Chapter 23

"Alright, follow me." She smiles and walks towards our table.

During lunch, Bianca skillfully captivates Alessandro's attention by engaging him in conversation as though they were the only two people at the table. Grandma looks like she's going to kill her any minute now with the looks she's sending Bianca's way. Grandpa looked at Bianca disapprovingly and tried to save his grandson from her by discussing some unimportant matters with him, but Bianca's determination is getting worse, and Antonio too had to watch silently as she rudely interrupted everyone who talks to Alessandro, until Lilani frowned at Bianca.

"You know it's bad manners to pretend the rest of us aren't here; Nonno is talking to Ali, but you keep interrupting. " Bianca looks at Lilani sharply and then says,

"Didn't your parents teach you any manners? Who are you, in any case? And who is your Ali? His name is Alessandro." Lilani stands up and walks up to Bianca with her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes when she says, "I'm Lilani, Lisa's sister, and my parents taught me better manners than you will ever have, and Ali doesn't care that I call him that"! Everyone at the table was amused by Lilani's short temper towards Bianca.

Alessandro, darling, are you going to let a little uneducated child talk to me like that?" Bianca asks seriously.

"I'm afraid you're the grown-up Bianca, but Lilani is right; she may call me Ali if you don't like it; it's your problem. If I ever hear you refer to her as uneducated, then I'm going to forget I'm a man and throw you out myself. Please remember in the future that you're just a guest; the rest of the people here at the table are family." Alessandro says cold. Lilani sits down with Alessandro and starts talking to him. Bianca is furious.

The waitress asks if we want anything else, "Just the bill, please." Alessandro says. We paid for lunch and went outside. After greeting grandma, grandpa, and Lilani, I took Alessandro back to the office. I carefully helped him sit, then I politely apologized and went back home after telling Leonardo.

Arriving home, I went to Lilani and found her with Alice. I spent the rest of the afternoon with them. I see no reason why I should sit and be bored in Alessandro and Bianca's company all afternoon. Although I don't know her, I do know that she is the woman that Alessandro loves and whom he has been missing for months. He would welcome being alone with his lover.

Later in the afternoon, Alessandro arrives, and Antonio comes and tells me that Alessandro wants to see me in his office. I close the door softly and ask calmly, "Is there anything I can do for you, Alessandro?"

"Yes, you can tell me where you were the whole afternoon!" Alessandro exclaimed in a cold voice. I immediately know I'm in trouble, my voice sounding tired when I softly say, "I didn't hide, Alessandro; I was with Lilani to see what I could help her with."

"I don't care what you have done. You know as well as I do that your place is next to mine when we have guests, but you have deliberately disobeyed my orders today!" he says bitterly.

"I didn't do it out of spite", I defend myself.

"Bianca is very special, I thought, since she is the woman you love, you would like to be alone with her."

"I didn't ask you to think for me, Lisa. Your duties are to carry out my orders punctually without interfering with my affairs or acting at your discretion. I repeat, when we have guests, you must stay by my side until the last guest leaves, no matter who the guests are! "

I really hope Bianca won't be coming over tomorrow. It's Friday, and I have to accompany Lilani for her chemo session. The words slipped out before I even realized it. If I'm right, Bianca will be a regular guest from now on here and at his office.

"I will excuse you when you have to take Lilani to chemo and when you have to attend Professor Bove's classes. But otherwise, I expect you to do your duty punctually as my wife when we have guests." I hear Alessandro say, "Anyway, I think it's time to get ready for dinner."