THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Jasmine’s POV

Xavier’s smile seems to be like a dream making me sit upright to see if I am actually imagining it.

As soon as my hands leave his body, the car comes to a screeching halt making him avert his gaze from me.

“We are here”, he informs me as his guards come down from the car to open the door for us. Instead of going out, Xavier sits still, signaling to the men to do something.

They disappear.

“Can you speak Italian?” he suddenly asks out of the blue, his expression hard and unsmiling.

I’ve never been out of America. Not even out of Chicago all my life. How then am I supposed to learn the language spoken here?

However, a lot of men who come to the restaurant speak the language and I find it fascinating but I don’t understand a word.

Slowly, I shake my head. Curiosity eats at me at the reason for the sudden question.

Where are we? Where are we going?

A frustrated sigh leaves his mouth. I continue to stare.

He curse beneath his breath and look up at me before ordering me to come down from the car.

As soon as I step out, a low gasp leaves my mouth at the sight before me.

It is a villa.

Just like the ones we see on TV, making it look like I just stepped into a scene from the Renaissance period.

If the outside is this grand, how massive and beautiful will the interiors be then?

“Play along”, Xavier comes next to me, diverting my attention from the beauty. “Now, hold my hand.”

I almost roll my eyes. This person must be an important personality for him to be this disturbed. He wants us to look all lovey-dovey like the couples who are actually married because they love each other and want to spend forever together.

Isn’t he supposed to be the one holding me? Why are you ordering me to do that instead?

His rough grip on my hand jerks me out of my reverie as we begin to walk towards a fountain. A beautiful one which brings a smile to my face.

We walk past it and a door is thrown open from inside. We step into the grand building which is just like I expected. Ornate interiors with frescoed ceilings and numerous high chandeliers hanging above with marble floors.

The building is elegant and I wonder who lives there.

Before I can continue my eye exploration, Xavier’s hand tightens around mine as a door opens to reveal the woman I presume to be the owner of the villa.

Unfortunately, she is in a wheelchair and she looks old. Extremely old. Despite her condition, she is dressed in a shiny dinner gown with her black hair in a tight bun and sparkling jewelry shining in the evening light.

A smile forms on her lips which is quite contagious because I find myself doing the same. I don’t know if contagious is the word for it or if it is just because I want to smile back because I feel sorry for her.

Apparently, she is very rich. Why is she in a wheelchair? Are there no qualified doctors in the whole of the world who can make her walk again? Why does she seem okay with it? Is it because she is already old?

A lady in a white uniform is behind the wheelchair which she wheels towards us as we halt in our tracks.

Before I can bow down to greet her, she opens her arms to Xavier and he rushes into her embrace, leaving my hand.

She speaks the Italian language as she disengages from the hug, her eyes shifting to mine now. She opens her arms again as she continues to speak in the language.

Surprisingly, her voice is quite clear for her age. If I had not seen her, I would have thought it was a queen who was sitting majestically on a throne talking.

Without hesitation, I walk into her embrace, a smile on my face at the warm welcome. I don’t know why we are here or who she is but I feel glad for the hospitality.

She releases me and pulls at my cheeks. “Dove sei stato, Amore Mio? (Where have you been, my darling?)”

I have no idea what she is saying so I just smile shyly.

“Jasmeen e improvvisamente diventata timida (Jasmine has suddenly become shy)”, Xavier comments with a short laugh and the woman’s brow is raised.

“Yaseemeh?”

Yaseemeh? Who the hell is that? I ask inwardly.

“Forgive my manners, Grandma. I mean Andre. She must be really tired from the trip. I am also exhausted. Can we have dinner already?”

He is speaking formally to her. Did he just call her Grandma?

She nods and the nurse who has a smile on her face wheels her back the way they came. Xavier and I follow after he throws me a long glare.

What did I do now?

When we got to the dining area, my jaw also dropped to the floor. Everything about this place is exquisite. The furniture is just like antiques, giving it a mix of ancient times and civilization.

We sit down at the table with Grandma sitting at the head and Xavier right beside me. Without any word, the food is served and we begin to eat in absolute silence.

I watch as Xavier eats to his fill, surprising me. I was told he can’t stomach any food but here he is eating a stranger’s food.

Does he even know who cooked the meal? He can eat a stranger’s food yet he refuses to eat mine.

