Fateful Italian Passion

by Olga GOA

  Pondering that it was still harmful to Veronica to starve, Gloria gently woke her up and fed her a hearty dinner. Veronica thanked Gloria for her kindness and lay down on the bed.

  Suddenly Veronica’s shifted her glance to the dresser and she saw the parcel. Her heart pounded wildly. Her inner voice told her not to open the parcel, but her curiosity won over her fear.

  After reading that parcel was meant for her, Veronica cut it open and found a DVD without a label. She turned on the DVD player, put the disc in it, and pressed the ‘play’ button.

  At first, there was just some static image on the TV screen, but then a clear picture appeared. And Veronica froze in her place. Her eyes were full of tears, and she cursed herself for opening the unfortunate parcel. The screen showed a naked Susan sitting on her desk in front of Milano as she urged him to approach her. Susan told him something and spread her legs, waiting for Milano to come closer. Then Milano went to Susan, and unexpectedly the image of video was cut—the TV had a black screen.

  After this unpleasant experience, Veronica angrily threw the remote against the wall. It split in two, falling with a thud on the beautiful parquet floor in Milano’s room. Veronica wanted to break everything in this room, and never see its master again. Serious emotions of anger and jealousy boiled in her, and most importantly, her hopes were faltered.

  She could not understand why Milano did that to her. Why did he delude her? Why? Were all men the same?

  Hearing the door open, Veronica knew that Milano came back from work. When she saw his disingenuous smile, she took the pot of flowers standing on the dresser and threw it at her Demon. As always, Milano’s reaction was instant, and he ducked as the pot swept over his head and hit the wall in the hallway.

  Milano looked with horror at his Amazon. She was seething; her face was red.

  What happened this time? Milano asked himself, scowling. He was so pissed off that problems happened all of a sudden when he wasn’t home.

  “Veronica! What the hell?!” Milano’s eyes bulged, his breathing accelerated. He didn’t like that his lady, being on the third month of her pregnancy, was so angry.

  “How dare you cheat on me with that whore, your secretary! Moron! Scoundrel! Bastard!” Veronica screamed at him, almost crying.

  Milano breathed heavily, trying not to lose his temper. He guessed what had happened when he saw the torn paper lying on the floor, and turned the DVD player on. Milano was surprised that Susan got her hands on the footage of that night, as she tried to seduce him. It was most likely that she had bribed someone in the security department. Maybe she also pulled the footage herself because of her cunning behavior and sexuality. She obviously wanted to spoil his relationship with Veronica.

  How Milano hated her now! He knew that it was a sin to think about murder, but the desire to strangle Susan was immeasurable.

  But how could he explain everything to Veronica, who didn’t want to listen to him? How could he? However, he had to try at least. He was a jerk, yes, but he still deserved the chance to be with a decent woman like Veronica.

  Milano reached out to her, wanting to hug her, but Veronica avoided him, heading toward the door.

  “Veronica, let me explain!” Milano asked her, blocking her way. “Susan just wants to hurt my family, and she did that deliberately! I didn’t cheat on you.”

  “Oh, really?” Veronica growled. “Then what were you doing when she was sitting in front of you, totally nude, and offered herself? Invited her to drink tea with you?”

  “I haven’t done anything with her. Don’t you see?” Milano yelled not able to hold his emotions. “She’s just a bitch. A bitch who is ready to do a detestable act just to be with me!”

  “If it is so, then why did you go to her? Why did you allow her to stroke your crotch? You’re lying to me, and I think you allowed her to fuck you on her desk! Isn’t that right, Milano? I hate you! I hate you, Milano Veneziani! Let me go!”

  Veronica pinched Milano’s shoulder painfully, telling him to back off.

  “I didn’t fuck her, Veronica! I didn’t!” Milano told her desperately. “I don’t know what you saw on that video, but nothing happened. Trust me, not Susan. How can you believe what she sent you? She’s a real wretch! Anyway, I can’t let you go! You carry my child, and whether you like it or not, you’re mine now!”

  “Fuck you!” Veronica kicked Milano’s leg with all her strength, and he squirmed and groaned from the pain, freeing her passage.

