Chapter 386

Chapter 386 Vincenzo We sat in utter silence, on the opposite side of each other, without either of us saying a word.

Aria had left the scene to give us some privacy. My eyes tried to avoid Serena, mainly because I didn’t want to get bewitched by the woman who held the power to do so.

The moment I did look up, I saw Serena carrying the same smile on her lips as she always did, but this time it wasn’t because she was happy to see me. It was because she was unsure of what to say.

“Vince?”

Before she could say something else, I pulled out the necklace and threw it on the table. “Here,” I spoke, coldly.

Her eyes widened as she grabbed the small piece of jewelry and balled it in her fist. “Did you find it?” She asked. “Who took it?”

There it was again.

Who took it?

Where was it?

The question added to my irritation. I’m not doing this again, Serena,” I told her. “I’ve already done it with Christian, I’m not doing it with you.”

“I... I’m sorry,” Serena looked apologetic, shaking her head. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble I have caused, and I know this shouldn’t have happened in the first place.” I was man enough to apologize for my mistakes, but that was as far as I could go.

Serena paused, waiting until it was time for her to speak. “I came here on Christian’s behalf,” she then confessed.

I was speechless, trying to process her words. Meanwhile, she grabbed a bottle of wine from her bag and placed it in front of me.

“He apologizes for his temper, and admits he could’ve handled it differently,” she explained. “He wants to know if the two of you are good.”

“He can take that cork and shove it right up his ass,” I snapped.

“Excuse me?” She was taken aback.

“If he’s really sorry, why didn’t he come personally to apologize?” I shot back. “Instead, he sends a pregnant woman to do his pleading?”

Iwasn’t forced, Vince,” Serena said quietly, but I was done listening.

If he truly valued our friendship and our partnership, he would’ve taken some time to show up personally. “You can tell Christian that starting today, our families are not on good terms anymore,” I declared, the words leaving my mouth before I even got the chance to think about what I was saying.

Was I indirectly declaring war with the Lambertis and taking a risk by stopping our partnership, knowing they practically owned the city?

Yes, maybe I was behaving a bit too emotionally here by putting us all in danger, but since we were to sell the weapons either way, why not kill two birds with one stone?

“No, Vince!” Serena’s face went into shock as she frowned in pure disbelief. “I... I can’t let that happen, you can’t—”

“And I won’t let him walk over me anymore. I can’t let that happen,” I replied, my answer firm. It was time to bring back the Garcia name to what it originally used to be. Before we had turned into a joke, and the people didn’t dare mocking us.

Serena was left speechless, her expression flustered. “All of this over a necklace?” She questioned. “You’re risking all the bonds we’ve built over a necklace?”

“No, that’s on Christian. It’s about more than a necklace, Serena,” I said. “It’s about Christian thinking he can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants. Did he tell you he pointed a gun at Aria?”

“I’m sorry, he what?”

“Do you know what Christian would do if I would ever touch you, his wife?”

Serena released a gulp. “Yes.” She could not deny the reality.

“So do you think that we should shake hands and continue like nothing has happened after he humiliated my people and threatened my wife?” I held onto my duty as a Garcia and husband. Even if I had never asked for those, it was still my duty.

“No...I don’t know.” Serena’s voice trembled, and her eyes fixated on her fidgeting hands.

“So yes, maybe all of this is over a necklace, but I’m glad it happened because it made me open my eyes about a few things that have been on my mind.”

“Such as?”

“Such as why he left me to die that night when he took down Fabio?” I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Why he didn’t come back for me until you begged him to, and no matter how horrible of a person he was, and no matter how much I hated him and how much he hurt me, why my father had to die-when both your families can walk around freely-”

“Please, let’s not do that Vince.” Serena stared at me with puppy eyes. “Let’s leave the things from the past, in the past.

“I have been burying them in the past,” I defended. “I’ve been trying to move on with my life, trying to fix this family-and because of that small thing, because of that necklace-I’ve realized that something has: been holding me back.”

