Chapter 62 Caught Again
ARYA’S POV
The shopping bags were heavy, cutting into my palms as we made our way back to the villa. I didn't mind because they were evidence of the best day I had.
But the moment we pulled up to the entrance, something felt off.
Enzo was waiting at the door, his usual smile was replaced with a grim frown. The second he saw us, he straightened up, his eyes going immediately to Giovanni.
"Boss," he called out. "We need to talk. It's urgent."
I paused on the steps, my bags rustling. "Is everything-"
Giovanni was already moving toward Enzo and they met halfway, and Enzo leaned in close, speaking in rapid Italian that I couldn't follow.
Whatever he said made Giovanni's expression harden immediately.
"Cazzo," Giovanni muttered, then more words I didn't understand.
His whole demeanor had shifted and they started walking toward the house, completely absorbed in their conversation. I stood there holding my bags, suddenly feeling very much like an outsider.
Giovanni seemed to remember I existed and turned back. "Go inside. You can make dinner if you want."
"I'm still full from lunch," I said, though that wasn't entirely true. I just suddenly didn't have an appetite anymore.
He nodded and disappeared inside with Enzo.
I followed more slowly, the bags feeling heavier now for different reasons.
The foyer was quiet and through an open doorway, I caught a glimpse of Luca standing with several other men I didn't recognize.
They were clustered together, their heads bent in conversation, speaking in those same hushed tones that made my stomach clench with anxiety.
Something was happening and I had no idea what it was.
"Mrs. De Santis?"
I jumped just Matteo reached for some of my bags.
"Let me help you with those," he said.
"Thank you," I murmured, handing them over.
We climbed the stairs together in silence. I kept glancing back toward where Giovanni and the others had disappeared, trying to catch snippets of conversation, but they had moved too far away.
"Is everything okay?" I asked Matteo finally. "With Giovanni? With... whatever's happening?"
Matteo's expression sadly didn't give anything away. “Just business, ma'am. Nothing for you to worry about."
But the way he said it made it clear that it was definitely something to worry about.
When we reached my room, Matteo set the bags down on my bed. He turned to leave, then paused at the doorway.
"You did well today," he said quietly.
I blinked in surprise. "I... thank you?"
"Don't give up on him yet," Matteo continued. "I know he makes it difficult. I know he says and does things that hurt you. But underneath all of that..." He trailed off, seeming to search for the right words. "He's trying. In his own messed up way."
Before I could respond, he was gone, closing the door softly behind him.
I stood there for a moment, processing that unexpected encouragement, before turning to my bags.
I started unpacking, laying out dresses and blouses, admiring the fabrics. There were the emerald pieces Giovanni had insisted I get more of. A soft cashmere sweater and several pairs of shoes.
And at the bottom of one bag, the books.
I had found a beautiful bookshop tucked away on a side street. Giovanni had encouraged me to get whatever I wanted, and I'd gone a little crazy.
I pulled out the Italian-English translation dictionary, running my fingers over the cover.
I'd bought it on impulse, thinking it might be useful to not feel so lost when Giovanni and his men switched to Italian during important conversations.
Like they were doing right now.
An idea formed, it was reckless and probably stupid, but I couldn't shake it.
I grabbed the dictionary and slipped out of my room.
The hallway was empty. Most of the guards were probably with Giovanni, discussing whatever urgent business had pulled him away so suddenly.
I moved quietly toward his study, my heart pounding.
The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear voices inside and they were all speaking Italian.
I couldn't just walk up to the door since they would see me immediately. But there was a decorative alcove a few feet away, with a large vase on a pedestal. If I crouched behind it, I might be able to hear without being seen.
This is insane, I told myself. You're going to get caught.
But I did it anyway.
I squeezed into the small space behind the vase, making myself as small as possible, and opened the dictionary.
“… troppo potente," one voice was saying. Luca, I recognized immediately. .
I flipped frantically through the dictionary. Troppo... too much. Potente... powerful.
"They're too powerful," I whispered to myself.
"Si muovono troppo velocemente," Giovanni said. "È sospetto."
Moving... too... fast? And something about suspicious?
"They're moving too fast," I translated quietly. "It's suspicious."
More rapid Italian followed, too fast for me to catch individual words and I flipped pages frantically, trying to keep up, but they were speaking too quickly.
My finger caught on a page and I tried to turn it more carefully, but my elbow bumped against the vase.
The sound of porcelain scraping against marble was deafeningly loud in the quiet hallway.
I froze and inside the study, the conversation stopped abruptly.
Please don't have heard that, I prayed silently. Please just keep talking.
For several agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence.
Then I heard footsteps approaching the door.
Shit.
I tried to stand up, but my foot had fallen asleep and I nearly stumbled into the vase again.
The study door swung open fully and Enzo stepped out, his gaze fell on me almost immediately and he grinned.
"Well, well, well," he said, his voice carrying back into the study. "What do we have here?"
I straightened up as best I could from my cramped hiding spot and gave him what I hoped was an innocent smile.
"Hi," I said weakly, wigglin
g my fingers in a small wave. "I was just... looking for the bathroom?"
Why does Enzo always catch her doing illegal things 😭