𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚

Chapter 22

Written 02-18-21

Beatrice and I were sitting in the dining room eating dinner. Typically the maids weren't allowed to dine with the family, but no one was around, and Beatrice was basically family. She had been working for the Seratorre family for decades.

Cristiano had left a few hours ago. He was probably avoiding me. I was confused as to why he got so angry at Alfonzo earlier. He was the Don, he should want me to have a child as soon as possible, but he seemed more concerned with the fact that I was still young. Maybe he cared about me, but my overthinking convinced me otherwise.

I didn't even want to think about where he was right now. The Bordello, Paola, or murdering some poor family were all possibilities.

"How are things with Cristiano?" Beatrice asks out of the blue. I look at her puzzled for a moment, then answer.

"Fine, I suppose." I say, not even looking up from my plate.

I didn't want to reveal too much. For all I knew, Beatrice could be reporting back to the Consigliere's. Beatrice sighs at me.

"Giada, you can trust me. I promise whatever you say will stay between us."

I look up at her in surprise. Trusting people wasn't easy for me, especially now. My every move was being watched and criticized. But I wanted to trust at least one person in this house.

"Things have been better. He told me some things about the Genovese family. This morning, when I woke up, he had his arms wrapped around me."

I say, trying not to sound shy. It was strange, talking about Cristiano as if he were my partner, and not just some stranger I had married. Beatrice smiles and nods at me.

"That's good. You two seem to have some sort of a spark. Most Don's and Donna's don't have that." She says, giving me a reassuring look.

Maybe she was right, maybe Cristiano and I did have some sort of spark. We had very similar past's, we were both orphans. I couldn't deny that I felt something for him. I just didn't know what it was.

Suddenly, Cristiano comes storming into the the room. Before Beatrice and I can even speak, he walks over to me, grabs me by the arm, and yanks me out of my chair. He seems furious about something

As he drags me out of the dining room, I look back at Beatrice. She looks scared, but it's not like she can say or do anything. Was he mad about us eating dinner together? Did he find out that I had been eavesdropping on him earlier? Or was he just mad at something else, and taking it out on me?

His grip on my arm is tight, as he roughly drags me through the living room, and upstairs. I was terrified of him becoming violent, I didn't want him to beat me. He seemed so angry, but about what?

When we reach our bedroom, he practically throws me into the room, I nearly fall to the floor. When I gain my balance, I turn around and look at him. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out some sort of box. He tosses it to me, and when I catch it, I realize what it is. A pregnancy test.

I look back up at Cristiano in shock. I don't know what I'm suppose to say. He has an angry expression on his face, like he clearly doesn't want to be doing this. Had he bought the pregnancy test himself? Or had one of the Consigliere's forced him to give it to me?

He tilted his head toward the bathroom, motioning for me to go into the bathroom. He didn't need to say anything, I knew a demand when I saw one. So I quickly scurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I read the instructions on the box, then pulled the test out. I don't waste any time, and follow the directions carefully. It really wasn't that hard, it was just peeing on a stick. But at the same time, I felt like this stick held my life in its hands.

After doing what the instructions said, I just sat there and waited for the results to show up. Cristiano was probably getting impatient. I braced myself for him slamming on the door and telling me to hurry up. But he never did. I keep repeating to myself, 2 lines means positive, 1 line means negative. Finally enough time had passed for me to see the results, I turned the stick over, looking to see if I had 1 line, or 2.

My breath almost stops when I see the results of the stick. 1 line. It's negative.

I don't know how to feel. I just sit there and stare at it for a while. Then I remember Cristiano is probably waiting outside the door for me. Despite the fact I was terrified of what he would think, I hurriedly opened the bathroom door, and walked out to see him sitting on the bed. He looks at me, and I don't know whether to tell him, or just walk up to him and hand him the test. He looks at me impatiently.

"Well...?" Cristiano says, almost in an almost aggravated tone.

"It-its negative. I'm not pregnant." I say, practically shaking, clutching the test.

He stands up, and takes a few steps towards me.

"Let me see." He says, holding his hand out. I hesitantly place the test in his hand. He eyes it carefully, I don't know why. Did he think I was lying? After looking at the test for a minute, he takes it, and tosses it in the trash bin. A few minutes of awkward silence pass, until I can't take it anymore.

"Are-are you m-mad?" I ask him. At this point, I'm not even trying to sound like he doesn't terrify me. Cristiano turns around and looks at me, with a confused expression on his face. He walks over to me, and pulls me closer. I have to tilt my head up, just so I can see his face.

"No." He answers, moving a little closer.

"But what about the Consigliere's?" I ask. Cristiano's face turns cross, and I suddenly remember that he didn't know that I had been listening to him and Alfonzo's conversation.

One of his hands travels to the back of my neck, and softly grips my hair, making me shiver.

"Have you been eavesdropping Gia?" He asks, clearly aggravating. I just stare at him with fear in my eyes, not wanting to answer. He grips my hair a little harder and tilts my head back.

"Answer me!" He says angrily, grabbing me more aggressively.

"Y-yes! I'm sorry!" I cry out. He looks at me for a moment, then sighs. His grip on my hair loosens, but he doesn't let me go. He had every reason to beat me senseless right now, yet he was holding me, in an almost gentle way.

"If your going to produce an heir, it'll be because I wanted it. I don't care when you have a child, but I'm not going to get you pregnant simply because the Consigliere's told me to. I'm the Don. I'm in charge. Do you understand?"

Cristiano says commandingly. I quickly nod my head, not wanting to anger him any further. He lets go of me, and walks towards the bedroom door. I still had one burning question.

"What if I'm infertile?" I blurt out. It catches him off guard, and he stops dead in his tracks. He turns around, and looks at me.

"Don't say things like that Giada." Is all he says, then he leaves the bedroom.

over 2k reads! thank you guys so much! ive been swamped cause ive had a lot of tests this week so i haven't had that much time to write. i promise to write a lot more this weekend! 💜💜