Neither of the two broke eye contact.
Viviana's eyes narrowed slowly, studying her calculatively, "What do you think?"
"Don't you know me so well?" she added, pointing out.
"Viviana!—"
"I will not waste another second here. And I don't need your permission." She walked off, stalking away with her grip on her handbag growing tighter. She already knew what was going to happen with Fernando when he left the hall. But seeing it? The way he had his hands all over that woman like an insatiable man who couldn't have a sense of control over himself.
Disgusting!
Savannah on the other hand shut her eyes for a second, dragging a deep breath. She turned over to her husband. "Honey, could you talk to the tech team while I handle the guests?"
Amadeo Di-grassi regarded her with a stoic look. "Of course. But, I would like to speak to Viviana myself."
"No. I'll handle her. Don't worry yourself."
"She's my daughter, Savannah. Know your place and leave her matters to me." Amadeo's eyes crinkled with no spot of amusement as he stormed off. "I'd like to have a little talk with Fernando Stolov in the meantime."
Anyone who knew him well enough could tell that behind that blank expression he held, he was fuming on the inside.
He took to the second floor, speaking to one of the managers of the hotel, before he then made a beeline for the room Fernando occupied. He knocked.
No response.
The black of his eyes grew soulless, and he grabbed at the knob, shoving the door open.
They hadn't even bothered to lock it.
"Mr. Di-grassi!"
Fernando was still all over the woman, and she, being the first to sight him, gasped with a scream, immediately proceeding to fix down her dress.
"Get out," Amadeo deadpanned.
She didn't hesitate, bursting out of the room in a hurry. The door was slammed shut, heavily so, the wall almost rattled.
Fernando flinched and took a step back while watching the older, taller man, with shoulders rising and falling in heavy breathing.
Amadeo smiled—a smile that didn't reach his eyes, while slowly approaching him.
"Fernando."
Fernando gulped thickly. "M…Mr. Di-grassi…?"
"Do you know what you've done? What gave you the audacity to disgrace my family like this? How dare you?" His voice vibrated.
Fernando felt shivers of fright rise up his spine. He stared at the man, his fingers quite literally trembling by his sides. "Mr. Di-grassi."
"Boy." Amadeo shot his hand out suddenly and snatched him by the collar of his shirt. He yanked him closer, grip growing tighter. "We're going to pretend this was a drunk mistake, do you understand me?"
When Fernando didn't answer him, he shoved him roughly to the floor and tipped his head to gaze at him with a degrading look. "I asked if you understood me."
Fernando rapidly nodded.
"Yes, sir!"
"Good." Amadeo grinned. "This one time and only this one time, I'll pretend that I saw nothing. Do everyone a favor and control that thing in your pants because there won't be a next time. After all, you might not make it out in one piece if you pull this stunt again. I'm sure you're aware of the kind of man I am, aren't you?"
"I do. I-I do!" Fernando's Adam's apple bopped as he gulped loudly.
"Good. Good. I love this mutual understanding we're coming to." The older man leaned down till he could pat his shoulder. "Now, shall we head downstairs and apologize to the guests? Tell them how you were drunk and assumed that woman was my daughter? It doesn't make this act any less abhorrent, but it saves face, don't you think?"
Fernando nodded. "It does! It does, sir."
"Let's go."
Amadeo turned, making his way out of the room. Fernando didn't hesitate, crawling to his feet and rushing after him.
While Viviana Di-grassi was considered a cold woman, this man, Mr. Di-grassi, was a different level of frightening.
——
By the time Viviana had fully settled into her apartment, she was startled by the sudden banging on the door of her home. Frowning, she went over and pulled the door open slightly, only for it to be Fernando.
The man burst in with all force, barging inside.
She faced him with a scowl wrinkling her forehead. "What are you doing here?"
"It was you, wasn't it?" Fernando pointed out.
"Meaning?"
"It was you who did it, right? You think I wouldn't find out?"
Viviana took a measured breath. "Get out of my apartment, Fernando?"
"You damn woman!" he spat. "Are you happy now? You could've just kept your mouth shut. This is a contractual engagement, I'm not committed to you, and whoever I mess around with has nothing to do with you."
"Jeez, for goodness sake." He palmed his forehead, pacing back and forth. "I don't understand what is so hard for you to comprehend. Did you really think I'd stay faithful to you? A stuck-up, unfeeling b*tch like you?"
There was no dent of expression on Viviana's face. Even her eyes appeared blank, devoid of a single emotion.
"Are you done?" she asked. "If you are, leave my apartment, Fernando."
Fernando chuckled, rubbing his clenched jaw.
He stormed toward her in a large stride, stepping so close into her personal space. Viviana, however, leveled his gaze, unmoving.
"What are you trying to do?"
Her calculated stare made him uneasy and he hated it.
"You know something?" He snatched her jaw roughly, trapping her between him and the wall. "It's very funny what you've done. Exposing me? Baby, you're the one who's going to be embarrassed. You're the one who will be all over the news tomorrow, humiliated. Who cares if I mess around? Want to know the best part? I'm never going to stop. I'm not afraid of your father or your mother, because if anything, they're going to keep covering up for me. Why?"
His lips stretched into a smirk, and both ears perked. "Because they don't want scandals. You're playing a losing game, Viviana, and every time you fight back, it'll bite you. Not me. This marriage, regardless of me cheating, will happen. So maybe, spare yourself some hurt. Alright?"
He shoved her jaw roughly, stepped past her, and left the apartment, the door slammed shut.
Viviana's pupils shrunk with the anger slowly boiling inside of her. Her hands clenched into such tight fists, her knuckles turned paper white. The rage she felt threatened to have her screaming her lungs out.
But she had something to keep her sane.
Lowering her gaze down to her phone, a low, amused chuckle bubbled out of her.
Before she'd opened the door for Fernando. She'd put her phone on recording. The entire conversation had been taped.
"Well, Fernando…" She exhaled. "Let's play."