Illegitimate Child Of The Alaister Family

Chapter 1

May's POV

I glared at the man pointing a gun at me. I stayed alert, quickly scanning my surroundings. There was no one else with him except for the two men behind me.

"Now, can I ask you to come with us?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

I clenched my fists.

Was he really going to shoot me?

Or was he just trying to scare me?

Could I take the risk?

"What if you put that down, man?"

My eyes widened, and I turned toward the voice. A smirk instantly formed on my lips when I saw Elmo aiming a .45 caliber gun at the man.

"Are you leaving, or do we have to take you down?"

Fillan appeared on the other side of the street, with my father, Gurong, standing behind him-along with his drinking buddies, all holding wooden sticks.

The man looked at me before signaling the guys behind me.

"Let's go."

The two men stepped beside him.

"This isn't over," he warned before they left.

My friends watched them disappear into the alley.

"May, who were they?"

"You're lucky we were here."

"You would've been done for if we hadn't shown up."

They approached me, but my gaze remained fixed on the alley.

I was sure they would come back.

"They were Sam's people, right?" Elmo asked.

"Yeah," I replied, finally looking at them. "Do they really think I have money? We're all starving every day!" I snapped.

"We told you to stay with Sam," Fillan scolded.

"There's nowhere to sleep there! I just want to rest!"

"Then sleep next to Sam!" Elmo teased with a laugh. "You two do it all the time anyway."

I smacked him on the head and grabbed him by the neck.

"You think that's funny?"

Elmo just laughed.

"Lock your door, May. We're leaving," my father, Gurong, said as he and his drinking buddies walked away.

"Okay, 'Tay. Bye!"

"Thanks!"

"Bye, 'Tay Gurong!"

The three of us exchanged looks once we were alone.

"I'm telling you, May, just stay with us. Let's live together," Fillan suggested with a grin.

"Screw you!" I shot back, flipping him off.

I walked past him and headed to my rented room.

"What? Sam's not around again? I can finally be your boyfriend!"

They followed me but stopped at the door.

I shut it, leaving a small gap so I could still peek through.

"May! Come on!" Fillan pleaded.

"You wanna end up like Sam, idiot?" I flashed him a sweet smile. "Besides, you're not even half as good-looking as Sam! You've got some nerve!"

"I'll get fairer skin! Please!"

"Whitening your skin won't make you handsome, Fil-not when you stink so bad!"

I slammed the door shut.

"Fine! Your loss!" he yelled from outside, making me roll my eyes.

"Fillan, come on! You know she's not into you!"

"What? Even you don't support me?"

"Forget it. You smell worse than she says you do."

"Elmo, I heard that!" I shouted.

"Let's go!" Elmo said nervously.

I listened as their footsteps faded away.

Finally alone, I sat on a plastic chair.

The exhaustion hit me all at once.

I sighed and started packing my things.

---

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..."

My friends and I made the sign of the cross as we watched Sam's casket being placed in its final resting place.

"Where's the food?" Fillan whispered.

Good thing we were far from Sam's family. No one could hear these two idiots.

"Food comes after the burial," I muttered.

"Ugh!"

They fell silent again.

It was Sam's funeral. His family, neighbors, and friends were all here-along with some uninvited guests.

"They're here again," Elmo murmured, eyeing Giovanni's men in the distance.

Dressed in black suits, they stood out.

"They've been watching for days," Fillan added.

For days now, they had been keeping an eye on me. They never approached-just watched.

"They have no plans of leaving," I muttered.

"So what now? You don't even have money to pay them," Fillan said, concerned.

"I'll just sell you on the black market," I teased with a smirk.

"You piece of shit! I knew it! You're still working there!"

We laughed at his reaction.

Silence returned as Sam was finally placed inside a compartment in the cemetery.

"Food!"

Fillan ran toward the refreshments.

Elmo and I exchanged glances before looking at the men in black.

"Do you have a plan? It's been days. You should have one by now," Elmo asked seriously, never taking his eyes off them.

"I do."

We locked eyes before turning to Fillan, who was approaching us with food-three juices and three sandwiches.

"Thanks!"

Elmo and I grinned, reaching out our hands.

"Huh? These are mine! Get your own!"

