Chapter 23

“Donatelli,” his mother greeted with open arms and a smile.

Dante hugged her and gave her a kiss. He sat her down and asked as he handed her a cup of tea, “Why must you call me by that name?”

Madam Bardi chuckled, “It’s the name your father gave you.”

He groaned and sat back on the couch. He rested his arms over the back of the couch and looked at her.

She called him over to discuss something, and he wondered what it was.

Placing the teacup in a saucer, she glanced over at her son then asked, “How is my daughter-in-law doing?”

Dante brought his hands to his lap and answered as he looked away from her, “She’s frightened.”

“What are you doing that makes her frightened?” She asked him.

Dante smirked inwardly, and he couldn’t hide it from his mother. “She disobeyed the rules. She needs to be punished. If it was anyone else, then they’d receive the same treatment.”

She turned to him saying, “Remember Donatelli, she’s your wife yo—”

“Why her mother?” He interrupted.

She sighed, “Why not? An