Page 33 of The Beast of London & His Pet

“Of course I do. I bet you’re dying to see all of your men again,” I said innocently, but enjoyed watching his eyes narrow in on me.

He might be a manipulator but I was sure to keep him on his toes for the foreseeable future.

???

Revenge could be subtle or head-on. I decided for the sake of my ass to take the subtle route and reaped the benefits as I watched Alessio choke on his food.

“You don't like it?” I asked as I carefully emulated a broken-hearted reaction with my hand on my heart while straining to make my eyes tear up.

The sauce for the Bucatini pasta was loaded with excess salt and chilli flakes. It was the first meal I’d cooked for him since we got married, so he had no clue of my cooking skills.

His face was bright red as he continued to cough. He reached for the jug of water while I bit the inside of my lip, trying not to laugh. The water spilt on the table as he rushed to pour it into a glass. My dark little heart rejoiced when I saw his eyes begin to water as he gulped down the water.

Once he stopped his dramatics, he looked at his plate as if there were a poisonous snake sat on it waiting to sink its venomous fangs into him.

“You don't like my pasta,” I said, looking down at my plate, which was perfectly balanced in all seasoning and spices.

“Kitten, you don't need to cook for me. We can hire a chef,” he said, managing to wheeze out the words.

Okay, now I felt a twinge of guilt.

“It’s a waste of money. I can get some recipes from the internet or watch cooking videos. I am an unemployed bum sitting at home,” I said as I reminded myself that I was stuck at home doing nothing all day.

On the plus side, I got my contraception pills, which I hid inside my socks, which were stashed in my sock drawer.

“You can visit our family or go shopping,” Alessio said as he pushed the offending plate away from him.

Hmm. Shopping, that could be the next test.

Chapter 21

Alessio

It was unusual for my Dad to come to my office, so I was surprised when Aileen told me he was in reception. I stood up to greet him as the door opened and took a moment to appreciate him. He never stepped out on my mother, and where fists or belts punished other kids, my father never laid a finger on me.

“Ciao, papà,” I said as I reached him.

My Dad gave me a bear hug, I guess he was feeling sentimental himself.

“Mio figlio,” he said slapping my back before he stepped back. “Ancora qualche notizia di un bambino?”

My son. Any word of a baby yet?

I rolled my eyes when I realised he was only here for his self-serving purpose.

“It's only been twenty days since we got married,” I said walking towards the couch.

“Tua madre è impaziente di notizie,” he replied.Your mother is rabid for news.

I couldn't tell him my sneaky wife was trying to block my seed with contraceptive pills. So I smiled at him instead.

“Di' alla mamma di essere paziente,” I said with a grin because Francesca’s pills were useless.Tell Mum to be patient.

My Dad sat beside me with a sigh.

“It is good you got married, son, and she is from a good Southern family,” he said, switching to English.

I relaxed on the leather couch and thought of my wife’s antics.

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