Authors: Melita Joy
“I hope the pay-off you received was worth the loss of your job. Get out of my sight.” He needed to take stock of the situation as the table had turned, and the situation was no longer what he initially thought. This moment was inevitable, and he would be present to ensure the outcome did not divert from the original plan. He would not be repudiated after all these years of work.
The conversation had gone better than she expected, and an offer was extended to her to stay for coffee. She accepted eagerly and while he stepped out of the room for a short period she took the opportunity to take a look at some of his family photos on the wall. She thought back to her family photos and happier times.
A memory of a snow trip many years ago triggered. She would have been no more than six years old. Her parents had chased each other, slipping on the icy snow while she giggled at their mishaps. In retaliation, they threw snowballs at her before making the obligatory snowman that she only really remembered from the photos that were taken. A lopsided fella with round stone eyes, a twig for a nose and a leaf mouth adorned with her father's tweed hat.
The memory broke up the reality of her family life. The constant bitter arguments and her mother’s idle threats to leave. Leilani learned to tune them out, a good pair of headphones didn’t hurt either. She wasn’t close to either of her parents, her mother was a sewing machinist and worked long hours. When she wasn’t working, she was making it very clear to Leilani that all her hard work was for her. She complained incessantly about the hand she was dealt and not having what should have been her right.
“What rights are you talking about,” she remembered asking on more than one occasion.
Never you mind,” her mother shut her down any time she questioned.
Leilani didn’t understand her mother. She’d grown up in Italy not far from Renato’s home in Pontelandolfo. Her mother didn’t talk a great deal about her upbringing but from the snippets she’d gleaned she knew that her mother had done it quite tough. She didn’t finish her education and started work in the local bakery while she was still a young teen.
There had been one night her mother slightly intoxicated had opened up to her. She rarely drank, and the amber liquid must have loosened her lips as she shared a story of a handsome man back home that had once been the love of her life before breaking her heart irreparably. Her mother engrossed in the past let a tear slip. It rolled its way down her weary cheek. It was the first and only time Leilani had seen her mother cry and at that moment she had a heartfelt sympathy for her mum.
Her relationship with her father was even worse. Throughout the years, they would fight terribly yelling at one another, resulting in stinging slaps on the back of her thighs as punishment. Although not close to her mother nothing boiled her blood more than her father’s degradation and insults aimed at his wife. It was worse still when done publicly and always resulted in Leilani coming to her mother’s defence. Mind you for a petite woman her mother could pack a punch and could give back as good as she got.
She could never understand her mother’s commitment to him. In her younger days her mother was quite a petite beauty with long chestnut hair and lovely features she would have had her fair share of admirers. Unfortunately, it seemed her previous Italian lover had left her bitter, mistrustful and detached from allowing love into her life again, instead settling for her father who clearly didn’t make her happy.
Leilani brought herself back to the present and looked at a wedding photo taken a good forty to fifty years ago. The resemblance was there only he was incredibly dashing in a black suit, white shirt and silver tie with his bride. Her gown was modest, a simple lace dress with a fitted bodice and a slight A-line down to her white shoes. The wide brimmed lace bonnet, white choker with gold clasp and white gloves gave the bride a celebrity look.
There were several other photos of unfamiliar people and then she cast her eye on a picture of a young boy. Leilani leaned in to view the child with the familiar green-grey eyes. Those eyes, so distinct and such an unusual shade. Turning to the next photo was the same boy only a few years older and without a doubt she knew who he was.
They both entered at the same time through the two separate living room entrances. The grown up boy burst through the front door and dominated one entry while her elderly host returned through the other door.
She raised her hand to her mouth looking from one to another appalled, genuinely appalled as her mind linked the only possibility together.
CHAPTER NINE
“Dear God,” she uttered. Renato watched her trying to make sense of the situation, “Are you, my brother?”
“Mio dio! No, I’m not your brother,” he could understand how she had come to that conclusion but what sort of a man did she think he was. Even for the sake of the Favalli Empire he would not go so far as incest, it went to show just how little she knew about him.
“Sit down let’s talk,” he directed.
Leilani perched herself on the edge of a lounge chair and clenched the fabric of her new skirt, crushing and creasing it as she waited for clarity. Their deceit knew no bounds, and she wanted answers, would demand them.
It wasn’t Renato that started the explanation it was Vittorio, and he came out with it in the same manner he’d introduced himself, direct and with no preamble. “You are my daughter, but Renato is my adopted son,” he paused, maintaining eye contact with her. “Your mother and I were in a relationship many years ago and you were the product of our union.”
Leilani swallowed down the bile that crept up her throat, the product of their union indeed. As tempted as she was to use sarcasm she dropped the urge and tried to stay as neutral as possible. A range of emotions were brewing inside of her, and she wasn’t sure which one would triumph. “Well I’ve been around for twenty-seven years and you obviously knew I existed. Why agree to see me now and Renato, what was your part in this? Did you know who I was when you befriended me on the plane and suggested I come and stay with you? I’m sure you don’t go around offering personal shelter to everyone you meet?” the questions were springing to her mind in a torrent.
