CHAPTER 12: Visit

DEITRICK ALEXANDRO DE MEDICI

I am working on the next deal I need to make with an American company in my office. Medici empire has a strong core competency of backward integration, which attracts American multinational companies to expand in Italy by venturing with us.

Since I didn't have much time left, I decided to ignore this Italian bastard who came to visit me as soon as he got the news that I had helped a girl and taken her to my palace as a guest.

God knows where he got this news!

"I abandoned a beautiful woman at the airport to pay a visit to you, and you are ignoring me heartlessly, Your Excellency. Is that what my friendship values in your heart." he gave me a disdainful look twirling the glass of wine in his hand.

"This work of mine is way more important than a visit from Signore Mikhaelis Agnito, who came here to interrogate me for some bullshit," I said without looking at him, typing vigorously the contract terms that I intend to offer my business partners.

"Oh, come on. I also run industries, but I don't work as a robot like you, Amico.", he said, taking a sip of wine.

"Since you are so free to wander around in Florence, why don't you do some work for me? I am already exhausted." I raised my brows in a questioning manner when I shifted my gaze from the laptop screen to the man in front of me.

He gave me a dull look, "I'm not as free as you think....." he leaned forward on the table that separated me and him and said with a smirk on his face, "But I can do that as long as you tell me about the foreigner girl you abducted and kept in your palace."

I gave him a dangerous look, "I didn't abduct anyone, and that girl is a guest."

"To whom you are explaining, your Excellency... I do know about your adventures. If you wanted her as a guest, you would have brought her to one of your Villas. Not in the palace."

"Can you stop spouting nonsense, Mikhaelis?" I gave him a death glare. "I didn't get involved with any woman for I don't know how long. She is just a guest." At least for now.

He took another glass of wine that a servant served him, took a leisurely sip, and then said, "I'm not afraid of this look that you are sending me. You tell me everything, and I'll spare you."

I closed the laptop in front of me and said, "She was almost killed in my Landmines when I saved her. Her uncle wanted to kill her, so considering the security need, I took her to the palace.", finally I explained all the series of events that occurred or else he will not leave this topic.

My four friends and I have a secret community set up where we share almost everything. It is mainly to keep in touch with each other and provide help when needed.

"Is that so?" he took another sip of wine and asked in an uninterested tone, "Then when is she going back?"

"Not anytime soon," I replied.

"I see." He said, thinking, "I wonder why you prolonged her stay? Is there something personal?" he continued his interrogation.

"I proposed to her last night, and I'm going to marry her, so she is not going back," I said without beating around the bush. The sooner this interrogation session ends, the better it is for me.

Poor Mikhael could not accept the sudden shock I gave him, and he choked and spitted the wine from his mouth and coughed a few times.

"Cough... Cough... You..... what did you say?" he asked with his wide-open eyes, which turned red in the process of coughing.

"I said I'm going to marry that girl I took as my guest," I repeated what I said before.

"I don't believe in my ears, your excellency." he said with a shocked expression, "I think I should get an appointment from a physician to get a proper check-up because my friend, The Duke of Medici is saying that he is marrying the girl whom he met two days ago."

"You are not even a bit funny, Agnito," I said, not giving any expression on my face. "And you spoiled my carpet." This time I gave a disgusted look to him.

"Forget it." He cleared his throat. "I'll buy you a new one."

"Please do." I typed the last few words and hit the enter button to print option.

"Is that girl beautiful?" he bombarded another question.

"Beyond a doubt," I replied, thinking of her.

"Oh... I see. When Damian told me that you got a beauty in your palace, I didn't quite believe him. But now you say that she is beautiful, then it would be true.", he said with a calculating expression.

Damn.

"How did he know about it?" I became alert. If he came to know that I decided to marry, then in addition to this bastard in front of me, three additional bastards would be sitting in front of me by tomorrow.

"You are surprised as if you don't know him... That person can dig out information from the deepest pit of hell." he gave me bland looks.

"You..... Listen to me carefully... Don't tell them about marriage thing for now.", I threatened him.

"Your excellency... This news is worth being shared with them..... Don't be so petty." he said, and his eyes were filled with mischief.

My brain is feeling like it is going to explode at this moment.

"Still, you don't have to tell them. I'll invite them when my soon-to-be bride accepts my proposal."

He sat straight, putting the glass aside, "Holly shit, so you are saying there is a girl you didn't accept the proposal of Duke Deitrick Alexandro de Medici at the time of being proposed..... I hadn't thought I could see such a time in my life." he laughed full of his heart.

"Don't spout nonsense." he didn't mind my words.

This person enjoys making fun of me. By his words, I became conscious of myself, 'Did I lose my charm somehow?' I thought silently in my mind.

"Duchess knows about this? "he continued grilling me with his questions.

"No, Mama doesn't know."

"Tell me honestly, Deitrick, why are you marrying all of a sudden? Is it attraction or pressure?" he asked with a serious expression which is very rare to be seen on his face.

I sighed and explained, "Day by day, everyone puts pressure on me, whether it is the business community or society. I don't want to hinder my life with a word called 'marriage'. That girl wants to take revenge for her father's death, and I want a wife. This is a marriage to convenience if we put it into simple words.... "

"Marriage of convenience, you say... Hm? and here I thought that my friend fell for a foreign beauty.", He sighed," But it is still good."

"Anyway, as you promised earlier to complete a task for me, if I tell you everything, then you have to give me all the information about Anthony Preface." I gritted my teeth when I pronounced his name. I still haven't met him since he came here because I'm afraid I'll kill him on the spot.

"Your wish is my command, your excellency..... By the way, I'll be living in your palace till your marriage. I can predict that you'll be in urgent need of a groomsman, Amico," he said with a smirk on his face.

"Just give me information and live here as much as you want."