Page 10 of Unspoken Ties

“I’ll wait here,” I said.

“But…” she started, and trailed off.

I sighed. It was going to be hard being married to this girl if she never told me what she wanted.

“Just say it.”

Her nostrils flared, and I could tell I had clearly hit a nerve. Her tone changed from one of meekness to something that (almost) had authority in it. “There were just men here waiting to kill me and you’re going to let me walk around alone?”

Liria was cute when she wasn’t being so shy. I was going to poke the bear.

“So, what do you want?”

“For you to follow me, obviously.” She gritted through her teeth.

“All you had to do was ask,” I chuckled, my lips curling into a smirk as I watched her reaction. Her cheeks flushed a deepshade of crimson before she turned and quickly ascended the stairs. I couldn’t quite decipher if her fiery expression was born from embarrassment or seething anger. Either way, my teasing had hit its mark.

I trailed behind Liria as she hurriedly packed her suitcases, stuffing garments in with abandon. Her room, though belonging to someone who had grown up in a wealthy household, was surprisingly modest and understated. The furnishings were elegant but not flashy, the walls adorned with tasteful artwork instead of opulent displays of wealth. In stark contrast to the other wealthy girls I had encountered, who dressed and acted lavishly, this girl seemed almost uninterested in material possessions. It was almost refreshing to see someone from such a privileged background living humbly.

“Done?” I asked as she zipped up her suitcase.

“Yes.”

“Fantastic. Show me where your father’s study is.”

Liria seemed taken aback by my request for a moment, her surprise clearly visible in her wide eyes. But it quickly vanished, and was replaced with understanding. Her father was no longer here, and through our marriage, I would be running his business dealings.

Swallowing hard, she nodded and led me down a series of hallways to a heavy mahogany door. “There is a fingerprint lock. There’s no way you’ll be able to get in.”

What Liria didn’t know was that I already knew that. When Emilio had been here gathering her personal items, he had found Leone’s office and let me know of the extra security.

Fortunately for us, Leone’s right hand was still intact after the explosion. I pulled out a hi-res picture of Leone’s thumb and put it over the scanner. There was a beeping noise, and the lock clicked open.

With a quick turn of the knob, I pushed it open to reveal her father’s study. It was a large, comfortable room filled with bookshelves and antique furniture. A desk by the window overlooked the grounds of the house, no doubt where Liria’s father had spent countless hours conducting his affairs.

I heard a small sniffle and turned to look at Liria. A large portrait of her and her deceased parents was hung over the mantle of the fireplace. Liria turned around to face me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she absorbed the room in all its silence. Though I could see how much she wanted to break down, she held herself together.

“It sucks at first.” I awkwardly attempted to console her again. “But it gets better.”

She nodded her head. “What did you need from in here?”

“Anything we can find. I have a general overview of every business your father runs, but I don’t know the intricacies. I’m sure he also has a ton of ‘business relationships’ that most aren’t privy to.”

We worked in silence, shuffling through the cluttered files of her late father. The weight of his absence hung heavy in the air, and the only sounds that broke the stillness were the soft rustling of papers as we searched for answers.

“Found something,” Liria mumbled. Her hair had fallen out of her ponytail, and I couldn’t help notice how delicate the junction of her neck and collarbone was. It was so perfect, just the right size to kiss and suck until she begged for more.

“Ettore?” Liria said. Fuck. She had asked me a question, but it had gone through one ear and out the other because I was too busy staring at her.

I made a mental note to spend some quality time with my hand later on. I couldn’t have inconveniences like these happening.

As we arrived back at our home for the night, I noticed Liria’s hands were trembling and her face was pale. She had seemed calm and collected while we were searching through her father’s study, but now something else weighed heavily on her mind. Her brows furrowed in worry as she stared off into the distance, lost in thought.

“Are you okay?” I asked, although the question seemed redundant given her state.

“M’fine,” she responded, not looking up from her toes.

I internally groaned. Normally I would just leave it there, but I felt I should be a little nice to her. We were married now.

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