The Side Wife

Eleven

"You like your coffee black right?" Alessio asked while reading the menu. Everything looked appetizing essentially since hunger was overtaking him.

"Yes." Ines was sitting across from her husband. The cafe that he had brought her to was a small but lively place. The bright interior made it feel welcoming.

A server soon came and took their orders. Alessio ended up ordering for the both of them and Ines was a little shocked that he had ordered for her perfectly. He had paid attention throughout their years of marriage. Ines noticed that lately Alessio had been a lot more attentive with her. What in the world had made him change. Was is just due to the fact that she was not acting like her reserved self anymore.

"So I was planning to have a small gathering at our house for your birthday. I already sent out initiations out to some of your old college friends. Stella helped me with that of course."

Ines raised an eyebrow at him. She had not not seen anyone from her life before marriage in what felt like forever. Part of it was because her two main friends had ended up moving to America. They wanted to live city lives in New York like in the movies. After a bit from them having gone off she just fell off with both of them. Nothing bad between them happened it was just the distance. Hearing that Alessio had invited them though made Ines feel happy. She did miss her friends.

"So this is why you moved our dinner plans," Ines questioned.

"Yes, I just thought you deserved more. Plus those dinners are dreadfully boring. Your father always finds a way to bring work into every conversation." Alessio half smiled. He looked over at his wife and noticed that his comment had also made her smile.

"Yes my father is a huge workaholic." At the mention of work Ines's thoughts went to the man she had slept with and her husband had been doing business with. With a curious tone she asked what she wanted to know most at that moment. "Who was that man today that came from your office? The one you had lunch with when you saw me with my sister?"

Alessio was taken aback by her sudden interest in Richard Steel. He didn't want her to know why he was talking with him. He didn't want her to worry about his current situation. Ines didn't know what his father had done and he intended to keep it that way. He knew that if Ines found out about him needing money to pay the bastards that he needed to keep quite she would offer her fathers help. Alessio did not want to depend on Mr. Costa anymore then he had already. Mr. Costa was the one that helped his father flee the country and had been helping Alessio manage the finances since they were partners. If anything bad happened to the Addonizio's holdings the Costa family could be affected too. What Mr. Costa didn't know though was that the men they had paid off at the beginning never stopped asking for more. Alessio had been trying to think of something to fix his situation without having to ask Mr. Costa for more help but it seemed as if things got worse. He knew if Mr. Costa knew about the ransoms he wouldn't pay them more but make them disappear. Alessio did not want to do anything like that and become just like his father.

"My apologies, I'm prying," Ines said bringing Alessio out of his troublesome thoughts.

"No it's not that, Richard Steel and I go back. He's just been trying to do business with me and i'm not interested but he's hard headed and doesn't understand no as an answer." Ines made an "o" shape with her mouth as to understand him.

They went way back. Ines wondered what kind of history the two of them had. She shrunk in her seat and bit and the guilt consumed her all over for what she had done. Out of all of the people that she could have slept with she had to go and find someone that had a history with her husband. The thought of that haunted her. What if Richard told Alessio what they had done. It didn't seem as if they had a good relationship with one another. Richard could use her as leverage on him to get things he wanted by threatening to expose the intimate moment that they had shared. But would he be such a man to stoop so low to get what he wanted?

Ines knew nothing of the man other than what he could do to her body. She knew thought that she could not see him again. She had already dug herself deep and she could not dig herself into an even bigger hole.

"I'm handling him though."

Soon their food arrived and they both sat quietly for the rest of lunch enjoying their food.

...

Alessio sat amongst stacks of papers stacked on his desk. Consumed in work he didn't hear when a loud knock came from the door until it came again ringing throughout his office.

"Come in," he said in a frustrated tone. Who could it be? Lately it felt as if everyone just needed him more and more. He was under a lot of stress and sometimes almost gave into the idea of running to Mr. Costa to solve his problems. At this rate Alessio would probably have to do that, but he promised himself if anything happened it would be just for that one time and he would not repeat history. The last thing he wanted was to kill his way to stay on top. Money gave you power but he did not want to have his reputation tainted black.

"Good to see you old friend, you look like shit Alessio!" Allen chimed as he walked into his best friends office. Allen was the only one that knew of his situation and he had offered to help his dear friend in any way he could. Not only did he care for him but for his wife as well. The last thing he wanted was to see them go to ruin.

"Allen I wasn't expecting you."

"I decided to come earlier because this news I bring you could not wait any longer!"

Intrigued by what brought his friend to him, Alessio put all of his work aside and leaned forward in his chair.

"This better be good then."

"Even better then good. It's great." Allen soon started to tell Alessio what he had found on the two men blackmailing him with information on his father. He said he had found a paper trail that connected them to what the great Victorio Addonizio had done. They could not escape free even if they went to the authorities, they could be convicted too. They both knew that was the last thing those men wanted.

Allen placed a large yellow envelope on top of his friend's desk and slid it to him.

"This is everything you need to shut those bastards up. I already took liberty of making copies of everything and emailed them to you as well." Alessio could not believe it. His dear friend had gone above and beyond for him. In a world like his there was little people in who he could trust. He was grateful that he had Allen by his side.

"Allen you don't know how happy this news makes me feel. I owe you my life."

"Maybe just a drink to start off with." They laughed but Alessio agreed to take his friend out and to celebrate their new found information. Alessio would not have to resort to ulterior motives that could have led him down a precarious path.

Alessio's office phone soon rang cutting their moment of celebration. Alessio picked it up and answered seeing it was his assistant.

"Mr Addonizio," Ophelia said on the other line. She began to speak and Alessio's face formed a grim expression. He hung up and stood directing his attention to Allen.

"I must go attend to some business now, but I'll see you tonight at our usual spot." Allen nodded and followed his friend out of his office.

Alessio and Allen went in different directions once out of the office. Alessio was walking towards his assistant's office that seemed to need his attention urgently. While Allen left to start looking for the men that Alessio and him were about to crumble to the ground.

A/N

Hi guys!
Yes I'm alive and I'm good! It's been a very long time and I do apologize for that. I fell off of writing for a very long time but my passion has come back and I can't wait to continue to finish this story. My updates might be sparse since I'm college and have work but I will try my best to bring more chapters to you guys.

Hope you all are well!

-Katerin