THE RED DRESS AND THE PARTY

ARIANA'S POV~

The night of the party finally arrived, micola had dropped her resignation that morning and an air of dread lingered around it.

We never found Estella, somehow Emiliano had sneaked her out, along with my father's written will.

I shuddered under the weight, Scared to face the unknown.

Im not going to let everything I've lived for go down the drain, because I was so distracted.

I had to keep up the pretences with Ariana. The only ones who knew about it were the three of us.

Three of u except Fiona... I have to find her before she tells someone else, I always knew she would turn on her in the end, she's a woman after all.

I wondered what happened, but that wasn't important right now.

I headed upstairs, a box in my hand, to the room I once shared with Ariana, I opened the door and there she stood by the window.

She rubbed her curved belly and I could her muttering to herself before she acknowledged her presence.

A child I'd been looking forward to calling mine, my heir... all this while I'd been deceived.

By this snake of a woman, pinning another man's baby on me to cover her pathetic shame.

I dropped the box I was holding on the bed and motioned for her to open it.

She did, picked out the red dress and stretched out in front of me, "this is?"

"Put it on" I instructed, she frowned, "im not a whore mateo, this is too revealing" she replied.

I was annoyed but I maintained my cool, "put it on Ariana, that is an order" I repeated.

"No!" she exclaimed, she ripped the clothes apart like a feral beast and threw them to the floor.

"I don't want anything from you" she stated.

I clenched my fist in anger, I lunged at her, grabbed her neck and gently placed her against the wall where she struggled and resisted me.

The towel she wore fell from her body to reveal her perfectly curved pregnant belly and fresh waves of anger overtook me.

"How long have you and Enzo been planning this?" I inquired, my tone heavy with disappointment.

She was quiet and she averted my gaze, she panted heavily as she struggled.

I let her go.

"I hope you have accepted the decision, there's no more to it" I stated.

She remained quiet, and it infuriated me, "Now you won't speak!" I roared before punching the wall behind her.

Her eyes widened with fear, and I stepped back from her, she was afraid of me.

I turned and left the room, an hour later I watched her descend the stairs majestically her hips swinging like bells, her hair fell to her back and I noticed there were longer now.

The diamond ring I gave her glistened under the light.

I wanted to kill her, have her, fuck her, kiss her all at once.

It getting too hard for me to let her go, and now I understood why.

Im in love with her, and her tenacity reminds me so much of my mother, the only other woman that loved me.

We left and the ride to the Argento's was a quiet one, my father was first to greet me.

"The great Don Mateo" he started with a snicker and I knew he was up to something.

"Daughter" he grinned and she looked away from him, he laughed before passing us.

Something wasn't right, I tried to look for Paul in the crowd but I didnt see him.

I only saw Don Argento walking up to me, he smiled and stretched out his hand to receive me.

"Don Donatelli" he started, I turned to Julius who approached us, "Julius, I can't thank you enough for rescuing my wife, doctors say it is early onset dementia would you imagine" he chuckled excitedly.

Julius nodded before handing me earphones, then he leaned in to whisper.

"Stay on comms, I'll scout the area, I think something fishy would go on today" 

I nodded and expressed similar concerns about the matter.

He left and I turned my attention back to Don Argento who wasn't pleased, "you can't be too careful, im very much hated Don Argento" I smiled before patting his shoulder.

I gave it a little intimidating squeeze.

Liana glared at me silently, she didnt dare to speak he knew the gig was up, so while her husband wasn't watching she slipped me a note.

I gave them my heartfelt congratulations and walked away from them, to get myself and my quiet wife a drink.

I saw my father whispering with someone and it looked like it was some sort of argument.

I reached further to see who it was, from his ginger roots I could already tell that was Interpol Officer Paul Assisi.

I leaned in to listen, "im coming for you Vincenzo, I won't let it go so easily, why should I? I told you not to kill the Donatelli but you did, and every decision after that has been a scorn at your side, raising the son of the man you hate with this much passion, I diabolical even for you" Paul stated boldly.

Don Rinaldi's face exploded with fury, "fuck you Paul, and I know you recorded that tape, you couldn't just let things go, could you?" I heard him question.

"You son of a bitch, you set me up with the prime minister's junkie daughter, she died in my hotel room you bastard" he continued.

"That was leverage, just in case you had other ideas of trying to rat me out to your superiors"

Paul shoved my father aside and walked you away, "When I get my hands on that tape it's over for you, I have you admitting to the set-up, you are going away for a long time you greedy fucking bastard!"

"Taking my money, and destroying my entire fucking family wasn't enough! You want my life too?" Don Rinaldi fumed.

"Not nearly you old fuck! When im done with you you will beg to see sunlight"

Paul sighted me and motioned for me to follow him, I left Ariana in the care of the female soldier I'd brought to watch her.

"Mateo, are you there can you hear me?" I heard Julius ask.

"Yeah," I replied.

Paul turned, "did you say something?"

I shoved him into one of the empty rooms, "hey easy okay" he laughed.

"Easy? You've been in on it this entire fucking time" I roared in anger, 

"Lower your voice, Mateo, what im about to tell you will blow your mind and you will now understand everything!" he stated before smiling.

Just then there was a heavy vibration in the earth, it shook.

Like marching, like an army was approaching us, shit I left Ariana in the main hall.

I headed back, and that's when I saw him in the middle of the party, everyone gasping in shock,  an apparition appeared before them.

He took Ariana's hand in his, his lips were damn too near hers for comfort.

His now very long blond hair fell in front of his face and she pushed it away and tucked in behind his hair.

The look of disbelief on her face, "Silvio?" she called, "Is that you?" 

He nodded, and suddenly the door burst open and soldiers surrounded everywhere.

Shit!

"Julius!" I called, but no answer, I tapped the earpiece, "Julius!" but no answer on the other end.

"Shit!" I cursed again,

Silvio spotted me and smiled, he snapped his hand and 3 men approached me.

Each of them holds two briefcases.

"Let's continue our discussion shall we?" he started, "it's long overdue" I replied before looking at my sides.

He sat confidently in front of me, I stood there looking like a total idiot with no protection.

He cleared his throat and started.

"This i double what you offered me, i want to buy her back from you, give her a divorce"