Chapter 2 Dad, I'm Already Engaged To Someone

Rosa held Zeta's hand and led her to the dining table to have dinner. The table was filled with different Italian cuisine, with its aroma piercing the air. Zeta's stomach growled upon perceiving the tantalizing aroma of the food. She quickly rushed the fish dish served at the table. She loves fish dishes a lot. When her mother Aurora was alive, then Zeta was ten years old. She would make a scrumptious fish dish for Zeta, especially when she's sick.

Zeta missed her mother a lot about that. Although Rosa tries to make a fish dish for her whenever she's chanced, you still can't compare its taste to her mother's.

The servants ladled the food on their plates and drizzled soft wine in the goblets before stepping a few inches away from them.

"Aunt Rosa, it seems this chef is an expert. She has good culinary skills; I must commend her. Are you the one that employed her?" Zeta said in between mouthfuls of food.

Rosa smiled, nodded, and said, "the moment I heard you were coming back, I had to employ a chef with high culinary skills. I know you must have missed Italian dishes a lot since you were away".

Zeta exhaled and excitedly responded, "missing Italian dishes is an understatement. I was dead craving to eat one since I was in Singapore. Although I grew accustomed to some of the local dishes there, it can't be compared to that of Italian".

After hearing her words, Rosa flashed a lovely smile at Zeta and said, "I knew you would miss it a lot."

Enzo silently ate his food. He kept throwing gazes at the two women conversing in front of him. Actually, Enzo was trying to maintain his table manner, which is expected of a noble. Deep within him, he was over-excited seeing the two women that mattered most to him chatting and doting on each other.

Before Enzo made Rosa his mistress, he gave it a great deal of thought. He loved Zeta so much and only wanted a woman who cared for her as her mother would. Luckily, he met Rosa when he went to the city mall to pick up some wears for Zeta years ago. At first, he was caught off guard by Rosa's beauty. She resembled Aurora a little. She had sparkling emerald eyes like Aurora and was precisely the same height as Aurora. That day, Rosa unknowingly bumped into Enzo when she was looking for the best clothes to get for her nephew. Embarrassingly, she muttered 'sorry' to Enzo and tilted her head downwards. It was Enzo that called her back and requested her contact. As he grew enamored of the woman because of her seeming resemblance to Aurora, Enzo became undeterred in making the woman his mistress.

As he had ever wished, Rosa had a kind heart and cared for Zeta like her own daughter. Looking at the two women broaching, a gentle smile lit up Enzo's face.

He lifted his hand and caressed Rosa, who's sitting close to him. Rosa glanced at him, and he beamed a smile at her.

"So, dad, how's the company flourishing now? I hope you are making massive progress recently?" Zeta asked. Enzo looked at her; a smile hovered on his lips. He nodded and answered," you should know who your father is. We always make daily progress. So, my dear Enzo Winery is constantly growing".

Zeta's heart pumped with excitement. She loved how hard-working her father was. This is the reason her father would always remain her role model. Although Enzo is rich, he doesn't inculcate a lazy attitude in his daughter. At Zeta's early age, he had started teaching her what the business world entails. How to survive, and ways to augment a business. He taught her how to communicate with people to politely win their trust and heart.

Learning these tricks even helped Zeta freely communicate with people outside the business world. When she was at Curtin University, Zeta was very popular. People liked to have social intercourse with her due to her brilliance and politeness. Only a few people could tell she was from a wealthy family in Italy. She blends with people that you would even think she's from Singapore.

Only her closest friend Beatrice is the first Singaporean she befriended, and the love of her life is Bryan Tan, a popular travel blogger, knows her true identity. Others view her as a Singaporean.

"I'm glad to know that Enzo Winery Ltd is blossoming. Now that I'm a graduate of business management, I will help in the little ways I can to facilitate the growth of our company, dad," Zeta reasoned.

Enzo's heart hitched upon hearing Zeta reason such a thing. This was the last thing he ever expected from her. Initially, Enzo thought Zeta would insist on venturing into another business, but his heart leaped with joy upon hearing this. At least, now that Zeta spouted this, carrying out his plan wouldn't be a hard knot to crack. 'That means this marriage contract will be a success. Wow, thank God. Enzo thought.

He moved his eyes to Rosa, and she winked at him and revealed her attractive dentition. "Well, dear Zeta, I have longed for you to help me augment Enzo Winery Ltd. And as God may have it, you are highly intelligent. You know, inching higher in the business world is all about making connections and signing contracts..."

"I know, right? It's about contract and connection, seemingly". Zeta chipped in happily. Surprised, Enzo smiled and finalized in his heart that it was time to tell Zeta about his plans. Thus he continued, "absolutely, Zeta, it's about a contract. And I have signed a contract with the Ferrari family!" He exclaimed happily.

Zeta's mouth was agape upon hearing that her father, Enzo Moretti, signed a contract with the almighty Ferrari family. "Wow!" She wailed happily. "Congratulations, dad! Who could have thought you could successfully sign a contract with the Ferrari family that thousands of investors all over the metro and Europe are vying to sign a contract with?" Zeta articulated joyfully without waiting to hear the full details of the contract.

