“It’s about your beloved best friend. I didn’t know he had a woman in his life now,”
Riccardo felt his body stiffen. Seeing his father’s looks, it was obvious that he was not lying and telling the truth.
“What’s wrong with the expression, son?” Matthias smirks.
“How did you know about her?” He frowns.
“Oh, let’s say it’s my luck? She such a sweetheart,” the old man chuckles. “Seriously, I never expect a sweet woman like that to be related to Damian.”
Riccardo couldn’t say anything. As much as he tries to do something, this is Matthias, his father. Once he knows about something that could bring Damian to his knees like before, he will use it wisely.
“She has nothing to do in this. With any of your stupid plans,” Riccardo firmly says.
Matthias chuckles, “Did I mention anything about involving her?”
“I know you. If you did something to her, I swear I will kill you with my own bare hands,” he said through his gritted teeth.
Matthias couldn’t help but laugh. He throws his head back and takes his son’s words as a joke. This is not the first time Riccardo has said this stuff to him. Threatened him.
“Oh, son. It looks like you’re really on your best friend’s side that you’d rather kill your father for them,” Matthias smirks.
“Unfortunately, your best friend didn’t care about it,”
His words make Riccardo twitch. Yes, he knows that. He knew that whatever he did, Damian would never forgive him. That’s what makes him hate his father even more.
“We wouldn’t talk about that again. At least, this is what I can do for him. Unlike you…never had enough with what you had.” Riccardo talks back.
Matthias smiles and gets up. He stands in front of the bonfire. “Oh, Riccardo. I’m satisfied with what I had.”
“Then, why do you bother him?”
“You know I don’t like it when someone is above me. Besides, my plan to destroy them hasn’t succeeded yet,” he turns to his son.
“You destroyed them enough!” Riccardo yells.
“Not enough. I want Damian and his family to quit the mafia life,” Matthias firmly speaks. “I want the only me who will be the top one.”
“You such a fucking greedy,” Riccardo said through his gritted teeth.
He smirks, “I deserve all of that. That’s why, I’m going to be friends with his woman, such a sweetheart.”
“Melody is not in this, Dad!” Riccardo slams his hand on the wall.
“Just hearing her name is enough to know she is such a sweetheart,” he chuckles. “Is she his wife or something? Because she seems to be an important person.”
“It’s none of your business,”
“So, I guess she is. That’s surprising, unexpected,” Matthias chuckles.
“Damian wouldn’t forgive you if you did something to his wife,” he glares at his father.
“I’m willing to see that expression on Damian’s face, son.”
___
The movie plays while she is on the couch, wrapped in a fluffy blanket. Pillows surround her and the sofa is opened to make it larger. She straightened her legs.
“Damn, that guy is cheating,” she scoffs.
The footsteps are being heard. Damian walked downstairs and saw his wife chilling out on the couch. The living room is dark except for the television which becomes the source of light.
He leans on the wall, crossing his arms. “Why you haven’t slept yet?”
“I have to finish this movie first,” Melody answers.
“It’s getting late,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “It’s almost 11 p. m. You should sleep by now.”
“You know, you sound like a father scolding their stubborn kid,” she states.
“Thank goodness, you admit you are stubborn,” Damian shrugs his shoulder.
“Hey!” She frowns.
Damian walks toward the couch and sits beside her. “You are pregnant. You should be rest,”
“I’m fine, Dam.”
“You have been pushing yourself at the bakery. You need energy for tomorrow,” Damian still insisted on her rest.
Melody lets out a sigh.
“Dam, I’m fine. I know my body. If I feel something, I will inform you immediately,” she convinces him.
“I know that but-”
“Just, let me have my time,” Melody cuts him off.
He sighs and leans on the couch, “You are tired. Believe me.”
“Oh please. Just a little bit of work wouldn’t tire me out,” she scoffs.
Damian shakes his head slightly. He knows Melody wouldn’t listen to him no matter what. She is known as a stubborn woman.
“Anyway, I saw you and Riccardo seem closer,” she speaks.
“What makes you say that?” He asks without looking at her.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I saw you guys talking together a lot,” Melody grins. “Come on. Admit that you are becoming soft toward him a little bit.”
“I didn’t. We just talk about work,” he states.
“Geez, you are no fun,” she rolls her eyes.
Damian paused for a moment before speaking, “My parent wants to meet.”
“Why so sudden?” She looks at him with raising eyebrows.
“Maybe because I told them that you are pregnant. So, they force me to bring you to them,” he explains. Before Melody can deny it, he says, “Don’t even think about it.”
“My mom even threatened to kill me if I didn’t bring you to them. So, there’s no excuse for you to deny,”
Melody grunts, “It’s not that I don’t want to meet them. I just…”
“Just?” He arches his eyebrows.
“Just…afraid of what they will think. Hat if they didn’t ask for grandkids?” She asks.
Damian looks at her like she telling a joke or saying something nonsense. He narrows his eyes on her.
“I think they’re the grandparents that eager to have a grandkid. I mean…they pray for it every single day,” he says.
He is not lying. Every time they pray, he will overhear his parents ‘ prayers. All they want is for their son to have kids. Not only that, but they also even brag about it and it almost makes Damian go crazy.
“They are not like the grandparents in the drama right?” Melody asks.
“This is why I don’t want you to watch a lot of movies,” he sighs, rubbing his face before turning to her. “They are the opposite of what you watch in the movie.”
“Well, that’s great. Just to wase my mind, that’s all.”
She shrugs her shoulder before continue watching movies. Damian rolls his eyes and joins her.
It’s almost midnight. Damian glances at the clock and decides it is time to bring his wife to bed.
“Mel, it’s almost 12. Let’s go to sleep-” he stopped talking when saw Melody already snoring softly beside him.
Her head leans on his shoulder, hugging the blanket that wrapped around her. Since when that she fall asleep? He doesn’t even notice it. Damian stares at her before carefully lifting her head off his shoulder
He gets up and lifts her into his arms, making sure the blanket is still on her. “I know you wouldn’t wake up.”
He speaks to her even though he knows she won’t reply to him. Damian brings her to their bedroom and shuts the door.
As soon as Melody felt herself on the bed, she snuggled on the pillow. As if she has a strong instinct. Damian pushes her hair from her face and fixes the blanket on her.
His eyes fell on her face.
‘You…You are not worried.’
‘Why should I?’
‘I mean…that’s your wife,’
His conversation with Riccardo repeated back in his mind.
It would be a lie if he said he’s not worried about his wife. What can he say? His feelings toward this stubborn woman are changing. Not like when they first met.
He pushes his hair back, thinking what could happen to Melody if Matthias starts to involve her in his dirty plan. What if something happened that could make him lose her?
Just think of it and make him clench his fist.
Suddenly, a touch on his hand makes him snap out of his thoughts. Melody looked at him with sleepy eyes.
“Are you okay? Don’t you want to sleep?” She yawns.
“Yeah…Yeah. I just…in a deep thought,” he clears his throat.
Damian gets to his side and brings the blanket over him. Then, she scoots closer and puts her face on his shoulder.
“Can I cuddle with you?” She whispers.
He is silent for a moment, “Do what you want.”
When he heard her soft snores, he moved his arms and pulled her closer to his side. Damian closes his eyes.
“I will kill people just to keep you safe.”