Act like my wife

5. Deal or no deal?

  He pulled up in front of a mansion with a huge angel water fountain in front. He then opened the door for me to step out.

I got down and he led me into the grand mansion. A good mix of traditional and modern styles. Old white-and-black pictures of men in black suits hung on the white wall creeped me out. The chairs were royal vintage with rare designs and seemed expensive. No, I wouldn't call them chairs... 'thrones' would be the correct word. The floor was spotless that one would be scared to walk on them. A large, vintage chandelier from the center of the ceiling illuminated the entire room.

I noticed several other men dressed just like the driver who brought me here. The movie, Men in Black came to my mind. Each man was stationed at every door within my sight.

Just then, I heard footsteps from the stairwell, fast footsteps that didn't seem to belong to an adult because of how light they sounded. Seconds later, a little boy came into view. I recognized him from the other night, that sad little boy. This time, he didn't seem sad, his smile widened when he saw me. He ran to me and hugged me around my waist.

I was frozen for a moment, but I returned the hug and gently kissed his head. Thoughts of Bella filled my mind and my heart grew heavy for my little daughter. I knew that Natasha would take care of her, but the thought of not seeing her for an entire week broke my soul.

"Why are you crying?" The little boy asked, bringing me out of my deep thinking.

"N-no reason" I arranged his hair with my hand. His cute smile is contagious.

But wait... does that mean-?

"Welcome," A familiar voice came from behind me. There's no denying that my body responded to that voice.

I turned to face the man who was standing at the foot of the stairs. Like the other men, he was in a black suit, but his is more of a designer suit. A red pocket square that matched my dress accessorized his outfit. He walked up to me, his expression was a little softer than the last time I saw him.

His brown eyes ran down the length of my dress. "You like the dress?" His accent swept me off my feet, I didn't process what he said immediately.

"Uh, you bought this?" I looked down at my dress as though seeing it for the first time.

"I told Chris to give it to you". He answered truthfully.

"Does that mean you sent that letter I found on-"

"Your desk. I placed it there myself"

That means he knows my workplace. gosh!

As though he knew what I was thinking, he asked. "How is Bella?"

My eyes widened in surprise. My heart began to race. Well played, Bambino or whatever... way to threaten me without threatening me.

"Mommy! Come upstairs!" The little boy said from beside me, pulling my hand so I could walk with him. Mommy?

"Wait a minute, Giovanni. Mama will be going with Papa tonight, will you be okay staying with Maria tonight?"

The boy became sad. "Papa, please let mommy stay with me"

"I will stay with you, mijo" I cut his father short without giving it much thought.

He led me upstairs to his bedroom which was twice the size of my living room. Like any other little boy's room, there were posters of Superman and Spider-Man on the wall, although it seemed like someone was trying too hard. A framed picture of him and his father sat on the nightstand.

He jumped on his bed and I sat beside him. "Let's play, mommy"  He jumped out of the bed and ran to his wardrobe. He pulled out a board and placed it on the mattress.

"You play chess?" I asked shocked.

"Yes, papa taught me. Now, let's play"

This can't be what you do for fun, kid.

Needless to say, I was beaten by a five-year-old in a game of chess.

Eventually, he fell asleep and I tucked him under the covers. I kissed his forehead and left his room.

I stepped out of his room to find his father outside the door. "Is he asleep now?" He asked.

"Yes"

"That was quick. No lullaby in the world could make Gio fall asleep this fast" There was genuine love in his eyes as he spoke about his son.

"Same with Bella" I felt sad just thinking of her.

"What is the matter, Mira?"

"Why do you want me to stay here for one week, sir?" He raised an eyebrow and I corrected myself. "I mean, Bambino" I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"I will pay off your debt if you agree to stay with me for a week". He stated without blinking.

"Do I have the liberty to refuse?"

"Yes"

I thought about his offer. Paying off my debts to Chris would make me a free woman.
"Okay, I will stay with you for a week but on the condition that you let me make phone calls to check up on my daughter"

"Okay, but on the landline. Your cellphone won't work here"

I stretched out my hand for a handshake. "Okay. You've got yourself a deal, Bam. I will stay for a week"

"Good. Now, you're coming with me"