Stella (Book One of Dark Souls Series)

Turón de Alicante

*~*
amante- a partner in a sexual or romantic relationship outside marriage.
*~*

"I have gathered us here today to discuss Estella's family."

Everybody looked at Christian Veretti as if he'd grown two heads. Everyone except for Isabel and Luna, I noticed.

"My family?"

Adonis placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. I looked at him, and he offered me a small smile.

Mr. Veretti looked at me with the normal expression that he knows something I don't. It sent shivers down my spine the first day I met him at the firm, and it sent colder chills down my spine now.

"Both of your parents are alive, Estella."

I unintentionally gasped and so did everyone else.

Zia Alcina, Sergio, Matteo, Stefano, Esperanza, and Adonis all seemed genuinely stunned at his words. Once again, the only two people who seemed like they'd already had this conversation were Luna and Isabel.

I knew Isabel did not like me, so she had a motive to be evil toward me. Luna, however, was the one that confused me. If I was right about Adonis's family trying to set him up to take the fall for the Mafia if he didn't oblige to his contract, how would Luna benefit from it?

Stay on track, Stells, I could hear Adonis's voice in my head.

I shook my head to clear my head. "I don't know if you've realized, but I have been perfectly fine without my family. I would rather leave that pandora's box closed," I replied with a smile.

"That's the thing, Estella," he instantly responded. A glint of evil was really in his eyes, or my mind was playing tricks on me. Since he'd been spying on us for months, I decided to choose the upper choice. "Since you've never had a family, I will assume you've never been to a wedding; an Italian wedding."

Why did he emphasize those last two words?

If you focus, you can figure out what he knows, my conscious snapped.

"Since I am Italian, I do know the traditions of Italian weddings, signor Veretti."

"You are not a full-blood Italian, dear," Isabel informed me. She seemed overly ecstatic to break the news to me. However, I kept my composure and freaked out in my mind.

"What am I?" I asked reluctantly.

"I've met with your parents, and it appears that you are half Latina, half Italian."

"That explains a shit ton," Stefano exhaled from across the table.

"Doesn't it?" Adonis agreed with his brother.

I frowned. "I'm sorry, what does that mean?" I asked, looking at the two idiots.

"You know, Macáno," the brother didn't hesitate to offend me. "Most Italians are skinny, and you are not." The wicked grin made him resemble his brother a little too much.

I flipped him off by tapping under my chin and sticking up my middle finger.

"Double fuck off!" Sergio shouted.