Both men started to speak, however; it was Vittorio who dominated while Renato stared at her, his face impassive.
“It’s an uncanny coincidence, my dear, that you found each other,” Vittorio stated.
Renato neither confirmed nor denied the comment and Leilani remained suspicious. “You’ll have to excuse me if I find this all a little difficult to swallow. Having spent all my years living a lie I don’t know what to believe,” Leilani pushed back the memory of finding out about her biological father. She was still raw, and she refused to show how affected she was in front of either man.
“Regardless I couldn’t be happier to be welcoming you as a daughter and as the wife of Renato,” said with just the right amount of gruffness. Leilani felt herself softening towards the man.
“Well,” she prevaricated.
“I’ve only shared this with Renato as he is my family and now I’ll share it with you. You will understand if I ask you not to leak this to the media. Any sign of weakness and they swarm like vultures,” his lips tightened. “I’m ill, very ill. It’s not good, and I would like to pass with peace knowing that I have handed my business and wealth to my bloodline. You are my only surviving blood, and it’s right that you receive your inheritance.”
“I didn’t search for you to take your money,” Leilani objected.
“I am not accusing you, in any case this I ask selfishly to allow me peace in my grave. I know you do not know me and you have no reason to grant me my wish yet. I ask that you give this quick consideration. I do not have long, and I’d like to settle my affairs sooner rather than later. Although I wasn’t present in your life I always made provisions for you, so I hope you realised that I still acknowledged you in a remote way.”
Leilani frowned thinking of the financial hardship her parents suffered over the years. “I was never acknowledged and I don’t understand what you are saying. Please let me think all of this over, as you can imagine I came here today hoping to find out more about you and to connect hopefully with you on some level. Today, well it’s been a lot to take in,” tension was pooling at the base of her skull, and she pinched her shoulder muscles in a futile attempt to lessen the knot.
“Take some time but not too long. As I have said, nothing has changed. You have found me, and I would like to acknowledge you now with an inheritance. I will leave you and Renato to talk this through,” Vittorio up and left without a backward glance.
She felt a pair of warm hands slowly manipulating her shoulders. Leilani had not even noticed Renato move to stand behind her. Her attention had been solely focused on Vittorio, well not entirely. She had snaked several glances his way, but she could read nothing. She had no clue how he was feeling about all of this and whether or not he honestly didn’t know.
“We need to talk,” he stated.
Well, that much was clearly apparent. She still needed answers. “I’m still doubtful that you knew nothing of Vittorio being my father. I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t make any sense. I mean don’t you think it’s a bit more than a coincidence that not only is your adoptive father my biological parent but that you should turn up here on the day that we are introduced?”
“I know it may seem like a stretch of the imagination. However, I think I can explain things adequately enough,” he continued to massage her shoulders, and she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.
“I think I’d rather we continued our chat with you sitting if you don’t mind,” she asserted.
Renato gave a small half smile and sat in the same lounge chair as her, leaving less space between them than she needed at this moment. He sat contemplating his thoughts momentarily, and she urged him on. “The truth, Renato. If we are to be married, then I refuse to live with more and more lies mounting up. You have no idea what it is like to live like that. Nearly the first thirty years of my life scattered into the wind like ashes. Tell me know what exactly is going on so that I can make a proper decision on my future,” Leilani let out a small amount of the frustration and emotion that had been growing.
Renato took in Leilani’s face. Her eyes highlighted with a touch of mascara looked bigger than usual today. She was trying to be assertive and unaffected, but she wasn’t pulling it off. He knew that his touch and his closeness flustered her, and he liked knowing that he had an unsettling effect on his wife to be. Most women would not hesitate to marry him. He would romanticise the situation, and she would no doubt deal with whatever small insecurities remained for her. He knew she would not renege on the marriage.
Leilani was a stunning woman. He now wondered how he didn’t see that initially. It couldn’t have been too hard to see beyond the poor styling and hair. For such an astute man, he’d allowed himself to be duped. “You are probably going to laugh at this,” he put on his most humbled performance.
Leilani tried to digest what Renato had just told her. Her pathetic heart skipped lightly, “So let me get this straight. You were jealous. You thought I was sneaking around having an affair, so you set your security team into action to follow me and catch me in the act,” she wanted to believe it.
“I promise that this is what I thought was going on. In fact, my latest update was that not only were you seeing Anselmo but you had taken him back to my apartment,” Leilani wasn’t convinced, so he grabbed her arm. “Come with me,” and he walked her out of Vittorio’s apartment and into his own.
In the kitchen, they found the cleaner. “Ah, Signore. You have found Miss Leilani,” she beamed in obvious relief.
“Yes, thank you and I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did,” he repented.
She waved a hand at him and spoke to him in rapid Italian and laughed continuing with her chores.
