Chosen Karalina >Book 3

Chapter 6

〰️Leonardo Pov〰️

"I have lied to my wife countless focking times to protect this family." I complain pushing myself further into a chair, with a round glass of whiskey in hand. It's the only good thing keeping the pain away. "I can't even count on my two focking hands." I lift my one hand up for emphasis while the other moves to my mouth sipping the clean whisky. "The amount of times I put my work before her." I blurt out again feeling the alcohol kick in. "I lied straight to her face effortlessly and she believed me. But the one focking time I tell the truth..." I admit to my Padre at the New Jersey estate, all the while he just shakes his head at the 6th swirling drink in my hand, soon being placed to my lips again.

Padre confessed to me the statement Karalina made in court was all her idea. Even with all her arguing, crying and anger towards me she so freely expressed over the phone with him, as Padre bluntly put it. She came up with this scandalous love story to get rid of the obscene charges against me and walk a free man. Free man my ass. Antonio helped her a bit with some details of meeting in Italy. A lie I once told Chad. Everything fell into place. But she needed my Padres opinion. Apparently.

I know she just needed to vent and let out all her ridiculous bullshit problems she has with me. According to Padre, he has learnt from my darling wife, and he quoted, how I'm the worst husband in the world, a cheating manipulator and my favorite, a traitorous coward. That was a new one she came up with.

Despite her ranting, I'm quite grateful she reached out and found comfort in my family, especially my padre, instead of her own. It showed she was still loyal to the family. Something I should've been to her.

I haven't seen Karalina for four days now, and I hate to admit I'm a bit afraid to face her. Afraid of her reaction towards me, last time we spoke in our home it didn't end well. She was done with me.

When we left the court house, photographers were all over the place, reporters asking way too many questions on the case at hand, leaving Francesco to make a statement as I slid after Karalina into the back seat of the black car.

I felt like there was hope for us, like she forgave me and I could finally  explain everything to her. Explain my big mistake.

Surprisingly, the car stopped a block away from the courthouse. "You can get out now." Her voice mixed with the vile look on her face, confused the shit out of me. Did she still want a divorce? I thought to myself as I subconsciously climbed out of the car in a trance and saw Sonny waiting for me with my BMW behind me.

That's when I knew I needed to clear her name and tell the truth. Tell her family she wasn't a lying cheating woman she claimed to be on that stand to get me out of prison.

"God, why did I lie to her to begin with? She's so trustworthy, I could've told her the truth about anything, she wouldn't have told a damn soul." I say not believing the conversation I'm currently having with this man, that is my father.

"For her safety." Padre says flatly.

"For her safety is what I told myself is the reason I lie to her. But we both know it was never the reason." I shake my head slightly placing the glass down on my Padres desk. Too exhausted to be giving a fock about the coaster I often stress about. "Bad shit still happened to her regardless. Police still questioned her, regardless. She still had to stand on that focking stand and lie for me, lie for this focking family that's got me in this mess to begin with.. Jesus. How did I mess up this badly with her? I'm getting too old for this shit. If she finds out how to get the kids I'm a dead man... I was so close to-."

"She knew." Padre cuts me off.

"Knew? Knew what?" I ask confused failing to lift myself from the comfortable leather seat.

"I told her." Padre says.

"Told her what?" I ask annoyed leaning into the chair again giving up on the battle of sitting up straight.

Padre rolls his eyes. "I told her if you stayed in prison she would get the kids, judge will rule you out completely.."

I stare at this man mouth agape. My brows crease together in disbelief at how this father of mine was almost the cause of my love being gone from me forever. But I know he was merely testing her. Something he does so often and has instilled in his children.

He continues. "I even gave her a plan to keep you in prison, she still lied on that stand for you. She loves you. You just not fighting hard enough for her."

Suddenly feeling more sober then before as an epiphany hits me. "I have to go." I say walking to the door.

"And try not to lie when you see her. Work on it." Padre advises, but I don't respond to his humor as I pull out my mobile to get a hold of a pilot.

I ended up driving. The drive was good though, gave me time to think. To get my words together contemplating if I should get her flowers or jewelry she would appreciate at this moment. But I didn't want to stop anywhere, I couldn't waste anymore time to be far away from her.

I still cant believe she would pull the skin off her own face like that and lie on a stand for me. I don't even deserve it. I don't deserve her. And not even that focking Chad fock face. What I heard in the court room about their marriage had me wanting to cut each finger Antonio ever owned to force out the focking truth out of that damn lying mouth of his. But I never had the pleasure of seeing him. His avoiding me again. The same way he did when Alessandro died.

"Welcome home boss." Smokey says at the gates of the mansion, he seems almost pleased to see me. I have been gone for over a week now. But all I am happy about is finally driving up my driveway of this mansion which was once our home to see Karalinas beautiful face. I let out a breath when the ignition dies.

"Okay Mr cheesy. You got this. This is your wife. Tell her the truth. Just tell her the focking truth." I give myself a little pep talk the way Karalina does. I shake my head realizing it doesn't actually focking help. But I build the courage and walk up to the concrete steps of our home we can rebuild again...

Walking through the doors I spot Anny coming from down the stairs and I place my finger on my lip for her to be quiet.

"Where is she?" I whisper.

She looks hesitantly to the kitchen. "Kitchen." She says with concern evident on her face.

"Is she cooking? How has she been?" I ask trying to figure out which mood she will be in.

"She's cleaning." She says with an apologetic shrug.

"What?" I ask thinking why my wife is doing this housekeepers job I graciously pay her to do.

"It's all she does. She's been cleaning everywhere, everyday. At night...." Anny says softly looking around to see if anyone's listening. "She eats buckets of ice cream and candy bars and cries herself to sleep watching all kinds of romantic movies."

My brows pull together. "Maybe she's on her period."

"I thought the same thing, but she hasn't used any of her tampons in a while." Annys response causes me to eye her skeptically wondering how observant she really is, or if she's mentally okay in the head to be watching my wife's monthly blood flow.

My head whips in the direction of the kitchen when I hear Karalina cussing and something falling.

"Thanks." I tell Anny stepping away from her.

"I don't mean to pry.." She stops me from walking any further and I turn my body slightly to look at her.

"But, did you really cheat on madam?" Anny takes me by surprise when she asks this with something of hope in her eyes.

"No." I say harshly then intended but she smiles nevertheless and nods with relief..