  Veronica bolted out of the room and flung the flower pot to the side. Seeing Gloria’s anxious face, Veronica didn’t tell her anything. She kept her distance from Gloria, fleeted down the stairs and ran out of the house. She was wrecked, and her heart was injured by the Demon—Milano Veneziani.

  Gloria said nothing and only gently cleaned the carpet in the corridor before Milano’s room. She also washed the wall on which the pot left a trail of soil. As his nanny, Gloria never blamed Milano but accepted that he had a lousy character, and not every woman could cope with him. But she felt guilty about their quarrel. She was aware of the parcel she had brought caused Milano and Veronica relationships discord.

  “Vecchia gallina!” Gloria condemned herself. “Avrei dovuto controllare prima cosa fosse questo pacchetto e non darlo a Veronica. Sarei riuscita ad impedire che fosse di nuovo inviato a casa di Milano, se qualcuno voleva fare del male a lui e Veronica? Probabilmente no. Come posso farli riconciliare?” [10]

  Gloria was grumbling, and Milano came out of the room. He was rubbing his calf muscle, eyes searching for Veronica.

  “Fanculo! Dannazione!” Milano shouted. “Gloria, sai benissimo che alzarsi dal letto è severamente proibito a Veronica, figurarsi correre! È a rischio aborto, te l'avevo detto!”[11]

  “Scusami Milano. Ma Veronica non mi ha permesso di fermarla.” Gloria sadly replied, tapping his shoulder. “Andrò a cercarla. Non ti preoccupare.”[12]

  Milano closed his eyes, trying to calm down. How and where will he find Veronica now? And doesn’t she understand what she’s doing? Trying to escape from him could kill their child, and even worse, it could harm her health. What would he do then?

  He vowed to himself that if something happened to his kid and Veronica, he would put Susan behind bars.

  ***

  Veronica couldn’t run so far from the Veneziani cottage. Unlike Milano, she cooled down her emotions faster than he did. She thought about the consequences of her actions, and she had no right to hurt her baby. She didn’t want to be the cause of her child’s death.

  Veronica decided to look around. She sat down on a bench in Parkland, stroking her small tummy. She tried not to cry, but the pain enveloped her heart. Milano had lied to her and have withheld the truth about what had happened in the office.

  Could Milano earn her forgiveness again? Veronica could not answer that question now; she was too depressed. She wanted to share her sorrow with her aunt, but at the same time, she didn’t wish to upset her. Veronica could never forgive herself if her aunt had a heart attack from such news. Veronica loved her aunt very much.

  The air smelled of a thunderstorm―the clouds were gathering over The Eternal City, and the sky was plunged into darkness. Thunder rocked, and a strong wind blew, lifting Veronica’s long blue dress. It felt as if nature was asking Veronica to go back home immediately and not do anything stupid. Drops of rain began to fall on her face, erasing her painful sadness.

  In the distance, someone was running along the road toward her, holding a large umbrella aloft. Soon the person reached the bench, and Veronica saw that it was Gloria.

  Gloria was breathing heavily; her heart was beating very fast. Thank God she had found Veronica and she wouldn’t have to look for her through all the dark streets of Rome. Milano will be pleased. She thought.

  “My dear girl, let’s go home. It has begun to rain.” Gloria told Veronica tenderly. “I was very worried. Get up.”

  “Gloria, but—”

  “Come on, Veronica. I can se
e that you and Milano are both stubborn. You don’t want to meet each other halfway, but let me explain something.” Gloria sat down next to Veronica on the bench, still holding the umbrella above their heads. She gazed at Veronica with concern. “I don’t know what the matter is, but I believe Milano would never hurt you deliberately. For the sake of the baby, don’t jump to conclusions.”

  Veronica couldn’t tell Gloria that the issue was Milano’s secretary—his ex-mistress. She was very uncomfortable talking about it. She thought that it was only her and Milano’s business. So, listening to Gloria, she decided to go back home with her.

  Veronica slowly rose from the bench, and then they heard the roaring laughter of some men. Gloria urged Veronica to hurry up, but a team of men quickly surrounded them in a small circle.

