Costanzo was leaning to the wall of the game room of Francesco's mansion staring at Emanuelle O'Neil, the man he despised so much, the man who his father compared him to all the time, the man his father wished was his son, the man who took away his chances of marrying Sancia, the man who brought nothing good into his life.
O'Neil was holding his billiard stick staring at the billiard table " I like taking my time with my moves in billiard. Does it bother you?"
Costanzo sighed " Of course not. I don't mind that at all just like how I didn't mind you taking your time playing darts." Then he thought to himself " The less you talk the better." But of course he had to be polite.
O'Neil chuckled and turned to Costanzo " How are things with you? You still haven't answered my questions. You can't keep me busy with games for ever."
Costanzo frowned " I answered you. All is well. My business is well managed. Those under my supervision work like a clockwork. I have little to complain about. Nobody has assassinated me ...."
O'Neil raised an eyebrow " Are you trying to imply anything Costanzo? Are you trying to offend me?"
Costanzo spoke " Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it. I just want to say I am alive and well. No enemies have tried to kill me unlike in your case."
O'Neil was now in front of Costanzo "How about this? I am alive and well. I have a wife who is pregnant with my child..... I am having a baby with the woman who you wanted so badly and could never have. She is pregnant with the child that you believe should have been yours. How does that make you feel."
Costanzo gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. He wanted to punch him. Sancia was a married woman. He didn't have eyes for her now that he knew her husband was back. It hurt to be spoken to in that manner by him.
O'Neil noticed that " I asked you a question. How does that make you feel? What do you feel when you see what could be yours is mine. She loved me and I love her. You lost her. You know what they say, someone's misery is another's joy. So tell me, how do you feel?"
A voice spoke from behind Emanuelle " Relieved of course. He is relieved and happy Sancia got the man she truly deserved. He couldn't be happier."
O'Neil knew this annoying voice. He turned " Antonio. I thought you were with Francesco getting on with interrogating captives."
Antonio came in and picked up a billiard stick " Francesco is efficient when it comes to questioning captives. He doesn't take any where near the time you do in torturing captives but he gets the same results. I think you enjoy inflicting pain too much and surely it doesn't reflect on your incompetency in interrogation techniques of course." He then gave O'Neil a smile. A sarcastic smile that was meant to offend him and it did.
O'Neil narrowed his eyes and walked to the billiard table. He hit a ball with his billiard stick " How is your new girl Georgina? Congratulations on getting a dance out of her. Sancia told me all about it."
Antonio froze " She is fine. Just fine."
O'Neil spoke " Georgina had an argument with my wife at the first night of the Hollywood party two nights ago from what I hear."
Antonio picked up a billiard stick and hit a ball " Well. That's my girl."
Emanuelle spoke " Wrong move with that ball. You can't win this way.
Antonio held his billiard stick in front of him and turned to Emanuelle " Maybe winning is not what I am after."
Emanuelle raised an eyebrow " Then what is it you are after."
Antonio smiled " Maybe winning is something I already have achieved. Your turn."
Emanuelle turned to stare at the billiard table. He lifted his billiard stick and took aim at another ball as he spoke " Canavaro's are strange people to tie yourself too. At any one time only one male heir survives, it seems. Isn't that strange? I say they can't protect their own. So you really want to be tied to Georgina. Huh?" He then hit a ball.
Antonio stood behind him whispering " Yet you score again. I think only one male heir is surviving your line too at the moment. Don't you think?"
Emanuelle turned to Antonio " My wife is carrying a child, a son perhaps. I could be even blessed with even more children soon. So no. I don't follow what you say."
Antonio pretended to look regretful " Oh. My mistake. I almost forgot you are having a baby together. When did you get the chance to do so by the way. From what I hear, all you did was argue. But again saving a marriage is worth fighting for and what would be better than having a child together. It's such a convincing reason to stay married. Sealing the deal with a baby so Sancia doesn't get the chance to sign divorce papers when the ink on your marriage certificate is not even dry."
