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Gael came home at ten past nine in the evening after sitting in the car with Giovanni for hours in front of Lia's house in Queens. Gio's guy gave him an address sometime in the afternoon, and right after that, Giovanni sprinted out of the club.

Giovanni already had too much to drink to be on his own while Gael only had one, and he wasn't going to let his uncle be by himself, so he drove the car. So as much as it bore the hell out of him, he waited with him. After sitting for a long time on the driver's seat, Gael moved to the backseat, lay down, and played with his phone, and simmered in his own boredom. He had wanted to go home to Angela but his uncle was being difficult.

Entering the apartment, Gael immediately sought Angela who was lounging on the couch with her legs resting on the backrest, her knees bending to an L over it. Half of her body lay down with her head pointed at the coffee table. He swore she always had the weirdest position when she was too engrossed in reading. She hadn't noticed him yet as she had earphones on. 

"How to Hide Dead Bodies" was written in bold on the cover of the book. He arched a brow and crossed his arms under his chest. Was she planning on murdering someone?

Stifling a smile on his face, he said, "You know, that's too fictional. You have a whole army here for when you need research. You can ask any of us. I'm sure we have different answers that you just might need."

Angela snapped her head to the side, meeting his gaze. And in a lady-like fashion, she gracefully swung her legs and rolled off the couch, leaving the book on the table as she ran to him. "You're back."

Gael's arms went around her frame, his body consuming all of her as he buried his face in her neck. He inhaled deeply and let out a satisfied sigh. It was like breathing fresh air after being out in a polluted world.

"Hey… You okay?" she asked.

"Just tired."

"Where's Gio?"

"Sleeping. Sent him home and packed his suitcase."

She leaned back slightly to see his face. "Where is he going?"

"London." He removed his jacket, unbuttoned the top of his shirt and the cuffs of his sleeves as Angela continued to inquire. She was obviously worried and curious, and he couldn't blame her.

"Why? What is he going to do there? And is that a good thing?"

"Work. Yes and no. Yes, because I don't have to go. He's leaving in my stead."

She drew her brows together in confusion. He realized he hadn't mentioned it to her. "You were supposed to leave for London? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot. Does that matter? You were coming with me."

"I was?" She folded her arms under her perky breasts. She was wearing his t-shirt and no bra underneath. Her nipples jutted against the fabric as if they were interrogating him too, and he wanted to bite them.

"Of course. You think I would leave you here by yourself? You're coming with me wherever I go."

She chewed her bottom lip. He didn't even ask if she wanted to go—not that she would've refused because she would absolutely go with him. "What if I didn't bring my passport?"

"I saw your stuff. You brought your passport with you." He sat on the couch and pulled her down with him. She sat next to him, their shoulders touching and their fingers lacing together as he leaned his head back. "Even if you didn't, we could just drop by Mayne City to pick it up before heading to London."

"Right. Like going to London from the U.S. was like riding a car." She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You assume I'd want to go with you."

Gael turned to face her, genuine concern written all over his face. "You don't?"

"I do." A cheeky smile brightened her face.

He chuckled and reached for her face, then ran his thumb over her bottom lip before he continued, "It's also a good thing because it will keep Gio from doing anything irrational here. So my father wants him there."

"Your father ordered it…" she whispered, and he answered with a nod. "Why is it not good?"

"Because I know Gio. He's patient in general, but when it comes to her…" he trailed off. Even though he didn't say her name, Angela knew he was talking about Lia. "This would only put a pause on his growing rage. Once he's allowed back in, there's no telling what would stop him from doing what he wants to do."

"And he wouldn't defy your father."

"No. No one can."

  Angela sighed, her eyes shifting to the side as she was reminded of something.

"What are you thinking?" Gael asked.

"I…found out who Lia is. Sort of."

Gael brought his hand down but only to hold her hand again. "Oh?"

"Malia Rose. She's Keith Perry's fiancée. That's all I know actually because there's not much about her on the Internet. Oh, and Gio keeps a photo of her in his wallet. He left it here—probably slipped off when he ran out this morning."

His thumb stroked the back of her hand, and he stared at the coffee table, but he didn't say anything.

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

He exhaled an exhausted sigh. "Forget about her." He tried to pull her to him, but she leaned away. "Why are you so invested in them?"

Angela twisted her lips. "Because… Gio looked so upset this morning, and I've never seen him like that before. And you looked like you were too. Not as much as him, but still. So this couldn't be as simple as Lia being Gio's ex, right?"

The two of them stared at each other for a minute. She didn't back down. Being kept in the dark was starting to annoy her.

"You're not going to drop it, are you?" Gael squeezed her hand once, and she shook her head. "Fine. One question."

She cleared her throat, straightened her back as she faced him, and waited for a beat before opening her mouth. "What happened to Gio and Lia in the past that caused his outburst this morning—also why were you upset about that?" she questioned in one breath, sounding monotone all throughout, and then raised her tone at the last part.

He drew his brows together. "That's…more than one question. You're sneaky."

The smile on her face widened.

Brushing a hand down his face, he said, "Lia and Gio were together years ago. They didn't end well, and now she's back, and he's a mess—"

"Why is he a mess? Does he still love her?" she rattled before he could finish his answer, trying to squeeze in more questions.

His brows furrowed deeper. This woman was so cheeky. Gael knew what she was doing, and he couldn't help but give in a little more. "He wouldn't admit it even if you threaten him, but I know he never stopped. I can see it even if he tries to hide it. He's royally fucked."

Angela's eyes darted here and there as though she was trying to piece something in her head. "Holy shit… Now I know why…"

Gael was slightly taken aback. She rarely curses the actual curse words. She sometimes did during sex, but that's different. This made him laugh. "What?"

She met his eyes again, and she slumped on the couch. "I've always felt like there's something in him that I can't figure out. Like he's…pretending or something. This morning while we ate breakfast, I tried to watch him interact with Nina. You know… I want to know if there's something between them."

"And?"

She shook her head. "No spark. They got along. But Nina's just like how she is with everyone—well, with every man." She rubbed her fingers together like she was trying to feel something. "I couldn't feel it. And then Gio… When I saw him so mad at the news… He looked…" Angela put her hands over her mouth.

"What is it?"

She paused. The way Giovanni looked at the TV reminded her of how she looked at Gael that one evening on the balcony when she found out about the arranged marriage. It was a mixture of anger and pain and helplessness…and perhaps there was love there too. She recognized that look on Giovanni because she had worn the same one. "It was quick, but I saw it. The strong emotions. You're right." She cleared her throat and moved on to the other question. "What about you? Why were you upset?"

Gael clenched his jaw. "The family doesn't like Perry's presence in New York." Then he waved a hand. "But I'm already taking care of it."

"How?"

He narrowed his eyes and pinched her nose playfully. "You've used up all your questions, babe. I've dealt with this the whole day. I honestly don't want to talk about it anymore. Can we drop it?" 

Giovanni's story piqued her interest. She planned to ask more next time, so she dropped it—for now. Angela nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Because we need to talk about your mother."

Angela swallowed. She thought she didn't have to deal with her mother anymore.