I still can’t shake the idea of Marion and Arcel talking earlier. Is Arcel a traitor? Why would he betray his own family and collaborate with someone like Marion? My mind is in turmoil, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave the house after returning. Could it be because of jealousy within their family? Maybe Arcel isn’t content with what he has. He’s doing this now to obtain whatever he desires. Isn’t that how it often goes in large families? Is there a competition? I thought about his frequent absences from Locatelli events. Could that be the reason? Perhaps he’s taking care of matters behind his own family’s back. It’s not far-fetched. They are part of a mafia organization. They are born to be competitive, even with their own blood. Maybe he’s not satisfied with what was given to him and now wants to claim what was denied to him.
If hunger hadn’t visited me, I wouldn’t have noticed the time. I prepared my lunch and dinner, but I rarely leave this house. There are too many thoughts swirling in my mind. I tried calling Gianna, but she’s still unreachable. I’m contemplating whether to leave her a text message, but there’s no guarantee she’ll read it.
My mind was in chaos when suddenly there was a knock on my door. I glanced at the small clock and noticed that it was only eight o’clock in the evening. I thought it was much later. I got up and went to the door to answer the knock. I immediately saw Laura and Amy.
“Hello, Tasha!” both of them greeted me. “We’re here to pick you up. We’re going to Ida’s because it’s her husband’s birthday today, right? Did you forget?”
I had completely forgotten about it! With everything going on here, I had forgotten about the birthday.
“Oh, I forgot. Just give me a moment to change.”
I let them into the house while I hurried to my room. I quickly found an outfit to wear. I didn’t know who picked out my clothes; Gia had given them to me before. The dress was simple but fitted me well. I wanted to change, but there were people waiting for me, so I had no choice. I brushed my hair and fixed my appearance to look presentable.
I emerged from my room and found Amy and Laura chatting and laughing. Their conversation halted when they noticed me. They stared at me with widened eyes, making me feel self-conscious. I felt like I might be overdressed.
“Is this outfit ugly? I can change-”
“No!” They both exclaimed, rushing towards me. “You look beautiful! Incredibly beautiful, Tasha. Your outfit is so simple, but you look like you’re headed to a glamorous party. I think anything you wear suits you perfectly.”
I managed to smile at their compliments. I still wasn’t used to receiving compliments.
“Is there something missing, though? Don’t you have lipstick, Tasha?” one of them asked. I did have makeup kits in my room, but I rarely used them.
When I mentioned that I had some, Imee rushed to my room and grabbed a lipstick.
“Put this on. It’ll make your lips pop.”
I hesitated for a moment but eventually complied.
“Don’t I look like the host of this party now?” I said with a chuckle.
“No!” they both exclaimed. “You look more than okay; you look absolutely stunning,” Laura said. “The lipstick really emphasizes your pouty lips. You’re enviable! You look seductive even when you’re not trying, and you put in no effort!”
My cheeks were turning red from their compliments, so I gently ushered them out of my house. It wasn’t just me wearing a dress; they were dressed up too, so I knew I wasn’t overdressed. I just felt a bit shy because of all the praise they were showering me with.
We arrived at Ida’s house, and she was outside, tending to her guests, so she immediately spotted us.
“There you are! I’m so glad you’re here. Amy, your husband even beat you here.”
“We came to pick up Tasha. We thought she might not show up,” Amy jokingly replied.
Ida looked at me and gave a wide smile. “Oh, our princess looks absolutely gorgeous, as always!”
We shared a laugh and then proceeded inside to eat. We searched for Marcos, who was celebrating his birthday today. When we found him, we congratulated him.
“Happy birthday!”
“Thank you. Go ahead and eat.”
My companions pulled me to get some food.
“I thought you were bringing some new friends with you. Where are they?” Ida asked her husband.
“Yes, they should be here soon.” Imee suddenly spoke up.
“Oh, do you know what? Marcos and my husband, Gelo, have made some new friends. I haven’t met them yet, but they invited them to come here. It seems they’re tourists staying at the resort, but they joined in on the fishing earlier, and Marcos said they were a big help. They’re all chummy now,” Amy chuckled.
At first, I wasn’t interested in their friends, but that changed when I saw two men who had just arrived and were entering Ida’s house.
“Gio! Dario!” Marcos called out, approaching the two men who had just arrived. “These are our new friends. We’ll have a drink later, okay!”
Even though I hadn’t started eating, I suddenly felt choked up because I hadn’t expected Gio to be the new friend of my friends’ husbands. How could that be? When did Gio become friendly? I couldn’t recall. He used to be hostile to all the guys!
My gaze wandered until he caught my eye. I quickly averted my gaze from Gio, but I knew I couldn’t escape his notice because he had seen me here.
If earlier I was thinking about Arcel, now it was Gio again. Just seeing him had taken over my entire thought process. I decided to eat while avoiding Gio. Gio wasn’t here, as far as I was concerned.
Amy called her husband over. “This is Gio and Dario. They’re our new friends. Meet Amy, my wife.”
“Hello,” Amy greeted them.
I shivered, even though I couldn’t see Gio. Just knowing he was nearby was enough to send shivers down my spine.
“These are Ida, Amy’s friends,” Gelo introduced. “And this is Laura.” Laura greeted Gio and Dario. “She’s single!”
They all laughed at Gelo’s remark, and I forced a smile into the air.
“And this is Tasha.”
I didn’t want to face them, but I had to. I didn’t want to show that I was affected by Gio’s presence. I introduced myself and feigned a smile when I greeted Gio. His gaze instantly pierced through me. I knew he had been looking at me ever since he was introduced to the others.
“I’m not sure if Tasha is single. She might have answered Mayor’s son already,” they teased, and I furrowed my brow, which eventually turned into a grin.
“I’m just friends with Gian,” I replied after they stopped needling me.
Gio’s expression remained unchanged as he gazed at me. If there was any change, his face just grew darker.
I wouldn’t engage with other men. Gio and I are still married! If I entered into a relationship, it would be considered adultery. I’m not that kind of woman.