“Holding you back?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “And at first I thought it was me, then my uncle, then my wife, but now that I think of it -it has always been the Lambertis. They’re also responsible for why the Garcias are in this mess in the first place.”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough.” Serena scooted back in her chair, preparing herself to get up. She took a breath, tucking her hair behind her ear. Then she shot me a polite smile. “I... think I should go.”

“Yes, you should probably.”

She scoffed, giving me one last look. “I don’t know you like this, Vince.”

It hurt looking into those eyes and giving her the cold shoulder, but I was only doing what I was supposed to be doing.

If I wanted the family to get taken seriously and recover whatever was left to recover, then this was the way.

As Serena walked away, I automatically stood up and followed her to the door. I was fighting against all I had not to stop her, to tell her that this was not on her.

Just as she was about to walk out of the door, Luis entered with Livia by his side. His eyes beamed, staring at the woman who had always been there for him.

“Serena!” He hugged her.

“Hey, look at you!” She was good at hiding everything, including her emotions. “You’re taller than me now, “I am,” he nodded. “This is my tutor, Livia-and Livia, this is Serena.” Luis introduced the two to each other.

Both awkward, they gave each other a silent nod.

“I was just about to head out, Luis,” Serena announced, “I’ll see you around, alright Luis?”

“That soon?” Luis had a slight pout on his lips.

Serena hummed. “Yes, that soon.” She patted his head, then made her exit, without giving me a single look Good. That would make it easier for the both of us.

“Luis, how about you go get settled for homework, and I’ll be with you in a minute.” Livia pl behind his back, leading him upstairs.

“So what’s going on with you, are you okay?” She then grabbed the opportunity to interrogate n that it was just the two of us.

“I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” I cleared my throat, then smiled to cover up whatever I was feeling. “Ho are you? How is my buddy Dace doing?”

“Dace is doing fine.”

“That’s good.”

Our conversation seemed to be cut short by that awful thing called silence. I was waiting for her to speak, while she was waiting for me to do something.

“Are you not going to say anything?” Livia breathed, rolling her eyes.

I smirked. “Like?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, squinting her eyes. “Something funny like you always do.”

“No, not today.”

“So you’re just going to stand there and stare at me?” Livia walked closer, trying to intimidate me. That intimidation had quickly shifted to a shy giggle and flushed cheeks from her side.

“Aria was really good with Dace. The two of you should have children!” She blurted.

“What if we don’t want to?” I stepped closer, watching her step back until she reached the wall. I hadn’t expected to find any amusement these days, but everything Livia did was worth smiling.

She worked overtime, looking anywhere but my eyes as she nervously bit her lips. “There he is again.” She muttered.

“There I am.” I leaned my hand on the wall, over her head. Livia looked up at me, and I stared down at her, waiting for her to crack, demanding me to step back.

But as her gaze met mine, I felt like the tabled had turned, and I was the one getting nervous. I wasn’t nervous due to her presence, but more so about the effect which she had on me.

It was a strange feeling I had only felt once before. That was years ago when Serena spilled her drink on me. Back then I had decided it was love at first sight.

It was a feeling I knew I would never have with Aria.

“You have pretty eyes.” My mouth opened before I could use my head for once.

“Y-You do too.” Livia’s lips curled. “Pretty annoying and creepy.”

“It’s a compliment. I’ll take it.” I couldn’t help but feel complete with every insult she would throw my way.

Livia looked past me, breaking our eye-contact.

“You should go to your wife, Vince.”

“Yes, I should.”

She nudged my shoulder. “No, literally. She’s behind us. She spoke in a whisper.

In a matter of seconds, as if I had committed a crime, I released my hand from the wall and created enough distance between us.

Turning my head, I caught Aria standing at the top of the stairs, waving a notebook in her hands.

Her bright smile was somewhat adorable as she beckoned me for my presence. She was so busy with the plan to sell the weapons, that she had even put her jealousy aside.

But the longer I looked at her, without any kind of flutter in my heart, the more I realized that her jealousy was completely justified.