Francesco looked at Adele and noticed how distraught she looked. She actually was worried about him. He kissed her forehead and whispered "Fine. if that is what you wish. Let's go sweetheart. Some fresh air may do you some good. Calm down baby." He then ran his hands up and down her back and smiled at her reassuringly. "Let's go." He then gently untangled Adele's hand from around his waist and took her hand in his as she was worriedly looking at him hoping he didn't do anything to anyone in that room.
As Francesco walked passed his uncle he spoke "You will pay for breaking your word."
Antonio was afraid. He really could not lose his father. He had not met his father until he was 14. He already had lost so much time with him. He was afraid that this was it. Francesco was going to sentence his father to death unless Adele intervened. If Francesco sentenced someone to death, he carried it out successfully. Antonio knew enough about his cousin to be certain that no one escaped him. No one. No matter who they were and where they were hiding he got to them. That was Francesco. His boss was holding back now but Antonio had served long enough under Francesco to know his cousin well. He was shaking in fear now for the first time in his life.
Antonio pleaded shakily as he walked behind Francesco out of the living room "Please Francesco. Hurt me if you want but not my father. What my father has done is wrong and I am sorry but he is my father. I beg you to do what you want to do to him, to me... Hurt me to hurt him."
Francesco reached the door and stopped his hand on the door handle as his other hand was in Adele's hand. He spoke as he was facing the door "I am your boss. Your first loyalty is to me..."
Antonio spoke "Of course it is. I am not disputing that. You are my boss... But please punish me instead of my father."
Francesco turned to stare his cousin down " Don't tempt me Antonio...."
Suddenly there were footsteps heard from upstairs. Francesco stopped speaking and looked up at the approaching form of his aunt Martha. She looked between Francesco and Antonio and felt the tension in the air.
Martha spoke "Francesco... Is that you? You have changed so much, nephew. Is that your fiancé?"
Piero came out of the living room and stood close to the stairs and looked at his wife "Go upstairs Martha. This is not a good time. He is angry..."
Francesco nodded as he was still tense. He spoke "Yes, That is me and this is the love of my life, Adele." He then looked at his uncle "You think I would hurt my aunt? She has done nothing wrong to me."
Martha smiled and spoke "Can I get a hug?"
Francesco looked at Adele "Let go sweetheart. So I can give my aunt a hug."
Adele slowly let go of Francesco's waist and stepped aside.
Piero stood protectively in front of his wife "You might hurt her to hurt me."
Francesco laughed bitterly "I fight fair. Unlike you and your brother."
Martha side stepped Piero and walked to Francesco embracing his nephew. "I am sorry. What has Piero done?"
Francesco took a step towards his aunt and then embraced her "Don't worry aunt Martha. I am letting it rest for now..... You wear the same perfume as my mother." He then pulled away and turned to Adele "Don't worry. My aunt is not an underhand like my uncle. She won't stab you in the back if she gives you a hug."
Martha turned to Adele and embraced her as she whispered " It is lovely to meet you Adele."
Adele whispered "It is lovely to meet you too."
Martha pulled away and looked at her with worry " Calm down, my child. You are shaking. Are you okay sweetie?"
Martha turned to her nephew "Francesco... What is going on?"
Francesco was now looking into the eyes of his uncle with hate. Pure hate. He balled his hand into fists and Adele was hoping he calmed down as she was gripping his arm.
Martha turned to her husband "What have you done Piero. Why is my nephew so angry with you?"
Piero sighed as his eyes didn't leave Francesco's "I broke my word. I promised not to let Paulo find Maria and I broke my word. i was not meant to let him touch her and I stood by and let them marry."
Martha gasped "No..." She then covered her mouth with her hand.
Francesco laughed bitterly as he looked at his uncle "You know you crossed the wrong man. It is ironic how you try to warn me off the Don and say he does not forgive. Neither will I. I do not forgive either. I am going to give you a verdict soon..."
Adele whispered "Please Francesco. You are worrying your aunt...."
