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“Ahh, you’ve arrived. Perfect timing. Dinner is just about ready to be served,” Mancini says as he walks around the tableto greet us. He takes my hand into his and gives me a firm handshake before embracing Luxtyn in a hug she wasn’t prepared for. Her eyes widen over Mancini’s shoulder, but she reciprocates the endearing act.
With his arm still placed firmly on her back, Mancini directs her toward Elena and Giuliana. I watch closely as the introductions are made.
“Elena,il mio tesoro, this is Luxtyn,” he says before turning to Luxtyn. “Luxtyn, this is my wife, Elena, and our daughter, Giuliana.”
Elena holds out her hand with a blank expression on her face. “Pleased to meet you, dear,” she says, but her tone says the opposite.
Luxtyn puts on a smile and shakes her hand. “You too,” she says, matching her unenthusiastic tone. Elena raises her drawn-on eyebrow in response.She didn’t like that, but I sure as hell did.
Luxtyn turns her attention to Giuliana who’s wearing high-waisted dark jeans, black thigh-high boots, and a tucked in, tight red shirt that has her cleavage on full display. She looks like she’s about to have a night out in the city versus a quiet family dinner at home. The scowl that’s pasted on her face as she takes in Luxtyn tells me we might be in for an interesting night.
“Giuliana, say hello to your new half sister.” Elena gives her a small nudge, causing her to reluctantly step forward and extend her limp hand out in greeting. Luxtyn gives her a questionable shake before dropping it.
Giuliana slides her predator-like eyes over to me and a smile breaks free on her face as she rakes her gaze up and down my body. Pushing her shoulders back, she raises her chin, and a dark gleam springs from her eyes. “It’s so nice to see you, asalways, Matteo.” The seductive tone in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed by me.
Did her fathernotinform her about the change in our contract? Or is she purposely being disrespectful?
“Please, let’s all take a seat,” Mancini says as he makes his way to the head of the grand dark-oak table.
Giuliana gives me one last look, biting her lip with a mischievous smile. The desperation rolling off her has me immediately grateful we didn’t end up stuck in a marriage.
Ignoring her, I turn to Luxtyn whose gaze is narrowed in on Giuliana, and I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the jealousy she’s displaying. I place my hand on the curve of her back, drawing her attention to me, and give her a reassuring smile.
When Giuliana realizes I’m not giving her the reaction she wants, she lets out a scoff before turning around to take her seat on one side of her father. Her mother takes the other, leaving the other head of the table and a seat next to Elena open for Luxtyn and me.
Leading her over to our seats, I slide out the tufted brown leather chair before Luxtyn has a chance to. “Let me get that for you,” I say. She smiles and thanks me before taking her seat.
I take the spot next to her at the opposite end of the table as Mancini. An intricate crystal chandelier hanging from the two-toned coffered ceiling with branches extending and curving their way around each other to form an extravagant centerpiece is the only thing between us.
“Let’s dig in,” Mancini says after the server brings out our first course, a caprese salad. Only the occasional clanks of the silverware against the salad plates fill the air around us. I keep an eye on everyone as we continue eating our food in silence.
Mancini might not think Elena knows anything about Luxtyn’s mother disappearing, but I’m not so convinced. If herbrother is behind the abduction, then Elena must know something, but if she does, she’s playing it off a lot better than I’d expected.
When Mancini introduced her to Luxtyn, I looked for a tell, any sway in her step or a falter in her expression, but there was nothing. Sure, she was cold, but Elena Mancini has never been known to have a charismatic personality. And even now, as we sit here, quietly enjoying our salads, Elena remains focused on the food in front of her. She’s not giving me any kind of sign that she knows.
“So, Luxtyn, what have you been up to all week?” Mancini asks, finally breaking the silence.
She clears her throat and wipes her mouth with her napkin before speaking. “Oh, nothing much. Just been at the penthouse,” she says as she brushes her hair behind her ear.
Mancini’s eyes light up as he tracks the movement of her left hand, which reminds me, I never told him about us tying the knot. I’ve been so distracted with Luxtyn and her mother, that I haven’t even clued him in on that important piece of information. The port that was so important to me, that’sstillimportant to me, has suddenly found itself knocked out of that number one spot on my list of priorities.
“Is that what I think it is?” Mancini asks, his eyes settled on her ring finger.
Luxtyn glances over at him and follows his line of sight to her wedding band. “Oh, yes,” she says as she holds her hand up to him. “Matteo and I got married.”
Giuliana drops her fork onto her salad plate with a loudclank. “Excuse me?” she shrieks, the pitch so high I’m surprised it didn’t crack the glass in the chandelier.
I guess that answers the question of whether or not Angelo told them about the change in the contract.
“Angelo?” Elena questions.
“Daddy, the marriage was supposed to be betweenmeand Matteo. Notthat.” Giuliana gestures to my wife with a crinkle in her nose as if Luxtyn’s nothing more than the dirt on the bottom of her Louboutins.
My jaw drops open as I go to step in, the anger consuming me at the disrespect Giuliana is showing Luxtyn, but before I’m able to, a soft, warm hand covers the fist I hadn’t realized I’d formed on the table, almost immediately putting out the raging inferno. My gaze finds its way to Luxtyn, who’s focused on Giuliana.
“The marriage that was supposed to be between you and Matteo was a business transaction. I’m sure Angelo can find you another one, but until then, you should probably learn to control those emotions of yours. Your future husband doesn’t need a ticking time bomb attached to his name.”
Giuliana’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open as she lets out a frustrated gasp. She snaps her head to her father’s. “Daddy, are you just going to let her speak to me like that?”
