Adele's silence was bothering Francesco. She was just looking down at her hands in her lap and biting her lip as she was sitting opposite him at the breakfast table he had set up for them. Francesco spoke "Adele. When I ask you a question, I expect a response. I don't ask anything twice from anyone. But you are not anyone of course. So here is another chance for me to repeat my question. Answer me now. Tell me something that you think I should know about how your brother managed to not know anything about the extent of your relationship with O'Connor. I need to give him a verdict and sentence him today. Also sweet heart don't ever look elsewhere when I look at you. I want to see your beautiful eyes when I speak to you."
Adele could not believe Francesco's words. He had brought Angelo to his mansion and was asking her to defend her brother as though Angelo had committed any crimes. She wasn't even sure if she could make things worse for Angelo by speaking. She reluctantly looked up and sighed "Francesco. What do you expect me to say? You are scaring me here by speaking with so much threat in your voice about my brother. Angelo is a member of my family. How can you speak so casually about giving him a "Verdict" as you call it as though he has committed a crime by being kept in the dark for so long about my relationship with Michael. I kept him in the dark because .... I was afraid he might come to New York and tell you about me being in a relationship and knowing you, I was certain you would hurt me. Try to understand Francesco. You left me all alone without contacting me. I was sure you had moved on by the time I met Michael. But part of me knew you were going to go after him even if you were married to another woman. So the fault is all mine. I didn't tell Angelo anything. That's why he didn't know anything about me. If you want to give anyone a verdict, that should be me. Not him. I am the guilty one."
Adele was feeling nervous. She didn't know what to expect next from Francesco. Was he capable of hurting her? His passive facial expression certainly didn't give anything away. To her surprise, Francesco laughed. He spoke with amusement in his voice "Adele. You didn't answer my question. I didn't ask you to defend yourself or explain your actions to me. Its clear to me that you are not guilty sweetheart. A man approaches you and asks you out. Its not your fault if he forces you to go out with him." His expression suddenly turned menacing and he spoke with fury "It's a man's job to protect a woman. I gave your brother a job ten years ago. I told him to take care of you and not let you out of his sight. The next thing I know, O'Connor is allowed to waltz into your life and take you away. He almost succeeded in taking you away. I say Angelo is guilty of neglecting you. What if O'Connor turned out to be someone after hurting you? Angelo not following you around and not knowing where you were every waking moment is his crime. I asked him to watch you. He ignored my direct request. No one refuses me anything and gets away with it. No one fails me and gets to walk free without paying for it. Impossible. He is going down for his own mistakes."
Adele was looking at Francesco with disbelief "Francesco. How can you think this way? If you want anyone to blame, its you who neglected me. You left me. You should have watched me. Not him."
Francesco shrugged "But I never neglected you. I told you I had you under surveillance. I knew where you were all the time."
Adele spoke "So if you were watching me, then what did you need Angelo for? Why didn't you contact Angelo and told him about what I was upto then if you knew I was cheating on you all along."
Francesco spoke "Isn't it obvious. I was testing your brother's loyalty just like how I was testing you all this time. My uncle told me, I must make sure I know my woman is hundred percent committed to me before I go to her just like how I am expected to test my men at every chance I get to make them prove their loyalty. You passed your test. Your brother failed. I didn't interfere since I wanted to see how it all ends and then I step in when things get out of hand and ..... get my revenge."
Adele's eyes widened "So this was all a game to you. All this time you could come to me and you didn't? I cant believe you."
Francesco spoke "What? No Adele. You are wrong. I couldn't come to you. I wasn't allowed to. I was under orders from my father all throughout my teenage days up until I graduated from law school. All this time, I wasn't allowed to even send you a card. I was watched 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In the mornings and afternoons I studied and in the evenings and sometimes at night time I was trained and was participating in missions for my father. It wasn't until two years ago that I was given complete independence and was appointed the leader of this organisation. It changed everything. i was the boss and could bring you to me then but I couldn't. I had alot to prove. As the new Rosario mob leader, I had to eliminate any enemies or anyone who tried to come after my business thinking my father left it in the wrong hands. So I proposed to join my fathers business completely to my uncles. I changed the leadership. I recruited new personnel and buried afew traitors alongside their families who refused to give me loyalty. That sent my message out and earned me some respect. Now everyone knows who I am and I cant be messed with. I was only confident about this for about three months. I didn't come for you three months ago since I was too busy redecorating the third floor for us to live comfortably in. Its not finished yet. I made it for you and also .... for our children when we get married. It has nicely decorated rooms by the best designers. I would give you a tour of it once we finish our breakfast. Now that we have everything cleared up, lets eat. I take it you have nothing to say in your brother's defense. Lets try some of this freshly squeezed orange juice." He then started pouring himself and Adele two glasses of orange juice from a jug on the table.
Adele shook her head "Francesco, I cant believe you are just talking about having breakfast now. Tell me what you are going to do with my brother? I want you to let him go. He hasn't done anything wrong. You have me here now. What does it matter what happened in the past year."