Francesco looked at his aunt Martha who was looking as pale as a chalk. Francesco looked back at Adele "She would have found out either way, sweetheart. Even she knows what her husband has done carries a heavy sentence." He then sighed deeply as he looked up at his uncle " Enough has been said for now.... I will see you at dinner... uncle Piero." He said his name with venom and turned to Adele and smiled sadly "Let's go sweetheart."
As he lead Adele to the door, he spoke "Antonio, I suggest you pick your side wisely. Think long and hard about who's side you are taking..." He then opened the door and walked outside while holding Adele's hand. The guards took a sigh of relief, letting out their breaths they were holding in and relaxed visibly as he walked away.
Adele spoke "Francesco, where are you going? This is the opposite way we came..."
Francesco spoke "I am going to my spot."
Adele spoke "To your spot?"
Francesco nodded as he looked ahead "Yes, I have a spot here that I used to go to for thinking. I used to come here every summer when I was younger. There it is, my spot." He then pointed at a tall building in the middle of field. Francesco explained "That used to be where they went to hide in emergencies. When there is an attack from a neighbouring mob, people go inside this tall building and then men with guns stand at windows and shoot. That was the idea but everything has changed. The Don knows even what his enemies are having for breakfast never mind knowing when they attack."
Adele spoke "So you went to sit inside the building to think."
Francesco shook his head "No. I went to the top of it. It is a quite tall building. It is the tallest building in this place and the whole region." There is a beautiful view from the top of it." We maybe able to kiss on the top if we hide well. We are being watched so we can't get too intimate." Adele looked around and saw a group of guards almost surrounding them from meters away. She gasped "I did not realise that."
Francesco spoke "Don't worry. They wont get too close. But one of the key rules here is minimal intimacy if you are not married. It may not mean that much to you but it does to my grandfather. There are various reasons. But one that is most logical to us is if a child is born out of wedlock it means there is a chance he or she is not a Rosario and then the people working under him or her may not show respect and take orders. So if there is even slightest chance the kid may be someone else's, things can get messy. I know it sounds crazy but this rule is quite strict. You heard my mother. She had a shot gun wedding." He then tensed up again."
Adele spoke "I am so sorry ..."
Francesco spoke "Don't Adele. It is something I need to deal with. Not you. This is not your problem. It is mine alone. My family is messed up, not yours...."
Adele spoke "But I am your fiancé... We are in this together."
Francesco entered the building and closed the door. He lead her up the stairs and spoke "We are sweetheart. But I just realised I don't want you to be upset for me. I am supposed to make you happy. Not worry you. I will deal with my problems my way. You don't need to worry." He then without warning lifted Adele in his arms and carried her bridal style up the stairs "I don't even want you to tire yourself out walking up the stairs. I want to take your pain away. I want to make you happy. I don't want you to try to take mine away. I am a man. My job is to protect you but you were trying to protect me when I was confronting my uncle. That was completely unnecessary. I can protect myself and I can protect you. That is what I live for. Don't let my uncle's words intimidate you. He may not know me as well as his son does. He doesn't know what I am capable of but his son knows me well. I am just waiting to get some answers and then it could be war if I wish it."
Francesco put Adele down as they reached a door. He opened the door and spoke "After you. This is the roof."
As Francesco opened the door and Adele was about to talk, she gasped "Wow, its so beautiful." She then walked onto the roof.
Francesco spoke "It is beautiful." He walked to the edge and put his hands on the long fences around the roof "I wish we were here in different circumstances. I really do."
Adele held the fences also and then reached her hand to cover his hand "Francesco, what are you going to do?"
Francesco sighed "Do not go there Adele. Just don't. I am still trying to come to terms with what you said to my mother about your brother being able to save him. You just put something out there that I can't get my head around. What kind of destiny is this? Of all the diseases your brother could work on in his final year project, he had to choose the one that is killing my father. There are high chances he will be successful too if he is brought here. I know Angelo won a prize for his project. I know enough about his activities before he was appointed for his job at my mansion. I have read his file. He is the only qualified doctor who's patients lived through the trials and treatments with no later complications or later deaths. Your brother's individual work is unique globally. Angelo is the best expert. But he is still under my orders.."
