Gabriele’s POV
“Has everything been put in place?” I asked as we made our way to the reception where Demyan was waiting.
“Yes, we got a little delay due to Sara’s situation but we have covered up everything now,” he said.
“Good,” I replied.
We took the stairs at the same pace and descended the room. Demyan was clothed in his usual white long dress shirt as I remembered him wearing ever since I was a child and he visited more often.
“Remember, engage him for as long as possible. I need to read every device on him,” Basilio whispered as we made our way to the man I had sworn to kill on sight whenever we crossed paths.
“I know,” I gritted through clenched teeth.
Basilio had gotten our tech guys to develop a sort of card reader that could read every device on a person’s body as long as they were near them and they stayed there for a long period.
He got up from the seat as soon as he saw me and started coming towards me with stretched hands. “Gabriele, my nephew!” he said with feigned excitement.
I came to stop before him and completely ignored his outstretched hands folding mine.
“A nephew you never bothered to visit after your brother abandoned me…” I trailed gazing at him.
His eyes moved around for a few seconds as he searched for the best response to give to me. “I tried but your father prevented me from reaching you my dear boy,” he said and tried yet again to touch me but I flinched backward.
I had agreed with Basilio that I would accommodate him for as long as I could so we could get some information from him. But I couldn’t continue playing the game anymore. The man disgusted me.
Each time I looked at his crooked face, I remembered my mother and sister.
I remembered how they were brutally taken away from me without warning. He was the one who sold us out. He could deny it till he got to hell but I knew deep down in my heart that he did it. He told Gianni about our movements.
“Why did you come here?” I spat out.
His eyes flashed with mischief and it took more than my willpower for me not to pull out my gun and empty the entire round in his face.
“I heard there was an attack at a party you attended,” he said returning to the spot he was at. “-Can I sit, please? My legs are no longer as strong as they use to be,” he said and before I could even wave at him, he sat down.
“I came here to clear my name, Gabriele. I am many things… I can do many things… but I didn’t try kidnapping your woman,” he said and I narrowed my eyes at him.
Of course, he was lying. I didn’t need a lie detector to tell me this. Every bone in my body knew he was lying to me.
But I couldn’t do anything as I saw Basilio move from the corner of my eyes to the side, where Demyan was seated. He was trying to suck out all he could from him and I couldn’t do anything yet.
“Above everything, we are still family. We should look out for one another not fight.” He picked up the glass of water resting on the side table and took a long disgusting gulp from it.
“I think he is right Gabriele. You should forgive and forget about the past,” Basilio said and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Since we are family, can you tell me where Gianni is?” I asked and he loudly gulped down the water left in his mouth.
“Gabriele,” he said looking pale for a brief second before his smirk returned, “I have stopped associating with Gianni ever since the incident with your mother and sister. That man is evil. The mention of his name alone can bring bad omen…”
“I see,” I whispered clenching my fists.
He finally got up as if remembering something. “I should be on my way now, I only dropped by to… clear my name as I had said. Your father will be having his birthday party soon, you should come,” he said and my brows corked on their own accord.
“You are organizing a party for him or he asked you to invite me?” I asked wondering how much of a relationship he shared with his brother –the one who was supposedly my father.
“I am organizing a party for him,” he said with an awkward laugh, “Like I said, my boy, we are family, we should move on with our lives in a better direction,” he said and tapped me on the shoulder.
I was shocked at the information. So much so that I let him tap me. My godfather was right, my father and his brother had a relationship but I had to find out what kind it was.
“We will be there uncle,” Basilio said from his side.
I gave him a cold glare but nodded in agreement as well.
“I will be expecting you and that beautiful woman everyone is speaking about,” he added as he placed his sunglasses on and walked out of the room.
How did everyone speak about Arianna?
“Did you get everything?” I asked as soon as the man had disappeared from my premises.
“I have downloaded some folders from him and yes, his car was also bugged. Now we know where he is headed,” Basilio said.
“Just for today?”
“No, we can track all his movements now,” he corrected.
“Good. I want everything I can get my hands on with him. I will take Arianna, she must be safe so make sure everything is in order,” I stated as I walked back to the room where I had asked her to wait.
The first time we went to a party she had no idea who I was. But now she had an inkling. Technically she should be smarter.
As I went into the room, I slipped in quietly and found her seated in front of my reading table, and as she noticed my presence she jumped off.
“Hey, I didn’t… think you’ll come back so soon,” she said as she fidgeted with her fingers. “I was only trying to help. I am sorry,” she said.
I moved to the table and checked the papers she had been reading. It was some of my legal business files. I had been so busy with the attack investigation I had piles of files to review and approve. I brought them home the last time I went to the office but I still hadn’t found time to do them.
But as I looked closely, I saw that she had been summarizing them…
“You did this?” I asked pointing at the paper that had been scribbled on.
She ran a hand through her hair and gave me an apologetic smile. “I am sorry. I just… I get restless a lot when I have nothing to do and I found these papers lying here… I thought I could help out,” she said.
I started seeing her in a different light. I moved my eyes back to the paper and saw that she had done the right thing after all.
“Waoh! I am impressed. You are pretty good at this,” I said.
“I attended a few classes in secretarial studies… nothing too serious,” she said pulling the ends of her hair. “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have touched them,” she said and I found myself wondering if this was the same woman I had gotten as a gift a few weeks ago.
Arianna was so calm and comprehensive…
“I actually needed help with them… and you did them without my asking. I should be thanking you,” I told her sincerely.
Heat passed over her face and she tried to hide it as she turned her face away from mine.
“If you don’t mind. Can I help out with these kinds of things…” she trailed and I felt a swell in my heart. I couldn’t believe Arianna was offering to help me.
“It will help keep my mind off something… if you don’t mind of course,” she rushed on.
For the first time since I woke up that day, I smiled. “I don’t mind. I will appreciate it. There are so many things I need to do with my other jobs. I will really need the help,” I said and her smile brightened up.
“There is one more thing…” I stated and her smile slowly faded as she saw the seriousness on my face.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked in a low scared voice.
“No. you didn’t. There is another party and we have been invited,” I told her and I watched as her eyes enlarged.
“There will be guns again?” She cried out and I felt terrible for accepting Demyan’s invitation.