Chapter 15

Deno leaves the library and I take a moment to admire the place, the long bookshelves, the thousands of books, the brown ladder that is polished, looking brand new and not withered by the signs of time. My fingers touch the leather couch, as I scour the area in wonder of what it was like to be her, Bernice Antonella DeMarco. My eyes stop at the portrait and I stare at her, black eyes, hair pinned up with loose curls hanging from the side. Her face is painted like it was porcelain, her dress flashy and her lips stained red. I am not sure how long I stand here, admiring or critiquing the artist impression of the woman who remained in these walls since the day she died, but I sense a connection to her. A need to belong, and to Elladio she did, whether she was the love of his life, or the prisoner in his Manor. "Leonardo, Fillipo and Deno are leaving tonight." My sisters voice cracks through my haze. "Judging by the yelling we heard, I'm not surprised." I finally turn to see my sister, looking sad. I frown, "Is everything good with you? Leonardo is not going forever Guilia." "You and him should have been together, not me. I am not the strong-willed woman he thinks I am, but you are and when you around it feels so awkward knowing that you wanted him for so long." She looks at the portrait wiping away a tear and I have nothing that is going to make her feel better. "You are not playing fair Guilia, Leonardo and you are getting married, any feelings I had for him are dead. I don't want you to hide your feelings for him when I am around. I want to know that the two of you are happy. We spoke about this last night, I thought we were over it." "It's not that simple," Her hazel eyes glisten with unshed tears and for the first time I see the damage my silence has caused my fiery sister. I take her cold fingers, and hold them in my own, stepping closer to her, "It is as simple as breathing. You love him." "I do. First, I thought it was just me accepting our marriage, but Liya, when he looks at me, I fall harder for him. But I don't think Leonardo feels the same. I mean he likes me and thinks I'm beautiful as he said so many times before but he still looks at other woman when he thinks I am not watching and gets calls from girls at college." My dread is a hard pill to swallow when I stare into her hopeful gaze, that is begging me to tell her different. I should, I could. I'm certain I can find the perfect words to convince her of his undying love. But even I am not that cruel to the ones I love. She is right, Leonardo will not be faithful but like Bernice maybe they can make it work. It isn't like they have choice. An arranged marriage in the Mafia, is until death. "His feelings might change over time. He might fall deeply in love with you, or he might just love you. But Guilia, in our world love is a luxury, unreciprocated or not. Once you are married you will have babies, and those babies will be the love of your life. At least you love him. Imagine having sex with a guy you don't love, or with a big belly," I smile as she laughs. "You are right, how did you get so wise so quickly." She asks and my hands leave her as the reasons how I became so wise flash through my mind. "I see you too are getting all cosy," Camilla walks in with a glass of wine in her hand. She seems a bit off, maybe too much to drink? "You know, if you want my opinion, you should cut your losses and accept that Leonardo would never love you, you are a shiny new toy, meant to stay on a shelf and get dusted every once in a while. Trust me. He has had more gum than any of his brothers combined, and I'm talking after he got your daddy to agree to sell you off," Camilla says as she walks into the library. "Gum?" Guilia asks and Camilla laughs, "Sex sweetheart. I'm talking about the big S. It's a metaphor. No wonder he chose you over your sister, Aliyana has too much spine for a man like him." "I'm going to bed," I say to my sister not allowing Camilla to rile me up for the third time. "You should stay Aliyana, and take my advice, it will be vital information for one day when you marry your, not so shiny prince." "I have never met you in my life before this weekend, so I fail to see how your opinion in the matter of something that is none of your business is so vital that I should stop and listen." "You sound like a jealous lover," Camilla states as her heels click toward my sister and I. It is after 11 at night and she is still dressed as if she was attending a business meeting, in a black pencil dress that hugs all her curves. Is that what Marco likes? If he does then I am glad I am not the one stuck with him. That could never be me. "Or maybe you are just an unhappy one. Is the big ole Marco Catelli not doing it for you." I am actually curious to know the answer to that one. "No, I am certain you sound like a jealous lover, though I fail to see why. Since you are the only single one here. Still harbouring feelings for your sister's man Aliyana? Or are you one of those little girls with daddy issues and hoping to snag yourself a man way too old for you. A taken man." The truth, of how just hours ago that man had his hands all over me is at the tip of my tongue. Does she know? Could she have heard Marco when he had me trapped in the kitchen with his hands on my naked ass. No. Marco loves her, I am a distraction. "And there it is, the