Adele spoke carefully as she looked into distance as she didn't dare look at him "Will you let him treat your father? or will you order him to refuse to do anything?"
Francesco glanced at her and then looked into distance as he spoke " I said I will not kill my father. I did not say I was going to save him. That was never the plan when I came here. I did not come here on a rescue mission. I came here to get some answers and decide how to get some justice. That is what I am here for Adele. I am not here for anything else. Now let's forget about everything else. Let's have some calm and peace before we have to go join my loving family for a dinner. What kind of charade is this? I hardly even know half the people at that dinner table. When I needed a proper family, I did not have one. I had a broken family. Now my so called family are going to sit with me at one table and reunite after all these years. If my aunt Patricia and Anna were here, then it was a complete Rosario table...... To everyone else this is a celebration but not to me. Everyone pretends that all is well." He then dropped his hands from the railings and sat on a wooden bench near the railings and Adele also walked away from railings sat next to him as he wrapped his arms around her and made her lean to him.
Adele looked at him and whispered "What would make you happy? What is it you want?"
Francesco gave her a sad smile and spoke "I already have you and I am happy. This is not about happiness. This is about justice and revenge..."
Adele whispered " But which one? They are not the same."
Francesco spoke " Both are the same to me."
Adele decided not to say anything and ruin the moment. She knew Francesco needed this moment of peace as much as she did. The whole experience of meeting the Don and being in the middle of Francesco's confrontations with his family had taken alot out of her. There was just too much tension in the air. She was just full of fear. Her heart was pounding in her chest whenever he became tense as she was beside him holding his hand throughout that day. She was afraid of Francesco doing anything he regretted later. Costanzo's words were still fresh in her mind. He had warned her that Francesco hurting his father could be something changing Francesco forever. She wanted him to get peace but not by violent means.
They held each other and stared into the distance.
Suddenly they heard footsteps behind them. Francesco turned around as he protectively held her. He turned and saw Costanzo behind him on the roof. Francesco spoke " What is it Costanzo. It is not even dinner time."
Adele noticed how Costanzo looked pale and shaken up "I have .... some bad news.... I need your help..."
Francesco spoke "And couldn't that wait until Adele and I got back."
Costanzo shook his head as he walked to Francesco "It is about Elize..."
Francesco stood up walking closer to his brother and spoke as he was now one step away from him "What about her? Now you have Amaranta. You moved on from Elize a long time ago or I thought you did....."
Costanzo took a deep breath as his voice was shaking "She got caught.... by the Don's men.... She tried to ambush one of his cargo ships in the south coast of Italy with her fellow undercover agents. They got caught and they are ..... here. The Don's men just brought the captured agents in. They are in his prison. I need your help. Please. I have to save her"
Adele was frozen in shock as she was seated on the bench. She could not believe what she had heard. How unlucky for Costanzo? She managed to stand up and walk to Francesco and stood next to him awaiting his next words. Adele swallowed hard as she saw Francesco's menacing glare directed towards his brother. She just watched helplessly waiting for his response. She did not dare speak or touch him. He looked menacing and had a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Francesco laughed darkly "What is this world coming to? You coming to me of all the people to ask me for help to set Elize free. My day keeps getting better and better. I hear that my mother is re-married to the man I despise the most and now you are asking me to help save an undercover agent who has been messing with the Don's business. Ask yourself, do you really think I would help you save the woman who's father brought misery to our lives. Her father was the senator that convinced our mother to betray our father and got her a lengthy punishment. Our father exiled her because of that. Are you telling me that you really want to save the enemy. I warned you not to get attached to her and you never listened. Now you can watch what happens to her and learn your lesson that her kind, the law makers and law abiders do not belong in our world. Why are you cutting your heart out for that woman who is not even yours to protect? Now make your way back unless you want to talk about our parents. We need to find answers to why she is married again and we need to find a way to make our father pay for his sins. Either say something I want to hear or get out of my sight or I may lose it and will teach you a lesson in front of Adele and I do not wish to do that. I am holding onto my self restraint by a thread Costanzo. Do not push me. Now either talk about what I wish to hear or leave and I will see you at dinner. I have other pressing matters on my mind than talking sense into you....."