I scoff inwardly, promising myself never to cook for him again. I won’t waste my time doing that. If he doesn’t want to eat, so be it.

“Grandma, pass me the salt, please”, he mentions, making me grab the salt container instead of the old woman.

Why stress the old woman? I almost said that out until it hit me.

He called her Grandma again. He called her that earlier too. Before a loud gasp can leave my mouth, I quickly clamp my hand around my mouth.

She is his Grandma.

I have always wondered if he has a family. I haven’t seen anyone with him aside from the men and those two women from our wedding party. All of them don’t seem like family. It looks like they are just colleagues or business partners.

I can barely eat anything anymore after that as I begin to pick at my food.

As soon as we are down, Grandma flashes me a smile and holds out her hand for me to take. “Where have you been?”

I smile because I know what she means. This is about Andre running off on the wedding day. She thinks I am her too.

I don’t blame her. Everyone does.

Before I can answer, Xavier’s hand touches my thighs and I assume it is a warning for me to stick to the plan. For me to play along like he told me.

Now I get it all.

This is his Grandma and he wants me to play along to be Andre? Does it mean he now knows I am not her? Or is this just because he doesn’t want me to pretend not to be her?

“I’m sorry, Grandma.”

She nods and turns to Xavier. “I hope you have settled your differences now?”

We both nod. I am with a smile on my face and Xavier with that usual cold expression as his hand finally leaves my thigh, making me feel the absence.

“Sei stato bene? (Have you been well?)” she demands again from me, making me turn to stare at Xavier for an escape.

Why is she switching to the Italian language all of a sudden just when I am beginning to feel relieved that she can speak English?

“Nonna, Andre non riesce piu a parlare la lingua. Lei a malapena la capisce (Grandma, Andre can no longer speak the language. She can barely understand. I think you should speak to her in English)”, Xavier speaks up eventually and whatever he says brings creases of worry to the old woman’s face.

“What happened?” she demands in English all of a sudden.

Instead of replying to her in English, he speaks in Italian again, making me wish I could speak too.

“E stata coinvolta in un incidente e a malapena riesce a parlare. E stato per questo che il matrimonio non e avvenuto lo scorso anno, ma lei sta bene, solo che a malapena ricorda alcune cose (She was involved in an accident and she can barely speak. That was why the wedding never happened last year but she is fine, just that she can barely remember a few things)”

Grandma’s fragile hands reach to me as I watch them both in confusion. Xavier can sell me off with this language, obviously. Maybe I should learn a little before it is time for me to leave.

“I’m so sorry. How do you feel now?” she asks with concern and worry making me wonder just what he must have told her.

“I’m great, Grandma”, I reply with a huge smile on my face.

Suddenly, I feel Xavier’s hand back on my thighs making me jerk upright.

Grandma looks so sorry for me and I wonder what is up. She speaks to Xavier for a while before returning to English.

The maids come over to clear the table as we converse. I know nothing about Italy and I am enjoying the conversation when she signals to one of the maids to get her something. When the maid returns, it is a gift wrapped in a gift paper and she stretches it towards me.

She must have known we were coming and it makes my heart swell with joy.

I take it before rising to hug her. She embraces me back.

I don’t know what it is and I can’t wait to unwrap it. I have never received any gift in my life which is why this means a lot. This is what Andre ought to enjoy, not me but I don’t care because I am also suffering on her behalf.

If this woman continues to be this sweet to me, I don’t think I will ever want to go back to New York with Xavier.

“We will go to Via Montenapoleone tomorrow to do some window shopping so if you have any needs, you can jot them down”, She touched my cheeks lovingly and I nodded down at her shyly, making a mental note to get her a gift too and also get a swimsuit.

Thinking of getting a gift, I don’t have any money on me so maybe I will ask Xavier. After all, he told me to ask for anything and now is the time to do that.

After a few moments of conversation, just when I am about to signal to Xavier that I am sleepy so we can go, she clears her throat with a look of mischief. She looks from me to him and for no reason, I feel nervous.

To hide my anxiousness, I grab the glass of water on the table and gulp it down as she blurts out. “When should I be expecting a grandson or a granddaughter from you two?”

From the shock, I hack a cough, making some of the water spill on me as I turn to Xavier immediately with wide eyes.

He doesn’t look shocked at the question like I am and his quick, brief reply almost makes me fall off the chair I am sitting on.

“Soon, Grandma. Real soon.”