Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 120

As subtly as I can, I sit back in my chair, lifting my glass wine to my lips and pretending to take another sip as I slip my gaze towards Daniel, who is already looking at me with his eyebrows slightly raised. I flick my eyes away quickly, not wanting to give anything away, but grateful that he, too, sees what is happening.

Slowly, Kent turns his head towards Natalia. "I seem to be doing fine as a bachelor, no?" he asks, and I'm surprised to hear a little bit of an Italian accent come into his voice, perhaps harkening back to his younger years when he spoke Italian with her every day. Those days when he fell in love with her, and told her about it, and asked her to marry him, all in that language.

But I smirk a little, inwardly, to think that they're all speaking in English at this dinner for my sake. I still have a little power here, even if she's trying to take it all.

"You are doing all right," Natalia replies, leaning even closer to Kent and letting her eyelids drift down so that she's looking up at him through her lashes. "But with the right woman, Kent? You could do so much better. Be so much more relaxed."

And I feel the inner urge to bare my teeth at her as Natalia slips a hand onto Kent's shoulder and then lets it drift, ever so casually, down his back - the fond kind of gesture that could be friendly but which we all know in this moment is so, so much more. Kent, going a little stiff at her touch, turns his attention back to his meal and picks up his knife and fork as he takes a deep breath. His voice is different now - harsh, controlled, as he begins to cut at his chicken. "I've decided never again to marry, Natalia," he informs her, and then looks around the table at Daniel and Alessi, as if remembering suddenly that they're here. But I'm very, very interested to see that he does not, in fact, look at me.

Natalia shifts herself subtly, pulling her hand away from him and reaching for her own fork. "Ah, Kent," she breathes, a subtle smile on her lips. "You will change your mind. You just need to...pick the right woman."

Kent doesn't say anything, just continues to cut his chicken and lift bites of it to his mouth as the table goes silent. Daniel chimes in after a moment, breaking the awkwardness in his own particularly skillful way that makes the change of conversation seem natural as he asks Alessi about some of his own memories of childhood.

I don't say anything at all, instead sitting in my seat, stewing silently at Natalia's gall. Clearly, clearly, she thinks that she is the "right woman." And god damn it, as I stare down into my glass of wine, my stomach twists with jealousy and hate for her. And I act...maybe a little impulsively. Maybe a little stupidly.

But I don't let myself think about it too much as I drain my glass of wine and then, careful to be discreet, I slide my hand off of my lap and move it across the few inches that separate me from Kent. Hardly daring to breathe lest it attract someone's attention, I slip my hand across the fabric of Kent's pants and dip between his legs so that my fingers come to press against the soft flesh of his inner thigh.

Kent immediately goes tense as I squeeze his leg, letting him know, not so subtly, that he's mine, not hers.

And that he'd damn well better remember it.

Kent is only still for a moment, though, before taking a deep breath and continuing to eat as if nothing has changed. I watch the others around the table and am grateful to see Natalia laughing with Alessi and Daniel, concentrating on something in his story. Satisfied that no one has noticed, I give Kent a final squeeze and then, letting my nails rake a bit against the fabric of his pants, I slowly move my hand back to my own lap.

As I do, Kent turns to glare at me, for just a moment, his expression clearly communicating you're going to pay for that.

I just blink up at him for a second, my fierce eyes saying I'd better.

And then I turn back to Daniel, smiling at him and joining in on the laughter even though I have no idea what was just said.

When desert comes, we're all stuffed. Too stuffed, really, to do justice to the incredible apple tart that's placed in front of us and served family-style with cinnamon ice cream. We each take a few bites but concentrate, instead, on the cups of espresso that are served with the final part of the meal, each of us needing a little perk after so much wine and food.

"That was delicious," Daniel says, leaning back against his chair and groaning, holding his little espresso cup in his large palm.

"It was," I agree, smiling at him and then turning my smile politely to Natalia, who hasn't said a word to me all night. "Thank you so much for organizing this," I say. "It really was special."

"Yes," she says, sighing contentedly and holding my gaze. "I thought you deserved a final treat."

I go still and feel Daniel and Kent sit up on either side of me, turning their attention to her. Neither say anything though, leaving it to me.

"Pardon?" I ask, cocking my head to the side just an inch and forcing myself to raise my espresso to my mouth, taking a little sip and not letting my hand shudder, not a bit.

Apparently, I think to myself, my first instinct was right. This dinner is about me. Natalia's just trying to kill two birds with one stone.

"Fay," Natalia says, glancing at Alessi for support, and I'm shocked to see him sigh as if in resignation. "It has been so wonderful to have a chance to get to know you, my dear. But unfortunately, we as a family have some bad news."

"What are you talking about, Natalia?" Kent says, doing his best to keep his voice even but failing at keeping the anger and anxiety out of it. I glance at him and see the surprise and suspicion on his face, gratified to see that he, at least, was not in on this. "Alessi and I have been consulting," she says, looking at Alessi again, "with each other, as with the family in Italy." She turns back to Kent then, speaking only to him, as if this is not about me at all. "We have come to a decision," she says, definitely, "that it is time for the Lippert family to end their association with the Aldens."

Alessi breaks in here, his voice just as sorry as Natalia's. "Kent, Fay, Daniel - we are sorry to say it, but we have assessed the atmosphere here, and Alden is the weak link. If you wish to continue receiving the support of the Bianci family," he continues, looking to Kent now, "then we would oblige you to..."

He sighs here, glancing at me a little guilty, as if he's finally realizing that he's talking about my father, not some stranger, "we will require that you take Alden out," he finishes.

My mouth really does drop open now as I realize that Alessi - Daniel's uncle, this man who has really been kind to me - has just casually ordered that my father be murdered.

Continuing, Alessi breathing out sharply through his nose. "We believe that the best move for the Lippert family is to take over Alden's industries for yourself. We believe that if you do so, you will re-establish yourself as the power in the Americas, and that the other families will fall in line beneath us."

"Beneath you, you mean," Kent growls, and I look up at him, wide-eyed, to see rage on his face.

"Beneath. Us." Natalia says, quite clear about the inflection. And then she reaches out to place her hand on Kent's, subtly implying, I think, that she is part of the deal.

And I snap my mouth shut as I realize precisely what just happened.

I'm out.

Natalia's in.

And this dinner is my final farewell.