Page 43 of Angelo

The scene felt likeil dolce far nientebrought to life. The beauty of doing nothing.At first glance, Elyse would've never imagined that such a charming, unassuming shop was tied to one of the most notorious mafia clans in the region, but, according to Malina,Caffè Casadeihad been under the De Leóns’ protection for the past decade or so.

Around a quarter to ten, Elyse arrived at the cafe with Monte and Luca. Mariposa was already seated at one of the tables, waiting for her.

Monte and Luca sat down at the table right beside them.

The younger woman smirked as she spotted Elyse. "Ciao, bitch."

Today's agenda was clear.Get intel, and give nothing away.Would she be able to outplay Mariposa? Or would she end up getting played? Elyse plastered on a smile to hide her nerves. "Always a fucking delight to see you, Mari."

Mariposa eyed Elyse's all-black getup. "Again, I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

An awkward lull bloomed between the two females. Elyse coughed. "How's life?"

The girl seemed distracted when she answered, "Life is life. Nothing really seems to change."

Mariposa's gaze kept drifting away. Her eyes darted this way and that way as though she was looking for something. Or someone?

A waitress with bright red lipstick came by. They ordered their food and drinks. Once the server left, Mariposa leaned over the table and shared in hushed tones, "I have something to tell you."

Elyse leaned closer to her as well. “I’m listening.”

Was Mariposa aware of Enrico's death? If she knew something, the girl's cheeky expression revealed nothing. A thump of guilt hit Elyse. Mariposa had come here today, thinking they were allies. But nothing could be further from reality. They were plotting her family’s downfall. Elyse wouldn’t blame the younger woman for hating her once the truth came out.

With glittering eyes, Mariposa said under her breath, "My brother's bodyguard died last night."

Mierda. The fact that Mariposa readily offered up this information seemed to suggest that she was trying to uphold her end of their bargain. The situation was hard to read. Elyse willed herself to react as though her hands weren’t stained with Enrico’s blood.

“I’m so sorry to hear it.” She asked mildly, "How did he die?"

The server brought out their orders, setting a delectable array of coffee and pastries on the table.

Mariposa sipped on her espresso and, again, waited for the waitress to disappear before speaking up, "I think he got into a fight with one of the Berlusconis."

"Over what?"

Mariposa shrugged and sighed, "Who knows with these idiots? Just the rightcombinazioneof tits and booze can set them off, I imagine. God rest his soul, but Enrico was an even biggeridiotathan my brother."

The girl seemed unaffected by the man's demise. Judging from the breeziness of Mariposa's tone, however, they might as well have been chatting about the weather. This prompted Elyse to study Mariposa more closely. It was then Elyse noticed a noticeably darker spot on the younger woman's left cheekbone. Powder and foundation could only hide so much.

A sickening intuition struck Elyse. Something felt wrong. She sensed it in her gut. Within this troubling moment, all other thoughts flew out the window.

Gently, Elyse addressed the younger woman, "Mari?"

Mariposa hummed back, "Yes?"

Green eyes locked onto the girl's blemished, bruised cheek. "Is there anything else you wish to tell me?”

“About Enrico?”

“No,” Elyse replied, “about you.”

“Me?”

“How are things at… home?”

A flicker of unease appeared in Mariposa's dark eyes. The girl replied quietly, "I already told you.Life is life. For me, it is all I have known."

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