Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
It’s the woman I saw Enrico with at lunch.
His madam. Sophia.
I’m instantly aware that I look like shit, and the blood drains from my face. I’m still in my gym clothes, with a messy bun on top of my head, wearing no makeup and completely barefoot.
I fake a smile. “Hello.”
A frown crosses her face as she looks me up and down. “Hello, my name is Sophia.”
I pull my T-shirt down. “I’m Olivia.” I look down at my damp hands and the tea towel I’m holding. “Can I help you?”
A trace of a smile tugs at her lips. “I’m here to see Enrico.”
Her Italian accent is heavenly.
“Um, he’s not home yet.”
“Can I wait?”
“I don’t know how long he’s going to be.”
She brushes past me into the house. “That’s fine. I don’t mind.”
I watch her march into the house. Rude. “Or that,” I whisper under my breath.
I close the door behind her and glance out to see three men leaning up against the parked cars. They are laughing and talking without a care in the world.
I feel my agitation rise as I walk back into the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of coffee or something?”
Oh shit, why did I offer her coffee? I don’t know how to work the stupid coffee machine.
Sophia glances down at my glass of wine. “I’ll have a glass of wine.”
Will you now? The word is please, bitch.
Yep, it’s official, this woman annoys me. I take another glass from the cupboard and pour her some wine.
“Thanks.” She fakes a smile as she looks me up and down.
“What are you doing here?”
She frowns. “I’m here to see Enrico, I already told you.”
“He was in his office in Milan all day.”
“This is of a personal matter.” She sips her wine.
“Anything I can help you with?” I smile sweetly.
Her eyes hold mine. “No.” She fakes a smile. “I need to speak to him… alone.”
Our eyes are locked.
Game on, mole. You may be gorgeous, sexy, a Madame, and Italian…
But he loves me, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.
I pick up the knife and go back to chopping the chicken.
“You cook?” she asks, amused.
“Don’t you?”
“No.” She lifts the wine glass to her lips. “And I most definitely wouldn’t if I had the staff that this house carries.”
I smirk.
“What’s that look for?” she asks.
“You think you’re above cooking?”
She flicks her hair behind her shoulders and gives a conceited shrug.
“That’s funny, because in your line of work I would have imagined that you’d be used to getting your hands dirty.” I smile sweetly.
Shit, did I say that out loud?
“What do you know about my line of work?” she fires back.
“Only what Enrico has told me. That you’re a Madame, and you work for him.”
She smiles. “And what else did Rico tell you about me?”
My hackles rise at her use of Rico as his name. “Everything,” I lie.
She lifts her chin in defiance. “So, he told you about the two of us?” She sips her wine and smiles sarcastically.
I get a vision of myself diving over the counter and strangling this whorebag.
Our eyes are locked.
“He did, actually,” I lie.
I chop the chicken with force, imagining it’s her head on the chopping block.
Hurry up and get home, fucker.
I knew he was sleeping with her.
She smirks. “Can I use the bathroom? I would like to freshen up. Where is it?”
I’ll freshen you up, bitch. I’ll flush your damn head down the toilet. Lucky for me, I’m in my activewear, because this could be an all-out brawl soon.
“Behind you to the left.” I point with the knife.
I continue chopping when she disappears. Hmm, she didn’t know where the bathroom was, which means she hasn’t been here before. Good. This is her first and last visit.
The front door opens, and I keep chopping. This place is like a fucking airport. Great, probably another woman from his whorebag harem.
“Hello, my love.” I hear Rico’s deep voice from behind me, and I turn. He drops his briefcase and rushes to take me into his arms. He holds me tight, tighter than usual and it’s clear that he’s upset.
“What’s wrong?” I ask quietly.
He holds my face in his hands, and his lips take mine. “It’s been a long day,” he eventually murmurs against my lips.
“Hello, Enrico,” Sophia says from behind us.
Rico jumps back from me in surprise, and his face falls.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he growls.
Oh shit. My eyes widen as I look between them both.
“I… I came to see you,” she stammers, shocked by his obvious anger.
He glares at her like a hunter. “Get out,” he orders through gritted teeth.
“Rico,” I say quietly. God, this is a bit extreme.
“How dare you come here?” he cries.
“I wanted to see if you were all right,” she says.
“Liar. You came here to intimidate my fiancée. Tell the fucking truth.”