Act like my wife

36. Father and son

I slammed the telephone into its cradle in frustration, ignoring whatever noise it made as a result of my harsh action. "Why isn't Vera picking my damn calls?!" I asked out loud, but was met with the silence of a relatively empty office.

I've been trying to get a hold of her and Tessy for hours now but to no avail. I called my men in Madrid, but they don't seem to know where she is.

I ran my fingers through my hair and paced around the room as weird scenarios played in my mind. God, I hope they are fine. If only Vera listened to me and stayed back in Santa Fe, I wouldn't be this worried sick. I love her stubbornness and strong will, but it does cloud her judgment sometimes.

My feet came to a sudden stop when an imaginary lightbulb popped up above my head! I grabbed my iPhone and searched for the contact of someone I hadn't been in touch with for months.

The son of a bitch picked up my call with the speed of lightning, and his annoying voice razzed through the line. "Hehe...Today must be my lucky day—" Trust Chris to be high as a kite this early in the day.

"I don't have time for your nonsense, Chris!" I barked. "Help me find Veronica, she's in Madrid but no one's heard from her"

There was a brief pause from his end before he asked. "How about your men?"

My blood boiled in my veins. "For someone who does a lotta shady businesses, you ask way too many stupid questions. Find Veronica Or I will have to rethink our little agreement."

I could smell his fear from the other end, I could taste it too. His voice began to break as he talked. "No... c-certainly not, boss. I just.... I'll get on it immediately."

Satisfied with his answer, I hung up and placed the phone on my desk.

Chris may be a sleaze-ball but he knows every nook and cranny of Spain, heck, he has men and women planted in every country. Men like him are best kept far away, only to be remembered when the need arises. And this sleaze-ball owes me big time.

To be honest, I had been trying my best not to think about what mia madre said to me earlier, but against my will, her words continued to ring in my head. Especially the last thing she said to me before I left...
"Being married to you was the only way Mira could give Gio our last name without raising suspicion."

Since we were young, Antonio could do no wrong in her eyes. I, on the other hand, she nitpicked at everything I did. I wasn't allowed to make mistakes or be anything less than perfect. So many years later, she is still defending Antonio's sins.

Now that I think of it... I remember those times when Antonio would come to visit Mira and me in Madrid. He would spend the weekend which I thought was cool. I was happy to see my brother and would share everything with him. Sometimes, I would go to work, leaving him and Mira at home. Little did I know that something was going on between them. Madre is right, I was a fool. I set myself on fire without even knowing it, and my family watched me burn.

I dropped into the chair behind my desk and leaned against the backrest. There was so much going through my head it could explode. I closed my eyes to process my thoughts.

Less than a minute later, a sound caught my attention. It was a tiny voice from the corridor...

"Pappa!"

I opened my eyes and saw little Gio at the door with Felicia standing behind him. He came running to me and I picked him up in my arms. "That's my boy! How are you, figlio?"

'Sto bene' He responded in Italiano

I must have had a genuinely impressed look on my face. "Who taught you?"

"Aunty Felicia." He pointed at her.

"Is that so?" I glanced up at Felicia, she was grinning ear to ear as she watched the exchange between father and son.

Father and son?

My heart skipped a beat when I remembered those words, 'Gio is Antonio's Son, not yours'

Now, I see where he and Bella got their congenital heart disease from. I was too blind to suspect anything, but it was staring me in the face all along. The resemblance between him and Antonio is uncanny. I always said that Gio took after his uncle but I was wrong because I am his real uncle and he looks nothing like me.

I was pulled out of my deep thoughts when Gio tapped me on my face. "Pappa!"

"Huh, Gio?" I answered in my hazy state of mind.

"What are you thinking about, Pappa?"

I sighed and forced out a smile. "Nothing"

He shrugged. "Okay," He got down on his feet. "I need to go now. I love you, Pappa"

His words melted my heart, so I embraced him. "I love you too figlio"

Enough is enough, I will not subject either of us to paternity testing. I don't care who his real father is, He is my blood and that is all that matters. Antonio may have done me dirty but I won't abandon his son, I am not as heartless.

My phone rang and Chris's number flashed on the screen. I picked up immediately. "What?"

"I've got bad news, boss."

I swallowed hard for fear of the unknown... "Out with it."

He continued. "It seems Veronica was kidnapped on her way to Córdoba."

I signaled to Felicia to take Gio outside. She took him by the hand and together, they walked out of my office.

I closed the door behind them and returned to Chris's phone call. "Who kidnapped her?"

He answered with a low voice... "Sorry boss, but I don't know"







Author's Note:
Hi everyone!
Happy new year once again.
I wanted to update this episode since, but I have injuries on my scalp which made it hard to think. And I just got diagnosed with parotitis 😂. 2024 is gonna be an awesome year still. Do take care of yourself, my fam💕

Translations:

🇮🇹 Sto bene                  :I'm fine