Breaking Midnight (Il Paradosso Series Book One)

Chapter forty

I should’ve known better than to order the risotto alla Milanese when clearly, my intestines were not cooperating with the rest of my organs, because now, the entire Italian restaurant was spinning.

Although it may have seemed as if I was attentively engrossed in the conversation at our table, on the inside, my digestive system was fighting against the air pressure I was applying on my esophagus.

I washed the sour taste away from my mouth with a glass of water, feeling it ooze further down my throat and settle into my stomach.
Sighing in relief, I stole a glance at the time on my new phone, realizing that the evening was slowly coming to an end.

If my bile re-flux was merciful, I could survive till the finish line, without making Luca's twenty-seventh birthday a memorable one.

I wished I had ordered a salad instead.

The strong scent of Antonio's cologne wasn't helping. It was only heightening the nausea and I wanted to strangle him, and not solely for that reason.

I would've hated to ruin his Christian Dior by throwing up all over him, but if I had to put up with his stony-faced guise for one more hour, so help me God, I would risk my life and call it a night.

Aurora was occupied in a conversation with her mother, which I understood nothing of from the distance that the oval table had placed between us, but my ears perked at the word fidanzamento.
That meant engagement.

I glanced over at Amanda but she was busy taping away on her phone, probably scrolling through her Instagram. I wanted to throw the water that was left in my glass at her, to avert her attention from the screen.

"I was saving it for my firstborn but from the looks of it, he is not planning on finding a suitable woman to marry anytime soon."
My body stiffened as I realized she was talking about Antonio.

“Mamma, anche se avesse qualcuno, non ce lo direbbe.” Aurora's eyes shot up to Antonio, brushing past me for a semi-second before landing back on him, as she spoke.

"C’è qualcosa che sai che non mi stai dicendo, cara?” Ho il diritto di sapere cosa sta succedendo nella vita di mio figlio."

The elegant woman dabbed the edges of her mouth with the ivory serviette. All heads turned to Antonio who was shooting daggers at his sister, while she smiled back derisively.

"Well, Fratello? Is there anyone in particular that you want to introduce to us or are you going to continue to hide her from the rest of the world?"

His hand twitched on the table and I could have sworn I saw his eyes dart to the knife at the side of his plate, as if contemplating on using it on his sister.

He frowned and his lips pursed into a straight line, while he continued to stab her with an invisible weapon.

"There was…but she recently left me," he answered flatly. "Are you satisfied now, Aurora? Or do you want me to go into further detail, to enhance your satisfaction?"

Wait...what?

Raising my head, I caught Niccolo's sharp gaze and his lips curved into a smile, leaning back into his chair. His eyebrows shot up with a hint of amusement.