"Let's just text each other later," Elmo said, side-eyeing the men in black.

"I'll be fine," I reassured him with a smile.

People started leaving the cemetery, but we stayed behind.

"Alright, we're off. Come on, Fillan!" Elmo started walking away.

"Bye, May. My love offer still stands," Fillan said sweetly before following Elmo.

They rode off on Elmo's motorcycle.

I waved at them.

"Ms. Alaister? You have no escape."

"For the record, I made it this way," I replied, turning to face the man. "You wouldn't have gotten close if I hadn't stayed behind."

That was true. They hadn't been able to approach me before because of the two guards watching over me and my neighbors keeping an eye on things.

"I'll follow you. I have my own bike-"

"We'll drive the motorcycle. You'll ride in the car," he ordered.

I narrowed my eyes at him and pointed a finger. "I don't like this attitude," I muttered but still complied.

My luggage was on the bike, which was why I had planned to use it.

I got into their car, falling silent as we drove.

Hours passed, and night had fallen.

I frowned as we entered a massive gate leading to a mansion.

"Are you sure this is my destination? Because I'm pretty damn sure only Giovanni knows who I really am."

"Boss' orders are absolute," the man in the front seat said.

The car stopped in front of the mansion.

One of them opened the door for me.

I was stunned by the mansion's size-it made my simple white shirt and jeans feel out of place.

The men led me inside. I took in the luxurious furniture around me.

Is this really his house? Am I really here?

Because if I was...

I was as good as dead.

His wife despised me, and his children didn't even know I existed.

If Giovanni's wife found out I was here, all hell would break loose.

We entered a room. I walked straight in without hesitation, but I abruptly stopped when I saw a large dining table. Seated there were Giovanni, his wife Daisy, and their three children.

"She's here!" Giovanni beamed as he stood up, spreading his arms for a hug.

"Uh..."

"Come here, hija."

Slowly, I stepped forward and hugged him. I stole a glance at his children, who looked surprised.

"Nice to meet you again, hija," Daisy greeted warmly, stepping closer to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Come, eat," she invited.

They seated me beside Giovanni, and next to me was their eldest son, Felix, who was now smiling-

A smile that looked amused.

"Woah! She's actually here!" one of my sisters-seated next to Daisy-exclaimed with a laugh.

"Dad, you really have a child out of wedlock?!" the other daughter asked excitedly.

"Everyone, meet Maria Zia Salazar Alaister," Giovanni introduced.

"Nice to meet you!" Felix greeted.

The others chuckled.

"We can't believe it!"

I turned to look at Daisy, who was also smiling.

"Why am I here?" I asked Giovanni.

"I think it's time for them to know you," he said with a smile.

That's it?

I suddenly laughed-loud enough that the entire room fell silent.

"Sorry? Finally know me?" I asked Giovanni sarcastically. "Please, it's obvious you're all faking it!"

Everyone froze at my words. I looked at Daisy.

"That smile looks so forced, gurl." Then I turned to their two daughters. "Your acting is awful-you're not happy; you're laughing at me." Finally, I looked at Felix, raising an eyebrow. "And you? You look disgusted by me."

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms.

"So? Why am I here?" I asked Giovanni, who was now glaring at me.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2

May's POV

"You ungrateful brat!" I rolled my eyes at Daisy as her true colors finally showed.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. Did they really think they could deceive me with their fake kindness?

I had hoped for their acceptance, but I wasn't desperate enough to fall for their pretense. They were so plastic.

"So? What now?" I turned to Giovanni.

Giovanni shook his head and sighed, clearly trying to control his anger.

"I might actually believe you if you had a job for me," I added, grabbing a piece of pork chop with my hand and dipping it into the sauce.

"How disgusting," one of my sisters sneered in disgust.

"Don't you know how to use a fork?" another asked, laughing mockingly.

I couldn't care less about what they said.

I simply grinned at them mischievously and took a bite of my pork chop while maintaining eye contact.

"Ew..."

"I lost my appetite."

I chuckled. "Oh, please. You haven't even touched your food since I arrived."

Well, suit yourselves! I'm going to enjoy this pork chop.

Thanks for the meal!

"Ahem!"

We all turned our attention to Giovanni. He had regained his composure. I smiled at him.

