His in-laws...

I widened my eyes at what she said, turned to look at Luciano to see his expression but as always, he gave nothing away.

"I'm just being silly, dear." Mrs Roberto chuckled. "Don't take me serious!" She finished off, chuckling.

The women around her giggled too as they assured me that it was just a joke.

I did not giggle back because I was very certain that it was not a joke. She meant everything she said and I would be a fool not to understand that she sent me a secret message.

Luciano's mother does not like me. What are the chances?

"Mother, this is Anastasia Fisher, my date." He introduced.

Mrs Roberto smiled then winked at me. "you need to tell me the tips on how you got my sin to bring you in a date. It's rare."

"That he goes on a date?" I asked, intrigued.

She saved her hands. "oh, not that. It's just rate to see him introduce someone that... That I do not know of." Oh I see.

I forced a smile, this time it putting in much effort. "Well, there's always a first time for everything."

She forced a smile too. "Well, there is."

The remaining conversations after that were not anything I was interested in so I zoned out and just kept a smile plastered on my face.

When all of it was over, we excused ourselves then left the women.

"Your mother does not like me." J announced immediately we were out if earshot.

He did not reply for sometime before he said. "How does that bother you?"

So I was not the only one who saw it? He was well aware too. I am not a fake person. I like to be real with myself and that was why I made sure that Luciano was aware if what I thought.

The music changed and everyone on the dance floor proceeded to change partners.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked suddenly.

I raised my brows but accepted anyway. I could use a distraction. "yeah, sure."

He stretched out his hand, I took it and then we made our way to the dance floor.

"Do you know how to dance?" He asked me.

I bit my bottom lip, careful not to ruin the perfect lip look I had accomplished. "I do know how to dance but in this ball gown, I won't be as perfect as I usually am."

He raised his brows. "you dance perfectly?"

I nodded. "I used to dance quite well in my teenage days. It was my way if escaping."

"Escaping from what?" He asked.

I was suddenly aware that I had said too much so I shrugged it off. "nothing, just teenage hormones."

He did not press further and I was incredibly grateful for that.

"Are you Italian?" I could not help but ask.

He thought about it for a while. "I am actually a man from different countries and cultures. To push it town to one is not possible." He explained.

I nodded because I always knew that this man had a little bit if everything. His face, his hair, his bone structure, his accents, everything was like a little part of Italy, Portugal... I could not even start saying it all.

"Can you tell me a little about your mixed... Ethnicity?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.

He smirked at my choice of words but proceeded to answer. "I have deep Italian roots but my mother is Russian." He said.

I gasped. I knew I suspected that her accent was too defined to be Italian. She spoke differently! "Are you serious? I could swear I felt it in her accent."

He nodded. "not many people are ready to believe that she is truly Russian."

I nodded too. I could see how that would be unbelievable. His mother had blended in with the Italians so we'll, it was impossible to see her as a woman who was not from here.

"What about your father?" I asked him.

He cocked his head to the side for a while as he twirled me around during get dance. I was not sure if I had gone to far or if he would reply me at all. Maybe I should not have asked any questions.

"My great grand mother was Armenian." He finally said.

I gasped. "wow, I never even thought about that." He had some Armenian features though.

"She married my great grand father who happened to be Italian. Their son, my grandfather, married an Italian woman and they gave birth to my father, who married a Russian woman." He finished off.

I raised my brows. "wow, it's really hard to pin your roots into one. You had quite the mixture of ethnicities." I said to him.

He just nodded in affirmation.

I was intrigued so I proceeded to ask. "I could swear you spoke Portugal some time ago. Do you have Portuguese root?"

He raised his brows. "how did you recognize Portuguese language?"

I shrugged. "an ex of mine was from there."

He raised his brows but did not ask me further questions. Again, I was grateful for that. I do not think that I would be able to explain my roots as easily as he explained his. Mine was complicated and quite controversial.

I knew he was still going to ask me that one day but I was grateful that it was not now.

"I do not have Portuguese roots but my family stayed there for a few years." That was all he was willing to let on so I left it at that.

Why would his family travel a the way to Portugal?

Since I was not ready to share my personal life, he could withhold his too.

After the song ended, we proceeded to leave the dance floor. "that was tiring." I announced.

He was about to reply but Vincent Paulo and a woman who looked quite like Certa approached us.

These were supposed to be his in-laws.

I did not know what to expect