"The team is waiting on my signal Sir," Sven informed me.
"Is it clear?" I asked.
"Yes Sir. We've counted six guys, so the extraction should be quick. We should have him out and en-route to the safe house within the hour," he replied.
"Alright. You have my go ahead. Keep me updated," I said before hanging up as my beautiful wife appeared.
"Do I look ok?" she asked nervously.
She looked beyond ok.
She was wearing a blue floor length dress with a peacock styled design on the bosom area, leading to the side of the dress. Her hair was in a sophisticated up-do and she had on a pair of diamond drops with a matching necklace and bracelet.
"You look enchanting cara mia," I told her.
"Thank you caro. I have no idea why I'm so nervous," she said.
"You're about to be revealed to the world as Gerard Hartley's eldest daughter. You have every reason to be nervous," I pointed out.
"But I have you by my side, so I know things will go well," she smiled.
"I will try my best to keep you calm," I promised.
"I know you will. Did you manage to find out what the plan is with Daniel?" she asked.
Daniel was still going through with his big reveal, but we'd heard that he was less than pleased to find out that we planned an event at the same time as his, especially since more people had ditched his event for ours.
"Chang will be on comms with Ralph and I. We decided that it would be best that he attend Daniel's thing so that we have reliable eyes and ears on the situation," I informed.
"But he's one of the most important people at the banquet. Can we really have the announcement without him? Won't it raise a lot of questions with regards to his presence at Daniel's event when such a huge announcement was being made about his own company?" she questioned.
"We've thought about all of that cara mia. Chang is only going there for a while so that he can get Katherine in. She's going as his date and will stay there while he comes over to the banquet in time for us to announce the merger," I explained.
"Shouldn't Kat be there too? I mean she is my father's daughter. Wouldn't it be wise to present a united front with the three of us?" she argued.
Why didn't we think of that?
"If we're not sending in Katherine, then who do we send?" I asked.
"You send Malia," she suggested.
"She won't be spotted as easily," I realized.
"Precisely, and right now, she's the most flexible of us all since Salina and Bianca's presence there would raise questions, and we know that sending Rhonda in isn't even an option. Besides, Celine will also be there, and if she's on our side as she claims, then I'm sure that she'll be able to gain even more information on everything," she replied.
"And this is why I married you," I smirked.
"Ah gee, and here I thought it was because of my witty self," she joked.
"It's always been about your witty self," I laughed before kissing her.
We headed out after making calls about the relevant changes, and the limo was waiting for us out front. I could tell that she was slightly anxious, so I reached out to hold her hand. This was as big a night for her as it was for us. I was beyond impressed by how she'd managed to arrange this whole thing in such a short space of time.
But then again, she proves over and over that she's got superpowers.
At the thought, I felt a slight pang hit my heart. I suddenly missed my girls. This was the first time that I hadn't been around them all the time. Having them away was eating at me, something that I hadn't voiced.
"What's wrong caro? You're awfully quiet," my wife questioned.
"I'm just thinking about the girls," I admitted.
"I miss them too, but I can imagine that it's harder for you," she sighed.
"It is, but it also makes me realize what hell you've been going through with Lewis. I've been allowed the honour of raising them, and yet you only got to be with him a few hours. I cannot comprehend your strength, and every day I have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm not living a lie and that you're really in my life- that you're really my wife. I still can't believe that you chose me out of all the men who probably wanted you all for themselves," I replied.
"I love you too Raphael Maestri," she laughed, tears in her eyes.
"When all of this is over, we're taking a three month long vacation," I stated.
"Three months? Doing what?" she asked.
"Making kids, travelling the world with our kids. We'll see," I shrugged.
"You can't leave the empire for that long Rafe," she argued.
"With this merger and takeover, I can. That's the whole point cara mia. I'll be able to delegate responsibilities," I countered.
"But for three months?" she said unsurely.
"How you still refuse my showering of affection so far into our relationship baffles me," I teased.
"Three months is a long time Rafe, and I just don't want you to give up what you love in my name," she blushed.
"Someone's conceited," I joked, picking her up to place her on my lap.
"You know what I mean," she smacked my chest.
