CHAPTER 8: Accident or Murder

DEITRICK ALEXANDRO De MEDICI

"You found it all by monitoring them?" I probed further.

"Si, your excellency" Flavio reported, "He was conversing with his daughter about this the other day and we got to know by listening through microphones that we installed in the villa."

"Do you have the copy of recording of what he said about his plan?" I asked Flavio after a moment of reflection before he could cut the call.

"Yes, your excellency." he replied.

"Bring it here before breakfast." I directed him and cut the call before the other end could say any further.

I brushed my fingers through my deranged hair and strode towards the bathroom to take shower because I was already late.

I wore my handmade customised suit as my office clothing and decided to go down to eat some breakfast before heading back to the office.

I descended down the stairs adjusting my tie and the view of Diana and my mother eating breakfast happily, came in front of me.

"Buongiorno, Mamma," I greeted my mother "Good morning everyone." I said and marched towards the dining table.

"Deitrick, you are home?" my mother asked in surprise because it this time I would have gone to my office in my usual routine.

"Yes, I couldn't wake up early today." I replied as I sat on vacant chair near my mother.

"I can't believe it.", she said.

I didn't say any further because I was too lazy to reply. I know that If I reply to this then there will be endless interrogation in my way. So, avoiding it is for better.

"How are you, Signorina Diana?" I asked my guest because I think it is not polite to ignore someone.

"I'm doing fine Your Excellency.", She replied with a taunting behaviour and I know that it was due to me perhaps, hiding my identity from her.

"It's Good to know. Please don't have to call me formally. You can call me by my name." I maintained myself as I extended my hand to take my cup of coffee.

"How can I be informal to you, your Excellency." She refused making me a little uncomfortable. "I heard that it is a crime to be informal to nobility here."

"Diana, you can call him Deitrick. You know what; Deitrick doesn't give this privilege to any common person. Do you Deitrick?" My mother stated with a teasing smile on her face while looking at me.

"Is that so?", Diana asked intrigued by this fact. Yet her voice showed disapproval. "I'm honoured your excellency."

Before this conversation could lead to any further awkwardness to me I said, "Signorina, I want have a very important conversation with you regarding your uncle."

Diana got alerted by my words and looked at me with questioning gaze.

"Let me know when you are not busy. I have to discuss with you in this regard." I hold a toast and ate it with butter on it.

"I'm free now because aunty is going to some inauguration ceremony." She replied hurriedly while looking at my mother "Am I right?"

"Yes, Dietrick. You can talk as much as you can with her. I won't disturb. I have a busy day ahead of me.", Mama said with a hint of wickedness in her eyes.

Here she goes again. My mother is cooking something unhealthy in her mind.

"Alright then you can come in my study after breakfast." I said and then I focused on eating my bread.

A half hour later I am now sitting on the chair of my study waiting for a hot headed lady who formally calls me 'Your Excellency', intentionally, and she is enjoying it very much when we look at her expressions because her formal addressing makes me uncomfortable, somehow.

Helena brought the wheel chair inside the study and adjusted its position so that I can have a comfortable conversation with her.

"You can go Helena." I said.

She greeted and left the room.

"What do you want to say about Anthony Preface, Your Excellency.", she used the word 'Your Excellency' again and I'm feeling very helpless right now.

"Signorina, can you skip the part 'your excellency' from your conversation?" I said with frustration that was visible on my face.

"No", she refused on my face.

I did not felt this helpless in my whole life.

"Fine.", I said.

"Why didn't you tell me that you are the Duke here, your Excellency?" She asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Was that necessary?" I said calmly pulling out the phone from my pocket.

"Yes it was very necessary." She said with the same intensity "If I knew that earlier I could have done something about my uncle?"

"Pardon" I said suspiciously "Let me guess what could have you done?"

I pretended to think then smirked "Nothing. There was nothing that could have done at that time when there was no suspect, witness or proof about you uncle's deeds. I needed time to know what he was doing signorina and it was for better that you didn't know about me at that time."

"And now you have suspect witness or proof?" she asked disapprovingly.

"Yes." I replied and placed the phone in front of her on which Flavio sent the recording of her uncle.

"What is this? your Excellency." She asked.

"This is your Uncle's plan to get your everything and mine as well." I controlled my anger.

She played the audio and voices came out of the phone.

~***Dad, is Diana dead or not? ~

~I did sent a killer to kill her in hospital but I cannot contact him like he disappeared in thin air. I don't know if he killed her or not. That girl got some nerves, she was lucky enough to not die at first attack. She is giving me much trouble. ~

~Dad, Why can't we hire another killer to murder her in hospital? ~

~This is Duke's territory I cannot do as I want. I don't even know who saved her. We have to be patient until her news of death is declared. In this way, we can pressurize Duke to sign the deal and marry you or else I'll declare to the world that he killed Diana. ~

~Do you think that he will marry me after being threaten by you? ~

~It will be a bit difficult but I thought of all the ways to make him agree to this. Once you marry him, Medici Duchy will be in my hands***. ~

Silence

~You still doubt me? Don't you know how I killed Stallard Preface and presented it as a car accident to the world. I will take dukedom, in one or the other way~

This was the last sentence that came out of the mouth of that bastard and I realizes that I made a mistake. I should have checked it before letting it listen by Diana.

Her eyes brimmed with tears that started to run down on her cheeks. Her face was red with anger and she started sobbing. She started losing her balance.

I stood up from my seat and sat in front of wheelchair.

"How can he do that?"

"How can he be so heartless?"

"He killed my father and I was stupid enough to let him handle the whole company."

She was crying and repeating the sentences with her miserable voice.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and embraced her. Her face was on my chest.

Let me tell you, I don't have any experience in consoling a crying woman other than my mother, still I tried to do it, "It's alright.... Don't cry. Your wounds are not healed yet."

She did not stopped crying.

For another fifteen minutes she cried like a lost child in my arms and I kept on trying to console her, brushing my hands against her hair.

After that when she finally stopped crying, lifted her head from my chest and looked at my shirt which was all wet with tears. She got embarrassed by that.

"I'm sorry.", She left my arms. "It's fine. I'll change." I stood up, gave her a glass of water. She drank it and now she is almost fine.

"How do you plan to get revenge on your uncle?" I asked.