The Mobster's Princess

Charade of a Wedding

Rafael toyed around with his cufflinks, watching Rose prepare them breakfast like a pro. She seemed to enjoy her time in the kitchen, coming up with recipes and coming up with meals which took no effort but were still enjoyable. The girl he was watching that intently didn't look like the girl who plotted behind his back to get what she wanted. She reminded him of the shy, little girl who he felt the need to protect the same way he protected his sister. His mind wandering to Aria made him reach for his phone and call her. Rose spotted him when he walked up to her and grabbed his navy cup while a phone in his other hand, waiting for Aria to pick up her damn phone. It was a mystery to him how Aria was always glued to that device yet when he needed her to pick up she rarely did with the speed he would have liked.

"Did I wake you?" He asked when she did answer.

It startled him when Rose took his cup from him and got his coffee ready.

"You take anything in it?" She asked.

"A bit of milk and one sugar." He told her.

"You playing house with her?" Aria asked, the mocking tone obviously clear in her voice.

Rose got his coffee ready the way he liked it and handed it to him, "Breakfast is almost done." She told him, "You joining me before you leave?"

"Thanks." He wasn't able to keep his face in its usual impassive mask, instead, he showed her how utterly confused he was with the situation, "I'll join you." He mumbled, taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen while Rose hummed away and continued her task of preparing them a healthy meal.

"I guess so." He told Aria, "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better. I mean you should see the other guy." He heard rustling in the background and muffled voices, he guessed Aria was on the move, "Or maybe you know exactly how the other guy looks like."

Sebastiano was a man who couldn't control his temper, he could reel it in when he was ordered to. But an arrogant bastard who thought the world revolved around him and dared to lay a hand on their sister was going to get it. He didn't need to see the guy to know what he looked like. He probably couldn't leave his house for a while without making people stare at him. He couldn't admit all of this to his sister though, she was speculating right now. If he confirmed it she'd be pissed, he never saw Aria pissed before but he figured she'd give him and their brothers the cold shoulder while his father would chew them out. He wasn't looking forward to that, so he denied everything.

"I have no clue what you're talking about, Aria." He took a sip of his coffee, "I was with you the entire night eating pizza and watching that sorry ass of a movie. Your taste is questionable at best."

He noticed Rose shooting him a curious glance. She had no idea what happened to Aria, they were on the outs after all. He could tell she wanted to ask him about it, but she held her tongue. Rose probably knew another side to his sister which she kept hidden from her brothers. Her darker side.

"You're right." He could hear in his sister's voice that she believed him, "I should embrace it, he'd never hit another girl again. And it's true." She mumbled, "He has a temper and thinks he can do whatever he wants. It was inevitable."

"Is that so?" Rafael asked, still playing the innocent card.

Rose made her way over to him and set the table, placing a plate of scrambled eggs with toast and a salad to the side in front of him. It looked like breakfast which they served at one of their restaurants. The expensive ones. He was sure it tasted the same too.

"Thank you, Rose."

She met his gaze, a soft smile spreading across her face, "You're welcome." She told him quietly.