CHAPTER 11
ARIANA D'ANGELO
My head rested on his shoulder, our bodies were covered with sweat. It feels so good to be in his arms, there's this strange warmth that makes me want more.
Pulling away, he stood up and picked his pants up from the bed. He buttoned up his pants, as he bent down to pick his shirt up his phone rang. He aswered the call while buttoning up his shirt. He got the tie tucking it in his pockets then spoke "Enjoy the party, I have some work."
"What work, and in the middle of a party? It's your party, Aless."
"It's important." With that he buttoned up the suit jacket.
He came closer to me and pecked my lips for one last time "I am sorry to leave but I have to."
I pouted "It's always your stupid work. What am I gonna do all alone?"
"You won't be alone, Bruno and your best friend are there to keep you company."
I rolled my eyes.
"Sorry." He said, exiting the room.
I pulled my dress back up, adjusting it well. Checking myself in the mirror for the last time, I went downstairs to attend the party. I tried searching for Seb but he wasn't anywhere. Suddenly my phone rang, I looked at the id to see it was Nick.
"Hey." I answered.
"Fred and I are spying on Alessandro." He said happily.
"Spying?" I asked.
"Yes. Maybe we can manage some news."
"It's a gala night, I don't think he'll do something here."
"I called to inform you."
"I know why you both are doing this, you wanna see what's going on at the party, don't you?"
He giggled "You are so intelligent."
"It's not needed Nick, not today atleast." I said trying to stop the both.
"Jesus! He's out! Do you see him?" I heard Fred's voice.
"Okay boss we'll talk later, we need to follow him." Nick said hurriedly hanging up before I could even protest.
These kidsss!!!
For the rest of the night Aless didn't return but I was still searching for him if by any chance he had returned. While searching for him I found Antonio.
I was about to ignore him and leave but before I could make any move, he noticed me "Ms. Lincoln."
Crossing my arms over my chest I stood in front of him.
"Good to see you again. Searching for someone?" He said smiling.
"Yes. My husband who happens to be your brother."
He chuckled "So Ariana it is. Can we talk for a moment?"
"Aren't we talking now?" I replied bitterly. I don't like him. The day Aless introduced us he was damn rude to me, he even called me a whore after that I am surely not talking to this man... with respect.
"Privately."
I don't trust him. "You know right if you try to do anything with me Aless will kill you?"
"Do you think he will? Just for a girl, he'll kill his own brother?"
No.
Just a girl. Of course I am just a girl to him.
Nope. You are lady the woman to him. Use your brains sometimes.
I nodded "Lemme correct you Antonio, you are not his own brother. So maybe for this girl he will kill you."
Seems like he didn't have a comeback for this one.
He moved aside, extending his hand for me to lead. I started walking while he followed, we were out of the mansion walking in the garden.
"Does the recorder still with you?" He joked.
I smiled "Why? You scared?"
He chuckled, shaking his head "I want to tell you a story... it's a little private. Once there was this guy who always wanted to be at the top, the hero of the story. His father wasn't any good guy but was his idol. He loved learning things from his father, he loved the attention he was getting from both his parents. Something happened, something really bad and the mother died, father thought it was his own fault. Then after 1 year he brought a new boy home. The hero of this story at that time was 6 but the guy who he brought home was 10. The love was divided and it felt to the boy he was losing his place in his father's heart."
I know who this boy is... it's him... he is telling me his own story.
"The boy tried to be good in everyone's eyes to be perfect but the boy wasn't perfect like the guy his father brought home. The guy who is his brother. He was just perfect, he didn't want to get involved in the business his father did so the brother asked his father to keep him away from his business. But the hero here wanted his father's business, he wanted it all. Since childhood this has been his dream but then all dreams came crashing down when the father asked his brother to take over his business. The all good act for the hero here didn't work, all his life he did act like someone he is not and it failed."
"Now he has to act all good in front of the brother too whom he doesn't like at all. So the boy thought the only way to get back the business is if he kills the brother."
I looked at Antonio.
Where is this going?
"And?" Came out of my mouth automatically.
Please tell me you didn't try killing Aless.
"He did it. He stabbed his brother on his back."
Antonio. No, you didn't. No.
"But the brother didn't die, he knew the boy did it and till date he hates the boy for betraying him."
"Y-You s-stabbed Aless!?" I asked in disbelief.
Antonio looked at me and smiled "Why is it that everyone loves him and not me? He treats you like trash but look at you, you care so much for him."
"Aless loves you Antonio."
He shook his head "He doesn't. The day I stabbed him, he saw me. Though he never told anyone about this, not even Diego but I know he hates me for that and trust me it is painful. Dad was right, I ain't mature enough to take on our business. We had Dad back then who loved us, but now he isn't there anymore. Alessandro has you to love him but for me it's no one. I wish he could love me like his own brother."
