MAFIA LOVE SCANDAL

Kaivan woke up. Gathering all his consciousness, he then bent down slightly. Finding Anne still fast asleep in his embrace.

The woman’s breath was heard regularly. The aura of fear she shamelessly displayed last night had completely faded. The woman’s beautiful face now appeared so peaceful in her sleep.

Slowly, Kaivan brought his right hand. Pushing aside the strands of hair covering Anne’s smooth cheek. Shortly after, he chose to enjoy his wife’s beautiful face for a moment while stroking the top of her hair repeatedly.

“I don’t know, really, what God’s plan was for us to meet in such a complicated situation. I’m confused about how I should act towards you. Sometimes I also feel pity. But at other times, you often behave annoyingly. If only we had met in a better state, maybe the story wouldn’t be like this.”

Again, Kaivan brought his hand, this time to gently caress Anne’s cheek.

“Even if the baby in your belly turns out to be mine, I promise to take care of both of you wholeheartedly.”

Kaivan planted a kiss on Anne’s left cheek. Somehow, he was driven to do it suddenly. What’s certain is that he really wanted to do it this morning.

Realizing he needed to hurry, Kaivan slowly pulled his arm to free himself from Anne’s embrace. When he succeeded, he quickly slid down from the bed. Walking slowly towards the bathroom.

Until then, Kaivan was ready to leave to complete his work for the day, he found Anne still soundly asleep. The woman wasn’t bothered in the least by all the various activities Kaivan had done while getting ready earlier.

Not wanting to confuse the woman, let alone make her search, Kaivan approached again. He took the initiative to wake her up just to say goodbye.

“Anne… ” Kaivan once again stroked his wife’s arm and cheek alternately. “I’m leaving now. If you’re still sleepy, feel free to continue sleeping after this.”

Anne slowly blinked her eyes. Trying to gather her consciousness, and not long after, she responded softly.

“Go ahead. I’m fine.” Her hoarse voice was clearly audible. “It looks like I’ll go back to sleep after you leave.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Kaivan nodded while sitting.

“Just do whatever you want. If you’re hungry, your breakfast is already on the table.”

The man then stood up. Getting ready to leave. But as usual, before he left the room, he delivered a message for Anne to remember.

“Don’t go anywhere. I might come back to the room in the afternoon.”

“Just finish your work,” Anne quickly replied.

“But later in the afternoon, you need to get ready. There’s a celebration party we both have to attend. Mike will take care of all your needs. I hope when you come back, you’ll be ready to go.”

Lying down, Anne only nodded. After all, she was also feeling too lazy to argue this morning. After Kaivan’s figure completely disappeared from her view, Anne pulled the blanket tighter over her neck. She closed her eyes, remembering the words Kaivan had said before he decided to clean up.

Yes.

When Kaivan talked to himself, Anne was actually already awake. But she chose to continue pretending to sleep while listening to all the complaints her husband was feeling.

Just so you know, I never thought before that we could meet in this way. If I could choose, I also wanted to get to know you in a friendly manner, not in this warring state.

Anne let out a heavy sigh, lamenting the fate she was currently experiencing.

In my heart, I’m actually sure you’re a good person. But, I also can’t deny that you’re more annoying than good.

This time, Anne sighed. Her mind wandered, recalling all the behaviors of Kaivan that often irritated her.

But you stay calm. It seems like all of this won’t last long. Maybe soon I’ll be leaving. And after that, you can go back to living your life as before.

****

“I thought you weren’t ready.”

When he returned to the room after a day of finishing so much work, Kaivan found Anne already well-dressed and, of course, beautiful. The way she was dressed this evening was stunning. He was even sure that anyone who saw his wife’s appearance would be impressed.

“Don’t worry. I’m the dependable type of woman. So you don’t need to fear that I’ll ignore your messages or orders.”

“Oh, really?” Kaivan smiled mockingly. Why did it sound like what Anne just said was somewhat sarcastic to his ears?

“Of course. You can prove it.”

Kaivan stepped forward, approaching Anne’s seated position. Then he squinted one eye. “In that case, I’ll get ready first. Let’s just see later if you can be reliable when you’re in front of my business associates.”

Exactly at 7:30 PM, Kaivan and Anne arrived at the event venue. Before deciding to get out of the car, Anne took the opportunity to ask her husband first. She wanted to make sure of something that had been bothering her since earlier.

“Are you sure we’re going out without security?” Anne asked hesitantly. Wasn’t it Kaivan himself who always emphasized that wherever they went, they should be accompanied by security to avoid any mishaps? But why did he decide to drive his own car now?

“Don’t worry,” the man replied nonchalantly. “We’ll both be fine. You don’t need to be afraid.”

