The Italian's proposal

Chapter Eighteen

Timothy

“Why the hell did you do that?” Timothy burst out when Devina showed him the check.

“Because you’re an idiot and you’re mistreating someone who’s not guilty of anything,” she sat at the dining room table with a cup of tea and glared at him angrily, “don’t come looking for trouble with me Timothy, I’m not the monster here.”

“You don’t know anything about what happened between Melody and me,” he replied furiously. “You’re just nosy.”

“In addition to being a freeloader, a hypocrite, now nosy? Wow, the definitions of me in your short vocabulary are expanding. You must feel good taking your anger out on me and not yourself.”

“Don’t be funny Devina,” he dropped a fist on the table and ran his hands through his hair, almost on the verge of losing his patience, to all this, Devina looked at him smiling. “Is this funny to you? Seeing me like this? You made her leave! I don’t know where she went!”

“How?” she stood up, took a last sip of her tea, and put the cup on the table. “I don’t understand what you mean. You have brought all this on yourself. You and your self-centeredness and lack of confidence...”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about! She planned a robbery! That’s not being a good person. Don’t fall into her angelic face,” he had fallen roundly and now he realized it. But he would make her pay.

“You’re so blind. You will ruin her,” she told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t like me; I don’t like you either. But that woman, that poor pregnant woman, she’s having the damnedest time, and you don’t make it any easier. I know some mean and manipulative people, but that girl isn’t. So, yes dear. You’re ruining her.”

“What am I supposed to be ruining?” he asked without looking at her. The check was heavy between his fingers. He crumpled it up and tossed it on the table.

“Your chance to figure out what’s going on between you two. Melody didn’t steal that money. So do your research. As haughty as you are and think you’re smart, if I were you, I’d investigate all the strands,” she headed for the elevator. “That girl’s a sweetie pie. She hits hard, but she’s good. I know you think I’m not worth it, that I’m a freeloader and that me and your cousin won’t work out, but you’re wrong. Love comes in the most mysterious ways. It’s a good thing you have your eyes wide open for when it happens to you.”

“She did. Her brother-in-law signed a statement...”

“That makes one unscrupulous person. Throwing your own family under the bus? Did you think he’s the one behind it all?” she jabbed the elevator button and waited for it to go up to the top floor where they were. “She didn’t take my money. Start thinking about that detail. See you soon Timothy. I hope you don’t screw up anymore.”

That’s how she was.

Like a storm.

That’s what his cousin had told him.

And he had been right.

Devina was one of the most complex women he’d ever known. Marrying Hamlet seemed like a win/lose gamble: she gained status and money, and he lost the chance to find a woman who really loved him.

But something inside him was beginning to tell him that he was completely wrong about the intense, sassy redhead.

He dialed the detective’s number and waited for him to answer. He was beginning to lose his patience.

He was not a man to judge lightly, but maybe it was true and he might have made a big mistake with Melody. Ever since he forced her to move into his apartment three days ago, she excused herself for keeping the information that she was Equilay’s sister-in-law, but to him, blinded by rage and betrayal, he hadn’t listened to her for a single second. Every word she said went in one ear and out the other without leaving a mark on his mind.

“Sir?” the private detective answered him at several rings.

“I need you to really look into Equilay Thompson. There’s something not adding up in his statement. Search bank accounts, here and abroad, look further afield, dig, talk to neighbors, friends, cousins, the devil himself you have to but find out if he has the money!”

“Right away Sir,” the man was silent for a moment and then added; “Congratulations on your engagement.”

“What?” confused, he looked at the cell phone screen. Had he been stalking him with some hidden camera? No one knew about his engagement except Hamlet, and he’d recently found out that Devina knew about it too.

“You’re everywhere. You’re quite famous. Don’t mind the bad comments. If you love each other...”

“Look into what I asked.”

He closed the call and googled his name on the web.

Hundreds of pages immediately appeared advertising his engagement to the stranger.

of them favored

think about was what she would suffer

screen, he knew the news

Stai per sposare una giovane donna americana?”

to be. At

or I’d be cut out of the company I’ve sacrificed so much for,” he went to his room and pulled back the curtains, started to take off his

know her? Who is she? I have to hear from the help about your engagement!” she asked. “Juliet came in smiling with the newspaper in her hand. I did not

a good situation and dynamic with

wasn’t exactly doing his part

enough,” at least he hoped so. If he managed to find Melody. Considering she was gone,

Italian? The papers haven’t been good about her, you must give a statement Timi,” his mother added this last comment, a little calmer and more concerned, which he silently

press who hates me.” Gia must have been

to focus on what he was going to say; “the point is

let Melody continue working with Doyle, if he had to find a replacement for her and pay for it himself, well, he would gladly do so. That was if he managed to track down Melody’s whereabouts. “As you understand, Melody has no reason to work there

what your fiancée does and doesn’t have to do,” Carlota corrected. “Relationships don’t work if you try

tell me all about relationships. For now, I’m naked in front of the shower

wait for you tomorrow, Friday, at our house. We’ll have a dinner in honor of you and your

know what to

his mother know, that he had no idea where his future wife was, represented a clear loss of power and failure to his mother and within seconds

as they shouldn’t have to find out that the marriage wasn’t

“See you tomorrow mom.”

about work, things were in order at least on the work front. His personal life,

All thanks to Devina.

and her implanting new

calm, furious, but calm. Thinking Melody was responsible and would make her pay by making her marry him and pay back the money. He didn’t care about

his housekeeper knocked

olive-green shirt that, according to his mother, brought out his eyes. It

Gia says she needs to

I’m

saw Clark in the parking lot and well, you know how pushy she is,” Paula was nervous,

no idea that he

right out and

“Thank you, sir.”

the need to ask her a

she turned and clasped her hands behind her back. “What did you think of my fiancée? I know I didn’t notify you in advance that she was coming, and you’ve been

me cook, she even arranges her clothes herself, even though I told her I was there to do it.

at him with eyes full of joy as she

That stabbed his heart.

made a mistake

be manipulated by Equilay

he had hurt an innocent

not even when she worked for his parents and he was a teenager. “I know also that it’s none of my business, but I

heart being stabbed for

It breaks my soul. She’s so young. Be sure to take care of her Mr. Timothy,” the woman apologized and went to the kitchen, leaving him turned into a bundle of insecurities and

She been crying.

his pants and finished putting on the

he called the detective again. He needed to settle his doubts as soon as possible and know what to

you have anything

working as soon

he shouted angrily at him. He knew

In the meantime,

sitting on the couch. At another time in his life, he would have thought she was beautiful, an

you that I don’t want to see you again,” he