"Just leave the file on my table. I’ll check it later when I get back in the office." She spoke calmly on the phone before ending the call.

As soon as the morning meeting was over, her husband pulled her to the side and asked her to accompany him to a lunch date. She barely had time to check her work and make arrangements before her husband dragged her toward the elevator.

Now, she sat in the backseat, silently staring at the street outside her window. Meanwhile, her husband had been too busy making a conference call on his laptop to talk to her.

"Who are we meeting anyway, Oliver?" She finally asked when they entered the exclusive restaurant.

Her eyes roamed around the spacious establishment, easily spotting the grand chandelier, brilliantly shining like diamonds in the middle of the high ceiling.

At the entrance, she heard the receptionist mention that the restaurant was fully booked for the next three months. Looking at the tables, she could see that almost every seat was occupied.

Regardless, it was still not crowded.

"An important investor," Oliver whispered near her ear, in a crisp and low tone as they neared their designated table.

Usually, when they attended a meeting outside the office, a lawyer or an executive officer accompanied them. Although the table was only set for four, she still hadn’t seen any of her coworkers.

Anyway, who was this important client?

As they settled into their seat and tasted the sample wine, their guest finally arrived. When she saw his face, recognition easily flashed before her eyes.

It was the man that she met at the party. The one that somewhat reminded her of her father.

"Oliver." The man easily greeted her husband with a pat on the back and a firm handshake. "I hope you don’t mind if I brought along my son."

At the sideline, she watched the two Mafia Dons exchange pleasantries with a carefully practiced smile. The voice was respectful, but she could hear the subtle warning in their undertone.

"Not at all, Don Enrico. It’s nice to see you again, Damon." Oliver courteously welcomed them as they all gathered around the table.

Then, Don Enrico’s eyes finally found hers. Again, it was warm, kind, and friendly, just as it was the other night. Frankly, he didn’t resemble the image the news had portrayed him as.

"I see you also brought your lovely wife." Greeting her with a beaming smile as he introduced his son. "You are more beautiful in the morning light." He commented as the bright natural sunlight flowed freely through the large windows.

Just like Oliver, the older Mafia Don had been painted as a ruthless, cunning, manipulative businessman. But twice, he had acted differently around her.

Was it because she was Oliver’s wife?

Of course, it was. If she weren’t a part of the Morton family, she doubted if the man would even give her a sideways glance.

"I’ll take that as a compliment." Although she had heard that line before, she still felt embarrassed when someone loudly pointed it out. For a brief second, she felt heat creep up to her cheeks, but she slowly evened her breathing to calm herself down.

To her, she would always be that fat girl that nobody noticed. A fly in the room that nobody saw. A wallpaper that faded in the background.

During the meal, Oliver discussed his project proposal. It was a new expansion program in Asia. He needed a partner or an investor.

Truthfully, it was the first time that she had heard of this project, but as she listened to the pitch, she also saw the potential. She believed only a fool would pass up the chance to be part of this.

No doubt, Don Enrico was no fool. Surely, he would not pass up the chance to partner with the Morton Group.

"Honestly, I am already on board with this project." Damon nodded his approval. "But my father still has the last say on this matter."

Watching the young man, Damon, she realized that he had the natural knack for business. But he was also not stupid not to take his father’s consideration on the matter. After all, he was still young and clearly lacked experience.

Studying his young face, she assumed that he must be in his early twenties. Probably, still in college.

"I always believed in your business ingenuity, Oliver. There is no question that this project will bring a fortune." The older man agreed with their assessments.

"But I don’t need more money. I could die now, but my children will still live a very luxurious life. But you know what I want, Oliver. Right?" Don Enrico asked her husband without saying anything else.

Suddenly, their eyes locked as if silently conversing their thoughts.

"You can have my investment if you give me what I want." Don Enrico ended his statement with a knowing smile. He wiped the side of his lips with the napkin before dropping it on the table.

For a minute, she seemed to be lost in the conversation. She believed the presentation of the proposal went well. But somewhere along the line, something changed. Then, she couldn’t follow.

"Well, I hope that this is not the last time that we’ll see each other again." He stood up and nodded in her direction.

But when their eyes met, she saw something in his eyes. A longing that seemed to mirror how she felt.

It was crazy.

She had no idea who this man was, but he made her feel like she had met him long before they saw each other at the party. But she guessed some people were like that.

Maybe in their past life, they had bumped into each other before. How else would she explain it?

Damon also politely gave her a curt smile before he turned and followed his father. They were out the door before she turned to her husband, who had been silently sitting in his chair. Seemingly, brooding.

"What was that?" She finally asked when she had had enough of the awkward silence. "What did Don Enrico want from you?"

From the sound of it, they were not talking about money. What else could it be?

But in the mafia world, it could be anything.

"It is a long story."

Of course, she didn’t push him. For now, she allowed him to sulk in his own thoughts.

If she had her own secrets, for sure, she could allow her husband to keep things from her too. That was just fair.

But she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t curious. Of course, she wanted to know what was going through her husband’s mind.

Unless they had an open relationship, it would be hypocritical to demand that her husband be completely honest with her.

Soon, they were back in the office, in their respective work. For the rest of the afternoon, she had buried herself in her paperwork while he was swamped with meetings one after another.

By the time they climbed into the backseat of the car on their way home, both of them were exhausted. It didn’t take her a few minutes to doze off in his arms.

When she woke up, she was already home. Alone.

Silence filled the living room as she found herself lying on the soft sofa. Scanning the spacious receiving area, she saw no one.

Slowly, she moved toward the kitchen, wondering where everybody had gone.

She supposed the household staff would be busy somewhere around the house, but where was her husband, her son, or the rest of the family?

Then, she heard voices. Instinctively, she followed the source. It seemed it was coming from the library.

The door was closed, but she could hear muffled voices inside. Not wanting to intrude on what appeared to be a family matter, she debated whether to knock or just leave.

"Maybe I should just look for Caleb." She thought as she moved her feet in the opposite direction, but she suddenly stopped.

"Would it be that bad? You did it? Why can’t your sister do it for the family?" She recognized that loud voice. It was her father-in-law.

Suddenly, as if her body had a mind of its own, she moved closer to the door and planted her ears on the wooden surface.

"But Marianne is still too young." That was Dianne. "We can’t force her into this marriage."

What were they talking about? She thought. Clearly intrigued, as she stayed rooted on the spot.

"Why don’t we ask her? Make her decide." Maximus insisted in his commanding voice.

"I don’t think she is old enough to make such a life-changing decision." Now, unmistakably, that was her husband.

"But we need Don Enrico. Not only on this project." Her father-in-law said before the room was enveloped in silence.

"We need his support. You know war is coming." Maximus’s voice echoed in the room, filling the air with the threat of a bad omen.

"But there must be another way." Oliver sounded desperate. "Something else." Clearly, he was opposed to Don Enrico’s request.

But from what she gathered, she would probably agree with her husband. Marianne didn’t deserve to be pushed into a loveless marriage, just because of a business transaction.

"Maybe there is another way." This time, it was Dianne who spoke. "Remember, the story about Don Enrico’s missing child."

The room again had gone silent. Then, she had to push her ears against the door to hear what was happening inside.

But the door gave way as it suddenly burst open.

Suddenly, three pairs of eyes landed on her.