Page 50 of Monster in Disguise

Amelia must have noticed my amazement because she speaks up, "Mr. Marcello wanted to ensure your comfort during your stay."

"Signor Marcello wanted to make sure you have all the comforts."

My heart swells with gratitude, and I turn to Amelia. "This... this is all wonderful. Thank you," I say, voice thick with emotion. She nods in understanding.

"Now for the second room..." Amelia begins to turn and lead us out, but I quickly interject.

"We don't need a second room. I mean... this is too big. Claudia and I can both stay here together."

"Mamma..." Claudia pouts, her eyes pleading with me. I frown, torn between wanting to give my daughter her own space and not wanting to leave her side.

"You want to see the other room?" She immediately nods eagerly.

"But..."

"If they're offering us another room, then I'd like to have my own space," Claudia declares with surprising confidence before glancing down, almost ashamed of her request.

"Baby, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," I start to reassure her, but then I try to put myself in her shoes. She's never had her own room. We've always shared a small space at Sacre Coeur.

I sigh, realizing that maybe she needs her privacy now more than ever as she grows up.

"Fine," I say with a resigned tone. "Let's see the other room."

Amelia leads us across the hall to the second room, which turns out to be smaller but just as luxurious as mine. Somehow,I had assumed our rooms would be next to each other for convenience.

She opens the door and we step inside.

"Wow..." Claudia breathes out in amazement as she takes a step forward into the room. "This is incredible."

The room may be smaller than mine, but it's decorated specifically for a pre-teen girl. The wallpaper is a soft shade of pink adorned with glittery gold illustrations. The bed is also pink, complete with a canopy draped beautifully over it. Actually... the whole room is so pink, it's almost blinding.

"Signor Marcello made sure the room would be ready for Signorina Claudia. He wanted everything to be perfect," Amelia mentions with a half-smile, gesturing around the room.

Truth be told, the effort is visible, and I'm surprised that he took the time and care to ensure my daughter's comfort in just three days.

"I love it, mamma!" Claudia exclaims from the center of the room, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"I'm glad you like it." I smile at her affectionately, feeling grateful for this unexpected act of kindness from our host.

"Your luggage will be brought in shortly."

"What about Marcello's sister? He mentioned a sister." I turn to Amelia with curiosity.

"She... she's on this floor too. A few doors down. I must apologize that she wasn't here to greet you. She's been rather indisposed lately..." Amelia explains with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'd like to meet her."

"I'll make sure to let her know," Amelia replies before bidding us goodnight and leaving us to settle into our respective rooms.

I don't knowwhat I expected from this marriage, or from moving to this house, but it certainly wasn't being this ignored.

I'd met Venezia right before dinner, and she'd been... unpleasant would be an understatement. She'd been downright rude to me. After a tense first meeting, we'd gone on to the dining room, where she'd continued to drop hints about her displeasure, until she outright insulted me.

"Couldn't you have found another wife... you know, one without a child?" she impudently asked Marcello. I'd immediately turned to Claudia, trying to gauge her reaction. I didn't want her to be ashamed of our situation...

Damnation!

She looked just as stunned as I felt, as she turned her hopeful gaze towards Marcello. Their eyes met, and I could see a twitch in his upper lip.

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