“I thought I heard something outside,” I mumbled a meek justification.
To my dismay, Alessandro immediately came to the window and opened the curtains. I panicked, expecting he'd see the man who had been there only moments ago, but he was gone.
“I can't see anything,” Alessandro muttered and glanced toward me again. “Perhaps, it was the wind.”
“Probably,” I choked out.
He smiled and came closer, brushing his knuckles against my cheek. “Are you feeling any better?”
“Much better.” I attempted to smile, but failed at it miserably.
“You don't look better,” he concluded with a frown. “You're still quite pale, but it's nothing a bit of Italian cuisine can't fix.”
I nodded because I didn't trust myself to speak.
“Come,” he invited softly, guiding me by the elbow. “Let's eat.”
He escorted me to the terrace and sat me down at the set table. Following the same script from previous evenings, Alessandro had lit a few candles for a cozy and romantic atmosphere. The night was peaceful with a light breeze and the soft smash of waves in the background. I glanced around, but could no longer see any of Alessandro's men. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing indicated danger. But I knew that he knew...and it was only a matter of minutes before all hell broke loose.
“It's a beautiful evening, isn't it?” Alessandro attempted to make small talk.
“Yes,” I said absent-mindedly.
He opened a bottle of wine, and I was about to protest, but he pointed to the label. “It's a non-alcoholic version, so I don't want to hear it, cara.”
I settled back into my seat as he poured the wine into two glasses.
Smiling a wide smile, he raised his glass to make a toast. “To the future,” he said in a smooth, charming tone.
“To the future,” I mumbled incoherently and brought my glass to his. I took a sip of wine, but my hand shook so badly I had to put the glass down. Alessandro's eyes followed my movement, but he didn't make a single comment about it. Instead, he tasted the food on his plate.
“The best lasagna I've ever had,” he complimented, his face twisting in delight as he took another bite. “Where did you get the recipe?”
“Internet,” I said simply, gazing past him. While he ate and praised the lasagna, I had barely taken a bite. Instead, I just picked on the salad because I was too nervous.
Alessandro assessed my plate and gave me a baffled look. “You’ve barely touched your food. Aren't you hungry, cara?”
“No. Not really,” I whispered and lowered my head.
“You're very quiet,” he concluded, the scratch of his cutlery against the ceramic plate filling the atmosphere. “Is something bothering you, Olivia?”
“No...I just...I don't feel so good,” I said in a small voice.
“I thought you said you were feeling better,” he reminded me.
“I was...I mean I am...it's just...” I turned all flustered and then gazed at him pleadingly. “To be honest, I don't know what's wrong with me, Alessandro.”
He gave me a charming smile. “Pregnancy hormones?”
“Yes. That must be it,” I agreed in a whisper. “You were right. I probably need some peace and quiet. I think I'll go lie down.”
“Not so fast, cara.” His fingers gently wrapped around my wrist as I stepped out of my seat. “Please, bear with me for a while longer.”
Twitching my lips into a nervous smile, I slowly lowered back into the chair and avoided making eye contact with him.
“There is absolutely no need to sulk,” he joked, patting his mouth with a napkin. “I promise, I won't bore you to death. There’s just something I want you to have before I let you be on your way.”
He waited for me to acknowledge him, I could just tell from the tone of his voice. I raised my gaze to his, and he pulled out a small package from his pocket, handing it over to me.
“Go ahead,” he encouraged softly. He wasn’t smiling, but neither did he appear angry. He just seemed keen to keep his gaze on mine. “Open it.”
I accepted the package. Without giving it much thought, I ripped the gift paper and froze in absolute shock. The object I held in my hand was a small music box. It was almost identical to the one given to me by my mother...the one he had burned in that fireplace to extort punishment all those years ago. I swallowed and looked at him as blood slowly drained from my face. “Alessandro...” I whispered his name in complete astonishment.