Veiled Love

Chapter 11

There were ten people in total, twelve if you include Kal and me, but excluding Alex and all the guards. It's quite a large family, and I know that this is still less than half of the complete family staying together. My own family consisted of just seven members. Out of Kal's family, I know his sister Alyssa, Enzo and his son Marco by name; I don't know them personally. The rest of the faces are vaguely familiar to me.

In the center, there's a child I've never seen before. He looks at me curiously, his gaze shifting to Kal. Instinctively, he takes a step back and hides behind a woman who I assume is his mother.

Beyond the family, there's a whole crew of men, women likely Kal's employees.

It's overwhelming to be greeted by such a somber crowd on the occasion of a wedding. I would have preferred a less daunting welcome. I didn't even see half of these people at the wedding, and the other half left before we did.

Kal broke the silence, his voice calm yet commanding. "Everyone, this is my wife, Arlyne Di Santis. She is now the La Donna of this house. No one is to disobey her. We all know how to treat our Regina-with the utmost respect and loyalty. I need not remind you of the consequences if you fail to honor her. She is family now, and her word carries the same weight as mine." No one makes a peep as everyone listens gravelly.

He takes my hand wordlessly, pulling me into the mansion. The familiar foyer stretches out before me, leading into the grand hall and branching hallways. I assume all the work happens on the ground floor and in the basement. I struggle to keep up with his brisk pace. We step into the elevator beside the sweeping staircase. Just before the doors close, I catch a glimpse of the family members entering another elevator on the opposite side. How many of them are there?

The guard presses the button for the third floor. The doors slide open with a whisper. My eyes widen, and I have to fight to keep my mouth from gaping. The space is enormous, unlike anything I've ever seen. chandeliers cast a golden glow over the marbled floors, reflecting off gilded mirrors and rich, dark wood paneling. Every detail screams wealth and power. This isn't just a mansion; it's a fortress of luxury.

There's a large, circular opening in the floor, in the middle of the giant hall almost like a huge skylight inverted. The gap is sizable enough to fit a small room and provides a view of the two floors below. I move towards it, leaning slightly forward and taking support from the florid wrought-iron railing that surrounds the opening.

"You can take all the time you need to explore, but I think you must have dinner." Kal says. Sounded more like an order. Do we have to go down and eat together? Kal responds as if reading my mind.

"You don't need to go down for anything. Everything is available here. Anything you want will be brought to you."

As he speaks, I see a middle-aged lady enter through the stairs. She greets me with a slight bow.

"This is Gail. She will be here for most of the day. You can always use her assistance." Kal says, his tone softening as he introduces her.

"Hello, Gail. Pleasure to meet you." I say softly, smiling at her.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Santis." It feels strange and yet pleasant to hear my new name. Gail seems genuinely pleased to meet me, reminding me of Seira. Thank goodness, at least someone here seems to like me.

"Gail will show you around. I will be back." With that, Kal leaves, not turning back. I open my mouth to ask him if he would not have dinner here? Is he going downstairs? Maybe to have dinner with his family. I see him scrolling through his phone as the elevator doors close behind him.

"What would you like to eat, Mrs. Santis?" Gail asks pleasantly.

"Oh, Gail, please call me Ari or Arlyne. Anything will do, and I would be happy to help you." I reply. She looks at me, horrified. Did I say something wrong?