The Italian Vow (Croesus #1)

Chapter 21

Laura Conti's POV

As Lucca had explained it, Lucia indeed stayed with us at the mansion. Even though the mansion was enormous enough, I don't think that it put enough space between Lucca and Lucia. I just don't trust her enough to stay on her side while we're staying on ours.

We had some dinner that was prepared by Lucca's housekeeper tonight as she knew there will be guests coming, perhaps Lucca told her first rather than me. We had some roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Lucia did not conceal her obvious flirting as she was being touchy with Lucca here and there, even though I was the one that wore his ring.

"Huh, nice diamond," she whispered to me when we were doing the dishes, well me mostly doing the dishes.

"It's amethyst, actually," I murmured under my breath when she walked out of the kitchen, leaving myself to clean up. I sighed as picked up the plates and the wine glasses.

"Here, let me help," Lucca said as he carried the other plates that were on the table to the sink. I was taken back by his offer before murmuring thanks to him.

"You can put it over there," I said as I was washing the dishes with soap.

"No, it's okay. I can rinse it," he said as he stood next to me when he pulled a clean towel and started drying the plates before putting them on the rack.

"Thank you," I said.

"For what?" Lucca asked me as he was diligently cleaning the plates and the glasses.

"When I married you, I don't expect you to do the dishes all alone. We are a team and I see you as my equal," he said before putting on the towel as I've just finished washing my hands. He took my hands and dried them.

"I can do it myself," I said, giggling as he was drying them up.

"But I want to," he said before pulling me closer by the waist and holding me to him. I was laughing as Lucca was chuckling at me. I snaked my hands to his neck before I looked into his slate orbs.

"It's been a long time since you laughed," he said as he was caressing my cheeks. I leaned into his touch. I looked at him again and this time his orbs were glistening with something that I did not know he was capable of.

"Lucca," I breathe out.

"Shh," he said before putting his thumb on my lower lips. My tongue instantly swept across my lips, touching his thumb. He was about to kiss me when Lucia interrupted us.

Again, bad timing for us to have a moment. I groaned inwardly.

"Lucca, oh my. Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Her voice echoed through the kitchen. I instantly got out of Lucca's embrace. I cleared my throat before going out of the kitchen.

"I'm tired, maybe I should turn in for bed," I said sheepishly as I went past Lucia who was standing in front of the kitchen door.

Lucca Giovanni's POV

Seriously, can this bitch ruin any of my moments with Laura? It has been forever since I got her all wobbly and in my arms with that look on her face. I rubbed my face before that high pitch of Lucia's voice rang through my eardrums.

"She seems awkward when she's around you. Are you sure that she loves you? She looks kind of suspicious," This was the only thing that I can hear from Lucia as I went to hold her throat from speaking any bad stuff about Laura.

"Listen here, you bitch. I don't need to hear anything bad from that dirty little mouth of yours. I know why you're here and I am not afraid to send you back to Rome to where my mother told you to spy on me and Laura. Understood?" I said as I was looking at her. She looked terrified as she saw this side of me before. She nodded.

"Good, now get out of my sight," I said as I released her throat and she coughed before running out of the kitchen. I was breathing heavily when I punched the wall. I needed to calm the fuck down as I don't want Laura to see me like this. I took a few deep breaths before walking toward the bedroom. I was taking one last deep breath before entering the bedroom.

"Laura?" I called out for her. I went to check the bathroom. It was empty. I went inside the closet, there was no sign of her either. I saw a lump on the bed I assumed it was her. I went to sit by my side of the bed. I sighed before speaking my mind.

"Look, I'm sorry I did not tell you that Lucia will be staying with us the first thing that I received was a letter from my mother. I should have declined her as I don't want her to interrupt our life anymore. I am sorry. I will send Lucia back first thing tomorrow," I said as I want to go on.

But, without any response from her, I went to check up on her. To my surprise, when I opened up the cover, it was only plumps of pillows and I heard the roaring of the engine outside the mansion and looked at the familiar car of mine soaring through the busy traffic of Milan.

Merde!

"Lucia. Lucia. Lucia!" I called her out as she did not answer my call. I went to the guest room and knocked on the door.

"Lucia?" I asked before opening the door. It was locked. I took the master key to my bedroom and opened the goddamn door. I switched on the lights and the bedroom was empty. I ran my fingers through my head as I looked at the undisturbed baggage and suitcases. I was being played by her again. My phone rang and went to pick it up.

"Hello?" I said almost angrily at the caller.

"Woah, are you okay, Lucca?" Nate's voice was at the end of the line. I calmed down for a bit.

"Nothing, just something on my mind. Why do you call?" I asked him as I rubbed my face.

"It's about Laura. I might have told her about Leonardo Ricci. He was one of her father's business associates and was the last one to see Mr. Conti before the day he died. I think that he might have something to do with the murder," Nate said as I was running around to the bedroom to get my coat and keys.

"Why are you only telling me this now, Nate?" I screamed at him before asking for the address that Laura might have gone to. I rushed toward the basement and went to the garage before going to the address at that late of night. I just hoped Laura did not do anything stupid.

Laura Conti's POV

I was getting ready for my investigation when I snuck out from the mansion using the back door that Lucca's housekeeper always use whenever she went to work. I was wearing my leather jacket and put my black hair in a French braid as I want to get it out of my way.

I reached the basement and went to get one of Lucca's cars, the subtle one, a black Audi 835i. I unlocked it before going out of the garage and soaring through the road.

I arrived at the said destination for the abandoned warehouse. It was dark and quiet and there was no sign of human activities around it. So, why would my father want to come here all alone with this Ricci guy?

I got out of the car and locked it before walking toward the warehouse. It was cold as I hold onto my jacket more tightly and went to the front of the warehouse. It did not have any lock or anything as I pushed it open, the inside was so dark. Fortunately, I remembered to carry a torch at this time and hour.

I switched it on before I looked around the warehouse. It has nothing at all when there were just unused furniture and some barrels. I saw some cobwebs that suggested it was not being disturbed in the last week.

I was looking around again when I saw a door that said 'KEEP OUT' and 'BEWARE'. Naturally, as an archeologist, I would go inside this place. So I went and what I found might shock everyone who saw it too.

The room was full of cocaine and ecstasy pills that could get the police dogs going crazy. It was thousands of kilograms of those items and I was about to report this room when I heard someone walking through the door.

"Looks like kitty found its curiosity," a familiar voice rang through my eardrums before I knocked the light out of me. Then, everything went black.