Have you been listening to what I’ve been telling you this entire time? There will be no more punishments...ever,” he whispered. “I’m trying to do everything in my power to fix things. I don't want to cause more damage. I want you to trust me. I want us to be happy.”
Taken aback by his reassurance, I parted my lips and forced myself to speak, “I want that too, but—”
Suddenly, Alessandro's phone rang and he swore softly as he glanced at the screen and refused the call. But only moments later, the phone rang again. Alessandro rolled his eyes and answered the call, uttering a string of Italian curses through gritted teeth. “Lorenzo, what do you want?” he bit out. “I told you not to call anymore.”
After a few moments of silence, Alessandro jumped up. “You what?” he asked in a slightly incredulous tone, and then exploded. “Ma vaffanculo. Have you gone completely mad? What is wrong with you, you idiot?”
Lorenzo said something that irritated Alessandro even further. “Listen, you’re going to clean this fucking mess by yourself and not a single hair will go missing from their heads before I come back or so help me God—”
Instinctively, I shrank back at the magnitude of his loud, angry voice.
Alessandro pressed his fingers between the bridge of his nose and exhaled in clear frustration. “I'm going to have to call you back.” His voice sounded a lot calmer, but then he raised it another octave. “I don't know and frankly I don't care. It's not my fucking problem, is it?”
I heard the echoes of Lorenzo's protesting voice, but Alessandro broke the line and threw his phone on the desk. Then, he composed himself again and sank down to my level.
“Cara, I’m sorry I yelled,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“It's okay,” I said, forcing a nervous smile on my face. “What does he want?”
Alessandro shrugged. “What does he always want? It's something to do with the business. Nothing you should worry about.” His thumb brushed against my cheek in a soothing manner, and he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “You've had more than enough stress for one day. Why don't you go get something to eat and relax on the beach? I just need to make a few phone calls and then I'll join you. Does that sound okay?”
I nodded my response.
“Good.” He smiled and caressed my face. “You go and relax and I'll come as soon as I can.”
As I left his office, Alessandro seemed calm and in a good mood, but I could tell he was eager to continue the conversation with Lorenzo. Something important must have happened in New York. Though I was curious, asking questions was futile because Alessandro never discussed business with me. It was a rule he hadn’t broken on even one single occasion during the past five years.
I descended the stairs and strolled straight into the kitchen to get something to eat. There were a lot of lasagna leftovers from the previous night, so I scooped some onto a plate and warmed it in the microwave. As I waited for the dish to be ready, I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was already half past six. This meant we had spent hours talking. Suddenly, both my hunger and my exhaustion made a lot more sense.
After I ate, I decided to listen to Alessandro's advice and relax. I didn't want to mull over our conversation or anything that had taken place in the past few days. Though I couldn’t deny I understood him better now when I knew what caused his behavior, I still wasn't sure it was enough to make me believe we could make this marriage work.
My eyes felt heavy and I constantly yawned. Needing some peace, I trudged to the beach. I took a blanket with me and spread it near the edge of the sea. Then, I sat down and closed my eyes, simply inhaling the salty air and listening to the swash of the waves.
When I opened my eyes again, I was struck by the magnificent sight of the sunset. Shades of orange and fiery red covered the sky, and the sun floated in the sea. It was one of the most breathtaking and beautiful scenes I had ever witnessed.
“Enjoying the view, cara?” Alessandro's voice sounded behind me and I cast a glance his way.
His hair was wet and tousled like he had just taken a shower. He wore a pair of