our father. I did.”
That is not… possible.