I scooped some rice onto my plate. "So? What now?"

"Maria, you're already 25, right? I think it's time-"

I immediately cut him off. "Wrong. I'm 28. I was born before Felix, which means my mother came before Daisy."

"That wh*re of a mother you had," Daisy spat venomously.

I simply glared at her. "Yes. You never fail to remind me of that."

My mother raised me until I was fifteen. That's when she revealed that my father was a millionaire. She passed away soon after, and I searched for Giovanni, thinking he would be my family. But instead, he hid me from them, ashamed of my existence. When Daisy found out, it only pushed me further away from Giovanni.

"As I was saying, you're already 28, and I just can't let you continue living in that place," Giovanni continued.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Is this for real? Because it sounds awfully sarcastic.

"So, I suggested to Daisy that it's time for you to be acknowledged as an Alaister."

I glanced at Daisy to see if this was true, but she only shot me a murderous glare, as if she wanted to kill me.

I smirked at her teasingly. "Is that really the attitude of someone who agreed to this?" I asked sweetly.

"You b*tch!" she screamed, ready to lunge at me, but Giovanni held her back.

"Daisy, enough! We've already discussed this!" he yelled, making Daisy freeze.

Even I was taken aback-he had never raised his voice at Daisy because of me before.

He must be serious about this.

I straightened up and stopped eating.

"As I was saying, you will become an Alaister," he stated, turning to me.

I glanced at my siblings, trying to gauge their reactions. The girls avoided my gaze, but Felix remained silent, listening to Giovanni.

"What's the catch?" I asked, looking him in the eye.

There was no way they suddenly accepted me out of pity. Giovanni never did anything without expecting something in return. Even when he gave me an allowance during my school years, it always came with conditions.

He studied me carefully.

"You will marry one of my colleagues."

My eyes widened.

"Don't worry. He's your age, he's ready to settle down, and I already promised him my firstborn daughter. He's a decent man, so you don't have to worry."

I raised an eyebrow. He made it sound as if I was just adopting a goldfish.

Marriage?! How would I even know how to be a wife? I never even thought about getting married at my age!

"No way! Absolutely not!"

"What?!" Daisy snapped. "That's the only way we'll accept you, you witch!"

"Daisy!" Giovanni scolded before turning back to me. "Think about it. The man you're going to marry is the owner of Heresy Estate."

The housing company?

"He's a rich man. I don't think there will be an issue-"

"Isn't his business struggling?" I interrupted.

They fell silent. It was all over the news every year. The business was still running, but it had been losing money for a while. People weren't exactly lining up to buy houses from him.

"And even if he's wealthy, what about his personality?"

Giovanni let out a long sigh, as if exhausted by my questioning.

"He's a busy man."

I turned to Felix, noticing that Giovanni seemed to ignore my concerns.

"You'll probably see him only once a month," Felix added. "He's a mysterious guy. You don't have to interact with him much. The marriage is just for you to carry his name. You can still remarry if he allows it."

And that's supposed to convince me?! This sounds like a lifeless marriage!

I knew rich men in this country could have multiple wives, but still...

"I'll give you two million for your effort-"

I raised an eyebrow and turned to Giovanni.

"W-what? Did I hear that right?"

"He's giving you two million," Daisy smirked, looking as if she had just won the lottery.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Mood swings much? You were mad a minute ago, and now you're happy? Is this your menopausal stage?"

"What?!"

"Five," I countered, turning to Giovanni.

I wasn't stupid. My life was on the line here.

His eyes narrowed at my demand.

"Three," he said firmly.

"Four," I shot back, standing up with a smirk. "Enjoy your meal. I'll see you in your study later for my check."

Giovanni was now preparing the contract I needed to sign to make our agreement official.

"Call me Dad from now on, and refer to your Tita Daisy as Mom," he said.

I rolled my eyes. This was the first time I had ever heard him say that.

He never let me call him 'Dad' before.

I stood in front of his desk while he sat in his swivel chair.

"No one should know that you're my illegitimate child."

"That's true. In this world, having a child out of wedlock is considered a disgrace-not just for you, but for your entire family."

He handed me the contract and the check.

"I'll read this at home first. I might want to add or remove something."