guilt of innocence. You are jealous." "Really? Because from where I stand, I think you are mistaking my I don't give a fuck attitude for something it's not." "And what is that? Please don't stop on my account," Deno says as he enters the room with mirth written in red across his face. "Aliyana enough, let's go," Guilia says in a low tone. "No, I am not going anywhere. I am a guest here and right now I feel like we are not wanted. If you would like this wedding to be called off, it can be arranged. What can't be arranged is your flare of saying things you know nothing about. It must sting to know that my sister would be Mrs Catelli before you. Maybe you ought to think about why that is." "Aliyana." Marcos voice whips through the air as my name is barked across the room before he even enters. A thought of his eyes as I left earlier flashes in my head. "Aliyana, please let's just go. Camilla is a bit drunk." Guilia pleads but pleading is not going to make me back down. This is where Camilla will learn the error of her ways. "I have had enough of your fiancé's snipes since we got here. She has used every opportunity to bring my sister down. And now she wants play her little games with me. And I am not in the mood to play." "We should get to bed now." Guilia talks louder, hoping it would get me to bed, but I refuse to budge. "No, I am done being silent. We came here to celebrate a union and believe it when I say I did not want to be here. But in the light of it all, I am glad to see that this is how the Catelli's treat their guest." "Enough, you need to calm the fuck down," Marco says "I didn't come here to watch my sister be bullied into obedience, or get accused of being a jealous lover and my sister is as much a part of this family as Camilla, if not more so since she gets married in a week. She deserves respect." Guilia stands rigid next to me, not used to me standing up for her or maybe it is the fact that I am screaming at Marco, the head of the household and that is punishable. He could beat me, slap me, kick me out. And maybe I am crazy for my actions, or like Ren I have a death wish, but either way I know he won't do any of that. "Is this true?" Marco asks looking at Guilia. "Aliyana didn't mean it." "Yes, she did," Leonardo says also walking in. I am shocked he was even around after his earlier impromptu leave. "We were going to discuss it later on tonight alone, but since this has now become a public affair, I should say brother that your future wife is a bitch. And while I thought her despise toward my woman was solely out of jealousy, I was wrong. Today she out did herself, you should keep her in line, she has crossed a line no one is allowed to." Leonardo says nothing else as he walks toward Guilia and myself. He takes my sister's hand and the two of them leave. But his words have me frowning. I happen to know that this isn't the first time something of that unmortaring threat has left his mouth. "You are making a big thing out of nothing. I was giving her my opinion" Camilla says walking toward Marco. "An unwarranted one from what I hear," Deno voices out from his relaxing position by the wall. "Really? Is telling my sister that her future husband is never going to love her, or airing out his sex life that you happen to know so much about nothing?" She has the audacity to look sheepish. "Because that look you placed in my sister's eyes is not nothing. I have no idea what planet you stepped off of, or how fucked up your life was growing up but I happen to take my sisters distress as a very fucking big thing when it comes from someone with cruel intentions. And you don't know me enough to give me any advice, because if you did you would be careful the next time you speak to me." Camilla laughs, "You are a little girl, with some very important friends, I think I know enough." "REALLY? Is that why you spent all that money and time asking about me? You seem to forget that I too have a fancy surname." Her mouth shuts and she is seconds from exploding and I don't hide the slight tilt of my lip as I stand in my purple flare dress feeling like I just won a match with the she demon. "Yes, Camilla, is that why?" Marco asks her but his eyes are still on me. "Marco." "I think I heard enough. I apologize for my fiancés behavior." "I'll take Aliyana to her room," Deno says as Marco and Camilla have a silent standoff. "No, I would. Camilla, I suggest you make use of the bedroom I provided for the evening." Marco's words are harsh, and even across from the two of them I can feel his anger. Guilt drowns me at what I did. Knowledge can sometimes be a tool used to fix a problem, in my case however, Knowledge was a weapon I used to win a small battle that is inconsequential in the grand scheme of all that is happening. Look what you made me do Camilla, I hope this teaches you a lesson. "I can take myself to bed." "No, you are not. We have business to discuss." Deno and Camilla leave the library and I deliberately wait on the other side, delaying the inevitable. Marco Catelli was done waiting. It was time to face my actions or was it? His phone rings and an almost forlorn look captives his face. "We'll talk tomorrow Aliyana." I nod and leave him as he answers his phone and a sense of pity fills my body, as I take the stairs to my bedroom. I pass the one and hear a crying Camilla. Yes, it was time to call it a night.