The Italian Billionaire's Lover

CHAPTER 25

'Gabriella, you said it was an emergency!' Tomas stood outside his mother's home.

'Tomas come in,' Gabriella tugged his arm. She looked behind his broad shoulders and hid her smile when she noted he was alone. 'It's your mama.'

'Mama? Is she unwell?'

'She's been crying the whole morning caro,' Gabriella leaned on Tomas, as she tucked her hand in his arm.

Tomas hurried from the foyer in search of his mother and found her in the luxurious living room, with a crumpled handkerchief in her hand.

'Mama! Are you not well?' Tomas dropped to his knees.

'Tomasa, finally you have decided to visit,' she narrowed her eyes at her doting son.

'What is the problem mama?'

'It is you Tomasa. You,' she accused. 'You leave me here in this big house all alone. You do not care for me anymore, ever since you married that---that kitchen worker!' she sobbed pathetically. 'And I told you about the maintenance. Something's wrong with the plumbing. There is no hot water. You used to care about me Tomasa, what's happened to you?' she turned on the waterworks.

Tomas rose to his feet, his eyes thunderous. He silently counted to ten and schooled the expression on his face as he looked from his mother to Gabriella, who very quickly hid the triumphant smirk on her face, just before her eyes met Tomas.'

'Is it not you that wanted to come here mama, when I requested you to stay at Gustav's place? You would have had company there, with family.'

'You are my family!' she wailed hideously. 'You are my flesh and blood, my only child, yet you abandoned me!' She used the handkerchief to cover her contorted face.

'That's enough mama! What has brought this on? You have always preferred your independence...even when married to my papa.

Tomas didn't want to go there. He did not want to think about the misery his father suffered being married to his unappreciative mother. Still she was his parent. He had an obligation to serve his mama. He looked helplessly at Gabriella across from where his mother sat.

'When I came downstairs this morning, I found her crying her heart out,' Gabriella shifted closer to Tomas, she laid her hand on his shoulder. 'Poor Keres, she misses you so much, caro.'

'At least Gabriella cares about me,' Keres complained. 'You should have married this wonderful girl. She treats me better than that ---that.'

'Mama!___'

With his back to Gabriella, Tomas could not see the wicked smile covering her face.

'Oh, I suppose she can do no wrong in your eyes,' Keres accused. 'You don't see the way she looks at me with such hatred, like---like she wants to kill me!'

'Do not be ridiculous mama! Alina will not harm a fly.'

'I don't trust her,' Keres raised her voice. 'You should have married our Gabriella. She was the one chosen for you.'

Tomas just glared at his mother as he contained his anger. Only his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, gave any indication of the storm building up inside him.

'I wanted Gabriella to become Mrs. Tomasa Casiraghi,' Keres continued to turn the knife in Tomas' heart. 'She has the poise, elegance and training to stand by you publically.'

'As you are aware, it is now too late to cry over spilled milk mama.'

'It is never too late,' she shook her head violently. 'You can divorce that tramp!'