"I do, but I don't really care. Besides, I'll be giving up something I love, for something else that I love, so it's not a complete loss. We're going on vacation for three months, and we're going to enjoy it, just like I'm about to enjoy making love to you in this limo right now," I told her. The screen was up, so our driver couldn't see or hear us.
"Signor Maestri!" she gasped as my hands disappeared under her dress.
"Yes Signora Maestri?" I said huskily into her ear.
"Control yourself," she moaned.
"Do you really want me to?" I asked, kissing up her neck.
"No," she replied before grabbing my face and kissing me.
Being with my wife, this close, this intimate, is an experience I wouldn't give up for the world. Watching her as she's immersed in pleasure is a gift for me. Listening to her sounds of pleasure is enough to bring me to the edge of my own pleasure.
"I can't believe we just did that," she panted, still on top of me.
"I can," I chuckled.
"Probably because you planned it," she said, smacking my chest.
"I actually didn't, but it has made me realize that being married to you so far has meant a lot of spontaneity in my life and I like it. I've always been such a control freak, and from what Rhonda has told me, so have you. This is good for us Ari, and we connect on an even deeper level," I argued.
"You truly are a romantic Signor Maestri," she smiled before kissing me again.
I was getting turned on again but she scolded me. It didn't make things any better when she finally got off of me, resulting in us both reacting. She very quickly told me to imagine my parents naked, and judging from how she reacted, I could tell that her own arousal had been doused by the terrifying thought.
And only then did I register that the car had come to a stop a little while ago.
There's a button inside the limo that allows you to lock the limo from the inside, thus preventing anyone from the outside from opening the doors. Our driver was standing patiently, so he must've tried to open the door and when he found that it was locked, he must've put two and two together.
"I wonder how long we've been here and why no one has opened the door yet," my wife commented as she made herself presentable.
"I locked it from the inside, and we've only been here for about ten minutes," I informed.
"The press must be wondering what's taking us so long," she said.
"With a wife as beautiful as mine, I doubt it's that much of a guessing game," I wiggled my eyebrows.
Something I earned myself a smack for.
When she was good to go and had removed the lipstick from me, I unlocked the doors. I left on my side while the driver opened her side. She stepped out and the press was going crazy as I made my way around to her.
We walked towards the carpet, intent on not answering questions. They were curious about why we'd taken so long, and we'd kept our poker faces until someone suggested exactly what we were doing.
My wife could only blush, hiding in my shoulder while the whole bunch of them cooed.
"With a wife like mine, why not? La vida loca right?" I smirked, winking and making them laugh.
"So it's safe to assume that things are going great in the Maestri household?" one of the reporters asked.
"Stick around and see for yourself," was all I said before leading my wife away.
"I hate you, you know that right?" she asked me once we were inside.
"I love you too cara mia," I chuckled before Joel and Rhonda joined us.
"The two of you took a while," Joel commented, shooting us a knowing glance.
"Would you not? I've just been embarrassed in front of the press too. I don't need this from anyone else," my wife huffed.
"I thought the whole point of sex was to make sure you're not, well, like this," Joel teased, signalling the lovely glare heading in his direction.
"Ok girlie, let's get you a drink before you kill the father of my child for his stupidity," Rhonda suggested as she dragged Aretha away with her. I sent her a grateful smile which she returned.
"You look happy," Joel commented once they were gone.
"I am, despite everything. She makes it all worth it and she's got this thing that just instantly calms me down. I'm confident that we'll make it through this," I said.
"And I hope you're taking a vacation after that," he warned.
"Oh, I'm not the one you have to convince about that part," I chuckled.
"Trust Rita to not want to go on a vacation after everything you've been through," he rolled his eyes.
"I get her reasoning though. I think she's afraid of what's going to happen after everything settles," I realized.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I can't believe I didn't see it before. We've been so busy since coming back from our honeymoon. We haven't really had a moment to be the way that we were on our honeymoon, and she's afraid that when everything is said and done, my feelings for her will have changed and we won't get our happily ever after," I explained.
"That makes no sense," he frowned.
