Chapter 115 - The Billionaire’s Prodigal Wife
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed them, “yes ma’am.” He winked overtly, “it’s a turn-on by the way when you use my full name. We may need make our security ride in a separate car so we can catch up in the back seat.”
Her laugh attracted the attention of others in the airport and Carlos stepped closer.
“If you two are done behaving like a couple of teenagers, we need to get you past the throng of paparazzi outside and into the car.” He looked at Mackenna, “you will go with Nuncio.”
“No,” she stood her ground. “I am walking out there with my head held high, with my husband’s hand in mine and to hell with anyone. You want to keep them away from me, then find a way to back them up but I am not hiding my face in Nuncio’s shoulder. I am not. Also, this outfit is made to be photographed. It’s an Alessandro creation.” She heard Alessandro chuckle.
“You heard the boss,” Alessandro waved at Carlos to precede them. “It’s time Mackenna Giordano made the appearance she deserves.”
They stepped into the sunshine and in the direction of the car. She kept her hand in Alessandro’s and squeezed his when she felt his body immediately tense at the questions being fired in their direction. She looked at him and whispered, “screw them Alessandro. I love you. They don’t matter.”
His chuckle made her smile, and he shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day you were reassuring me about them instead of the opposite.”
They reached the car and Nuncio almost pushed her and Alessandro into the car and she laughed at how rough he was being. “Bully.” She stuck her tongue at him as he slipped into the car after Alessandro.
Carlos slid in after Nuncio and Rio after him. Ari was in the front seat with the driver and then they were away.
Mackenna snuggled up to Alessandro and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“If you pull a stunt like this again, I’ll have your head,” Carlos warned her furiously. He looked to Nuncio, “what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking she is my boss and as much as I wish I would have had more time to plot out a better route and a safer plan, I agree with her.” Nuncio challenged his older brother outright. “Her thought process isn’t wrong. The tabloids are obsessed with her because they think she’s a secret. Expose her. Put her out there and make sure everyone knows how dull and boring they are,” he grinned, “sorry Mac but you spend more nights reading in bed than you do anything else.”
“See,” she waved at Nuncio, “we’re sensational right now because nobody knew about me. I know you kept the press away from me because you thought you were protecting me Alessandro but at the end of the day, I’m like a dirty little secret to them.”
“You were never a dirty little secret to me,” he protested, “I only wanted you for myself and not dragged through the mud.”
“I know it now. I believe you really did keep our marriage and our relationship private to protect me but that’s long gone. It’s time to start just living our lives like normal people again and eventually they will go away.” She grimaced, “or at least the bulk of them will.”
Alessandro took a breath. “Okay, we will try it your way.” As Carlos opened his mouth he shook his head, “Carlos, we have tried it our way and look at the circus out there. It’s been months and with every headline, they multiply. Let’s just say screw them and do what we want.” He looked at Mackenna seriously, “although moving forward, can you give Nuncio and Carlos more than an hour warning for such a stunt? I don’t need the best security team I’ve ever had suddenly all quitting at once because you’re behaving like my mother.”
She put her head back on his shoulder and smiled as he kissed her hair again. She wove her fingers through his and smiled. “How were your parents?”
“My father is hurting,” Alessandro admitted quietly. “He and his father were always at odds, and they never got along, especially when my father was running House of Giordano. Their relationship was always strained. He said he always knew he was not a good man but had never understood the lengths of his depravity. He said he is heartbroken for what he missed, and he’s started an in-house investigation into any and all models my grandfather would have had any kind of influence over.” He spoke quietly, “he is worried there are more than one who went through what Dulce has gone through over the years.”
“I never even thought of such a thing,” Mackenna spoke quietly, “but it’s possible, isn’t it?”
“It is.” He sighed deeply. “My father asked me to come back to House of Giordano and help him sort out the mess.”
Mackenna didn’t say anything.
“I told him no,” he reassured her. “I am very much looking forward to beginning the next chapter of our lives. I feel hopeful and excited for the future for the first time in a long time and I have no desire to go back.”
“Alessandro, are you sure?”
“I have never been surer of anything in my life,” he replied seriously. He turned so they were facing each other, “Mackenna, I love the community you have immersed yourself in and I am so excited to be part of it and to merge my world with yours again. I feel I’ve been given a second chance and I don’t want to miss a moment of it.”
She reached up and kissed his lips softly, “I would follow you anywhere, but I am so relieved to know we are staying here.”
She snuggled against him again and then grinned when Nuncio spoke
“Are you two done being mushy now? It’s giving me indigestion.”
“Ha!” Mackenna sat up and pointed at him. “Alessandro, I forgot to tell you. She said yes!”
Alessandro reached over and clapped Nuncio on the shoulder, “Congratulations.”
Carlos hugged him and they were all laughing as they pulled into the apartment complex. Carlos smiled dropped off. “They raced us here.”
“So, what,” Mackenna said with a sneer and looked to Alessandro. “I’m not hiding.”
“I don’t want you to. I will follow your lead, my love.” Alessandro gave Carlos a pointed glance. “Let’s go.”
Carlos and Rio were the first ones out of the car, Alessandro followed, and he stopped and turned and extended his hand to help Mackenna out of the car. He met her eyes just before she popped her sunglasses back on her face and he smiled. He pulled her towards him, and Nuncio followed out.
The paparazzi were going crazy tossing question after question at them, but Mackenna took her time, holding Alessandro’s hand as he escorted her to the entrance of the building.
He looked down at her at his side and grinned wickedly. “Are you sure you’re ready to be on the cover of every trash tabloid?”
She grinned up at him, noting the devil dancing in his eyes. “Yes, what are you going to – “
Her words were cut off as without warning, in full view of every camera, he pulled her abruptly into his arms and kissed her full on the mouth, deeply and without any reservation. What was likely only a few seconds long of a kiss, felt like an eternity as Mackenna kissed him back with equal fervour. He then grinned and ignoring the hisses of annoyance from their security team they made their way into the secure building, Mackenna’s cheeks flaming red at the very brazen display they had just put on.