I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear feeling the wind hit my face. I closed my eyes while walking. "I'll tell you something, I have been with your brother for three years now and one thing about him I have known is that he is not good at expressing his emotions." I looked at Antonio and he was already looking at me "You know he loves you, whenever you are in trouble he tries his best to save you. Did you ever think he would marry a girl he didn't even know just to get you out of the prison?"
I stopped walking, he too stopped. I patted his shoulder "Your brother isn't perfect, he is weak when it comes to emotions. He thinks he doesn't love or care for anyone but the person he cares the most about is you. He will never come to you confessing his love towards you, it has to be you to understand his way of showing love. And his way of showing love is that he'll try to push you away from himself but he can't let you go."
"Ariana!" A voice called me, I turned back to find Bruno calling me "Time to leave!"
"Coming!" I shouted back.
"I hope I have been successful in introducing you to Alessandro D'Angelo." Smiling, I turned back making my way towards Bruno.
Business.
Giovanni D'Angelo's business, Aless is looking after. Because 'ADA' the whole empire was Aless's, Giovanni wasn't involved anyway with ADA.
This shit is confusing.... Now I need to know what Giovanni D'Angelo used to do.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I was hella tired last night, when my eyes opened I looked at the clock to see it's 10 am. Instantly I sat up on the bed while I was checking my phone. There were missed calls from Nick, Fred, Bruno and to my surprise, from Aless... atleast 8 missed calls from him.
Fuck! I overslept.
I dragged myself to the washroom, getting myself cleaned and dressed up for work I found Lorenzo waiting for me in the car.
"Good morning." He greeted me.
"I am really late Lorenzo, please be quick."
"I thought you won't be going to work." He said sitting in the car.
I was stuffing a muffin in my mouth as quickly as I could just so my stomach is a bit filled at least.
Within 10 minutes we were outside my office, I got down the car thanking him.
Strangely there were bodyguards outside my office standing with guns in their hands all in black suits.
I went inside ignoring them, but soon I stopped when I found every staff member in the office on their feets whispering things to each other and trying to peep inside Bruno's cabin.
"What's the matter?" I asked the receptionist Rosalie.
"I don't know about the matter but it's Alessandro D'Angelo in there." She replied.
"Alessandro?" I was confused.
Why would Aless be here?
She nodded "He looked really mad when he entered Bruno's office, I hope things are just fine."
I waited for Aless to come out of Bruno's office.
"Shit! How can it slip out of my mind?" Rosalie whisper-yelled "I am sure he is here for that news."
"Which news?" I asked.
"This morning, there was this news on our page about Alessandro and Bianca dating." She took her phone out and extended it towards me. I read the news:
"Alessandro D'Angelo and Bianca Abella in a relationship : Last night both were spotted making their way to Abella's house after the gala that was organised at the D'Angelo's Mansion."
It went further on describing more about Aless and Bianca. Not good stuffs. There were inappropriate comments on them, questioning Bianca's past relationships.
And the worst part about this news was... it was trending on one.
What the fuck!
It was posted in the morning at 8 and till 11 it's trending. Something caught my eyes, I looked at the reporter who published this article and... HOLY BATMAN!
It was me.
As if I was pushed from a forty-storeyed building, I felt my world crashing down.
Who the fuck did this!?
Weren't you sleeping in the morning?
Did my ghost do this?
I blinked my eyes again and again, pinched myself to check if I was dreaming.
But I wasn't... It was really Ariana Lincoln written on the article.
I didn't know anything about this shit! And I would never publish anything so stupid and most importantly how did Bruno give the permission of publishing such bullshit. The image attached doesn't prove anything whether both are in a relationship or not.
"Boss?" Nick's voice came from behind.
I ran to him "What the fuck is wrong with you guys!" I showed him the news "You posted this without even showing it to me, and why is my name written on it? You very well know I don't publish anything without proof and these shits definitely not."
"We took these pictures last night." He replied looking as shocked as I was.
"I don't care. Why did you publish it without asking?"
"I swear I didn't publish it. I don't know who did it. This morning as soon as I came, Bruno sent me to get some files from his house."
I exhaled audibly, I don't have anything to say he clearly didn't know about it.
Few minutes later, Aless came out of Bruno's office. While making his way towards the exit his eyes fell on me and after the news how can he ignore me.
He stood in front of me "Didn't think you can stoop so low Ms. Lincoln just for a few ratings. Pathetic."
He was not angry a reporter did it, he was angry because I am the reporter who has supposedly done it.
This is bad.
He looked really angry and I was scared.
"I-It wasn't me."
He nodded "Oh yeah? Your name is written in bold on that article, you should improve your lying skills, Ms. Lincoln."