  Veronica suddenly felt nervous. She firmly grabbed Gloria’s hand, while Gloria incredulously looked at the group of five suspicious men. They said something to Gloria in Italian, and she squealed at them, asking the men to leave them alone. In reply to that, the men only laughed and continued to mock her.

  One of the men, who was taller and more powerful than the rest, grabbed Veronica’s hand, signaling to his friends to drag Gloria away. Without hesitation, they did what their boss asked, while Gloria fought desperately against their violence. She was ready to beat them all but was not strong.

  The eyes of the gang leader were burning like the eyes of a hyena while he examined Veronica from head to toe. It was obvious that he hadn’t been there to ask her for the time. He had other intentions.

  Veronica thought she was done for, but out of nowhere, Milano appeared in front of their faces as a warlock. His gaze was deadly. His nails dug into the skin of the gang leader; his fingers painfully squeezed the gang’s shoulder.

  “Get lost!” Milano roared in Italian. “Otherwise, I will finish you and all your men. Let go of the women right now!”

  “Back off, sucker!” The leader of the gang burst out laughing, taking out a knife from his pocket and twirling it in front of Milano’s nose. He went on in Italian. “What I want is what I do. This babe wants to have some fun, and we will show her a good time. But first, you will taste my steel!”

  Milano quickly swiped his arm across the gang leader’s elbow, knocking the knife out of his hand. He began to beat the leader harshly and ruthlessly, just like the boxing coach had taught him all his life. Milano’s kicks were so devastating that the gang leader couldn’t even stand up.

  The bodyguard Pietro unexpectedly came out, attacked two men of the gang and twisted their arms behind their back. He pushed the bandits forward, and they stumbled, falling to the ground. The bodyguard pulled out a black Beretta from the leather waistband holster and aimed the weapon at both men. “The police are on their way.”

  When they heard Pietro, they quickly ran away, not caring about others. In the end, the gang leader slashed Milano’s arm with his knife. It was his revenge for his loss before making a run for it.

  But Pietro was sure the bandits wouldn’t get too far—the cops were arriving now.

  “Signorina Veronica,” he asked Veronica, noticing her pale face. “Are you all right? Can I help you?”

  “I will take care of her.” Veronica heard a low, deep voice behind Pietro and then saw her Demon who was a little shabby from the fight. She wanted to run to him and hug him for saving her, but the picture where Milano moved toward a nude Susan popped up before her eyes and she stopped.

  Sensing Veronica’s tension, Milano frowned.

  “Don’t be so obstinate, dear.” He touched her elbow, but she jerked her hand away from him. Milano squeezed her wrist tightly so that Veronica would not be so capricious.

  And that’s when she noticed blood on Milano’s hand. But Milano pulled down the sleeve of his shirt, not wanting to elicit pity from his goddess.

  “Milano! You have a deep cut. Show me!” Veronica insisted, but Milano shook it off. Without her permission, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his house. Gloria and Pietro followed them, talking about the awful incident.

  Veronica said nothing while Milano carried her. She was worried only about his wound. She gently hugged her Demon’s neck, resting her head on his shoulder and lightly stroked his chest. She hoped her caress could cease his pain.

  Milano smiled at Veronica’s change of heart and also said nothing. He entered with his goddess into his house, going up the stairs. He came into their room, carefully putting Veronica on their bed. He told Pietro that he didn’t need anything else and that he could go and relax till the police came.

  After some time, a police car pulled up in front of the Veneziani’s cottage. The cops asked Veronica, Gloria, and Pietro a few questions, and informed Milano that they caught the gang. Gloria was pleased that the villains got what they deserved and lauded the police, saying that they had done a good job. The cops were a little surprised by Gloria’s eloquence but did not continue the conversation. The woman was on edge. She still relived the moment when the bandits were ready to attack her and Veronica. She needed to rest.

  After settling all the issues with the police, Milano soon got back to Veronica. He forgot about his wound, and thought only about his goddess, asking her if she was okay.