"Doesn't it? Think about it Joel. I've been distracted this entire time, especially since she's told me everything about Eva and Daniel. If there's nothing distracting me, then I'll be forced to get to know her even more, and she's afraid that I won't like what I see. A vacation means we'll be away from our world and she'll be forced to show me sides to herself that she's probably convinced herself I'll hate. When I told her about the mergers and the takeover and why I was going through with them, she kissed me. I can only pin that down to her being surprised at that moment, but she's had more time to think about it, and she realizes what it means," I elaborated.
"That was a mouthful, but you seem really confident in what you're saying. There might be some truth to it, or she's just worried that she would be taking you away from your empire; or at least more than she already has," he said.
"What do you mean?" it was my turn to be confused.
"Has it ever registered to you that she can barely keep up with your big gestures? We all know that they come from a good place, but they're extravagant Ambrosi, even for people with money. Not many men would give up what you have, especially for your reasons. However, it can be argued that your decisions are also influenced by your past. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that whatever her reasoning is, she has a right to be apprehensive about the future once everything is over," he explained. I was about to respond when my phone rang.
"Tell me something good," I said into it.
"We've retrieved the boy Sir. He's in transit to the safe house," Sven informed.
"Any casualties?" I asked.
"One of my guys got shot, but we managed to take their whole team out. However, it shouldn't be long before they realize that the boy is gone," he replied.
"Do you have a team with you?" I asked.
"I have four Sir. I understand that the boy is important to you and Mrs Maestri, which in turn means he's important to me. I will do everything in my power to make sure he's safe and protected," he said.
"Thank you Sven, for everything," I said sincerely.
"It's only my pleasure Sir," he said before hanging up.
The man honestly deserves a raise.
Just thinking about it made me realize that I hadn't paid attention to just how much Sven does for us. He's like family to us and he always goes above and beyond what is required of him for us, and yet I know for a fact that he doesn't mind.
"What was that about?" Joel asked me as I put my phone back in my pocket.
"Sven and his team have extracted Lewis," I informed as Chang, Luigi and Fabius joined us.
"What? That was quick!" my brother commented.
"I know. We've been planning it for a while, something I didn't tell my wife. Sven has been tracking Eva's movements, trying to trace Lewis. They found him two days ago and then spent some time coming up with their extraction plan. I told him not to tell me anything about it, or where they're taking him for that matter. I just needed to know when they were going in, and once they succeeded," I explained.
"Well, that's a relief. It's nice to know that we finally have a win on our side," Luigi commented.
"It's not the only win. According to Malia and Ralph, Daniel's event is a flop because everyone came here instead, the media included," Chang informed.
"Well where's Malia now?" Fabius asked.
"She's on her way here. Ralph is heading into the office since he can't be here," Chang replied.
"Doesn't want to be here," I corrected.
My brother is still as stubborn as he was all those years ago. The two of us asked our parents if they had a problem with him coming out of hiding, but he refused. He insists that him coming out will only cause problems for us in the media and in the case.
"It makes sense. He's CIA. Being in the spotlight is the last thing he needs," Joel argued.
"Ambrosi is visibly not happy with that," Fabius commented, staring at me.
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted everyone to know that he's alive because I'm so proud of him," I sighed.
"Seriously, you're such a sap now," Fabius teased.
"Whatever. I understand why he can't be seen in public though. His safety is more important than my sentimentality," I smiled.
"Before I die of suffocation from all of this sappiness, what exactly is the plan for tonight?" Joel asked.
"For now we're all mingling and networking. Soon, we're going to have dinner and some dancing before we get to the announcements. The night can pretty much go any way after that," Chang said.
"Well alright then," Joel shrugged.
I stayed with them, talking. My eyes caught my wife at some point and she was with Rhonda and some other ladies. I noticed then that she didn't really have friends or connections outside of our circle, and she looked happy as she spoke to the women.
We should really go out more, especially to events like this. Even if I want to cut down on my time spent at the empire, I know that networking can still be valuable in a quiet life. I want my wife to be able to call on people that she needs, based on the connections that she made with them at anytime.
"Good evening gentlemen," Gerard announced his presence. Katherine was with him.
"Evening," we replied.
"I've just heard about the Hugo Corp failure launch," he commented.
"It was a launch?" Joel asked.
"Apparently it was. Even though they've just released some new products, he was hoping to jump on the buzz those had already started making and then introducing this new product," Gerard explained.
