To be a queen of a household is a powerful thing.
-Jill Scott
Leila Fiorenza's POV
"So what do you want to talk about, sister-in-law?" I asked without preamble as soon as we reach the library, I closed the door carefully so we don't have an unwanted audience for our conversation. "I think you are not the type of person that would like a chat over the weather here in Spain to a stranger."
Her dark eyes shot daggers in my direction. To be honest, I got used to her unfriendly manner towards me. "Didn't you know that there is a dress code here in the palace during a mealtime? Why do you dress like that? Flaunting your slightly bump belly for everyone to see. What would people say about you?"
"The thing is," I told her with enough arrogance in my voice. "I don't particularly care what people will say about me. This is me and therefore they have to accept me for what I am."
"Then think about your husband's reputation!" The widow exclaimed, her eyes flashed pure hatred in their depth. Is she aware that she's too obvious? "He's a respectable man here in Spain. Think about what people will say about how inappropriate his wife dress around."
I gave her a saccharine smile as I place both of my hands in the rear pockets of my denim jeans. The gesture made my belly pronounced even more to her view. "He should feel very proud whenever people see my belly. This proves that his virility works just perfectly fine."
"You are despicable," She hissed towards me. "You are unfit to be a Condesa de Parama. I wonder what Leandro ever saw on you."
I gave her a knowing smile that made her rage even more evident. She's so easy to bait. "Leandro saw everything he's looking for a woman to me. You would be surprised how capable I am in bed. You can ask my husband how often he begs me in bed. That's why I became pregnant, isn't it? Because we're so frequent in bed—naked doing something naughty."
The widow's eyes shot of pure jealousy. I held back my victorious smile at the jealousy I saw in her eyes. "You are a witch."
"Oh, believed me," I told her cheerfully. "I was called far worst name than a 'witch' before, sugar. So if you plan on intimidating me by calling me names I can assure you that it is only futile."
She surprised me when she moves where I stood and stop once she's feet away from me. "I hate you!"
I caught her hands midway when she suddenly tried to make contact with my face. "Ops..." I told her with a smile as I tightened my grip on her wrist. "I will not do that if I were you, sugar. The last woman who slapped me got hospitalized for a whole week. I'm sure you don't want to suffer the same thing, right?"
I hide my smile when I saw her paled beneath her perfectly applied makeup. Goodness, who would wear make-up early in the morning? "Are you threatening me?"
"No," I shook my head remorsefully. She tried to snatch back her hand but I merely tightened my grip. I don't care if I leave a bruise on her delicate wrist but I'm hoping to break her wrist in the process that was more satisfying in my opinion. "I'm just telling you a piece of my past, sugar."
"Don't call me sugar!" She said as she used a lot of force to take back her hand from my grasp. "And just what kind of past you have?"
"Don't you like 'sugar'? How about 'bitter'?" I told her sardonically. "And as for your question on what kind of past I have? The only answer I can give you is my past is a colorful one."
She rubbed her injured wrist to her other hand while she threw a glare in my direction. "You are just a woman who came from nowhere. If it wasn't for the accident that Leandro made you pregnant you would not have this luxury in life."
"I beg to disagree." I retorted back haughtily, eyeing her like she was my servant. "But I came from one of the oldest and most powerful families in Sicily. So if you will do some research before you threw accusation in my face?"
Oh my god, I thought silently. Cesare Fiorenza must be very proud of me right this moment bragging about our family like that in front of this bitter widow.
"I don't care if you grow up in that little island in southern Italy." She said obstinately. "You are still unfit to be a countess."
"You are correct," I agreed to her happily. "I'm unfit to be a countess because my father raised me and my twin sister to be queens. There's no way I would settle for a lowly title when my father ruled Ragusa like the king he thought he was. When my twin and I grew up like every inch of a princess by right."
I could see that she already reached her limit. "Y-you..."
I smiled at her pleasantly. For those people who knew me. This pleasant smile on my face right now means trouble. "Let me express my thanks to your attempt to slap me awhile ago, sister-in-law."
I was about to strike her in the face when she caught it also before it even landed. She smiled victoriously in my direction. "Do you think you can hit me?"
"You forgot I still have my left hand." And before she could comprehend my left hand landed in her face. I could see that she's so stunned at the impact. She wasn't expecting it, at all.
