V

When I called his name, it was as if I had given him a signal—a permission. Gio lifted me and laid me on the bed, never breaking our kiss. I moaned in the midst of our passionate exchange.

He lifted my left leg and raised it slightly in the air. We were in the midst of an intense and fiery moment when suddenly, his cellphone rang.

Gio paused his kissing but not our proximity. He closed his eyes briefly, then eventually pulled away and reached for his cellphone.

I was left feeling disappointed, and as I realized what I had done earlier, embarrassment surged within me. Seriously? Where did I find the courage? And I even moaned his name!

"What is it?" I wasn't sure who had called Gio, as he didn't even greet the caller when he answered.

He released a deep sigh, and as I noticed him getting himself together, my dismay washed over me.

"I'll be there in a while." He hung up the phone and looked at me. I was sitting on the bed, gazing at him.

I knew Gio had to leave. It was evident in what he said to the person on the other end of the line.

"I have to go. I'll be back tonight."

I simply nodded, unable to think of anything else to say. I couldn't stop him. There might be an issue with his company that required his presence.

"Take care," I said.

Gio was about to leave when I noticed something.

"Gio!" I called after him. He turned to face me, so I stood up to approach him. When I attempted to touch him, I saw him avoid my touch. "Y-You have a lipstick stain on your lips."

I pointed at my own lips to indicate where the lipstick stain was, probably from me.

Gio didn't move. He didn't wipe it off.

"Do it," he said. "You were about to get rid of the stain, right? Do it."

My eyes widened. Earlier, I thought he didn't want me to touch him, so I refrained from doing it. I nodded and slowly brushed my finger against his lips to remove the lipstick. I couldn't help but feel restless while doing it because he was staring at me intently.

"Done." I took a step back. He was still looking at me.

He closed his eyes firmly and took a deep breath.

"I'll see you tonight." He turned away from me, and I noticed him sigh. He left after that.

~*~

"Mrs. Locatelli."

I turned towards the door when I heard a knock and someone calling me. I still wasn't used to being addressed as Mrs. Locatelli. To me, it still felt like a dream that I was married to someone like Gio.

Gio Locatelli is someone so hard to reach, it almost felt surreal that I had married him.

I got up to answer the door, knowing it was the woman Gio had introduced earlier, Mariana. Unlike earlier when my outfit had been a bit wrinkled due to Gio's actions, I was dressed neatly now.

Remembering that moment made my cheeks burn.

I wasn't mistaken. When I opened the door, Mariana was standing there. She greeted me politely.

"Sir Gio asked me to help you with everything you need to know now that you're married to him. Let's go to the study room, Mrs. Locatelli—"

"Please, just call me Millie." I really wasn't used to what they were calling me.

She gave a restrained smile. "Let's go to the study room, Ma'am Millie."

It seemed that no matter what I said or how I insisted on being called Millie, they would still address me with respect, so I didn't push it.

The two of us headed to the study room, even though I didn't know what we would do there. Did I need to study just to get to know what kind of person Gio was and what kind of family the Locatelli were?

I saw some files on a desk. Mariana motioned for me to sit in her office chair, so I obliged.

"All the documents you see on your desk are related to the Locatelli family and those close to them. You need to know everything as you're now married to Sir Gio," Mariana explained.

My jaw nearly dropped as I saw how thick the documents Mariana was referring to were.

"If you're more comfortable reading them using electronic devices, you can use the laptop and iPad. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

I forced a smile at Mariana when she finished speaking. I turned my attention to the documents and read the file names.

Locatelli Mafia Organization.

Mafia?

My mind paused momentarily, contemplating the word 'mafia.' Mafia, as in the criminal organization?

I looked at Mariana, who was patiently waiting for my questions.

I took a deep breath, about to open my mouth, but I restrained myself.

"Gio is part of a mafia organization? He's a member?" I was shocked by what I had just learned, but I didn't go into hysterics. Even before Gio, you could sense something dark about him.

"Yes, Ma'am," Mariana replied.

My heart raced even faster at her response. Swallowing became difficult as the knowledge of Gio's membership in such an organization lodged in my throat.

"Take note, he's not just a member, Ma'am; he's the current boss of the organization."

If I was stunned by what I had learned earlier, I was even more so now.

What had I gotten myself into? It was already strange to marry Gio because I didn't really know him, and now I was finding out these things about my now-husband?

Despite my nervousness, I didn't show it to Mariana. I simply nodded as if I had readily accepted everything, even though my insides were tied in knots.

Gio is a mafia boss, and I am his wife!

"I'll leave you for now, Ma'am. If you need anything, you can call me or Dario."

Mariana left me alone, and I lowered my gaze back to the thick documents. I hadn't even started, and I was already feeling overwhelmed.

The history of their organization was there. I read it painstakingly, even though my head was throbbing from the sheer number of names I was encountering. Did I need to memorize all of them?

It was only when I saw the name of Gio's father, Agatone Locatelli, that I perked up. So, it had been their family leading this for generations? Three generations, and they were always in charge. I wondered why there was a slight deviation with Gio's father because before he took over, one of his cousins, Mr. Silverio Locatelli, had held the position. I wondered what had transpired.