Chapter 31: "What could you want to know about me?"

POV: Stefano

A quick smile formed on my lips as I put on the blazer, adjusting it perfectly on my shoulders, briefly remembering the previous night. The presumptuous way she left my room naked, without any shame or modesty, made it clear to me that Beatrice was used to and enjoyed showing off. She knew that it was just a one-night stand for us. Her clothes were still scattered on my floor when she said her goodbyes as if what we had done didn't matter to her either. I risked a glance at them, and I realized her underwear was a damn thong, and my cock immediately hardened once again. This could not become a routine under any circumstances.

I left as quickly as I could, slamming the door behind me when I realized I was waking up later than I was used to. I descended the stairs, with Beatrice's provocative image still fixed in my mind. Upon reaching the kitchen, I found some of the members of my family gathered around the table, enjoying a hearty breakfast, while mine was perfectly set on the dining room table. The silence was broken as everyone paid their respects to me before I could do what I came here for, before Giovanni approached me and followed me outside.

"Buongiorno, don, it seems the night was good," my consigliere taunted, leaning against the wall, while I just grabbed the newspaper from the table.

"I'll say it was less unbearable than expected," I replied, shifting my gaze to the newspaper I was holding. The headlines caught my eye, and to my surprise, one of them immediately grabbed my attention.

"One of the top members of the Camorra family has been arrested just now," Giovanni stated with a serious tone this time, already aware of the news spreading rapidly. "It seems our work is having an effect. We're slowly weakening the rival family." As he spoke these words, a mix of satisfaction and total control washed over me.

"Giovanni, these are excellent news," I responded, my face illuminated by a discreet smile. "We need to seize this advantage while we can. They will meet with Carlo tonight, something has gone out of control. Our informants can provide better insights on this." I firmly asserted, "Perhaps it's time to forget the ceasefire. I want you to plan for tonight, let's invade their territories now that they're vulnerable." Giovanni nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of my words. As my faithful consigliere, he knew the importance of acting with precision and strategy in moments like this. It was crucial not to let the opportunity slip through our fingers. "Furthermore... wake up Beatrice; I have some tasks for her."

"One of the men saw her leaving in the morning with the boy; she didn't pass through the gate, she's probably somewhere on the mansion's territory. Do you want me to have someone find her?"

"No, I'll do it myself. Focus on the attack, mi amico, and get a new phone with a tracker for the girl." I ordered, before he agreed and kissed my ring.

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POV: Beatrice

I walked peacefully along the edge of the artificial river with Davide in my arms, enjoying the gentle breeze on my face, as well as the sound of insects in the trees, of which Davide pointed to each one that passed by, repeating their names together. The bright sun illuminated the entire place in front of us. I was distracted, chatting and laughing with Davide when I noticed a picturesque chapel that majestically stood among the trees. Curious, I decided to explore the inside of the chapel and feel the peace emanating from its ancient walls. My feet crunched the leaves on the ground as Davide commented on something I couldn't fully understand.

The fresh air filled my lungs as I entered and found the empty space, though it was impeccably clean, and the Bible was still on the pulpit. I admired the colorful stained glass windows that gave a magical aura to the environment. Stefano didn't seem like a religious man, despite being in an extremely religious environment, which explained this here. In the center of the space, there was the word God and just below it, the name Giuseppe Salvatore, probably Stefano's father's name.

Davide was engrossed with one of his toys in his hand, which I placed on one of the wooden benches and advanced toward the aisle to explore further.

"Always so nosy, aren't you, Ragazza," Stefano's voice echoed behind me, and I didn't turn in his direction, despite the startle his voice gave me.

Immediately, scenes from last night invaded my mind, and I wished I could blame alcohol for everything or not regret it at all, but neither of those things was on my mind at that moment.

"Davide woke up early; it's not good to keep children locked up for so long. I was going to let you know if he had woken up as usual. Seems like he had good dreams last night." I smiled as I replied to the man behind me, walking to the small pulpit. The words flowed melodiously from my mouth but also concealed a hint of sarcasm. Our gazes met when I finally turned to face him, and he walked toward me, but his eyes averted, surveying the surroundings, revealing that it had been a long time since he had even entered this place, that his eyes hadn't lingered on the grandly written name of his father on the wall.

"How did Giuseppe Salvatore die?" I asked, curious, as he reached me, now focused on my eyes again.

"I don't recall leaving any questions for you to ask me, Beatrice. If anyone should be asking questions now, I'm pretty sure it's me," he said, a smile on his lips.

"And what do you want to know from me? The reason I screamed for my father that night? The reason I'm here? Or what I'd like to do tonight? Let's be honest, you don't care about any of that."

"Actually, you've just piqued my curiosity, Beatrice. What would a girl who pretends to be invulnerable do to become so vulnerable in front of me? Why don't you tell me why you screamed for your father that night?"