Chapter 8
Alessio Giordano
"Ivy's here," Dante informed me when I got close to the hall.
"She's not supposed to be back now," I muttered and pushed my way through the door.
I saw her seated on one of the chairs by the long meeting table. Legs folded, picking her fingers.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice laced with its usual coldness.
She looked up and held back a smile.
"Is that a way to welcome your fiance? We haven't seen for three months now and you don't look like you missed me." She complained.
I had no time for women's problems, I had better things to do with my time.
"I told you I have been busy," I replied, already sick of the discussion.
"You've been too busy to pick up my calls or reply to my texts? You're too busy to even look at me properly! How busy can you get? Are you also too busy to even smile back right now?" Her face contoured with a frown.
"I spoke with your dad. He said you were coming next week." I replied, ignoring the list of things she pointed out.
"Yes, I figured I could come earlier." She forced a smile and walked towards the door.
I placed a hand forward, blocking her from moving further.
"Where are you going?"
"Your room of course? We should spend more time together and I need to drop my bags." She responded.
That girl was in my room, I couldn't let Ivy go into my room now. It would be a whole misunderstanding.
"You can't go in there now," I replied and she furrowed her brows.
"Why?"
"Because I am busy. I'm working in there now." I retorted.
Holding a conversation with Ivy was always draining and I wished to end the relationship but I couldn't, not after all her father had done for me.
His only wish was that I get married to his daughter who schooled abroad most of her life. I'd prefer to treat her like a sister but she didn't want to hear of it.
She called herself my fiance even when I hadn't thought of proposing and wore a ring about, showing everyone who cared to see that I gave her the ring.
It was easier to ignore her than call her out so I let her do what she pleased.
"Fine. I'm going to let you work alone if you agree to have a meal with me now." She demanded. I held back a groan.
"I already ordered. Make sure you wash your hands before joining me." She gestured to my blood-stained hand with a nonchalant expression.
Her father was an Elder Alpha, -- there were three-- he had championed a lot of killings so it was safe to say that seeing people being murdered in cold blood was no biggie to Ivy.
I walked to the faucet by the corner of the large hall and Dante approached me.
"What will happen to the girl in your room?" He whispered so that only both of us would hear.
I shrugged.
"I'm not done with her yet." He looked shocked that I wasn't going to move her from my room even with the appearance of my fiance. But he didn't press further.
"The men are still investigating Dmitri following what the other man said. They will send us whatever they get soon." Dante informed and I nodded.
The man I ended didn't seem too sure about the gender of the spy and Dante had guys look into it. Although, I believed the lady in my room was working for him. She had to be.
He was in the party and she was there as well. Come to think of it, why would she be there when she wasn't anyone of high value in the city?
"Come on, come and sit. We have roasted chicken..." Ivy beckoned to the empty seat beside her.
I slumped into the chair, absent-mindedly.
"By the way, my dad wants to see you," Ivy said with a mouthful.
I shifted my gaze from the food on the table to her unfazed face.
"What did you say to him this time?" I stifled a growl.
"Nothing much, just that I think it's high time we tie the knot. We've been engaged for too long already." She continued, in the most nonchalant way.
"I didn't put no ring on you..."
"Doesn't matter. I'm wearing a ring and that's all that matters. Besides, the second Don is looking forward to it. He wants to see you married. You should do it for him at least, you know what you stand to gain if we get married. I'm helping you. You should be grateful..." she ran her mouth.
I gritted my teeth, holding back from making her toothless.
"I don't want to be the new High fang!" I snapped.
She paused, not expecting my reaction.
There used to be four High fangs and the last High fang was lost during a fallout. He was my father. The other High fangs came at his empire and the only person who helped was Ivy's father.
In return, I ended up dating his daughter. And now the two other High fangs want me married so that the position will be irrefutable. Anyone who marries an Elder wolf's daughter will automatically be one.
"You can't run away from your destiny." She replied bluntly and continued stuffing food in her mouth.
I gritted my teeth even more and curled my fingers into a tight fist until my knuckles became white.
Dante stepped behind me and whispered. "I just heard from the guys. Something's not right."
I shot to my feet that instant and excused myself from the table. This time she didn't try to stop me.
"Talk." I ordered once I was outside the hall.
"There was a mix-up. The female you have in there is not working for Dmitri. The real spy showed up minutes later but he saw that the location had been compromised so he hid. We got the wrong person in there." Dante informed and I arched a brow.
"Are you certain about this information?" I asked and he nodded.
"Positive."
A sigh that I didn't know I was holding back all the while left my lips. Maybe it was... relief? Why would I be relieved that I wouldn't have to kill the clumsy female?
"Then who is she? Why was she in the warehouse instead?" I thought aloud.
"I think she was being chased. Some of the guards who went with you said they saw some men chasing her but they backed down when they saw her being dragged by them." I turned to Dante with visible surprise.
"Why didn't anyone say anything?"
"She was presumed to be a spy. She must've run into the warehouse as expected because she was running from Dmitri's enemy. They were not too sure until now." Dante replied.
The scene from last night replayed in my head and I remembered her crying helplessly after finding out her lover had been with another woman.
Perhaps, he was trying to end her once and for all?
I went back to my room and she was still in the exact spot I left her, crumpled to the ground.
"Who are you?"
"Why were you at the party last night and why were you at the warehouse today?" I asked, unable to hold back the many questions that churned within me.
She sat up, her expression loosened maybe it was from the fact that I mentioned the party but I wasn't going to let her fool me twice.
"My name is Gianna Marino, Daughter of the late Alpha of Silverton pack. I was chased by my stepmother's men and hid in the warehouse and I want revenge." Her voice was sharp, firm and every word was enunciated and her expression was vengeful.