I don’t get angry often, but his words really made me mad. I gave them a nasty look, but the guy wasn’t deterred and approached me.
He was young, fresh out of college, and I’m older than him. Why was he trying to hit on me when he knew I was already married?
“Hi,” he greeted. The guy with him sighed in exasperation. “Millie, right-”
“If you are trying to flirt with me, I just want to let you know that I am married.” I showed him my wedding ring before avoiding eye contact.
“If I were your husband, I wouldn’t have you working a job lower than manager. Your husband is the CEO, Ma’am, but why are you working as-”
“As what?”
Everyone fell silent when a baritone voice spoke from beside me. I looked at him, and my eyes widened when I saw Gio. He had his arms crossed and his gaze pierced through me towards the man who was trying to talk to me.
“I don’t think there’s a problem with her work.”
Gio raised an eyebrow, so I approached him.
“Gio…”
“If you are that proud of yourself, kid, then you’d better build your own company because you’re not going to step inside this building ever again. I am relieving you of your duties. Pack your things and leave my company.”
The environment became incredibly quiet, and Gio’s intimidating aura only added to the tension. He rarely speaks; Gio is more about actions, and it’s nerve-wracking when he does speak like this. Fortunately, I’m used to him.
“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to.”
“Save your pathetic excuse; I don’t need your apologies.” He snapped his fingers, and two uniformed men immediately approached the guy and dragged him away.
Whispers could be heard from the others. They were saying that he’s arrogant, as if he had something to prove.
I gently pulled Gio away from the crowd to have a private conversation. It was clear he wasn’t in a good mood. I’ve gotten used to recognizing his mood even when he shows only one emotion; I can tell whether he’s in a good mood or not. And right now, I can definitely say he’s not.
“What? Are you going to defend that asshole kid-”
“No, he’s in the wrong,” I shook my head. “But that’s not what I want to talk about. You just fired him, right? You’re not… going to kill him? I know you have a tendency to end someone’s life just because you’re irritated with them or you don’t like them. Because of your men picking him up, I have a feeling you might kill him.”
“And what about it? Are you concerned about him now-”
I furrowed my brow. “Of course! Don’t kill the kid just for that. It’s enough that he lost his job, Gio. What he did was wrong, but it’s a shallow reason to end his life.”
“Cut me off again, Millie, and I am going to punish you here.”
I bit my lip at his words and closed my mouth. His mood was definitely not good.
“There’s no shallow or deep reason for me to kill, Millie. I’ll kill whoever I want to kill. And how dare he disrespect our marriage in front of me. That’s enough for me to fucking unalive him.”
I approached him slowly, touching his arm, and his gaze immediately met mine.
“Please, don’t kill him.”
Gio took a deep, controlled breath. He seemed to be holding something back. I had my own thoughts about why he was reacting this way, but I didn’t want to assume. He remained silent, and I wondered if his silence was a yes.
“Gio…”
He just shrugged and avoided eye contact. He didn’t want to admit defeat.
“I am not a liar, Millie. I can tell you I won’t kill him, but will you even know if I did or not?”
I clenched my teeth. He can be so cruel to other people!
Gio turned away from me, as if he had nothing more to say. He could be so speechless.
“I am starting to think that you’re jealous,” I muttered.
That caught him off guard. Gio stopped in his tracks, but I didn’t look back. I was nervous because I felt like I had angered him.
He slowly turned his head, so I only saw half of his face.
“And what if I am? Do you have anything against that?”
My heart skipped a beat. It felt like it had fallen to the floor and was bouncing for an unknown reason.
Did he just admit that he’s jealous? Gio left me and walked away from where we were, while I was still in shock, unable to process what he said.
~*~
Gio avoids discussing what happened in the cafeteria, making it challenging for me to ask if he was truly jealous.
“Where are we going?” I need to meet with a designer today. Gio provided a reason, but I was too distracted thinking about what he said to me earlier that I missed the crucial part.
“We’re going to a Gala,” was his sole response. Nothing more.
I felt scrutinized when we arrived at the designer recommended by Mommy. The Locatelli women have been getting their outfits made here for a long time, which is why Gio brought me here despite my mentioning that I have connections elsewhere. I’m wearing a burgundy plunging neckline dress with an overskirt. I chose burgundy because I felt it would complement my skin tone, which the designer also confirmed.
We didn’t stay there long. I wanted the selection process to be as swift as possible, and I didn’t want Gio to get impatient.
“Your figure is stunning, Mrs. Locatelli! I am sure that my masterpiece will suit you well,” the designer exclaimed, applauding me. I just smiled at him. I never know how to accept compliments.
“Done?” Gio stood up when he saw me out with a bag of the dress that I fitted earlier.
I nodded and smiled. I always find myself smiling at him. I suppose it’s become a habit. “Yes, let’s go.”
He came closer, and I immediately felt his hand on my waist. We left together and got into the waiting car, where we shared an intimate moment.