Giovanni De Rege

Chapter 9

By the time Giovanni and Isabella returned to the pavilion, the ceremony was just about to start. While Giovanni told her to sit with him, she insisted on sitting with her parents and brother. To her, it didn't feel appropriate to sit on the front row with him since she wasn't close to either the bride or the groom.

Shushing noises were heard when the music started playing. The wedding ceremony had started and the bride was walking the white aisle runner. The groom looked lovingly at his soon-to-be wife. When Lisa reached the altar, she and Vincenzo faced the pastor.

Sergio nudged his sister with his elbow. ''Where were you? I was looking for you.''

Isabella had to stop her eyes from bulging out. She wasn't going to tell her brother about her relationship with Giovanni. He had always been protective of her. She wasn't sure what he would think of her seeing Giovanni.

''The restroom,'' she whispered back.

''Be quiet you two!'' Donatella whisper-shouted and it resulted in Isabella smiling apologetically at her mother and Sergio rolling his eyes.

Some of the guests looked in the direction of the Donati family after Donatella spoke a tad bit too loud.

''You made it worse,'' Sergio snickered at his mother.

Isabella bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Her eyes smiling and her shoulders shaking.

''Look at the bright side, at least we didn't disturb the people in the front,'' she said to her mother in between her quiet giggles.

Donatella sighed at her children, ''You two are impossible when you are together.''

''Sorry, Mamma,'' her smile was still in place.

Isabella faced forward again, her focus moved from the bride and groom to the people sitting in the front row. Her eyes settled on Giovanni's wide back. When Raffaele turned to say something to his brother, Isabella could see Giovanni glaring at him before turning to meet her gaze. Her cheeks got dusted in a pink colour as they watched each other from afar. Her thoughts immediately going back to their session that only happened moments ago.

After the long ceremony ended, guests gathered outside the pavilion where tables had been set up for the feast. The dishes prepared for the guests originated from Spanish cuisine. It was the bride's favourite.

The Donati family sat at one of the round tables. A white cloth covering it and in the middle were orange flowers as its centrepiece.

Giovanni sat with his own family for a while before joining Isabella's table. Ignoring Sergio's gaze on him and casually taking up the empty chair next to his sister.

Isabella's parents made no comment either. Donatella merely smiled and Alberto raised an eyebrow at Giovanni. When Giovanni came to their house with flowers, Donatella had only given Alberto vague answers as to what was going on between their daughter and the son of the Don. It would have been easy for Alberto to figure it if only he wasn't in a phase of denial.

''I hope the food is to your liking,'' Giovanni said.

''It's delicious!'' Isabella and her father said in union making them smile at each other.

Sergio's eyes were going back and forth between his sister and Giovanni. His jaw almost falling off when Giovanni leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.

''The fucking nerve he has,'' he grumbled and turned to his mother. ''How long has this been going on?'' Sergio said in a low voice.

''I don't know. Ask your sister.''

Sergio and Giovanni knew each other. The De Rege family would sometimes hire Sergio for his sniping skills. It was something Isabella was in the dark about.

Isabella felt someone's stare on her tried to find the source. She locked eyes with a brunet man across the lawn. Isabella guessed he was about the same age as Giovanni. Next to the man stood Raffaele. She averted her eyes from the man and focused on Giovanni again.

''Who is she?'' the brunet man asked Raffaele.

Raffaele looked him dead in the eyes. ''She? Who? I think you have to be a little more specific than that. I can't read your mind, Leone.''

Rolling his eyes, Leone cocked his head in Isabella's direction. ''The girl sitting next to Giovanni. What is she to him?''

''You mean Isabella? I don't know, he's not really telling me anything. But it's pretty obvious that she is with him. Too bad for you, you're too late. The girl is off-limits. Do you get what I'm saying? You can't ha-'' Raffaele got cut off by Leone.

''I get it. Thank you very much for your warning. It's appreciated,'' his tone sarcastic. ''Besides, I didn't even mean it like that. I'm not interested in her.'' Leone grumbled.

''I'm sure you didn't.'' Raffaele laughed and elbowed him in the side.

Raffaele watched his brother leave the Donati table after one of the guards informed him of something. He held his hands up, silently asking Giovanni what was going on as his brother walked toward him.

''Someone is causing a commotion at the front gates. I'm going to have to check it out,'' Giovanni said with a scowl prevalent on his face.

''Shouldn't Dante deal with it?'' Leone said.

Giovanni rubbed his temples. ''He shoved the chore on to me.''

''And now you're here to tell me that I have to do it?'' Raffaele said.

''No, I need you to keep an eye on Isabella while I'm gone.''

Before Raffaele could say something back, Giovanni already stalked off. He wanted to solve this matter as quickly as possible.