The Secret Between Us
Chapter 39

2 days later

If before there wasn’t a moment when I didn’t think about her, now it’s much worse. For the last 48 hours I’ve been daydreaming and daydreaming about Mia and our daughter. Her image can’t get out of my head and she looks so beautiful pregnant that it’s impossible not to think about her -Babe, are you ready? – I hear Giovanna’s voice and I swear that every minute I spend with her I hate her more.

I adjust the bow on my dinner jacket and nod, “I’m ready,” I reply and turn with the intention of leaving the room.

-You won’t say anything about how I look? – She questions me, and by now she should know that no matter how beautiful she is on the outside, I’m not attracted to her at all.

-You know it looks good on you, I shouldn’t have to tell you,” I just answer and try to leave the room, but she grabs my arm to stop me.

-Don’t make me have to talk to my dad about how you treat me,” she threatens, and my gaze fixes on hers.

-And you don’t make me lose the little patience I have with you,” I rebut and move my arm so that she releases me and I leave the room going straight to the door of the house and I get out of it to get into the car that is waiting for us. Giovanna doesn’t even take five minutes to get out and get in the car too and immediately the driver starts his way.

-You should treat me better, after all my father would have killed you if it wasn’t because I told him not to do it,” she says and this time I look at her fixedly.

-Don’t make a mistake Giovanna, if he hasn’t killed me it’s because it doesn’t suit him, he has a lot of business with my father, now I ask you not to make this evening a complicated one and behave like the adult woman you are supposed to be,” I say and she just crosses her arms and looks out of the car window.

Every day that goes by I can’t stand her any longer and I often wonder how I’m able to resist something like this… I guess it’s because I want Mia and our daughter to be okay and a lot of that depends on how I behave. I take a deep breath, try to draw strength from somewhere and try to psych myself up on what I need to do to get the information Mateo needs. He warned me that there were likely to be some very important matters discussed tonight among some of the businessmen who have gathered at the casino opening, and I just hope I can rise to the occasion and get the information I need.

-We have arrived,” announces the driver after several minutes as he parks the car outside the casino.

I get out of the car and despite my reluctance I am a gentleman and help her out of the car to play the perfect marriage. She grabs my arm, adjusts her long gold dress and we walk to the area where the opening party is being held. The casino is full of people, journalists, businessmen, celebrities and even regular customers from other businesses. In the distance I see Lorenzo and my father talking very animated -I will go with your father- I inform Giovanna and she looks at me with a face of very few friends, but then she turns around and leaves with her friends who are just as unbearable as she is.

I take advantage of this moment alone in the middle of all these people, and I press the button to turn on the microphone that is installed in the watch that Mateo gave me, and once I do it, I walk towards them feeling extremely nervous because any false step that makes them discover me, could mean that I end up dead somewhere -Good evening- I greet them and they quickly offer me a cigar, but I refuse.

-Thank you, but no, how’s it going? – I say as if to break the ice a bit.

It’s a total success,” replies my supposed father-in-law.

-I see, you have an incredible business acumen.” I lie as I’ve been doing all these months and he smiles.

-You see… casinos are one of the best businesses.” He speaks proudly and takes a sip of his whiskey.

He and my father engage me in a conversation full of egos where they talk about power, money, politics, and of course, women, when my brother approaches us, “Sorry to interrupt you, but the Russians have arrived, they say they want to unload the cargo before the speech, taking advantage of the fact that all the guests are entertained,” my brother explains and I have no idea what he is referring to.

Lorenzo looks at me and smiles, “Son-in-law, it’s time for you to get down to business,” he says and looks at my brother as if giving him a sign.

-Come on,” Batista asks me and trying to prove something I’m not, I smile and pretend to be proud of the trust they are giving me and follow in his footsteps.

He doesn’t say a word to me the whole way, he just makes me follow him through the casino until we reach what I thought was a wine cellar, but to my surprise it’s some kind of private room that leads to a corridor where there are many doors. I look around and see men with very beautiful women dressed in very sensual clothes talking or even touching each other provocatively who then move away and go towards that corridor where the doors are. I try not to look surprised at this image and I follow my brother’s steps until we go down a staircase that takes us to a part of the underground car park of the casino, but to my surprise there is only a van there and nothing else.

-Help them,” Batista orders me and I look at him confused, “Open the door,” he explains and I quickly open the back door and find several women who were inside and who start to get out, holding on to me. Each one of them is dressed to kill and they seem to have been chosen for their figure -Don’t mess with any of them because your father-in-law will kill you- Batista warns me.

-What are you talking about? – I question when the last one gets out of the van and smiles at me and then says “spasibo” which I know perfectly well means thank you in Russian.

-They’re all brand new and worth a fortune,” my brother explains and I’m disgusted that he and my father are related to me.

-Don’t worry, I won’t ruin their merchandise” I say sarcastically and I would like to take each one of these girls out of here so they don’t suffer, but I know that if I do it they will end up dead like me.

-Come on, let me tell you a little bit about all this because your father in law wants you to take over this place,” my brother explains to me and right now I have to play the same bastard as him to get the information I need.