The Italian's proposal

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Timothy

Timothy was on his way to Melody’s parents’ house; it was the only place he hadn’t looked for. He had called her countless times on her cell phone, wasting time dialing, knowing she wasn’t going to answer.

She was tired of him and his attitude and he knew it.

“Sir,” it was Clark, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized they were already in front of Melody’s parents’ house.

The detective had done the job right.

She was there, she hasn’t been out all afternoon, not even to the porch.

“Shall I wait for you or come back for you later?” he didn’t know what the answer to that question would be either.

“Wait for me,” how about Melody refused to see him, she had her reasons. He screwed up big time. And Equilay Thompson’s Bahamas account confirmed it. He has been stupid, blinded by Gia’s infidelity and betrayal, he judged Melody without listening to her.

Now she was gone.

An innocent in a world full of bullets in the air.

She was hit by one, and unfortunately, Timothy was the one who pulled the trigger and sentenced.

“No,” he regretted. “Go. I’ll call you when we’re done.” He wasn’t going to leave without her.

He always had been known for being a confident man, but at that moment, with the documents the detective handed him half an hour earlier, he didn’t even know how to walk safely and calmly.

Regret and guilt were two things he never felt before, at least not to this magnitude.

He called Hamlet, asking for Devina’s number, which his cousin didn’t like, as he knew they didn’t get along, but in the end, Timothy was forced to confess that he screwed up big time.

Big and deep.

“Did you find her yet?” was the first thing she said when Hamlet put her on the phone.

“No. But you were right.”

“I usually am,” he imagined her smiling complacently, she was tremendous, that woman.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Admitting it hadn’t cost him as much as he imagined.

The truth was, if he was responsible for hurting Melody, it was appropriate to be just as responsible for apologizing and begging for her forgiveness.

He did not see himself as a man who would kneel before anyone, but neither did he see himself as one who would mistreat and hurt.

The last one already did.

It cost him nothing to kneel if necessary.

“The first thing is to talk to her, go over to her and tell her that you know she wasn’t the one who stole the money,” she told him after a while with the line silent.

“You make it too easy; don’t you remember how she beat you up for thinking I sent you?” she didn’t want to imagine what it would do to him if he didn’t tread lightly.

“It’s not that I forgot, it’s that she acted out of how we conditioned her. I realize this now.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” Devina seemed to have all the time in the world, whereas he, needed to figure everything out now. He was a pragmatic man of action, not one to make a mess and walk away without sorting it out.

“You accused her of stealing from you, of planning something as ugly as a three-million-dollar embezzlement, I tried to help her by giving her the money,” she sighed and continued. “I influenced her to believe you were trying to blame her even more. Melody didn’t see it as help, she saw it as a ploy to prove her dignity and her sincerity. Not as an escape, which was what I was looking for.”

“You wanted her to leave me?” he didn’t understand why Devina had stepped in where no one called her.

any harm. She only recently realizes that her brother-in-law, who she believed in for years, stole from you.” Looking from that way, he only managed to feel like Satan himself, like a deplorable being. He thought of the restaurant and how he gave her Equilay Thompson’s statement and how he smiled at her all smug and wild. “She hardly realizes what the world is like. Did you

about you, I’m sorry that...” he didn’t even

I want you to understand is that you must be empathetic, put yourself in her place, understand her or at least try to,” she said something to Hamlet and then went back to him. “I know you like her, if you weren’t attracted to her, you wouldn’t

thanks,” he said

hurt her. Go and listen to her. Tell her you screwed up, tell her you’re sorry and hopefully, hopefully, you’ll get

front of the house,

to hit him with

watched Clark drive away, a part of him wanted to leave with him, take refuge in his penthouse and carry on as if nothing happened. But the part

mother opened the door for him. He recognized her,

woman’s face, she knew

meet you,” she said and stepped aside, making way for him, which he was curious

with

asked after inviting him to

cordiality surprised him to the extreme, he tried to behave as affable as possible, but

Melody and her sister as children, all the way up to their teenage years. He focused on Melody automatically, her face hadn’t changed a bit. She was smiling at the camera with all her teeth, even though she wore braces and her bangs on her forehead messed up in almost every picture. She was a

Italy and in Manhattan and most of the world. His last name opened doors

And he was.

realized now how petulant he

Gia’s infidelity, he lost

Because in her eyes, he was a cold and

himself

should stop making such a big deal out of everything,” he realized at once to whom Melody

way Melody communicates,” but he found it unnecessary to

a good thing. It’s not a good thing to be constantly drowning in a glass

to tell him something else, but

Mr. Redford,” he decided

so much that his father would

something did not fit in all that, as it seemed as if the family was a jewel of union and love, that made him question why Melody left her parents’ house, even more, because

shook his hand for a second and released him as he looked at his wife. “Did

said blushing, though she had been more amused, spreading uncertainty in him,

agreed to sit down. “Where’s Melody? I need to

do is invite you to dinner, so we can get to know each other,” Melody’s father sounded

way they both behaved, it gave him to understand that Melody hadn’t rant at him or told him what

made him

sow hatred in others at the thought of him, though it

I don’t think I can stay long,” he just wished he could talk to Melody alone and be able to start from

the question died on her lips at the sight of

damned beautiful. She wore a flowered long-sleeved dress a little below her thighs, her white skin stood out attractively. Her black hair fell loose on either side of her face and down to

energy in the room grew heavy and it wasn’t

him and the threat was implied in his

mean to hurt her,” and he meant it from the

of my family members care

walked up to them and put a hand on her father’s back. “Leave us alone for a moment,

parents,

your sister is coming for dinner,” Melody didn’t look at her mother, but it didn’t take it for him to realize something was going on there.

a relatively low wall, made of brick, Melody sat there and looked at him with

down next to her and leaving the envelope on top of the wall, with the documents that contained all the family information of Equilay and Melody herself, bank accounts of both and the proof that her brother-in-law kept the money in an account in the Bahamas. He felt

strong. One of the strongest women he knew, taking care of a child alone, never minding that the father was absent, shouldn’t be easy.

“What?”

hand. She tried to let go, but he didn’t let her. “Look at me Melody, look me in

stopped struggling and

“You...”

had nothing to

morning...you believed...” she let out a sob and

his arms around her and held her there, close to his chest. “Sorry... I’m sorry. I really am. I don’t care what you ask, I’ll give you anything, but I want you to know that I know I was a bastard, and I don’t deserve you to help me, or to marry me. I don’t deserve to have you even as a friend,” he knew he was babbling, but once he started, he felt he

lifted her head and turned away

That everything will be fine? Our engagement was in the paper! It was a secret between you and me. No press. Have you seen everything they say about me? That I’m a freeloader and a slut? You did that!” she began to draw in a forced breath, and Timothy worried about her well-being. “You feel good, telling me you’re willing to give me anything, don’t you? That’ s got your conscience

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