Chapter 17 – Alice
“Massimo.” Amber was the first to react, swallowing hard as if she had seen a ghost, while clinging to Casey just as she would a human shield.
“What the fuck are you two doing on my property?!” he growled, his chair cutting through the grass of the garden as he approached where Alice stood, still shocked by what had happened “T did not give permission for my wife to have any visitors. Specially you!” His eyes became even colder as he looked in Amber’s direction.
“You… You just attacked me, Mr. Blanchil” Casey stuttered, pointing to his own arm “Do you have any idea I could sue you for that?”
“Really?” Massimo laughed, threateningly “So, why don’t you go ahead and do it? I’m sure
pleasure to
one of my cameras must have caught you harassing a married woman! It will be
make you admit this in front of a judge, you son of a bitch…”
a
“Stop it, Massimo!” Amber gasped as if she was ready to defend her boyfriend, but never for a second left her safe spot behind Casey “You can’t just expect me and my mother to send Alice to you and never want to hear about her again! Listen, I know you’re mad at me, but believe me, I loved you once. Very much.” She swallowed hard, probably realizing that her sweet words hadn’t made Massimo waver in the slightest “But, I ended up finding someone I wanted to start a family with, so I couldn’t help it…”
“You can’t help but leave a man who is disabled and in need of care to be with your sister’s boyfriend. I see.” He sneered, interrupting her “Do us all a favor and cut out your little act before I throw up, Dawsey. Didn’t you really think you would try to sneak into my brother’s office at the last party that vixen threw and that story wouldn’t reach my
ears?” Massimo questioned, leaving everyone there wide–eyed “You gave up on me to jump into the arms of. the other Bianchi who everyone is betting will be the new CEO. But, as Dante didn’t want you, you decided to po
for the third best option, the sweet family of bakery owners. Smart girl.”
“What is he talking about, Amber?” Casey asked, alarmingly, and probably neither man noticed, but Alice knew her sister well enough to notice her teeth grinding.
‘Nothing! This was just a terrible misunderstanding that I resolved with Mrs. Bianchi at the last party at her house that I attended.” Again, Amber wasted no time in getting teary–eyed How could you make up something so terrible about me, Massimo? I know you’re heartbroken that our relationship is over, but attacking me like this will only make me think you never loved me….”
“And did you really think that at some point I loved you? Or did I think you loved me?” Massimo laughed, as if she had just said that a dose of poison could cure “Did you and your mother really think you were the only ones using someone? Why do you think I delayed this engagement as long as I could, even though everyone around me said how good it would be for me to have the Dawseys not only as my allies, but also as family?” His cold words seemed to shock Amber
“I wasn’t in the mood to get married only to get divorced when my position as CEO was secured. And I’m glad I did, because now I’m more certain than ever that a marriage
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Chapter 17–Alice
between you and me probably wouldn’t even last a full year. But at least your mother wasn’t completely useless. She promised me a Dawsey…
Alice gasped as a pair of hands grabbed her around the waist and, in the next instant, she was sitting on Massimo’s lap, her legs almost going over the wheelchair’s armrest.
“And that’s exactly what I have, right now.” He completed, holding Alice against his chest which made her uneasy, even though she knew that this was not the time to fight him.
“You are being cruel, saying all these things just to hide your suffering.” Seeming to recover from the shock, Amber whimpered again, like a damsel in distress “I just ask that you don’t just use my sister to get at me. And also never be violent with Casey again. It’s not his fault he’s the man I love,”
“So tell him that a man truly in love shouldn’t go after his ex–girlfriend at her husband’s house, just like a dog that’s lost its bone.” Massimo growled “If I see him putting his hands on Alice again, then he’s going to wish I had smashed his head with that branch today. Are we clear, Dawsey?”
“Come on, honey…” Casey stuttered again, starting to walk away “We’re clearly not welcome here and I certainly don’t want to get into a fight with an invalid man…”
“Massimo is a man in a way he will never be!” Alice accused before she realized what she was doing, barely able to believe that she was still capable of feeling the impulse to defend Massimo, even after the way he had treated her since she arrived at the mansion “Now, get out of here, before I give you a piece of my mind myself for offending my husband!” a
“Yes, we are leaving.” Casey glared at her “Clearly the woman I came to help never existed. I hope you two are happy in your mail order marriage. Surely two people like that deserve each other. Come on, Amber. I’ve already forced you to endure enough in this place.”
up Although Amber still seemed willing to maintain her act with her body curled
and occasionally shaking with sobs, she was still able to turn to look at Alice, her expression exactly the same as when she got a better toy or managed to shift the blame onto Alice for something she had broken, during their childhood. 1
And, even though she should have gotten used to it by now, a part of Alice still hurt knowing that her own sister took so much pleasure in seeing her suffer, just to feel superior.
“So… This is the man you lost?” Massimo’s dismissive laugh was what interrupted her. thoughts as Alice watched her sister and ex–boyfriend walk away, back to his car “Well, for someone who left you for Amber first, he seems pretty willing to pick up where you guys left off, doesn’t he?”
“What are you insinuating, Massima che stared at him, struggling to get off his lap and get
back on her feet.
“I’m going to say this to you just once, Alice Dawsey.” He glared at her, looking even angrier than when he had spoken to Amber “If I find out that you called this man into my house or that you two are meeting anywhere else, I won’t just send you back to your mother. I’m going
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Chapter 17–Alp
to do something much worse, which will make you regret it until the end of your life. Am 1 clear?”
“Do you think I was the one who asked you to come here?!” she gasped, not only offended, but also more hurt than she wanted to be “Even after how you saw him treating me?!” Alice looked into those insensitive i eyes, which never seemed to have been warm and even kind “Do you also think that I only married you for money or to get to my sister in some
way.
?” She let the question hang in the air, while her eyes were heavy with tears building up You know what, don’t answer. I don’t care what you or Casey think! I’ve never needed someone to believe in me to stick to my principles, and I won’t need it now. So, don’t worry, Mr. Bianchi. You hired me to be your wife and I plan to fulfill my obligations under the contract.” She sneered, unable to stop the pain she was feeling from escaping into her tone of voice “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think you’ve done more than enough for me today.”
Without giving Massimo the chance to say anything else that could further deepen that wound inside her, Alice darted into the mansion, without looking back. She was supposed to go to Millicent to assure her daughter that everything was fine and that nothing serious had happened, but…
As soon as she set foot in the dark corridor that led to her room, Alice was no longer able to bear the crying trapped in her throat, which threatened to suffocate her. Feeling the tears burn on her cheeks as they flowed, her legs wobbled for a moment, forcing her to lean over until she was able to sit near one of the windows covered by the curtains, curling up there before starting to sob in a mixture of anger, frustration and heartache.
Having Casey treat her like she was nothing more than a gold–digging slut hurt, but… Knowing that Massimo actually thought the same and wasn’t just letting his anger at Amber get the better of him…
That feeling was much worse than she could have imagined. Alice had dared to think that the part of her heart she had given to Massimo had been freed long ago, but it was a lie. That remained in her chest, ready to suffer and bleed with every new rude and disdainful word he threw at her. God, she wanted so much to be strong enough not to be shaken by that, not to suffer and not worry about what her first love thought of her… Maybe then she could be the resistant and unattainable woman who would spare no effort to be able to give Millie the life she deserved. t
However, in moments like these when it seemed like the entire world was willing to stand against her, offend her and trample her…
It was painful for Alice to realize that she would probably never have a happy life for herself.
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