"B-" Before I could complete my sentence he walked past me exiting the office.
"Mr. D'Angelo!" I called but he was surely in no mood to listen. I ran out of the office trying to stop him but he did not stop until he got inside the car.
"Will you just listen to me?" I said. I was getting irritated. I have been calling him so many times but he's just ignoring me, not even trying to know my side of the story.
"Diego, ask her to leave." Aless ordered Diego who in turn turned to me.
As he took one step towards me I backed away "Don't you dare touch me." I warned him.
He stopped.
The driver started the engine of the car but I ran and stood in front of it not letting him drive "Just let me explain!"
Rolling his eyes, Aless took his phone out paying attention to it "I am not moving until you listen to me."
Ignored.
"Ariana, please move." Diego spoke.
"I am fucking serious, it wasn't me. Why aren't you believing me?" I defended myself.
Ignored.
"Alessandro fucking D'Angelo listen to me!" I almost yelled this time, getting more irritated than I already was.
All his men... his driver... Diego everyone's eyes were on me as those words left my mouth, not to forget widened. Nobody in this whole universe has the right to talk to him the way I just did.
Slowly his eyes raised up from the phone to look at me, jaw clenched. He got out of the car and unbuttoned the button of his suit jacket making his way towards me. He held my arm pulling me to the right side of the car and pushed me back. My back leaned against the car door while both his hands rested on either side of me "You dare talk to me like that."
"I-I'm sorry."
"What were you thinking before publishing such rubbish on the internet? You are not ready for people to address you as my slut but you are okay if they address some other girl as my slut?"
I shook my head "No."
"I went to Bianca's place just to drop her I wasn't there fucking her. This morning she came to my place showing me this shit and what do I get to know? The reporter who did it is my own wife. Isn't it great?"
"I am telling you it's not me!"
He scoffed, "Stop lying!"
"I am not lying! It wasn't me! I didn't do it."
"Christ! I can't believe this! It's your name Ariana written on the article!" He shouted, making me jump in fear. He held both my arms pulling me closer, staring straight at my eyes he said "These days your acts are forcing me to regret marrying you."
My eyes went teary at this sentence.
He did not say that.
He just said regrets marrying me.
He left my arm and got in his car. After the car left I stood staring at the path blankly not believing what he just said.
The thing he said isn't something I can take, my mom and dad have always told me they regret my presence in their life, they used to say I am a mistake and trust me when someone calls you a mistake it hurts real bad.
I didn't go back to the office, it was just I didn't feel like it. When I reached home I directly went to the bedroom crying on the bed like a baby over what Aless said.
I am really insecure about myself especially when someone regrets my presence in their life.
After crying over this for almost the whole day I didn't realise when I fell asleep while crying when I woke up it was evening, I checked my watch to see it was 8. I sat up on the bed rubbing my eyes.
Why am I crying? Just because he said something? He always says these stuffs to me that doesn't mean I cry about it all day.
This is so childish.
You are stronger than this Ari, really strong.
ALESSANDRO D'ANGELO
I regretted instantly as those words rolled off my tongue. The tears in her eyes were just enough to tell me she was hurt.
Why? Why do I always hurt her?
When I talked to Marino he said he didn't know how the news was published, seeing Ari's name on it he said she didn't come to him for permission if the news had to be published or not. Usually it's him who everytime goes through an article and permits if it has to be published but this time he didn't have any idea about it.
I asked him to either take down the article and post an apology saying the news was incorrect, that there has been a misunderstanding from his side or I shall simply close the company he runs.
And surely he chose the first one. Wise man.
But in either ways his ratings are going to come down because if he reveals the news published was fake then the people are not going to trust the channel anymore... not my look out.
There was a knock on my office door, I muttered a 'come in' and inside came Antonio. He stood in front of my desk with his hands back.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The news has been taken down about you and Ms. Abella."
I nodded "It had to."
"They also posted an apology on their social media page."
I replied to him with a single nod.
"T-There was s-something I wanted to talk about."
"I'm listening." I said continuing to work on the laptop. I don't know why he sounds so nervous to talk about whatever he has to say.
"M-Ms. Abella a-and." he stopped. "N-No. The thing is last night the party was really g-good, wasn't it?"
I stopped typing on the laptop and looked up at him in confusion "What?"
"N-No." he said, shaking his head. He was himself confused about what to say. Gulping once he cleared his throat and continued "Ms. Abella and you looked really nice last night on the dance floor."
I leaned back on my chair, staring at him, trying to understand where this conversation is going.
"S-So, it was just a suggestion that you can date her."
Now I know why you were nervous.
"You know right, I am married?"
He nodded "I am well aware of that but since you don't love Ariana, why not go on a date with Ms. Abella. Just one date won't hurt you."
