Dangerous Desires

61

A few weeks went by and there was a meeting at the business. Mark brought me and Tenebroso to it. I pushed Tenebroso in his stroller since he had a little cold. I stood in my normal spot in the room as the men said their 'mornings' towards me before sitting down. Antonio started the meeting.

Antonio was his usual, gruff self as he began the meeting, his sharp gaze sweeping over the assembled men. It was clear that he was trying to maintain his usual stoicism, but there was a hint of something different about him - a slight tension in his shoulders, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. When his eyes fell on me, however, his expression softened, just a bit, before quickly hardening again.

"Let's keep this brief," he started, his voice gruff and businesslike. "We've got a lot to cover." He went through the usual business, discussing upcoming plans and ongoing operations. The men in the room listened intently, jotting down notes and asking the odd question. Antonio's gaze occasionally flickered towards me and Tenebroso, but his focus remained mostly firmly on the meeting.

"Now, onto the current situation..." Antonio said, his voice taking on a grim edge. He went over the latest intel, discussing potential threats and security concerns. The men in the room listened intently, some nodding along, others scribbling notes. Despite the serious topic, there was a quiet hum of business as usual in the room.

Mark glanced over at me and caught my admiring gaze. Despite his fatigue and the serious nature of the meeting, a small, warm smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He gave me a subtle nod as if to say, "I'm fine." But the bags under his eyes and the slight slump to his shoulders betrayed his exhaustion.

Antonio had just finished discussing a particularly thorny business matter when he suddenly shifted the topic. "There's... one more thing," he said, his tone guarded. He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, before continuing. "I have some personal news to share." The men in the room perked up at this, their attention shifting from business to Antonio's personal life.

He looked around the room, making brief eye contact with each man before his gaze fell on me. It lingered there for a moment, and I could swear I saw a flicker of something like guilt in his gaze before he looked away. "I've recently discovered that Indira is my daughter," he said bluntly, his voice gruff. A ripple of surprise and shock spread through the room.

The men exchanged surprised glances, clearly taken aback by the revelation. Some looked shocked, others intrigued, but all of them seemed to be processing this newfound information. Antonio's gaze flicked back towards me and Mark, his expression guarded but there was a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.

The room fell silent, an expectant hush settling over everyone. The men waited for Antonio to say more, to elaborate on the situation, but he said nothing. He just sat there, his hands clenched into tight fists on the tabletop.

As the men in the room offered their congratulations to Antonio, there was a sense of solidarity and support. They knew this must have been a big shock for him, and they were ready to back him up. Antonio nodded tersely, accepting their well wishes with a gruff and stoic demeanour. But there was a hint of gratitude in his eyes, a subtle softening of his usually stern expression.

The meeting continued, but there was an undercurrent of unease now. The men were clearly distracted by the bombshell Antonio had just dropped, and the atmosphere in the room was a little more charged than usual.

Mark glanced over at me, his expression a mixture of worry and curiosity. He could tell this was impacting me and he reached out to give my hand a comforting squeeze. Mark held my hand tightly, his grip firm and comforting. He could feel the tension in my body, and he could only imagine the whirlwind of emotions I must be going through.

He leaned in slightly, his voice low so only I could hear. "You okay?" he whispered gently.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied gently. The sound of Tenebroso's sneezes and coughs broke through the tension in the room, and all eyes turned towards me and the stroller. Antonio's gaze also flickered towards me as I started to make Tenebroso's bottle. His expression was stoic, but his eyes betrayed a hint of concern.

The meeting continued around me but it was clear that everyone was struggling to focus. The usual business-like atmosphere was punctuated with the soft sounds of Tenebroso's sniffles and whimpers. Mark leaned over and gently stroked Tenebroso's head, his touch soft and affectionate.

Tenebroso happily started to drink from the bottle, his little eyes closing in contentment. The soothing sound of the liquid filling the bottle filled the room, adding a strange sense of calm to the otherwise tense atmosphere.

Mark stood behind me, one hand resting gently on my shoulder. He knew I was likely overwhelmed, and he was doing his best to offer his silent support. 

Antonio watched as I cared for Tenebroya, his expression guarded. It was clear that he was struggling to process the situation, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes - a vulnerability he was trying to hide behind his usual gruff demeanour.

The men in the room kept their gazes on Antonio, trying to gauge his reaction to this unexpected turn of events. But he gave nothing away, his expression a mask of stoicism and control. After a few minutes, Tenebroso had finished his bottle and was looking much more content. He let out a soft sigh, his eyelids drooping as he started to drift off to sleep.

Mark quickly turned his attention to me as I started to cough. Concern flashed in his eyes as he moved to my side. "You okay?" he asked quietly, his hand instinctively resting on my back.

"I'm okay," I replied gently.