Nuptial

WHEN DANTE was sure that his bestfriend's beloved already reached their home, he pulled one of his phones and dialled Ezio's number.

Ezio, who was in the middle of a meeting, didn't feel his phone vibrating.

"Motherfucker," Dante cussed when Ezio wasn't able to answer the phone call. "Answer me, motherfucker."

He called him again. While waiting for him to answer, one of his men entered the room.

"Boss," the man greeted and extended his arm to give a folder. "Here's the information that you're looking for."

Dante nod and dismissed the man. Fortunately, Ezio was able to answer the call on the second try.

"Hello—"

Ezio's words were cut short by Dante. "Don't hello-hello me, dumbass," he said in a mocking tone. "If you're cara's in danger, she will be dead by now."

Ezio's heart started thumping so loud because of fear. He hurriedly stood up and walked with huge steps to leave his office.

"What happened to my cara?" he asked with a firm voice, but full of worry. "If something happened to her, I will cut your limbs one by one."

"Relax, my friend," Dante spoke while trying to calm him down. "She's safe and sound. I just want to inform you that she's already home."

Ezio felt relieved when he heard that. He blew a heavy breath before talking. "Give me updates. Now."

"Okay, okay, Mr. Impatient," Dante said in a playful tone before starting his report.

"Well at first, nothing eventful happened. Just like what I said earlier, she bought a green dress. Afterwards, she walked for a few moments and then," he purposely stopped to make his friend curious.

"Them what?" Ezio asked. "I'm not paying you to give me incomplete information."

Dante chuckled. He really likes messing with his friend. It always completes his day.

"Then, she met a person. Guess what gender it is?" he said, imitating the tone of a gameshow host.

"A woman?" Ezio asked, hoping that his cara didn't meet up with a man. But if she did, there will be hell to pay.

"Engk," Dante said which means that his answer is incorrect. "Sorry to say, man. But she met a man."

Dante, who wants to mess with his friend more, made him jealous even though he knew that he is already filled with jealousy.

"I can't forget that she looked very happy when saw the man, my friend. She was smiling from ear to ear," he started while holding his laughter. "They even hugged each other."

The last part was a lie. Chiara didn't hugged the man. He said that to make him more jealous.

When he didn't hear anything but deep breathing on the other line, Dante knew that he is starting to hit his short patience. But that wouldn't stop him.

"They talked for a while before going for a walk around the mall. Chiara was so happy being with him that she wouldn't stop talking. I just don't know what they have talked about."

Dante was so amuse on teasing his friend, but on the other line, Ezio was full of jealousy, insecurity, and sadness.

His head is telling him that the man that Chiara met up with is her ex-boyfriend, Simone. That would explain why she was so happy when she was with that man.

Insecurities filled him when he realized that since their marriage, he never saw Chiara smiled because of him. Chiara never hugged him. Heck, she didn't even want to touch or hold him, not even his fingers.

Even though he tried to make her happy by giving her what she wants and her favorites, Chiara is still irritated whenever he's near.

He never had the chance to get close to her. They don't even eat together because Chiara prefers to starve herself than eat with him.

He knew that Chiara will just leave her room when he's not around, so he chose to leave for work early and go home late. That way, she will be comfortable living in his house.

Only in his house, not with him.

"Is the man named Simone?" Ezio asked when he calmed himself a little bit.

Dante heard the difference in Ezio's tone. It sounds painful, so he stopped joking and turned serious.

"No, man. The man's named Nick. He's a foreigner," he answered while reading the report that his man gave.

Ezio doesn't know what to feel. He doesn't know if he will be happy because she didn't meet up with Simone, so if he will be much sadder because another man made his beloved happy.

"Before you think of anything, my friend. I'll read my report to you. Since I am a very good friend, I already investigated about this Nick-man," Dante spoke and stood up while reading.

"He's a detective from Philippines. Based on my investigation, he's platonically related to Chiara. They've known each other since they were little and just lost their connection when Nick's family migrated to Philippines to live with their grandma. Also, Nick has a girlfriend, so there's nothing to worry about, my friend."

Ezio blew a sigh of relief when he heard that. They're just friends, he thought.

He was about to celebrate in his mind when his friend spoke again.

"But that's not the important part," Dante said. He took a deep breathe before giving a warning to his friend. "Before you react to anything, let me finish reporting everything first. Okay?"

Ezio didn't respond and let her friend talk.

"Someone tried to kill your cara."

It was just a short sentence, but it made his blood boil. He knew that he has a lot of enemies. Those enemies who will do anything to bring her down, like using his love ones to weaken him.

"Chiara ordered a juice. And of course, you told me to make sure of her safety, and one of those is the things that she will intake. I asked one of my men to check the juice and he saw one of the servers poured a powder on it," Dante explained. "I have the photos here. I'll send it to you later."

"Anyways, she wasn't able to drink it since I asked my woman to nudge it," he followed it with a short laugh. "Long story short, your cara is safe and I saved the day."

Ezio stared at his laptop who is now playing the footage of the living room in his house. There, he can see her beloved enjoying the foods served to her.

She was so happy and care-free, without knowing that someone tried to kill her earlier, because she's Ezio's wife.

Because of Ezio.

"Give me the name of the bastard and the motherfucker behind that," he said before ending their call.

Ezio calmed himself by watching his cara. He just looked composed on the outside, but there's a raging fire inside of him that wants to burn everyone who will hurt his beloved.

On his mansion, Chiara was busy talking with her bestfriend. During her married life, her bestfriend is the person whom she can talk to.

"Chichi, can we meet sometimes?" Mazzini, her bestfriend, asked. They were on call.

"Maybe on Sunday next week?" Chiara suggested while sipping her chamomile tea. "I have some matters to attend to so I'm not available this week."

Mazzini smiled on the other line. "Sure! I would—," her words were cut short when she remembered something.

"Hmm? Did something happen, Mazzi?" Chiara asked when her friend stopped talking.

Mazzini hesitated to talked for she's scared that her bestfriend will feel uncomfortable. "There's an event that I was invited to. It will on next Sunday. But actually, I don't want to go."

"Oh," Chiara reacted. "It's fine. You can go. We can always reschedule our meeting."

"No, no, no. I don't really want to go there, as a respect for you," her last words were almost a whisper, but it didn't escape Chiara's ears.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chiara asked.

Mazzini didn't want to make her bestfriend feel bad by mentioning that man's name, so she just gave me a subtle clue.

"Chichi, I can't really tell you what event it is. But if you want to know, I suggest you open your account," Mazzini said before sighing. "Call me if you want someone to talk to, Chichi."

"Okay," Chiara said. "I'll do it. Bye and take care."

Chiara opened her account, just like what her bestfriend said. At first, there are no special statuses in her newsfeed.

But as she scrolls down, her thumb stopped on a certain post.

Her whole body went stiff and cold. Her eyes are reading each letter that the post has. Every word are slowly making sense to her brain.

And each word is a knife that stabs her already wounded heart.

"No, no... It can't be," she whispered under her breath.

But even thought she tried to say to herself that what she's seeing is not true, the reality is there to slap her back to reality.

Her eyes were quickly filled with tears. Her hands flew to her aching chest that made her phone fell on the floor.

On the other hand, Ezio can see everything that's happening. And the words that made his beloved cried where clear and visible on his screen.

Simone Russo and Alessandra Morelli's nuptial.