Turning Point||Book 2

25: Xenia/Romano.

Xenia Butler

From the moment Romano and I departed Renata's place, silence enveloped us like a heavy fog, lingering even now as we sat trapped in this frustrating traffic. It was as if the universe was whispering a truth I couldn't ignore about our destiny together.

And it wasn't promising.

How did I come to this realization?

It was in the way our happiness always seemed to vanish when we were alone, only to reappear in the presence of others. Whether we were adept at masking our strained relationship from the world or not, the damage was undeniable.

At Renata's, during the tension of Romano's call to his devotee, we had managed to share laughter, briefly easing the strain. For a moment, we were a united front, a seamless team. I dared to believe that the frost between us had melted, but I was mistaken.

An hour ago, another call came: Katie had touched down in Sicily. Despite the urge to flee this car and reclaim my independence from this infuriating fool, I fought to suppress my nausea and anxiety. My entire existence revolved around him, clinging to the illusion of perfection he offered, no matter how twisted it may seem.

Romano's grip on the wheel remained firm, his other hand propping up his jaw as he stared ahead with a distant gaze. Tension radiated from him, palpable even in the confined space of the car.

But why?

The last time Katie crossed my radar was during my collaboration with Ivan to dismantle the TIF. Ivan had dropped a hint about Romano's involvement with a woman named Katie, though her last name eluded me now. Yet, I could recognize her from photos and knew she had a long history with Romano.

Initially, our plan involved leveraging her to get to him, but as Ivan peeled back her layers, he realized she was steel for him—a force I could never match.

Jealousy consumed me. I was furious and frustrated, unable to comprehend why he would rendezvous with her. I knew their history likely stretched far beyond my time in Bologna, so I wasn't even in the running. That's why I insisted on following him the moment he got word of her presence at the airport. Romano wasn't thrilled with my decision to accompany him to meet his whore, but he didn't protest because he understood one simple truth: I wouldn't believe him if he claimed nothing had happened between them unless I saw it with my own eyes.

No one could blame me. Expecting a polygamist to change without ensuring it was like playing a fool's game. Romano, from all indications, wasn't the monogamous type, so if I wanted that to change, I couldn't sit idly in a hotel while he met with a woman he was intimate with. A woman he could dare text while I gave him a blowjob.

I had to be completely involved in all of his affairs, especially when it involved this particular woman. His devotee.

By now, the traffic had eased, allowing us to move forward. We made a turn and before long, we were driving towards the Vincenzo Florio Airport. Its sleek, modern architecture stood out against the backcloth of rolling hills and clear blue skies. The terminal building stretched upward, its glass facade shimmering in the night sky.

Cars and taxis bustled around the entrance, passengers coming and going with a sense of purpose. The chaos was organized. It was no match for my internal turmoil.