"You..." She gave me an acid glare. "You son of a—"
"Uh-ah..." I wiggled my finger in her direction. "Careful now there, sister. The mask you wear is slowly slipping away. A condesa never cuss."
She touched where my hand leave marks on her face. I could see from her eyes that she's debating if she will kill me at this moment. "You—I will tell Leandro about this! Let's see what he will do to you."
"Go ahead and tell him that I slap you," I informed her cheerfully. I don't particularly care what he will say that I hurt his past love. "If you want I can add a scratch or two in your face to make you look more pitiful in his eyes."
"You are a monster."
I presented her with a wounded look. "I beg to disagree again. I'm not a monster. I'm just the new queen of this house. So you'd better keep that in mind."
She gave a bitter laughed. "You are hallucinating yourself here, woman."
"Oh, yeah?" I asked innocently, looking at her with such arrogance on my face. "You want to bet about that, sugar?"
"Yes," She answered angrily, she took a step backward when I start to advance in her direction again. "If you didn't accidentally become pregnant you will not even set a foot in this palace. You will just remain as his kept mistress in the city like the previous women before you."
"But he made me pregnant, isn't he?" I reminded her sweetly, discreetly showing the full glory of my four months belly in her direction. "That just proved that I'm not a barren woman. I can give him as many children as he wants."
Her eyes darkened as she stared at me with such a deathly look on her face. "Are you implying that I'm barren?"
I shrugged as if I am not interested. "If the shoe fits. But to be honest, I'm not implying anything. It could be the deceased heir who has the problem that's why you weren't given a child during your marriage."
"It was our decision not to have a child in the early years of our marriage!"
I nodded and smile prettily in her direction. "And here I thought that you don't want to have a child with your husband because you're hoping that you can have a child with someone else. Someone like your brother-in-law, I guess?"
She gasped in my path. "What a dreadful thing to say?"
I flashed a fake smile for her benefit. I could see that this conversation reach its end. "Don't worry. It's just an innocent observation. And you have to be thankful that I'm not a jealous wife or you will find yourself homeless just a snapped of my finger."
Her dark eyes flashed hatred in their depth. "Who do you think you are?"
I gave her a chilling smile that I made sure will hunt her until in her dreams. "I'm the tempest that would make your lives miserable from now on. If you don't have anything to say, I'd like to go now. I need to resume my breakfast."
I didn't wait for her reply before I went out of the library. I felt so happy that now I made it clear that they can't push me around whenever they want. I flexed my left hand that landed on her face. I must admit that she has a thick face to hurt my palm this much.
Leandro Salazar's POV
"Have you seen my wife, Lucia?" I asked my younger sister who sat in the living room after I called my secretary and inform her to cancel my appointment today.
Lucia who was so busy reading a fashion magazine spared me a glance before nodding in the direction of the grand staircase. "She went to the library with Natalia. I'm waiting for them to finish their nice chat. I just want to make sure that Leila will not 'accidentally' fall in the staircase."
I shook my head in disbelief. "You are not making any sense, Lucia. Why would my wife fall in the staircase?"
My younger sister shrugged. "I don't know. But accidents do happen, Leandro. You are not sure when catastrophe decides to strike."
"It seems that there's a hidden message to your observation, young lady," I told my sister, with narrowed eyes. "I don't know what you are talking about, brother. I just want to be sure that my niece or nephew will be born."
"He or she will be born!" I informed Lucia angrily. I ascend to the staircase intending to fetch Leila. I don't know but I felt nervous about her conversation with Natalia. I reach the second floor but before I could arrive in the library I saw Leila walking in the hallway. "I'm looking for you."
"Oh, yeah? Why?"
"You need a shopping trip in Seville, mi amor," I informed her as I led her to the staircase slowly.
"Wait!"
I turned around to look at her. "What?"
"I just want to inform you that I slap your sister-in-law." She announced flatly as if that wasn't so important. "And before our trip in town, can you lend me your aviator sunglasses and a checkered polo shirt, thank you." She ran to the hallway where her room was located. "I expect them to be in my room as soon as possible, Leandro. Get going. Don't be like a turtle slow pace."
She left me staring at her wake. Before I could recover from my shock she's already out of sight. Just want kind of conversation she has to Natalia that could earn my sister-in-law a strike from her?