  Seeing Milano’s shirt sleeve soaked in blood, Veronica wrinkled her small nose with displeasure. “Milano, you are such an idiot! Why have you still not bandaged the wound? Oh, whatever! Get me a bandage and some alcohol.” She was irate because of his indifference towards himself. He totally ignored his well-being.

  “Yes, my Queen.” Milano chuckled and left the room. He returned with a first aid kit and took a seat beside her on the bed. Veronica started bandaging his wound with gauze and Milano didn’t take his gaze off her. He inhaled the smell of her perfume and enjoyed it. He felt the same intoxication which he had experienced at their first meeting in Rome.

  His head spun; his thoughts running through his mind. It was like he was high.

  “It’s done.” Veronica looked at her work and was very proud of her first and successful wound dressing. “Now you can go to sleep.”

  “With you?” Milano teased her.

  “Go to Susan if you want!” Veronica spat. “The tape showed me that quite clearly.”

  “Are you jealous?” Milano grinned. “That means you don’t hate me.”

  “Fuck off!” Veronica pushed him, while he continued to laugh. “I’m still mad at you. You are a jerk!”

  “I know, honey, I know. I lied to you, and for that, I apologize. It was only because I didn’t want you to be worried.” Milano gently kissed his woman’s neck, and then her ear. When he slid his hands to her thighs, he said, “But at least you have to trust me and not Susan. I will prove to you that nothing happened.”

  “Prove it.”

  “I will. You’ll see.” Milano pecked her on her lips, and she reluctantly let him have a moment of relaxation. She still couldn’t forget what she had seen on that DVD. And who could, in such a situation? Milano was certainly not a saint.

  Veronica wanted to be treated well as any woman; she couldn’t forgive any manner of betrayal. For example, how her parents betrayed her. They were supposed to give her happiness but Veronica had never experienced that in her life. That’s why she wished to have her lucky day like everyone else; she tried reaching for her favorite dream.

  Unexpectedly for Veronica and Milano, Gloria knocked on the door, and they let her in.

  “Melissa tea,” Gloria said, carefully carrying a tray with a kettle and two cups. She placed it on the bed near Veronica and Milano. “It will calm you down, Veronica, and reduce spasms of your belly if you have any. The doctor recommended it.”

  “Gloria, you are an angel. We are so grateful to you.” Milano thanked his ex-nanny for her perseverance, composure, and her timely help. After all, if Gloria hadn’t run after Veronica, who knows what could have happened to his girl. Gloria had really become their Guardian Angel; she became their real support.

 
The elderly Gloria had devised a lot of plans to make peace between Veronica and Milano. She wished to connect their hearts if suddenly one of her plans didn’t work. But all her doubts were soon dissipated when she saw Milano taking care of Veronica. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her tiny shoulder, as she took small sips of the tea.

  Such softness from Milano was so unfamiliar to Gloria. She had known him ever since Lady Veneziani left her baby Milano in her care. Milano’s mother rarely paid any attention to him, owing to her very young age, and because of this, he grew up as a loner and a delinquent. Milano was a desperate hothead and got used to always fight with his peers. He beat them if they didn’t share their toys. He would also get offended if other kids didn’t let him play their games.

  The little Milano wanted to show to his mother, with such negative attitude, that he was an adult. He wanted to show his parents that he desired the same attention which they paid to each other. But unfortunately, his parents didn’t hear his requests, and the little Milano closed his heart. He was becoming cruel and vindictive until Nanny Gloria gave him all her motherly love.

  Gloria pampered the little Milano but was strict with him so that he wouldn’t grow up to be selfish. She tried to inculcate in him the qualities of a real man. And her efforts were not futile as she watched Veronica and Milano. Milano’s new girl, his future wife, was with him, instead of Gloria. Now Veronica would take care of him, just as Gloria had done. Everything depended on Veronica’s love at this moment as Gloria understood.

  Would Veronica be able to keep the demons away from Milano? Would she have enough energy to fight them, while she was so defenseless herself and also carrying his child in her womb?

  The one thing Veronica knew for sure—Susan wouldn’t just leave Milano until she got what she desired.

  ~ CHAPTER 6 ~

  I Will Be Only Yours