“What did she say?” Leilani asked.
“She said when people are in love they don’t always act in their usual way.”
“You are hardly in love though,” Leilani refuted.
“The cleaner has no reason to believe otherwise as we are engaged. So do you believe me now? I came home, barked at the cleaner, looking for you, convinced I’d find you in your lover’s arms. Only when I got in here you were nowhere to be found,” he looked straight into her eyes with sincerity and before she could answer he whipped out his phone and started dialling Savino. He put his head of security on speaker phone. “Savino, I have Leilani here with me so please only talk in English. It appears that the situation wasn’t what we expected. She was here to meet Vittorio. Now I’ve told her the truth of what I thought was happening and she has her doubts that I’m telling the truth. So please explain what I asked you to do and what we thought was going on.”
“Oh, it’s alright,” she interrupted.
“I’ll have no seed of doubt in our marriage. Savino,” he prompted.
Savino gave the same recount of events as Renato had leaving Leilani no choice but to believe him. “Thank you, Savino, for clarifying.”
“You are welcome,” and he disconnected the call.
Renato took a hold of both of her shoulders and faced her towards him. “I know that the start of our marriage is not romantic, it’s not what you may have dreamt of as a young girl.”
“It’s nothing like anyone’s marriage that I know of,” she agreed. “It’s more like a business arrangement.”
He gently squeezed her shoulders. “Well in that case we are definitely in luck,” he stated.
“How do you work that out?” she asked sceptically.
“I’m a brilliant businessman,” he smiled. A real smile filled with his perfect teeth and his eyes shining at her.
Leilani’s breath hitched. He was incredibly attractive, and when he laid the charm, on he was impossible. “So are you saying that you are not good at romance?” she teased.
Taking up her challenge he held her gaze, and her peripheral view blurred as he leaned in to kiss her. Nearly losing her balance she gripped his shoulder and waist, and he reciprocated pulling her into his body. His lips warm and firm softened against her own as his tongue trailed along the inner edge of her lip inviting her to deepen their intimacy. She cushioned her head on his shoulder, as he angled his face further towards her, possessing her mouth with his. Leilani felt alive, safe and desired. Never had a man held her like this, like a long-ago romance hero dipping his woman in final victory.
Her mind cleared of everything, but this moment. He gently steadied her upright and slowly loosened his grip. As she looked into his face, she could see that he’d been affected by the kiss. A fleeting look before he quickly gained his usual control, but the moment had lasted long enough for her to notice and with that knowledge she knew her decision. As he had said, marriages had started on a lot less.
“How much time will you need to think this situation through?” he asked carefully. “Vittorio is not a patient man he will want an answer relatively quickly.”
“Yes, I gathered that. I just don’t want people to think that I’m marrying you for the money. It makes me feel uncomfortable.”
“People will think what they think. None of us can control that.”
“I guess so, unless,” Leilani thought out aloud, “Vittorio publicly announces me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t bank on that happening. He is a private man and very conscious of his reputation,” Renato side stepped.
“And what of my reputation, surely that counts for something. Would he want me humiliated?” her voice escalated, and Renato took a hold of her hand.
“I know Vittorio well,” he paused realising that it wasn’t by her choice that she didn’t know the man. Facts were still facts, and she would be better off if he started clarifying now what her life would be like. She grew up in Sydney’s inner west with little to no family politics of that he was sure. “In the eyes of Vittorio you will be well compensated for your troubles,” before she could interject he cut her off. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but Vittorio is from a different generation; he’s Italian, and he is an alpha male.”
“Meaning?” Leilani didn’t want to give up on this yet.
“Meaning, that it will be his way or the highway. If you are hoping for a public acknowledgement, then don't let it be your idea. You’ll have a better chance of it if he thinks of it for himself.”
“From what you’ve said I have none in Buckley’s of that happening,” she pouted.
“Leave it to me. I may be able to sway him to that train of thought,” he kissed her forehead, and she relented on the topic. “So when will you decide?” he pushed again.
It felt good that he was asking as though she had a choice. However, she wasn’t silly she knew that if she declined the proposal he wouldn’t hesitate to force her hand. It was important to believe there was an option. She needed to feel as though she had a window in the small confines of the room he’d created for her. “I guess I’ve already made my mind up. I’ll go ahead with the marriage. I know I don’t owe the man anything but he is my father, and he’s dying. I don’t think the enormity of that has even sunk in,” her eyes rounded. “I just feel so strange about it all. I mean if any other family were to tell me that they were dying I’d feel something. I don’t know him though, and all I feel is a rather selfish regret that I mightn’t get the chance to know him” she admitted. .
“He’s a fighter; I’m sure there’ll be enough time for the two of you to get to know one another better. Come on let’s not get too down about this. You’ve just found him so you should be rejoicing,” he smiled to distract her.
“Yes you are right,” his thumb was stroking her hand.
“Do you need to let your family know back home?”