Rosa glared at the happy Zeta; she smiled and asked, "your father deserves an award, right?"

Zeta leveled her dentition at Rosa and exclaimed, "of course, aunt Rosa. He truly deserves an accolade. Dad, you are super amazing!" Zeta stood up and embraced her father. Enzo's heart was leaping with joy. He thought that Zeta would disagree with this idea. However, the full details are yet to be revealed.

Zeta went back to her seat and glanced at the servants smiling amongst themselves. Although Enzo Moretti, their master, has an insanely frigid demeanor, he is still a nice man and pays them handsomely.

Normally, he would ramp up their pay when he excitedly wins a new contract like this. So indirectly, Enzo's win is equally their win. His pain was indirectly their pain. And those that experience this mostly are Nicolo, his driver; Evander, his personal assistant; and Lucrezia, the female head servant in the villa.

Zeta stole glances at the servants and concluded in her heart that her father and aunt were truly nice to the servants to the extent that they were equally happy for her father's wins.

Zeta continued to eat as Enzo revealed the details to his daughter. He dropped his fork on the plate, clasped his hands together, and straightened his back before voicing out once more, "so like I was saying, my dear, Mr. Ferrari agreed to my proposal, and that proposal is marriage...".

Zeta furrowed her brows and spat swiftly, "marriage?" She thought inwardly, 'who's going to get married? Is her father bringing in another woman? Will aunt Rosa agree to it?'

"Yes, marriage. Let's call it a marriage contract". Enzo worded as he glanced at Zeta to see her reaction. However, the girl maintained her movements. She wasn't too shocked or worried. Thus, Zeta asked her father, "so who's getting married then?"

Enzo's face became serious.'Does that mean she really didn't grab the direction of this topic? Or maybe she's just pretending. Enzo said to himself inwardly. He arched his brow and looked Zeta in the eyes. He could still see the excitement in Zeta's emerald eyes. He blinked and uttered, "you!"

Zeta's mouth twitched upon hearing that. She stared wide-eyed at her father, laughed lightly, and asked, "me?" Pointing at herself.

Enzo's lips curved into a smile, and he nodded and spat, yes, Zeta".

Zeta's eyes fluttered wide open, and her mind sank into a daze. 'Wait! Dad signed a marriage contract between me and the Ferrari family. How possible is that?' Zeta's mind jingled with questions.

Enzo looked at his daughter; he noticed the seeming confusion in her eyes and explained further. "I want to venture into the fashion industry. Not only that, I want to cahoot with the Ferrari family to expand our wine company, with their help, our company will be more famous around the world. This is definitely a goldmine opportunity; we can't afford to miss Zeta. I hope you understand".

Zeta subconsciously blinked her eyes a few times, processing what her father had just worded to her. 'This is strange. I'm already engaged to Bryan Tan. Dang, it! I should have let my father know about this before now. He doesn't even know I had a boyfriend in Singapore!' Zeta thought.

All through the six years she spent studying in Singapore, she and Bryan had been dating. The famous travel blogger Bryan is the son of a big business magnate in Singapore but always hid his true identity. He chose to be a travel blogger, thus, right when he was in Curtin university in the travel department, he established a popular blog where he writes about different places to explore around the world. However, consequent to the fact that Bryan Tan is a travel blogger, he had the opportunity to travel to different places around the world, digging up the history of so many places and sightseeing sceneries in any historical city he visits.

Zeta and Bryan first met in the cafeteria where they came to eat. Bryan was the first to approach Zeta and introduce himself. He became enamored of Zeta right from that day, and as time passed by, he asked Zeta to be his lover. The two of them thus started dating each for over six years. It was at their graduation ceremony that Bryan Tan proposed to Zeta.

Being that Zeta loved Bryan so dearly, she acceded his proposal in hope's that she will tell her father when she returns back to Italy.

Zeta was utterly confused about what to do. Thus knowing that she can't revoke her engagement with Bryan Tan, Zeta mustered the courage to break the news. She slowly lifted her once tilted head, glanced at her father, and worded, "Dad, I'm already engaged to someone."

Shocked, Enzo stared wide eyes at Zeta. Rosa, who was about to slide a spoonful of food into her mouth, subconsciously dropped the spoon; this made a clattering noise that echoed in the dining room. Enzo tilted his head and glanced at Zeta with his dark eyes; he spoke with a frigid voice that could freeze anyone in the room, "engaged to who?"

Zeta's body was shaking; her heart thumped in fear. She angled her face towards her father and answered, "to Bryan Tan. He has been my boyfriend all this period I was in Singapore. He proposed to me at our graduation ceremony, and i..I accepted his proposal". Zeta stuttered.

Enzo's face turned pale; this was not the daughter he raised. Zeta would never keep such a thing discreet from him.

Never!

He angrily banged the table shaking all the plates and goblet on the table. Some goblets fell and splattered on the floor. The servants that were standing there shook in horror. They have never seen Enzo stepping on a rampage, and to think it was because of his beloved daughter.