Juliette Pov
“Ah! So finally we are meeting” Zachary’s grandfather laughed sitting before me on the dining table. Zachary chose to sit next to me and mom on my next. Dad was sitting beside to Zachary’s grandfather and Cosmina was too joining us for the dinner and she was sitting next to dad.
“U-” I was cut off when I felt Zachary’s hand on mine.
Why did he kiss me?
It’s strange, but immediately my cheeks burned and I felt myself blushing recalling the incident that just happened a few minutes ago.
“Of course to shut you” my subconscious mocked at me.
“I don’t think so” I retorted back.
No matter how strange it felt, my heart didn’t agree on the fact that he kissed me just to shut me. I felt anger and frustration when he kissed me.
But what did I do?
Was it because I intervened in the middle of his work?
Maybe..
But why am I meeting his grandfather? I couldn’t even deny when he asked me to join him for the dinner. He wanted to talk to me. What does he want to talk to me? To me? What did I do? Don’t tell me that he want to use me as a human bomb or some spy or something like that.. peculiar.
Damn it!
What are you doing Juliette? Sitting so quietly and stiffly? Just get up and run. He is a danger. Scream or call the police.
“I don’t have a phone,” I said out loud which resulted on Zachary squeezing my hand tightly.
“Uh?” Zachary’s grandfather asked looking puzzled.
“Phone?” he questioned.
I glanced to my right to find Zachary already glaring at me. I gave out a nervous laugh and looked back at everyone who was looking at me as if I had two horns on my head.
Why are you so stupid?
“I- uh- Yeah! I lost my phone back there. Yes, I lost my phone. I can’t find it. So I was telling to Zachary that I lost my phone” I nodded and looked back at Zachary who narrowed his eyes at me “I lost my phone” I told him and he gave out a forced smile to me.
“Oh! Phone. Don’t worry I will gift a new phone to my daughter-in-law” he said smiling at me. His smile was not that evil or that mocking one that we usually see in movies or pictures, but a genuine warm one. He looked as if he was a normal person enjoying a supper with his family. I would have been so comfortable if only I didn’t know his true identity.
Who knows if he is masking his mafia facade.
“No! N-No!” It’s alright. You don’t need to” I told him laughing nervously. I felt sweats forming at the forehead and neck out of nervousness.
What sin did I do to end up like a family like this? God help me! Please! I swear I will be donating my blood every six months and will be donating necessities to the poor if only you help me survive and walk out alive out of this family.
“My wife will be joining us next week,” he said and I felt Zachary removing his hands from mine. Immediately, I felt myself shamelessly missing his warmth.
You are shameless.
I lowered my head feeling shameless. My own inner-self is mocking and taunting me now for being shamelessly wanting a man’s touch who did nothing but destroyed the every single thing that I loved.
Why did he kiss me?
I wanted to punch myself for thinking about the same thing again and again. I looked towards him to find him talking and occasionally smiling at his grandfather.
He looks so unaffected.
Of course! Unlike you, he isn’t even affected by that kiss. It must be so easy for him.
I clenched my palms into a tight fist and pursed my lips.
“What is your name?” I looked up to find grandfather looking at me smiling warmly.
“Juliette,” I told him and he nodded.
“Very nice name,” he said looking at Zachary.
“Do you love her Udolf?” he asked and somehow I felt myself cringing at his question.
Of course! he doesn’t…
“Yes,” Zachary said not even looking at me.
“Hmm,” I looked back at grandfather. Though he was smiling and nodding at Zachary his eyes looked questioning. As if he was unsure and he was doubting all this.
“Why didn’t grandma join you in the trip?” Zachary asked.
“She is with Kristian now. Kristian will be joining us too” he replied and I looked back at Zachary thinking who Kristian was.
“Kristian is his cousin brother,” mom whispered to me probably noticing my expression.
“Oh!” I replied to myself.
“It’s been a long time since I have seen him” dad spoke after a long time.
“Indeed!” mom replied.
The dinner was served and we all began eating. I could hardly gulp down any food because of all the thoughts revolving in my mind. So, I tried to concentrate more on my food trying to forget that the ex-mafia leader was sitting before me and eating casually as if he has never committed all those sins and crime that I saw on the tv when I was little.
Trying to forget that Zachary, the present mafia leader who is also my husband is sitting next to me eating his food casually as if he had never married me or even killed anyone before me.
Trying to forget mom and dad who were eating their food so casually as if they oblivious to the fact that his father and her father-in-law is the world’s topmost dangerous man sitting alive with us. As if they do not know what their own son, Zachary has done to me.
Trying to forget Cosmina, who was eating her food so casually as if she doesn’t even have any idea who Zachary was and with what type of people she was dealing with.
So why should I not eat?
Unlike them, I couldn’t forget what my true identity was. What has happened to me. Why am I even sitting between them?
Still, I munched down on my food mentally thinking if I was going to get an ice-cream for desert.
“So how far has the construction of your house gone?” grandfather asked and I saw dad scoffing at the Zachary while mom pursed her lips.
“It’s nearly done,” Zachary replied.
“Why do you even want to move out? We can all stay here,” dad said and mom nodded at his statement.
“Oh shut up already. It’s his wish. He wants to have some time with his wife,” grandfather spoke and I nearly spat the water hearing him but I managed to control myself and gulped down the water wiping away the drops from my lips.
“If I remember correctly, grandma told me that dad too moved out of the house with mom after the marriage,” Zachary said and I looked at mom to see her smiling a little looking lost in thoughts.
Recently, I have come to know that Zachary’s really father isn’t alive. After his death his twin brother, Gale married mom and took care of his brother’s family.
“Like grandpa said,” I felt a hand encircling me from my shoulder and pulling me.
I looked at Zachary who pulled me towards his side by my shoulder. His act confusing me as well as irritating me.
“I want to spend some quality time with my wife,” Zachary said looking directly at my eyes.
My heart skipped a beat hearing him. All of a sudden the thoughts of him with me alone in a house began surfacing my mind.
Why did he kiss me?
“Spent some quality time with my wife. My wife,” his words kept rotating before my eyes and the more strange thing was, even if I knew his words meant nothing but a mean to deceive others, but I didn’t know why the intensity in his eyes looked true to me. As if he wanted to tell me something, ask me something but he couldn’t because he doesn’t want to.
What do you want Zachary?
“Aww! Look at them,” I heard mom and both of us broke out of the staring contest and he removed his arm away from me and I sat properly on my seat dragging the chair away from his.
As soon as I did that I felt his hand on my chair below my thigh and the next moment I was jerked towards his direction with me gasping at the sudden action.
I glanced his way confused but soon glared at him when everyone laughed probably noticing what he just did.
“Jerk!” I whispered to him and noticed as he smirked slightly at me and looked the other way.
“There is a limit to facade everything. He doesn’t need to act every minute. No one is noticing nor cares” I huffed crossing my arms against my chest.
“This couple has a bright future,” grandpa said and as though I wanted to do nothing but to roll my eyes at his comment I gave out a forced smile at him and inwardly screamed “Yeah! Bright future in the sense with me stabbing him until death with an ice-cream stick if nobody serves me an ice-cream in next five minutes!”
“Ice-cream! Ice-cream! Ice-cream,” I screamed inwardly.