I gazed at myself in the mirror. I was all dressed up in the beautiful outfit prepared for the Gala. However, I couldn’t shake off the nerves.
“Ma’am Millie, Sir Gio is waiting for you.”
I stood up from my seat. I looked good, and my outfit was perfect, but I was afraid Gio might not like it. I took my bag, took a deep breath, and walked out of the room.
I was descending the stairs when I saw Gio. I gasped when I noticed his side profile. I see him like this every day, but there was something about him tonight that I couldn’t explain. I almost forgot how to breathe.
Gio must have sensed my presence because he turned to look at me. I had even more trouble breathing when our eyes met. His gaze bore into me with an emotion I couldn’t decipher.
“Hi,” I greeted him as I finally descended the stairs.
Gio didn’t greet me immediately, so I felt a bit shy and lowered my gaze. I wondered if he didn’t like how I looked.
My saliva felt as hard to swallow as acidic, burning my throat.
“Don’t you like it? Isn’t it… beautiful?” After a few moments of awkward silence, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You’re stunning… as always,” Gio finally said.
I raised my gaze to him, and despite the different expression on his face, I was still pleased. I knew he was sincere.
Gio took something out and showed me a familiar red box. He opened it, revealing a necklace from a renowned brand: the Cartier Trinity Necklace.
“This is Mom’s,” he began as I was still fixated on the necklace. “It was given to her by my father, and she told me to give it to my wife.”
An heirloom? That’s what was running through my mind. My chest tightened with the rapid beating of my heart. I kept my gaze on it and couldn’t decipher my emotions. I wanted to cry and be happy at the same time.
“Do you want me to put it on your neck?”
I looked at Gio, waiting for what I would say. “Yes.”
Even though I was already wearing a necklace, I removed it, leaving only one necklace for layering. Gio put the necklace on me, and it felt like a warm hand on my heart.
When Gio had it on me, I quickly examined it. I had to call a maid to bring me a mirror because I couldn’t move anymore. I covered my mouth when I saw the necklace hanging on my neck. It was beautiful! It became even more beautiful because it held sentimental value.
“Is Mom sure she wants to give this to me?”
I faced Gio, who had been watching me all along.
“That’s what she said.”
I couldn’t hold back and hugged Gio. Even though I knew he might not reciprocate the hug, I did it out of sheer happiness.
“Thank you.”
I don’t know who I’m thanking. All I wanted was to express my gratitude for everything.
Gio caressed my back, and my smile widened when I felt him hug me back.
Afterward, we left the house and went straight to the Gala venue. There were many media people outside, waiting for the guests. I’m not used to appearing in public, as my father rarely brought me to such events, despite his frequent attendance. I wondered if my father was present tonight.
“We’re not going to walk there. I don’t like cameras,” I finally noticed that our car didn’t stop at the entrance of the venue. It circled around, and we entered through the back entrance with Gio.
Some people greeted us as we entered the venue. This might be the route for those who want to avoid the press. That’s probably why you rarely see pictures of the Locatelli family, especially Gio, in the media. When there is press, they make a conscious effort to stay away.
Gio also mentioned that he didn’t want my image to spread all over the internet because it could jeopardize my safety. I wasn’t sure if they had already caught the mastermind behind my previous kidnapping because they didn’t give me any updates.
Inside, there were many people, all dressed elegantly and respectfully. There were prominent individuals in the industry who, when they spotted Gio, approached him. Whenever he was surrounded by people wanting to talk, he always held me close.
Gio is very formal. Even though he converses casually with other guests, he maintains a level of formality that makes you think he’s in a business meeting.
“Gio!”
Gio turned to the person who called out to him. He immediately excused himself from the people he was talking to, and we walked over to three men we had seen. One of them was with a woman.
I recognized the three of them. If I’m not mistaken, they’re Gio’s cousins. I wasn’t sure if they had attended our wedding, aside from Taddeo.
The two men, Raffaele and Arcel, looked at me. Both are Gio’s underbosses.
“Is this…”
“My wife, Amelie Locatelli,” Gio introduced me, and these are my cousins. You already know them, right? If by ‘knowing them’ he meant that I had to study documents about them, well, yes.
I nodded. They smiled at me, albeit reservedly, but introduced themselves.
“Raffaele Locatelli, Millie,” Raffaele said, looking at Gio before returning his gaze to me. “We haven’t been formally introduced. Your husband is very possessive, like he’s keeping you from the world.”
Raffaele Locatelli, the documents mentioned he’s the most carefree person in the group and less intimidating. But why do I still find him unsettling? He’s chilling, different from the chill Gio gives off. Raffaele gives you chills just by making one wrong move in front of him, you could lose your life. His eyes are dark, even when he smiles.
“Arcel Locatelli. Nice meeting you, Millie.”
Arcel Locatelli is a mystery to me. He exudes a playful yet dangerous aura. It’s hard to tell if he’s toying with you. There weren’t many details about him in the profile I read. All I know is that he’s the youngest among the Locatelli men and skilled in hacking. He used to work for the FBI but left. He was behind a major ransomware incident in Los Angeles. He wasn’t caught, but it was mentioned in his profile, so I found out. He made a lot of money from that.
I looked at Taddeo. I thought he might introduce himself, but he didn’t. He just nodded at me.
Arcel was accompanied by a woman, Brooke Hidalgo. She introduced herself to me nicely, but something about her felt… off. I asked Gio if she was Arcel’s girlfriend, but he just said he doesn’t share other people’s lives.
Valerio Locatelli also arrived. He’s the youngest among the cousins. He might be just a year older than Arcel, but he’s the second-in-command. Raffaele was supposed to hold that position, but it seems he’s allergic to responsibility, so Valerio took it on willingly.
Valerio was with his girlfriend, Kyrie Fontanez. Compared to Brooke, I found Kyrie easier to talk to and get along with. She was friendly and approachable.
I’m not one to compare people, but sometimes I can’t help it.
Kyrie also works for the Locatelli family – she’s one of their assassins. She’s under the supervision of Carol, Valerio’s older sister, and Gianna, Gio’s twin sister.