Page 51 of Monster in Disguise

"Venezia, Catalina is my wife, and you'd do well to respect her," he'd said in a stern tone.

Venezia had huffed and immediately left the table, but not before violently throwing her cutlery at her plate.

After the incident, Marcello had offered a short excuse for his sister's behavior, and we'd continued to eat in silence. I'd tried to initiate conversation a few times, only to be shut down. I wasn't sure that he wanted to interact with anyone, so I'd just taken to talking to Claudia. After dinner, Claudia had gone to her room, and I'd stayed a little behind, trying to engage Marcello in conversation, but it had backfired again.

He'd nodded at me, as usual, then he'd turned and left.

And so, here I am, hours later, about to knock on the door of his room. After a couple of hours of deliberation, I'd decided that I needed to see where we stand.

I know he's put in place some boundaries, but surely he doesn't plan on ignoring me for the rest of our lives. We still have so many things to talk about... like schooling for Claudia, booking her therapy. Also about me...

What am I supposed to do with myself? I'm not used to lying around doing nothing, and it's pretty clear my basic cooking or cleaning skills aren't required here as Marcello has an army of staff. That simply leaves me with nothing to do.

I take a deep breath and, closing my eyes, I knock. There's some noise on the other side of the door before a voice says,

"I told you, Amelia..." The door opens suddenly, and my eyes go wide as I take in Marcello's casual appearance.

The Marcello I am facing now is a stark contrast to the man I first met. His appearance is disheveled; his white t-shirt wrinkled and slightly stained, black sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Stray strands of hair fall across his forehead, lending him a rugged and unkempt look.

"Catalina," he says with surprise in his voice as he takes in my presence. I steel myself for the conversation that's about to happen, knowing it won't be easy.

"Can we talk, please?" My request seems to catch him off guard, and he narrows his eyes at me suspiciously.

"Is it urgent?" He keeps the door only slightly ajar, hiding the interior of the room from my view.

"Yes, I think so," I lie. But if this is the only way I can get him to listen to me, then maybe it is urgent after all.

He ponders my words for a moment before slowly nodding his head. "Go to the study and I'll meet you there in a few minutes. It's the second door on the right." He gives me nochance to reply before shutting the door. At least he didn't say no... right?

I follow his instructions and find myself in a lavishly decorated study. Clearly, Marcello has good taste and wealth. A few minutes later, he appears and takes a seat across from me at the desk.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" His intense gaze makes me squirm uncomfortably in my seat.

"My daughter, Claudia. I wanted to discuss her education," I blurt out, trying to appear confident and serious. But it's hard when faced with such a handsome man dressed in nothing but casual clothing. How would his hair feel under my fingers... soft or coarse?

Marcello clears his throat, bringing me back to reality and causing a blush to creep up my cheeks. Damn it, was I staring? I hope I'm not making things awkward.

I straighten my posture and continue, determined to be taken seriously. "She will need a teacher. There was a grammar school at Sacre Coeur, but it leaned more towards Bible study. I'm afraid she's missed out on a proper education."

"I see. You have no reason to worry about that," Marcello interjects smoothly. "I've been searching for a governess for my own sister, Venezia, as she too is behind in her studies." He grimaces slightly. "If you'd like, we can interview potential governesses together and decide on the best fit for them." His offer takes me by surprise, but I can't help feeling grateful for his understanding and willingness to help.

"Really?" My tone is perhaps too enthusiastic, and I notice I unconsciously bend forward. I try to lean back a little before continuing. "That would be great, thank you. I want to make sure she gets the best education, but also in a safe environment."

"I agree." He gives a brisk nod.

"I also want to find a therapist for her. The sooner, the better. I wouldn't like for what happened to her to scar her."

Marcello tilts his head as he regards me.

"How bad was it?" he suddenly asks.

"What do you mean?" I frown at his question.

"What exactly happened with Father Guerra? Did he..." From the corner of my eye, I notice him clenching his fist.

"It didn't go too far, thankfully. When I came across them, he had his hands up her skirt." I shudder, remembering the events of that night. "But he could have... Lord, he could have done so much worse..." I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. Just the thought of that man doing something to my baby girl...

"You did well, Catalina. You did very well." He praises me, even though what I'd done had been murder.

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