As her father walked through the door, Kaira looked up from the collection of wedding dress designs in front of her as she was asked, "Figlia, is everything going well? How are the preparations going? Where is Enzo, by the way?" "Papa," she remarked, trying to get up from her seat to walk over to kiss her father on the cheek. "How did you end up here? I thought you had an important meeting outside. Where's the sotto capo?" Giovanni responded, "I am just checking in on you and the preparations," as he peered around the room to see what his daughter was really up to at the moment. Then, in all seriousness, he added, "My figlia, I do not want any trouble about this. I want everything to be as perfect as it can be." Kaira can now only relieve herself by sighing. She is aware that her father appears to still have reservations about everything. "Papa, you don't need to check on me every now and then. I told you I'd be doing this. I already promised you that I would be performing this tas

Calix has by now made up his mind, even though his conversation with Kaira has been futile. His father's dismissive comments won't keep him in constant fear, and he will not allow his threats to overcome his plans. He is willing to go to any length to prevent the Lombardis' collaboration. He can see it in Kaira's eyes that, just like him, this is not what she wants, and behind that hard facade that she is trying to show him, Calix knows that she, like him, is desperately trying to find a way out of this. With a huff in his breath, Calix can only now admit to himself that yes, he does care for her. And as much as James is right that he can protect her more if they get married, he simply cannot allow Kaira Lombardi to play an active role in the lifestyle he happens to find repulsive. She has a bright future awaiting her outside of this life that they are forced to live.

Enzo's taunting voice coupled with his chuckle welcomed Kaira as she entered the work area the morning after her wedding, saying, "Huge congrats on the marriage yesterday! Everything happened accordingly, if I may say so. But the one and only question that lingers on my mind is, how was your first night, cugino? Did Calix perform as well as he had before? Did the two of you even sleep at all?" It was an ordinary question, that should be posed to ordinary couples rather than to her. Because in most marriages, both spouses will either be traveling the next day for their honeymoon or will fall asleep blissfully as a result of last night's exhaustion on their first night together, but this is not the case with Kaira and Calix, simply because it was actually not their first night together and, secondly, because they are not an ordinary couple at all. At the mere mention of her spouse, Kaira was already so irritated that she snarled at her cousin, "First night, his ass. And what performan

"Bells, meet Calix, my husband. And, Calix, honey, this is Bella, my step-sister." Kaira's irritating voice continued to resound in Bella's thoughts. And the more she remembers those words, the more she becomes aggravated by everything. That bitch is already married, as had been the plan. Her bitch of a step-sister has already been able to marry that man that her stepfather arranged for her. And that should not pose an issue for Bella because that was what she wanted in the first place. She wanted Kaira out of this mansion. All Bella ever wanted was to get rid of Kaira so that she could become the princess and future queen of this household. And when she initially heard about the marriage, she was ecstatic, knowing all too well that Kaira wouldn't be able to stop and go against her father's wishes. And that idea of marr

The words, "Look, who I came across here," resonated in Calix's ears. "What's a gorgeous hottie doing out over here with nothing to do and no one to be with?" Calix recognizes that the scenario that will play out in front of him is not going to be to his heart’s content; however, since it will undoubtedly work in his best interest, he must execute his strategy wisely. The voice sounded provocative, trying to capture Cal's entire attention. "Aren't you a bit surprised to see me around living with your wife?" Calix turned back with a sigh, saying, "Bella." The woman stood directly in front of him wearing her two-piece bathing suit, despite the fact that she was actually in the garden and not the pool area. Bella moved close to him and leaned in to kiss him on the lips right away, giving him no warning at all. "Bella!" he hissed frustratedly at her. He instinctively spun around to see whether anybody else saw that scene between them. Yes, he was keen on bringing an end to whatever wa