"Does anyone know what the product is?" I asked.
"It's a new top level security system, or at least it's a beta system of the security system," Celine said as she too joined us.
"Did you manage to catch anything?" Chang asked her.
"I did. When he realized that people weren't coming, his first thought was to find out why. He didn't even know about this event. He found out from his assistant, and then he went into a rage fit. He was going on and on about how people don't appreciate his intelligence simply because of who he's associated with. Jordan thought that bit was funny. He then went on and on about how the security system would change everything, but that no one believes in him enough to give it a chance. I believe the security system is called Aries, which I'm guessing is what he got from you from Project Aries," she said, looking at me.
"Just what is Project Aries exactly?" my best friend asked.
"For a while I've been meaning to break into the securities industry. Project Aries is a security code that I was playing around with, but I abandoned it when it wasn't making sense to me and instead taking up my time," I replied.
"We need to get our hands on the specs for Daniel's prototype," Chang said, looking thoughtful.
"Why would we do that?" Fabius asked.
"Because, I'm going to finish off what Raphael started, but I have to make sure that my trail of thought isn't the same as Daniel's. That's a copyright infringement waiting to happen, and we don't need to be sued by Daniel of all people. I'll make the security system my top priority and that's what we'll launch as our first product as an amalgamated company," Chang explained.
"That's actually a brilliant idea," my wife commented. I only noticed then that she, Rhonda, Malia and Bianca had joined us.
My little sister was out on a date if I'm not mistaken.
Marcia and Liam had sent through their intel but it wasn't much. What they were chasing ended up being a bust, but Ralph was certain that there were some useful bits. My sister and her husband have since gone back to England to work on their marriage after I revealed his secret bank account when I was high.
I really shouldn't know some of these things.
"I agree with my wife on that. What you're saying is brilliant, except getting that prototype isn't going to be easy," I pointed out.
"If it were easy, I wouldn't have just told you what I was thinking. I would've surprised you with it, but I'm well aware of the fact that we need to work together if we hope to get our hands on it," Chang responded.
"Well, we'll deal with it another time. It's dinner time," Bianca told us.
We moved off to our designated seats before the waiters and waitresses arrived with the menus. They took our drink orders in the meantime. On the menu, for each course of dinner, there were three options to choose from.
Dinner went by smoothly. Everyone was getting along, and you could hear some business deals being made and closed. I'd begun to forget what it was like to go to these things. With my new life, I wasn't attending as many as I used to.
"A penny for your thoughts?" my wife interrupted.
"Hmm?" I turned to her.
"What are you so deep in thought about?" she asked.
"It's nothing," I smiled before kissing her hand as the Master of Ceremonies got onto the stage.
It didn't look like she believed me, but she let it go as we listened to everything that was being said. Gerard would be saying a speech first, and then I was going to follow, before finally Chang would follow.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Gerard Hartley," the MC announced. Applauding took off as Gerard made his way to the stage, Katherine following behind him.
"Are you ready mi amore?" I whispered to my wife.
"Not really," she whispered back. I squeezed her hand before Gerard started speaking.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Firstly, I would like to thank you all for coming to this event, something that I'm sure Raphael will reiterate. I won't stand here and bore you with a long speech. My job for the night is to announce something that Raphael will then build on. My part of tonight is rather personal to all parties involved, so bare with me. Twenty four years ago, I met a beautiful woman in South Africa and I fell in love with her. She was of colour, and when my parents found out, they threatened to disown me. I was willing to fight, but the woman made the decision for me and left the country without saying anything to me. She moved to Washington where her mother was. What I didn't know was that she was pregnant when she left. Three years later, I went to Washington for business and there, I met a bright two year old little girl. She was years beyond her age, and she reminded me so much of the woman I was once in love with. Fast forward eleven years and this little girl lost her whole family except her grandmother in a car accident. However, that's when I learnt that this little girl who had stolen my heart when she was two, was in fact my biological daughter," Gerard started off.
There were some gasps and murmuring took off amongst our guests. I could see the nervousness on my wife's face and I pulled her into my side, kissing the side of her head. Gerard waited patiently until the murmuring died down.