Assured as such, Anne eventually believed it. The two of them then chose to get out. Affectionately, Kaivan immediately held his wife’s arm as they entered the building where the party was being held.

A continuous smile graced Anne’s lovely lips. Without any awkwardness, she continued to accompany Kaivan, mingling with the other invited guests. She even occasionally engaged in conversation with whoever approached her.

“Thank you for being here, Mr. Maximilian. It’s an honor for us to have an important guest like you.”

Miguel Delarossa, the event host, welcomed Kaivan with great respect. The man, who was probably around 50 years old, turned to look, his eyes filled with admiration, at the woman standing right beside Kaivan.

“Is this your secretary?” he asked, reaching for Anne’s wrist. He gave a brief, confident kiss to the back of her hand. “I’ve never seen a woman as beautiful as this,” he praised.

“Of course not,” Kaivan retorted. Instantly, he placed his hand on Anne’s waist, intentionally embracing her and closing the gap between them. “Allow me to introduce, Mr. Delarossa, this is Anna Maria. She’s my wife, not a secretary or a date.” There was emphasis in every word Kaivan expressed to his conversation partner. The statement seemed to signal that the woman he was holding belonged to him.

“Oh my…,” Delarossa exclaimed. “Forgive my rudeness. I truly had no idea that Mrs. Anna Maria is your wife.”

“No problem, Mr. Delarossa,” Kaivan replied shortly. “It’s understandable that you didn’t know,” he continued.

Indeed, Kaivan had to accept the reality of this situation. Getting married privately and only inviting a few people had left some of his business associates unaware of the woman he had wed.

After chatting briefly with the event host, Kaivan continued his steps, mingling with other business associates who were nearly all present at the party.

“May I go get a drink?” Anne whispered when Kaivan was still busy conversing with the business associates he had met there.

Kaivan turned to look. He maintained a constant smile to preserve his image in front of the other business associates.

“Can I accompany you?” This offer was actually nothing more than small talk. He and Anne had agreed beforehand to behave as naturally as possible, like any ordinary husband and wife. They hoped people wouldn’t suspect that their marital relationship was nothing more than a formality.

“No need. I can get it myself. Besides, you’re busy talking to your business associates,” Anne politely replied.

“Alright then. But don’t take too long.”

Kaivan then allowed Anne to go get a drink. While she did that, he resumed the conversation.

Gracefully, Anne made her way to a table specially set up with snacks and various types of drinks. After contemplating for a moment, she finally chose a glass of Ocean Blue cocktail neatly arranged there.

“Don’t you want to try Aperitivo?” An unfamiliar man from Anne’s right side suddenly spoke up. He even fetched two drinks and handed them to Anne.

“This is a typical Italian drink that’s rarely served or found at large events. It’d be a shame if you didn’t try it.”

“Really?” Anne raised an eyebrow. Without realizing it, she responded to the man’s words, even though she didn’t know him. “Why would it be a shame? Does this drink have some special effects?”

The man nodded slowly.

“Of course. They say that anyone who drinks Aperitivo will feel a sense of peace. It can even help alleviate feelings of sadness and stress.”

Curious about what the man was saying, Anne accepted the Aperitivo he handed her. However, before she could even take a sip, suddenly, Kaivan appeared out of nowhere and took the glass she was holding.

“Pregnant women shouldn’t drink high-alcohol beverages like Aperitivo.” He cautioned. “Besides, you shouldn’t accept offerings from people you don’t know, even if it’s just a drink.”

Kaivan’s gaze shifted to the man beside Anne. An openly displeased expression was evident on his face.

“And you, sir. Don’t casually offer drinks to someone else’s wife.”

Kaivan, without asking for permission, immediately grabbed Anne’s wrist. He pulled his wife to follow his steps. Judging by his demeanor, he was heading toward the basement where their car was parked.

“Don’t ever accept offerings from people you don’t know, Anna Maria. That man could have put poison in your drink.”

Anne snorted. Why was the man in front of her suddenly acting strange?

“Don’t overreact, Kai.”

Now the two of them were standing not far from the car. They were exchanging arguments about the stranger who had offered Anne a drink.

“I’m not overreacting. It’s just being cautious. Remember that we’re in Milan, not London. Anything bad can happen if you’re not careful.”

Anne fell silent. In her heart, she agreed with her husband’s words. In another person’s territory, she indeed needed to be more careful. No one knew if the people around them were truly kind or just looking to take advantage.

“Now, get into the car quickly. You need to rest because tomorrow morning we have to return to London.”

Anne nodded in understanding. Before she could even turn around, she caught sight of someone approaching from behind. In an unexpected move, the man suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at Kaivan’s body. Anne gasped in shock. The next moment, the sound of gunshots rang out, followed by the collapse of one of them.