The household staff brought us food and drinks. I pointed this out to Gianna, attempting to break the heavy silence between us.
“Would you like to eat? When did you arrive, Gianna? Gio mentioned you were in another country,” I managed to construct a full sentence while facing Gianna, and thankfully, I didn’t stutter despite my nervousness.
“Yesterday,” was her terse reply. She didn’t break her gaze from me.
I couldn’t really decipher her stare. Did she like me or dislike me? She seemed just as complicated as their family, where only their mother seemed approachable.
“I’m glad you dropped by. I was so eager to meet you.”
“Do you?” There was a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
I bit my lip, feeling as though she was scrutinizing everything I did or said, waiting to use it against me.
“Uhm… I think Gio might be on his way back. I should probably prepare dinner. You can stay for dinner, Gianna.” I stood up, intending to talk to one of the servants, even though the truth was, I wanted to escape Gianna.
I was the only one making an effort to have a conversation, and when I tried to bring up a topic, Gianna would respond with just one word, ending our conversation. As much as I wanted to entertain her, it felt like she didn’t want me around.
“Amelie Pearce,” she called me, and I had been hearing her refer to me by my maiden name for a while.
I stopped and turned to Gianna. It felt like my saliva had turned into acid, making it hard to swallow.
“I am still in the process of accepting you. As of now, I can’t say if I am happy that you married my brother.” She paused and stood up. She faced me, her eyes feeling like claws digging into my skin.
“Gioseffo has huge responsibilities – with our family and organization. He’s the boss and the head of the family. Having you as his spouse will only make him a liability. Do you understand why?”
I shook my head; her words were cutting through my stomach like a knife. I felt like I was going to be sick with what she was saying.
“You’re weak. If I were to choose someone who would be a more suitable wife for him, I would pick a woman from a well-known mafia organization. Besides being a great help to our family, we wouldn’t have to carry him as much.”
My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. If I was struggling to breathe earlier, it’s even harder now after what she said. It was harsh, but if you think about it, Gianna is right.
“Don’t take offense to my words, and even if you do, I don’t really care. Our family is far from typical. We have many enemies. And if you don’t plan to adjust to the life we lead, you’ll be a burden to us, especially to my brother, who is currently the mafia boss and holds the highest position in the organization.”
Gianna walked closer to me, her cold eyes showing no change. If she wasn’t as cold as Gio, she might be even worse.
“I might accept you, Amelie, if you can prove yourself worthy. Trust, respect, and acceptance go hand in hand.”
The door to the house swung open forcefully, so I couldn’t speak. Should I thank the person who entered for sparing me from talking to Giana?
“Gia!” There was irritation in the voice of the person entering the house. I hadn’t even looked at them, but I knew it was Gio. “Why are you here unannounced?”
I didn’t realize Gio had come closer to me. He pulled me away from Gianna, but my mind was still fixated on everything Giana had said.
I’ll admit that Gianna’s words were painful. I was offended. But if I think about it, what she said was true. Reflecting on the past month of our marriage, I hadn’t really been of any help to Gio. I was just a burden, and I didn’t want to be a liability in this marriage.
“I won’t be staying for long anyway. I just wanted to meet her,” Gianna said as she picked up her small bag before giving a curt farewell and leaving.
Gianna’s way of addressing me was quite noticeable. She either made me feel worthless, or maybe that was just me. Yet, sometimes I didn’t hear her attach her last name to mine.
While Gianna was in front of me, I remained silent. I kept replaying her words in my head.
“Millie…”
When Gio touched me, I snapped back to reality. I blinked several times to absorb my surroundings.
I took a deep breath when I only saw Gio. “You look pale, are you okay?”
I forced a smile for Gio and nodded. “I’m fine, really. I just need to talk to Alicia about dinner. I’ll leave you for now.”
I didn’t even bid Gio goodbye as I left, my mind too chaotic to think. At dinner, I felt Gio’s eyes constantly on me, and I felt as though Giana’s eyes were watching me.
“Did you talk to Gia? What did you two talk about?” Gio asked. I noticed the tension in his jaw, probably because of my silence since earlier. He’s likely to notice something was amiss.
“Yeah, we talked, but it was nothing. She just said she wanted to get to know me,” I replied. I chose not to mention the other things Gianna had said to me. I didn’t want Gio to think I was badmouthing his sister or that they might end up in a conflict.
“You and Gianna are so alike, right? I mean, I was thinking that when twins are involved, they usually have opposite personalities. Like if one is feisty or cold, the other is kind or gentle. But in your case and Gianna’s, you’re exactly the same. It’s like you’re copy-pasted from one another.” I smiled at Gio, clarifying that I wasn’t trying to offend him.
“Many people say that. We both grew up under Dad’s influence, so maybe that’s why we have similar personalities.”
I remembered Mariana’s story, how Gio and his twin sister grew up under their father’s power. Where was their mother during those times?
“Why? Where’s Mommy? Wasn’t she with you while you and Gianna were growing up?” It’s a good thing Gio brought it up; I didn’t have to endanger Mariana to get an answer.
“Mom was… absent while we were growing up.” Gio’s eyes took on a different expression. I was stunned, and my mouth hung open.
I wanted to ask more, but something was stopping me from speaking.
“Where was Mommy back then?” I couldn’t hold back any longer.
Gio stopped eating, and for once, he didn’t look at me as he usually did. He avoided my gaze. I waited for him to say something, but after a few moments, he remained silent. So, I let the conversation die between us.
I had a hard time sleeping that night. I wondered how I could prove myself to Gio’s family. Was that what they all thought? That I was a burden to Gio, but they didn’t tell me out of respect for him?
Just thinking about the idea that Gio might have married someone else, and not me, shattered my heart. If before, I wanted to push him towards another woman, now I couldn’t bring myself to do it.