"I know that it was unfair for me to find out when I did, but there's nothing I can do about it now. By then, everyone knew of my youngest daughter Katherine, but I couldn't bring myself to change my eldest daughter's life by throwing her into the limelight without her being ready for it. For years, I have stayed by her side as her guardian, but only recently was the truth revealed to her. She's now ready to be introduced to the world as my eldest daughter. Luckily, you're already familiar with her. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you my daughter, Aretha Maestri," Gerard finished off.
The gasps were there once again while Luigi, Fabius, Joel and Chang started applauding and whistling as Aretha stood up. She rolled her eyes at them, smiling, before leaning down to kiss me. As more people joined in on the applause, she took a deep breath before heading to the stage to join her father and her sister. She too waited until the room was silent again.
"Thank you all for that. Thank you especially to my idiot family members," she teased, making us all laugh while the guys all shouted 'hey'.
"So, my father is Gerard Hartley, my sister is Katherine Hartley, and I'm married to Raphael Maestri. I don't know about you guys, but I'm having a great year," she joked, once again making us all laugh.
"No, but seriously, I am having a great year. As my father mentioned, he's been there for me my whole life, and that's what made finding out the truth so much easier to deal with. He was there for me, even when he didn't have to be, and I'll forever be grateful to him for that. He even walked me down the aisle, and what girl doesn't dream of her father walking her down the aisle right? Anyway, I also don't want to bore you with a long speech, or the 'Aretha and Ambrosi Lengthy Speech Syndrome' as my best friend refers to it, so I'll get to the point. From the moment I met my sister, I knew that the corporate thing was just not her style, and unluckily for our father, neither is it mine. However, he finds himself lucky in that I married someone who rocks the corporate thing in his sleep," she said before handing back to her father.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I'd like to announce my retirement. Not only am I retiring, but as you've heard from my eldest daughter, I'm passing on my legacy to the one person I know will handle it in the same way that I have all these years. Ladies and gentlemen, I announce to you the takeover of Hartley Incorporated by none other than my son in law, Raphael Maestri," Gerard announced.
Based on the reaction of our guests, it was becoming clear that they were realizing that there was a lot more to come their way from this event. As I made my way to the stage, I could hear some of them saying just how much the game was about to change.
And they couldn't be more right.
"Good evening everyone. We really are grateful that you're all here, and I'm sure you're still reeling from what my father in law just revealed, not just about his business life, but his private as well. When I married my beautiful wife, I also exposed myself on a deeper level to the public, and she helped me through that. It only made sense that I be there for her through this too, and it is an honour to be receiving Gerard's business. With this takeover, Maestri Empires is able to break into new territory, something I always welcome. I love a good challenge, and this is right at the top. However, it wouldn't be a true Maestri spectacle if I didn't have one more surprise for you. I'm proud to announce that not only am I taking over Hartley Incorporated, but Takeshi Technologies and Maestri Empires will be merging," I announced.
Disbelief settled in the air as Chang made his way to the stage. The media was going crazy over this, which reminded me that we'd have to hold an official press conference once everything had settled down with these news.
Though I doubted things would calm down soon.
"Evening ladies and gentlemen. Yes, it is true. As you all know, when I'd graduated from college, my dream was to work for this incredible man here. I'm pretty sure none of us can deny that Raphael Maestri is one of the greatest minds of our time, and he didn't even get a tertiary qualification. His inventions and innovations have brought change and happiness to the world. Whether you're buying one of his products, flying in one of his planes, or you're visiting one of his malls, hotels, casinos or resorts, you know that you're getting the best. With that being said, it only made sense for the best to join the best. With this merger, not only do I get to work with the man who inspired who I am today, but you, the people, get to be a part of our journey, and you get to experience what we hope is the greatness that will come from this new venture. Here's to the future," Chang toasted.
We'd passed around champagne glasses while he was speaking. Everyone raised their glasses, joining us in our toast before applause took off. It was clear that the shock had faded, and instead excitement settled onto the room.
We told the press that we would be holding a press conference especially for their questions, so they would have to hold them. The Master of Ceremonies announced that that was all for the night, and that everyone was welcome to stay and enjoy themselves.
We'd booked the place until three the following morning.
"You did great up there," I told my wife as we slow danced.
"Only because you were there with me," she smiled.