"What? You already have the check. Just sign-"

A knock on the door interrupted him, making us turn our heads. Their butler, Dominic, stepped inside.

"Mr. Thorne wants to see you."

Dad immediately stood up and walked toward me. "Behave," he whispered before standing beside me. "Let him in," he said with his head held high.

"Mr. Asher Thorne!" the butler announced as he opened the massive double doors.

Two well-built men entered first, followed by a man dressed in a white long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and a long black coat. But it wasn't his outfit that caught my attention-it was his undeniable handsomeness and deep, captivating eyes.

My heart pounded, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. It was as if he was the only person in the room.

Damn... He's gorgeous.

I quickly snapped myself out of my daze to compose myself-he was now standing right in front of me.

How did he end up here?

"Asher! Perfect timing. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Maria Zia Alaister," Giovanni said with a smile.

I took a deep breath and extended my hand.

"Just call me May-May."

He frowned slightly as he looked at my hand, then let his gaze travel from my head to my feet.

I suddenly felt self-conscious about my plain white shirt and jeans.

"Sorry, I just came from a wake."

Instead of shaking my hand, he took it gently-only to lower his head and press a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"It's nice to see you before the wedding," he said politely as he straightened up.

My mouth fell open in shock at his words. His warm hand, still holding mine, sent a jolt of electricity through my entire body.

Fillan, Elmo-goodbye! I'm leaving! I'm going with this man!

Take me now, Asher!

May's POV

Carrying my grocery bags, I made my way through our noisy alley. It was already morning-I had spent the night at Giovanni's place.

They quickly sent me off, saying they had a private discussion, so I didn't stay long at the office. That gave me the chance to cash the check and handle the contract. Luckily, the check didn't bounce.

"Hey, May-May!" Fillan greeted me excitedly when he saw me. "What's that?" He peeked into the bags I was carrying.

"Blessings, what else?" I handed him some of the bags, which he eagerly took, checking the contents.

"Wow! So much food!"

"May! You're back already?" Elmo asked as he approached.

"Oh no, just my shadow. I'm pulling a Doble Kara stunt." I handed him another bag.

"This is heavy!"

"Fillan didn't complain, though."

I walked ahead, with both of them following behind me.

"Sister May-May!"

"Hey, it's May-May!"

"sister May-May!"

I smiled as I saw the children running toward me.

"Ate May-May, did you bring us something?"

"That's a lot!"

"Ate, can I have some money?"

I high-fived the kids who raised their hands and playfully tugged at the shirts of those trying to grab the bags from Elmo.

"Let's go to my place! Or I might circumcise you all right here!"

They laughed and ran toward my rented room. As we got closer, more children were already waiting outside.

"Wow, there are so many of you!" I squeezed myself through the crowd of kids, feeling overwhelmed by their sheer number.

"sister May-May, give us some money!"

"What am I, your mother?"

"sister May-May, they said you got booked!"

"Oh really? Ask your gossiping mother where she heard that!"

"sister, my dad said you were dead because you disappeared yesterday!"

"Hey! Leave my loves alone!" Fillan scolded them.

"Eww!"

"You're not even handsome!"

*"Sam!"

*"Sam!"

"Sam!"

They all started chanting Sam's name, making me shake my head. Sam was kinder-and, let's be honest, more handsome than Fillan. He was more well-known here as my boyfriend.

When we finally reached my room, I signaled Elmo to set the bags down beside me.

"Alright, line up, you little hungry monsters!"

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3

"You guys are so noisy!" But even though the noise annoyed me, I couldn't help but smile because I could see they were happy.

Despite the noise, they followed what I said. As usual, they lined up and let the younger kids go first.

I sat in front of the first child, took out a packed lunch and a donut.

"Oh, here. A donut." I handed it over.

"Just a donut?"

"You should be grateful!" Fillan scolded the kid.

I handed over the packed lunch and continued distributing the food.

"Wait, you're done already, aren't you?" I asked one of them, whom I had already seen earlier.

"Ahh, hehe. I thought I could sneak another one."

"Get out of here!" Fillan scolded again.

I gave out all 200 packed lunches and even added more since some of the adults had also started eating.

"Thank you, May!" Tatay Gurong said with a smile.