Francesco spoke "This discussion is over for me. Your brother has told me enough. Now have some breakfast and I might tell you what I have decided to do with your brother. I warn you sweetheart. Don't ever stick up for anyone that I want to sentence. If anyone displeases me and does me wrong, I have the right to make them pay. Accept it Adele. This is how I live. I don't let things go. I cant let anyone get away with anything if they disobey my orders or get on my wrong side for any reason. I have taken Angelo's negligence as a personal insult. Just like how I have taken Michael's marriage proposal to my woman as a personal insult."
Adele stood up. She couldn't keep anything inside her anymore. She didn't know where her courage was coming from. Her fury had made her fear disappear. All her rage came out in one go. "This is outrageous. You have changed so much. I cant do this Francesco. How can you be so conceited? How can you be so cruel? I have had enough of your threats. I cant get my head around what goes on in your criminal mind. I don't understand why you are intending to make my brother pay for no reason at all. He is guilty in your eyes because he made no attempts to stop my relationship with Michael. For the last time, I tell you. He didn't know about us. I didn't tell him. I also cant understand why you had to abduct Michael alongside me. You took me but why did you also have to hunt down the man I loved as well and ....."
Francesco's stone cold expression turned deadly as he took in what Adele just said to him. It made Adele shake to the core as she saw the change in his eyes. The death stare Francesco was giving her was petrifying. He spoke in a calm but deadly voice "The man you what? Did you just say you loved him? Take that back now." He then stood up. That made Adele wary of the danger. She took steps backwards until she hit the glass door of the balcony. She just noticed Francesco had closed the door. She turned the handle but it didn't open. He had locked it.
Francesco warned "Sweetheart. Don't make me ask again. Take back what you just said. Tell me you never loved him and you just said you did because of your anger or sympathy for him trying to lighten up his crimes. Admit that you didn't mean what you said. You refused to say yes to his marriage proposal. That tells me you couldn't have loved him" He then walked towards Adele and rested his hands on the glass door at either side of her. Adele felt like she was caged now. There was no way out.
Adele kept Francesco's stare but couldn't hide the fear as she spoke " Angelo tells me I still don't know what love is. But I think I do. If you love someone you don't hurt them. He loved me. He never hurt me. If you really love someone, the thought of them getting hurt makes you cringe. It makes me cringe that you have Michael somewhere in this mansion planning to hurt him. its me you should hurt. I am the one who shouldn't be loving another. He is innocent. Hurt me instead. You are being honest with me. I want to be honest with you too. I said no to his proposal because I ... wasn't ready. It was not because I didn't ....." She didn't get to finish her sentence as Francesco leaned over and attached his lips to hers silencing her. Adele put her hands on Francesco's chest trying to push him away but banging on his hard chest was like pushing away a wall. She really wasn't enjoying the kiss. It was a rough and punishing kiss. Francesco was warning her. He was showing her she was his.
Finally Francesco seemed satisfied as he pulled away and looked into Adele's eyes "Sweetheart. You didn't love him. You turned down his proposal. It tells me that you didn't. You couldn't have loved him. I refuse to believe it. You are just unhappy I am going to hurt two people because of you. One loved you and one neglected you. You want to help them this way but you lying for them just makes things worse. Much worse for them. Now. I want you to apologise and I would forgive you for trying to trick me. You disrespected me by calling O'Connor the man you loved. You should never try to lie to me sweetheart. Ever. Now apologise."
Adele was breathing heavily "Why? Why should I apologise. You don't like being disrespected. Neither do I. You kissed me against my will to show me you are in control of me and I didn't like that. How could you force yourself on me and just to prove your point that you have the power ......."
Francesco growled "I already know that I am in control in our relationship. I don't need to demonstrate it. I only kissed you to stop you from saying something that you would regret."
Adele spoke "You said you would never hurt me. Now you are threatening me that you would make me regret it if I don't take back what I said. Your actions contradict your words."
Francesco spoke "Sweetheart. I always said I wont hurt you unless you betray me. Loving another is betrayal in my eyes. I need to be assured that you didn't mean it. Now, Don't push me Adele. Apologise now. Tell me you didn't mean what you said."
Adele spoke "Francesco. I am sorry but ........" Again Adele felt Francesco's lips on hers. This kiss was even lengthier and more forceful. As Adele was trying to push him away, he grabbed her hands and pinned her arms to the wall while deepening the kiss.
After Francesco was satisfied, he pulled away and he whispered "I take it as your answer then. You are sorry. Apology accepted. Don't take me on from now on. Next time when I ask you something, do it the first time I ask. Now lets sit down and have some breakfast. If you do as I ask right now, then I will take you next door to see your brother and allow you to be present when I give him his verdict. I may even let you choose between a few options and determine his punishment. That's as far as you can go sweetheart in interfering with what I do with my prisoners. You only get a say in Angelo's punishment since he is your brother. But not O'Connor's. In fact if you mention his name one more time. I don't care for what reason, I would kill him in the most painful way possible. Now tell me sweetheart, what do you think?"
Adele closed her eyes and forced the words out sounding defeated "I will do as you ask." She then thought to herself silently "But you are breaking my heart." It was clear to Adele that ten years of living with Paulo Rosario had destroyed every last bit of humanity Francesco had left.