"From what I hear, a lot of the people here had already guessed that Gerard is your father," I commented.
"How?" she frowned.
"Well, like you said, he walked you down the aisle, which was apparently shown in the wedding special. Also, the people who have known Gerard the longest say that they guessed it based on how much he would go on about you over the years. They'd always figured he was talking about you as his daughter, so this announcement doesn't shock them as much," I explained.
"Well then that's a good thing right?" she asked unsurely. I dipped her before bringing her back up.
"It's a good thing mia moglie," I smiled.
"I made new friends today," she said excitedly as we continued to dance.
"Is it?" I chuckled.
"Yep! I think I might just like attending these things a little. It gives me a chance to get to know other people you know? Even though I know a lot of these people from their visits at the hotel," she said.
I forgot about that.
"In her time, my grandmother loved hosting Maestri parties for the fun of it. You should talk to her and ask her to share stories with you," I told her.
"Was it back at the glass house? I remember you telling me that she used to have parties there until your grandfather died," she said.
"You have a good memory, and yes, at the glass house," I confirmed.
"I love that house, and not just because that's where we got married. It has so much potential, and I guess I can see why it would be a party house. It's the perfect venue, and I'm definitely going to talk to Florencia about it," she said, beaming.
"I'm afraid to admit that I've unleashed a monster," I taunted.
"You just did you silly man," she pouted.
"I still love you my little monster," I said before kissing her.
"I love you too my big monster," she giggled.
I twirled her around and she only laughed more, bringing some attention to us. My wife truly is a vision when she smiles, let alone when she laughs, and I could see that the people watching us were thinking the same thing.
She's absolutely immaculate.
We spent some more time there. For the first time in a long time, we were carefree. We were laughing, eating and having a good time. Salina joined us with her date who she introduced. Fabius, Luigi and I were about to grill him, but the glare from my wife was enough to stop us.
"I can't believe you got the party started without me," Ralph mock sniffed as he also joined us. It was almost two in the morning.
"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't be seen in public," my wife asked him.
"Funny story; so according to an article I read, Ambrosi arrested Shelby and it has a lot of people confused since there are eye witnesses who swear that he was instead at your side. Anyway, we got a good laugh at that at the agency, but I was told to really be careful with where I'm seen, hence why I had to wait for this place to clear out completely of people who don't know about me before coming in. I've hacked the surveillance cameras in here so they're all running the same feed," he replied.
"And the Ambrosi and Aretha Lengthy Speech Syndrome has caught you," Joel joked, making us all laugh.
It was great to be with my friends and family like this, especially since the last couple of days had been tolling on us. I even learnt things going on in their lives that I didn't know because I was so distracted by my own life.
"Hey bro, can I talk to you?" Ralph requested.
"Sure," I said before kissing my wife's cheek. We left the room and went to find a space to talk privately.
"What's up?" I asked him.
"Uhm, so I don't really know how to say this, especially since you believed for so long that I was in love with Gabi..." he trailed off.
"Just spit it out," I said.
"I'm in love with Malia," he blurted.
"What?" I asked, wide eyed.
"I know, but I've always been. She and I were together back then and she was in on the whole me seducing Gabi to get her away from you thing. Right now she's pretty pissed at me though since I didn't reach out to tell her that I was alive and all. What I'm trying to say is that I need your help to get her back," he explained.
"Wow, I didn't even know any of this, but of course you have my help. However, I think it would be better if you asked Aretha for help," I pointed out.
"Oh, I was going to. I wanted to talk to you about it first. I didn't want you to think history was repeating itself in any way," he hinted.
"Thanks bro. That means a lot," I admitted.
"Anytime," he smiled.
We walked back to the main hall, except the closer we got, the more we realized that it was a lot quieter than when we left, so we ended up running the rest of the way there. What we ended up finding had me at a loss for words.
"Gabi?" Ralph said in shock. She was there with the Hugo brothers, and everyone else seemed just as shocked as I was.
"Funny, my pet's little friend called me the same thing. She claimed I'm her sister, but I don't know who this Gabi is that you speak of," she said.
"Rafe, I don't know if she's Gabi or not, but I am sure of one thing. She is Eva Hugo," my wife said, revealing a truth none of us saw coming.