"I told you, you're working in prostitution now, aren't you?!" Aling Lagring blurted out while eating the food I bought.

"Oh? Maybe she got herself an 'afam' (foreign boyfriend)?" Jessa, one of the local sex workers, raised an eyebrow.

"What am I, you? I'm not a hunter for 'afams,' okay?"

She just rolled her eyes and continued eating the food I gave her.

It felt like a fiesta in our neighborhood because I had bought out the local eatery's supplies just to have more to give away.

"I really don't know what would happen to us without you, May! A lot of kids would probably be dead from hunger by now!" said our community leader, Mang Capo.

"That's true!" I agreed. "Even some of the adults would probably be dead-not from hunger, but from laziness! All they do is gossip instead of finding jobs!" I shot a look at the gossiping women, who only smirked at me while eating.

They knew I was talking about them-I always did.

"You're absolutely right, May!"

I turned to see a group of men drinking nearby.

"You guys too! I have no idea where you got the money for alcohol when none of you even have jobs!"

They just laughed and pointed at the sari-sari store. "We put it on credit-under your name. After all, you're rich now."

Frustrated, I messed up my own hair and stomped off to the store to pay for their drinks.

"Just add five more cases of beer and five cases of soft drinks."

"Whoa!"

"May-may, you're something else!"

"Is it your birthday?"

I took out my wallet and grabbed a few bills to pay for everything.

"You have a lot of money now, huh?" Elmo asked, noticing the cash. "What happened?"

He leaned on the store's wooden post, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it here.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a group of students passing by-Kulot and his friends, looking curious about the commotion. The street was packed with people, and a karaoke machine was already blasting in the middle of the alley.

"Kulot!" I called out to the student. I gestured for them to come over.

"What's up, ate?" They approached.

"What's going on here?"

"Are you drunk, te?"

"I'm not drunk!" I opened my wallet. "I didn't even know you guys were still studying."

"Ate, we might be tough at night, but we're students in the morning!" Kulot joked, and they all laughed, giving each other high-fives.

I pulled out a few bills and handed them over.

"Holy-"

"Sister?"

"What's this for?"

"For food. Want me to shove it in your mouths?" I teased, moving the money closer to their faces.

"Ate, we'll take it!" Kulot quickly snatched the cash and stepped back.

"Share it among yourselves!"

"Yes, ate!"

"Use it for school, you troublemakers!"

They cheered excitedly and decided to stay, joining in on the free food.

The night went on, filled with drinking, singing, and dancing like it was an actual fiesta. No one complained about the noise because everyone was having fun. I even ordered more food for dinner, and that's when the speculation about my sudden wealth began.

"I bet a millionaire took her in," Mang Jun guessed.

I raised an eyebrow and nodded as if saying, "Maybe."

"How would that even work? She's not even that pretty!"

"Shut up, Jess! She's way prettier than you, even if you got plastic surgery!"

"My turn!" Kulot raised his hand, already tipsy. "I think she found a stash of money!"

"Nope."

"Eh, nah..."

"Impossible!"

Everyone shook their heads at Kulot's wild guess.

"I think she slept with a bunch of men last night," Jessa smirked.

I rolled my eyes.

"Wow! So, if you sleep with multiple men in one night, you can feed an entire barangay?"

The whole group laughed at Tatay Gurong's sharp clapback at Jessa. She just rolled her eyes and took another sip of beer.

"Maybe she saved someone's life?"

"Oh! Or won the lottery? Are you into that, May?"

"Or maybe she got into some black market dealings?"

The smile on my face vanished at that last one.

I glanced at Fillan, who was beside me, already dozing off from too much alcohol. No one else seemed to have heard that comment, as they continued guessing.

"Is that true?" Elmo whispered, sitting on my other side. He and Fillan had me between them.

I shook my head and turned to face everyone.

"You're all wrong! My millionaire father finally took me in. Turns out, my real dad is rich, and he's taking me away from here." I grinned.

Silence.

Then, they all burst into laughter.

I laughed along and shook my head.

No one would ever believe that. We've all dreamed of being taken in by our long-lost rich families to escape this poverty.

I stood up and patted Fillan's back.

"I'm heading home. Fillan, let's go."

Fillan stirred awake and got up, and Elmo followed.

