Chapter 9 : Transparent

As promised, Dante decides to take a two week holiday and let Lorenzo deal with the office mess. In fact, the old man was enjoying himself because working made him feel young while retiring to Aruba does not, apparently.

At least until he gets his grandchild he will do that but will it be possible if the woman he married is gay?

Though Beatrice did mention how she could be both and that was much better news for him than the possibility of him having an unrequited attraction toward her.

A few days ago, he was shocked by the revelation of the woman he thought was wild, irresponsible and just shameless had cooked, gardened, baked and took care of the staff actively and her dedication in doing her job as the mistress of the house was not left unnoticed.

Moreover, just a few days ago, his man had brought Beatrice all of her stuff as she had requested from her parent's home.

It was not much other than a few books, novels and extra clothes, a fluffy white teddy bear about the size of her torso.

Everything from her dress to the way she braided her hair and making sure the dining room is filled with jars of cookies and snacks is just...

Did he get her wrong?

Night at the Azbaztoz came flooding through his brain and seeing her making out with Lilibeth Gray made him reach out to the owner of the club who had confirmed his suspicions.

"Of course, we know those two. You know how tough it is to be daughters of a rich family and be gay right? This ain't Jared's daughter's first experience. My boys told me sometimes they went on a date in a nearby restaurant. Hey, I had to know so in case that parents of hers freak out about their relationship, my club won't get in trouble. I hate all those controversy shit."

This includes him going over to Gray's home and talking to Lilibeth's father.

"I told her to break whatever relationship with Beatrice but my Beth, she is as headstrong and stubborn as her late mother, God bless her soul. They've been doing this for years. I hated it at first but I see how happy it made her so I just let it be."

"You are one of the best businessmen I have the pleasure to work with. In no way I am homophobic, as what people are calling it these days. I admit the old teachings and values of my family are still a huge part of who I am today but does it not concern you of what people will say about you? Or how it may affect your family? Media is brutal, Gray."

He remembered how Gray just smiled and shook his head.

"Doesn't matter, Dante. Lilibeth is all I have. All the hard work I put into my business is because of her. If I lose her because of my old ways, what's the point of me working anyway? It was all for her, so she can have a good life. I'm 67 years old and I do believe your father is looking for a friend for retirement. Is he planning to go to Aruba anytime soon?"

Why is he being put in the middle? His grandfather who had promised him to 'figure things out and just like him, if he had known about Beatrice's sexual orientation, he wouldn't have forced his grandson to the wedding but, he did anyway.

Lorenzo is hiding something.

He knows something about Bea and truth to be told, he himself didn't know who Bea is anymore No longer was the girl he met at Azbaztoz. The girl who gave him a bad first impression. He had to know more about her.

That was the very mistake he did. He married her begrudgingly but didn't know who she was. No wonder she was so mysterious. He didn't even know how old is she.

What kind of a man does that to his wife?

He picked up his phone and called his trusted secretary to do a little errand.

"Antoine? Yes, it's me. I need you to find full detailed information about someone. Yeah, I need it ASAP. Her name is Beatrice Granger. Sure, I'll be waiting. Don't disappoint me."

...

The swimming pool was so majestic. A little walk, further to the backyard where Dante's tennis court and actual greenhouse.

It was a typical rectangular pool with the end of the short edges distended towards a small cliff. That edge was made from thick glass so she can see through it and below the hill was just a forest.

She has a great view of the cities and as she swims to the edge, she leans forward and basks in the morning sun. It was only 9 AM and she had planned to do some cooking until Miss Nona told her of the pool.

God knows she had spent a lot of time growing up in her pool and the beach. She would even sneak out with Beatrice to visit a waterpark since their parents didn't find the place to be hygienic and just plain dirty.

It didn't matter to her. Bea and Bella had the time of their life there and they would continue to sneak to the water park until they were 14 when later, their grandmother found out and snitch to their parents.

After a hell of a scolding, they weren't allowed to leave the compound unsupervised until they are 18. That's when Bea's good girl acts dissolved and she proceeds to explore who she was, letting herself free from whatever her family had pushed her into.

"It's the best thing I ever did, Bella. You should do it too. You know how much we hated the lifestyle mom and dad had chosen for us. Hell, you're more independent and responsible than me. I'm the oldest twin but you're the most mature one out of us. Go ahead, find a place in NYC and start writing for real. Be a professional this time and who knows, you might find your prince charming there."

Gosh, she misses Bea. For the past few years, she had not met Bea due to Covid but they did send each other texts once in a while. Until the wedding months, arrive and Bea just disappeared from the grid.

The next time they may see each other is a scenario that Bella just couldn't imagine. The Messina has made a strict demand that the eldest daughter of the Granger family and the one that will proceed with her father is to be married to Dante. Yes, they were twins but her parents had chosen Bea since she was 10 minutes earlier than her, and showed great interest in wall street and the real estate business, hence her father begrudgingly allowed her lifestyle even in their homes (having tattoos and piercings in so many places).

His parent's decision to push her to marry Dante was done in the hope that her husband may change Bea's ways and straighten her out but they should've known better that Bea is a rebel. A fighter and no marriage with a straight man would separate her from Lilibeth. Guess who's the "responsible" and "mature" enough to clean up the mess?

Looking at the blue sky made Bella lean down into the pool and bury her mouth in it. She sighed causing bubbles to form in the water. Tilting up, she closes her eyes and lets the cold wind brushes her skin. The heated pool and combination of the cold air felt like heaven.

She was enjoying herself so much that she didn't notice the splashing sound behind her. Only when she felt something wrapped around her tummy did she shriek and turned around. Bumping her forehead against the warmest, smooth skin she had ever touched.

She was groaning in pain but when she push her head back, her eyes widen to see a pair of hard pecs and dark nipples light hair wet from the pool scattered on his chest and she looks up to the man who still kept a stronghold around her body.

"Enjoying your morning swim, wife? Should've waked me up to join you. I would love to accompany you."

His words say a different thing while his eyes were staring at her boobs pressing against his abs and almost spilling out from her nude colour swimsuit.

Her husband was a pervert yet she had no problem with that until...

"What the hell is that?"

She squealed and felt something hard and protruding pressing against her stomach. Her free hand pops in the water to see what it was and she started touching the damn thing. Her squeezing the damn thing made Dante gasp and growled deep in his throat.

"Be gentle, wife. That is a very important equipment."

She scream and start slapping his chest but rather than being mad or crying from the impact, he laughed and still kept his hold around her.

"What did you expect? You wore a skin colour swimsuit with the best tits and ass I've ever seen, wife. Take it as a compliment."

"You pervert! Get your hands off of me."

"Only for you wife. Only for you."

Oh God, her husband is a pervert and she continues to repeat that in her mind but why doesn't that actually bother her for one bit?