Chapter 41 Emerald and Danger
ARYA’S POV
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room, barely recognizing the woman staring back at me.
The emerald green dress hugged my curves in all the right places before flowing out slightly at the hips, and the back dipped low enough to my waist.
I'd paired it with simple gold jewelry and heels that added three inches to my height. I looked... beautiful.
I took one last deep breath, checked my lipstick one final time, and headed downstairs.
The moment I appeared at the top of the staircase, tje conversations stopped. Giovanni stood in the foyer with Matteo and two other guards, all of them dressed in dark suits.
Their heads turned in unison, and I watched as every single one of them went completely still.
Giovanni's reaction was the most visible. His eyes widened slightly, traveling from my heels up the length of my body before finally meeting my gaze.
"You look..." He cleared his throat, seeming to struggle for words. "You look beautiful."
My cheeks heated and I shifted on my feet. "Thank you."
He moved toward me as I descended the stairs, meeting me at the bottom and from his jacket pocket, he pulled out a sleek smartphone and pressed it into my hand.
"This is for you," he said. "My number is already programmed in. If you need me for any reason tonight, you call immediately. Understood?"
I nodded, slipping the phone into my small clutch.
His expression grew more serious. "There will be a lot of people at this event tonight. Some of them will try to engage you in conversation, ask questions about our marriage and your family. You smile, you're polite, but you reveal nothing. As far as anyone there is concerned, we're a happily married couple on our honeymoon."
"I understand," I said, though my apprehension was growing with every word.
"Stay close to me," he continued. "Don't wander off alone and don’t accept drinks from anyone but the servers. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, you call me immediately."
The way he was looking at me made alarm bells ring in my head. I thought about the man with the snake tattoo at the mall.
I glanced at Matteo, whose gaze fixed away from mine. Had he told Giovanni about the incident? Should I bring it up now?
But Giovanni was already moving toward the door, I swallowed my concerns and followed, telling myself that if Matteo had witnessed something concerning, he would have reported it.
That was his job, after all.
The drive to the event was spent mostly in silence. Giovanni was on his phone the entire time, speaking rapid Italian and I found myself regretting that my father had never encouraged me to learn the language.
Actually, now that I thought about it, my father had actively discouraged it. Whenever I'd expressed interest in learning Italian, or any language for that matter, he'd dismissed it as unnecessary.
"English is all you need," he'd said. "Focus on practical skills."
I spent most of the drive mentally cursing Robert Vitale for yet another way he'd tried to limit my world.
When we finally pulled up to the sprawling mansion, I forgot to be angry.
It was stunning. The main building was a restored farmhouse with stone walls and string lights climbing the sides.
Giovanni helped me out of the car and I had to admit, he played the role of a gentleman too well.
"Remember," he murmured as we approached the entrance. "We're happy and madly in love.”
Before I could respond, an older couple appeared, rushing toward us with open arms and wide smiles.
“Paolo!” Giovanni greeted first, grinning in a way that made him look boyish.
"Giovanni!" Paolo embraced him warmly. "And this must be your beautiful bride!"
Before I knew what was happening, Paolo’s wife was kissing both my cheeks in the Italian style, her hands gripping my arms with genuine warmth.
"Bellissima!" she exclaimed. "Giovanni, you didn't tell me she was so beautiful. Look at this dress! And those eyes!"
"I did tell you she was beautiful, Lucia," Giovanni said, smiling. "You just didn't believe me."
"Because you're terrible at descriptions," Lucia laughed. Then she turned back to me. "Welcome to our home, cara. Any wife of Giovanni's is family."
"Thank you," I managed, still trying to process the double-cheek kiss situation. "Your house is incredible."
"Oh, she speaks!" Paolo said with delight. "And so polite. Giovanni, you've done well. Very well."
I felt Giovanni's hand settle on the small of my back. "I know," he said, his voice carrying notes of pride that sounded disturbingly genuine. "I'm a lucky man."
The words, the touch, and the way he was looking at me, it was all so convincing that for a moment that I almost believed it myself.
"Come, come," Lucia said, linking her arm through mine. "Let me introduce you to everyone. We have so many people who want to meet Giovanni's mysterious bride."
"Actually," Giovanni interrupted smoothly, "I need to steal her back for just a moment. Some business associates I need to greet first. You understand."
"Of course, of course," Paolo said, waving us off. "Business first. We'll catch up later."
Giovanni guided me into the main courtyard where the event was already in full swing.
"Stay here," Giovanni said, leaning close so only I could hear. "I need to greet some people.”
Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd ans I stood there for a moment, feeling suddenly alone despite being surrounded by people.
I took a glass of champagne from a passing server and let myself wander slightly, admiring the view.
"I wasn't expecting to run into you so soon, gattina."
The voice behind me made every muscle in my body tense. I turned slowly, already knowing who I'd see.
The man from the mall stood there, that same unsettling smile on his face. Up close, I could see more details like the way his eyes tracked my movement like a predator watching prey, and more of that snake tattoo curling up his neck.
"I don't know you," I said coldly, taking a step back. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone."
"Oh, but we met yesterday," he said, moving closer. "At the mall. You were shopping for pretty things. Did you buy that red lingerie I suggested?"
Bile rose in my throat. "Stay away from me."
"Come now, don't be like that." He reached out, his hand moving toward my arm. "I just want to talk. Get to know more about you and how a pretty thing like you ended up in this circle.”
"I said stay away from-"
Suddenly Giovanni was there, his hand clamping on the man's wrist with enough force to make the man's smile falter. Giovanni pulled me close with his other arm, his body a wall between me and the stranger.
"Riccardo," Giovanni said, his voice deadly quiet. "Long time no see. When did you get out of jail?"