So this is what Antonio and Bianca were talking about, clearly why Ari was so mad. So jealous you are Ariana.
I nodded "I agree, one date wouldn't hurt."
He smiled, nodding his head in excitement.
Leaning forward, I rested both my elbows on the desk with hands joined together "Why don't you do something, go and ask my wife if she would allow me to go on a date with some other woman, if she is okay with it then I don't have any problem in going on a date."
The smile instantly vanished from his lips. He very well knows, Ari will kill him if he takes this offer to her.
"I-I s-should g-get back to work." Saying he left as fast as he could.
I shook my head and focused my attention back to the laptop screen.
When I returned back home, it was half past eight, on reaching my room I took off my shirt and made my way towards the washroom to freshen up. When I returned back I changed into my sweats as I was about to put on a t-shirt I heard a loud thud. It was the main door.
I rolled my eyes.
Christ Ariana! You are making me insane!
I made my way downstairs just to find a mess there. The frames and the vase had fallen down while she was adjusting them back. I went closer and stood behind her with hands in my sweat pockets.
"Why are you here?" She was startled at this sudden move of mine.
She turned around instantly and was about to fall down when I held her waist preventing her from falling and as a result her hands rested on my bare chest.
Her mouth opened on seeing me shirtless, she gulped while her eyes fixed on my chest "Woah!" She was feeling my chest, pressing her hands on my chest. I pulled back from her moving away.
She cleared her throat "Hey. Your guard once again is of no use. You should fire him you know, again as always me, Ariana Lincoln was able to fool him and break inside the house."
I turned back making my way towards the kitchen "Aless! Aless! I didn't do anything."
Since morning she has been repeating the same fucking thing when everyone knows it was her.
I don't understand why she needs to lie.
Taking out a bottle from the refrigerator and drinking water from it while she continued defending herself which was 'sorry' and 'it wasn't me'. I want her to explain why I should believe she is innocent.
Placing the bottle back as I was about to leave she held my hand pushing me back against the refrigerator.
"Stay here and listen to me."
"That's what I have been waiting for, why on Earth are you apologising if it wasn't you? Can't you just explain what happened?"
"That's the problem, I don't know anything, so how am I gonna explain? And I don't even know if you will trust me."
"That's mine to decide, not yours."
"I agree, you were being stalked last night. The boys informed me they were behind you."
I crossed my arms over my chest listening to her.
I know this part. I knew someone was following me that was the only reason why I said yes to Bianca when she asked for a ride or else I would've just arranged for her some ride after all it's the mafia that matters the most.
After I dropped Bianca I went straight to the penthouse, when I was sure they left I disguised myself and went to get over the unfinished job.
"I-I didn't know anything about you and Bianca. The article was a news to me too. I wasn't even being informed about it."
"Then why was your name on it?"
"I don't know. Do you really think after knowing my husband is fucking some other woman I will publish an article rather than confronting him? Bloody stupid!" This time she looked annoyed and turned back.
For a minute she didn't speak, her hands were on her hips looking so frustrated.
Then turned again towards me "You know because of you, only because of you I spent a whole fucking day crying and sleeping like an idiot."
She hit me on my chest once "I fucking hate you!"
And I took it... she looked really mad so I didn't protest.
Again she hit me on my chest "So bad you are! So fucking bad!"
"How could you? How could you? You know I hate it when someone says they regret my presence in their life and today you did mean it."
My silence just fueled her anger "You don't have anything to say? Jesus! I can't believe it! In your anger you said so many bad things to me and for that you have nothing to say?"
Again I remained quiet.
"Fuck you." Saying she turned back to leave I held her hand pulling her back, my hands rested on her waist, our chest touching each other.
I tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "You know if some other reporter would have been stalking me 24/7, he surely would've been jobless until now. I am tired Ariana, of warning you again and again but you are just taking advantage of me. You very well know I won't hurt you and you are taking advantage of it, or else for sure you wouldn't have your job."
She stared straight in my eyes "Yes. I am taking advantage of it and I won't stop until I know everything about you. Every damn thing. And I have every right to know about my husband."
"But you are using your job for your personal reasons."
She smiled "You don't have to think about my job, I am very much aware of what I am doing."
She won't stop. I know Ari, I know this Ari so well. I have made her this. I have spoiled her. I have made her stubborn.
Her eyes stopped on my lips "Shall we not talk of work now?" She licked her lips and stood on her tiptoes leaning towards me, her face so close. When our lips were about to meet the doorbell rang.
******
a/n :
Knock Knock, any guesses who's there????
Another chapter up!
About the double updates or triple updates (which I read in a comment) I'll definitely try to give double updates the next time. I have been a bit busy lately so not getting time.
Hope you liked the chapter.
I'll see you in the next one.
❣️