Emanuelle laughed bitterly " At least I know my wife is pregnant unlike your father who was clueless at the time his wife left him that she was expecting. Or was it because he didn't want her that he let her go and she knew all along she was pregnant?"
Antonio's expression hardened " Don't mention my mother."
Costanzo was now standing behind Antonio looking on worriedly. He knew if Antonio lost it, then it could have consequences with the alliance. O'Neil was an unarmed guest at the mansion. He was not to be harmed. Antonio unfortunately acted violently when anyone except a rosario mentioned his mother or insulted his father. He took initiative and cleared his throat " Anyone wants some wine?"
It was Francesco's voice that answered " Five glasses Costanzo. But that would be at the dinner table."
Everyone turned to the door looking at Francesco who was standing next to his fiancé.
Adele smiled " Hello."
It was Emanuelle who reacted first. His eyes lit up as he walked around the billiard table to Adele " Hello Lady Rosario. I was looking forward to meeting the woman who has captured Francesco's heart. What a great pleasure to meet you." He then offered his hand to Adele as he stood in front of her and Francesco.
Adele shook his hand as Francesco's grip on her other hand tightened. She let go quickly.
Emanuelle looked at Francesco " She looks a little bit like her twin brother Angelo. Especially their eyes." He then turned to Adele with a smile " Isn't your brother joining us? I like him already. When I interrogated the men on the ship he was held at I heard he hadn't disclosed anything useful to Voltolini. He must be a loyal one to keep in all the information that surely he must know as a close relative. I envy the fact that he is a doctor as well as a good actor who fooled Voltolini in captivity that he hardly knows anything. Can I meet him again tonight?"
Adele quickly looked at Francesco for answer. Her body had gone cold suddenly. It was as though someone had thrown a bucket of ice on her and her hands started to shake slightly. Antonio and Costanzo looked on with worry at Francesco's response regarding Angelo. He was a sore topic. What if Francesco lost control?
Francesco gave Adele's hand a squeeze " Angelo is unavailable right now. Ask me another time O'Neil to see him...."
Emanuelle insisted " I want to meet him maybe mostly based on business. Come on. We are allies. We share our resources and expertise. Obviously this guy is qualified and loyal. Can I ask him to be Sancia's doctor and deliver our baby?"
Francesco spoke " No. Enough of such unreasonable requests. He works for me. Find your own physician."
O'Neil spoke " We are not strangers exactly. Remember our pact years ago. Your involvement in my child's life is beyond all this formal talk. You would want my child to be safe."
Antonio and Costanzo were standing in their spot stiffly listening curiously. What was he implying?
Adele turned to Francesco with questioning eyes.
Francesco looked at Emanuelle with hard eyes " I haven't asked my fiancé yet. If she says no then ...."
Emanuelle spoke " Then you will be the only one ...."
Adele was confused. She looked up at Francesco worriedly " What is it that you were going to ask me?"
Francesco looked at Adele " It's nothing to worry about sweetheart. Don't look so concerned. Years ago, O'Neil and I had an unofficial agreement that when we get married and have heirs, my wife and I would be god parents to his children and his wife and O'Neil would be god parents to ours. But you don't have to say yes sweetheart. We can discuss this later."
Emanuelle cleared his throat " Actually he is right. You don't have to say yes since he would still have to be godfather to my children when the time comes just like how I would be to his heirs. We had an agreement. But just out of curiosity Francesco, when you heard I was in that plane crash, who did you want to ask instead of me to be godfather to your children?"
Francesco looked at him " I don't think that's relevant anymore. Now it's time to eat. Follow me." He then nodded to Costanzo and Antonio to follow him too.
Francesco lead a thoughtful looking Adele to the dining room as the others followed. Adele had never guessed what Emanuelle was going to say. It was hard to imagine how two business men be could be thinking so far into the future.
Francesco pulled a chair for Adele to sit down and brought her out of her thoughts in the dining room " Sweetheart. Are you alright?"