"You three are really leaving?" Kulot asked.

"They're gonna have a threesome," Jessa joked lewdly.

"Yeah, wanna join?" I smirked and walked away.

The two followed me until we reached my room.

"So?" They both sat on the plastic stools.

I grabbed the contract from my bag and placed it on the table in front of Elmo.

"They want me to marry Asher Thorne. In exchange, they gave me four million."

Elmo scanned the contract. "And you think they're not fooling you?"

I smirked. "What do you take me for? An idiot? I know they're hiding something-and I'm going to find out what it is."

CHAPTER 4: THE DATE

May's POV

"So? What's your plan now?" Fillan asked, holding his head as he nursed a hangover. "Are you really going to get married?"

He sat on the plastic stool in my room, and Elmo sat beside him. I had already told them about my plan last night, but Fillan was drunk, so he probably forgot everything I said.

"Maybe you should think it over first," Elmo said with concern. "We all know Giovanni has a plan, and I don't think it's a good one."

"It never is," I replied. Not once did it cross my mind that Giovanni had good intentions.

I grabbed the deck of cards from my cabinet and placed them on the table in front of them. As usual, they knew the drill. Fillan immediately picked up the deck and took out the cards. I grabbed a plastic stool and sat down. The three of us surrounded my small, round plastic table.

"Marriage? Sounds so easy, huh?" Fillan said sarcastically as he dealt the cards.

"It's easy for someone who doesn't believe in marriage," I smirked and picked up my first card.

This was our usual thing-it made our conversations more entertaining.

"But it's still a commitment, May," Elmo reminded me, his eyes fixed on his cards while occasionally glancing at the one I had discarded.

"What if it turns out terrible?"

I froze at Fillan's words, then suddenly shrieked as I remembered something. They both looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh my gosh! I totally forgot!" I squealed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear in an attempt to look cute.

Dalagang Pilipina, ey!

"I saw him!" I stuck my tongue out playfully and grabbed Elmo's arm with my free hand in excitement. "He's so handsome! Even more handsome than Sam! He kissed my hand, and I haven't washed it since!"

"Eww!"

The two of them recoiled in disgust, dragging their chairs farther away.

"So that's why you haven't taken a shower?" Elmo asked, grimacing.

"No wonder it smells bad," Fillan added, dramatically fanning the air in front of him.

"You guys are the worst!" Even from a distance, I stood up and smacked their arms.

"Ouch!"

"Stop it!"

After giving them both a few good slaps, I sat back down and fixed my hair.

"Anyway, he's hot. Mysterious. You guys know that's my type, right? He's got those dreamy, sleepy eyes, like he's just chill about everything. He doesn't smile, but he's insanely handsome! And filthy rich!"

I grinned and started hitting them again out of sheer excitement.

"Rich?" Fillan's grin widened. "Jackpot!" He held up his hand for a high-five.

"Right?!"

"What's his name?" Elmo asked.

"The one and only Asher Thorne, owner of Heresy Estate!"

I squealed again.

Just thinking about it, I could already picture my life in a grand mansion-with air conditioning and housemaids!

"Huh? But hasn't his real estate business been failing for years?"

I rolled my eyes at Fillan's question. He was all excited a moment ago, and now he was giving me that skeptical look.

"Why is your dad marrying you off to him?" Fillan asked.

"Well, he finally wants to accept me into his family-wait, is this mine?" I asked Elmo when I noticed a card in front of me.

"Yeah."

I took it, saw it was useless, and discarded it.

"And you believe that?" Fillan asked, echoing Elmo's question from last night. They both knew Giovanni's true nature. He had never done anything good for me.

"No."

"Then why are you agreeing to it?"

I picked up a card and answered without looking at him. "Because Asher is hot."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elmo pause at my ridiculous reason.

"If you want a hot guy, I'm right here. You should just marry-"

"Do you have four million?"

"Huh?"

I put my cards down and looked at him seriously.

"Giovanni paid me four million to marry this guy."

His eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"I don't know. We're supposed to talk about it-"

My phone rang. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the name on the screen. It was Dominic, Giovanni's butler.

I answered and put the call on speaker, placing the phone on the table so my friends could hear.

To Be Continued...