Adele nodded " Yes. I am fine." She then sat down as others followed after her and took their seats. She just realised she was the only woman in the room. She also noticed how the dinner table was set so nicely. The servants brought in the food and laid the drinks and the delicious looking food on the table. It was totally silent until all servants and guards left the room. Then Emanuelle spoke " Adele what have you decided? Will you be godmother to my children?"
Francesco sighed and looked up at Emanuelle " Adele needs time to think about this. We just got engaged last night."
Emanuelle looked at Adele as he started spreading butter on his bread " Actually Sancia agreed to do this after we got engaged too. It's one of the first matters I discussed with her after we got engaged. She said yes quite quickly. I was hoping I could get an answer quickly."
Francesco picked up the soup dish and offered it to Adele " Sweetheart. Have some soup with the bread." As he saw Adele starting to pour some soup on her plate, he then looked at Emanuelle "Well as you said this was one of the first matters you discussed with Sancia, not the first so as you can see it is not top priority for our women. I will be godfather to your children either way and you will do the same. Enough Emanuelle now. I want my woman to have her meal in peace. You do know sitting at my table is by invitation only.. right? ." He then gave him a hard stare."
Emanuelle smiled " Point taken. You may not invite me for a while if I show poor manners. But you always miss me and invite me back. Look.... I don't take your words directed to Sancia personally. You shouldn't take anything I say personal either." He then got on with pouring himself some wine " Can I at least borrow Angelo as the doctor delivering my child? I don't care if he is a male. I could ask your cousin Anna since she has a midwife qualification on top of her business degree but she is quite offensive to my wife. I am not known to tolerate any form of disrespect towards my woman. Neither are you as I am aware. What do you say? Share your doctor. We are allies. We have treaties."
Francesco was losing patience " Ask me in a few months time when the baby is due and I will think about it. I don't know if Angelo would be in the right shape to help you out by then. You know how it is in my organisation. People get hurt while working for me."
Emanuelle smiled in triumph " Thank you. In return I will let you into some classified information. I now have access to any information my spy in FBI gets his hands on about any police or spies coming our way and of course traitors. The only problem is that my informant in FBI had his sister going missing last night and he think I am doing this to threaten him. I fully trust the guy. His girlfriend is one of Sancia's assistants and she told him, she won't marry him unless he joins my organisation . He is quite shaken up now calling sick to work trying to get my contacts in Oklahoma to convince me to release his sister promising to prove his loyalty even though I don't even have her. I have reason to believe that Rosario's have a hand in this because she was last seen by my contacts near a warehouse owned by Antonio. I mean it Francesco. If you release her, you can access information he gets. He would be passing on to me names of spies who work for FBI and are getting sent to us. You have more to gain than to lose here Francesco if you release Megan McCarthy to me."
Adele at that point was feeling nauseous. It was as though the world was spinning around her. Francesco had Angelo's ex- girlfriend in his grasp. She looked around the table and saw shock on Antonio's and Costanzo's face. They were looking at her worriedly. Only O'Neil was the one drinking his wine and looking at Francesco directly.
Francesco wrapped his hands around her waist whispering " Sweetheart. Are you alright? You look unwell. Let me take you upstairs. I will get the guards to Bring your dinner upstairs.
Adele felt herself unable to respond. She was too shocked at how complex Francesco's actions were. He truly wanted to destroy Angelo mentally by most likely torturing Megan in front of him. She felt weak and faint. All this information was too much for her. It didn't help that she had thrown up most of food she had eaten that day all from the stress. But of course Francesco didn't know how sick she was but it was as though he felt what she needed. She just wanted to be away from this.
Francesco lifted Adele up in his arms and carried her bridal style to the door but turned to Emanuelle "Have your dinner and take your leave with your men. I don't have time to talk to you tonight. As you can see my woman is unwell and I need to take care of her. I will have a talk with you tomorrow."