Chapter 106: Hosting a Birthday Party
Emanuele sat in the car, and at that moment, Phillip handed him all the information he had gathered.
“From what those servants said, Frederick has two sons. One of them died ten years ago, and the other, Luca, has been groomed as the heir. He also has a nephew, William, with whom he has a close relationship. And by the way, Frederick has a granddaughter currently studying in Europe.”
Emanuele listened to Phillip’s report with a serious expression. Even though Frederick had escaped, they had not come away empty-handed. They had gathered valuable clues, understanding the extent of his network of relationships. Dealing with him would be much easier with this information.
Frederick always enjoyed going after those close to him. Perhaps it was time to make Frederick taste the bitterness of loss.
“Continue the investigation. Find out where his relatives are hiding.”From NôvelDrama.Org.
“Yes.”
Just then, Emanuele’s phone chimed, and he received a message from Frederick.
“So, you couldn’t find me. Are you disappointed?”
It was a blatant provocation, and Emanuele felt his anger simmer. He had to restrain himself from smashing the phone in frustration. Frederick was daring to challenge him openly.
It implied that Frederick had not suffered the significant losses Emanuele had hoped for. Otherwise, he would be nothing but a fugitive, scurrying away like a rat. Why would he come looking for Emanuele?
Realizing this, Emanuele couldn’t help but feel irritated. But he wouldn’t reveal his emotions in front of Frederick.
“I’m not that disappointed. Now that I know about your son, your nephew, and your granddaughter, Frederick, I’ve got my eye on them. Tell them to be careful.”
On this battlefield, even words had to be a strategic move, and they wouldn’t let themselves appear weak.
After Emanuele sent this message, Frederick did not respond, confirming Emanuele’s victory in this exchange.
Frederick must be feeling quite frantic now. The mouse that had managed to escape this time would not be so lucky next time. But Emanuele also knew that, with the weapons he had cleared from Frederick’s hideout, the losses in personnel, it would likely be a while before Frederick stirred up trouble again.
It was time to return life to normal and host a party to celebrate, showing Frederick just how strong he had become.
But for some reason, Emanuele’s mind was suddenly filled with Isabella’s sad expression when she looked at him earlier today. He didn’t want her to be upset, but at this point, they couldn’t afford to let emotions cloud their judgment.
He had done similar things before, targeting the wives of mafia bosses, including his mother…
To ensure Isabella’s safety, she needed to understand that their marriage was just a game, without deep emotions.
Isabella had been distracted all day, even while watching TV shows. Grazia tried to discuss the show’s content with her, but Isabella seemed lost, as if she didn’t know what was happening in the story.
Grazia was somewhat exasperated and gently stroked Isabella’s hair. “Isabella, what’s on your mind? Is it because Emanuele isn’t happy?”
“No, why would I be unhappy because of him?” Isabella shook her head, trying to shake Emanuele’s presence from her thoughts.
She didn’t want to think about Emanuele anymore. He treated their marriage as a game, so why was she even concerned about him? She was crazy.
These days, Emanuele had been less busy after hitting one of Frederick’s hideouts, and at least it had brought some temporary peace to the Sicilian people.
Emanuele had also called Leo and Sophia back from abroad. For now, Chicago was still safe, but if the situation got worse, they could send them overseas again.
In the evening, after Emanuele returned home, he embraced Isabella. “My birthday is in five days. Isabella, I’d like to have a birthday party.”
“Your birthday?” Isabella looked surprised.
“Yes, what are you going to give me as a gift?” Emanuele asked.
“I don’t have anything to give you,” Isabella responded coldly. She was angry at Emanuele for toying with her emotions.
Seeing the sulking expression on her face, Emanuele sighed and kissed her soft lips. “You really don’t want to think about it? Well, I think you could get me a tie or a pair of shoes. I like both.”
“Swipe your card and get yourself a gift. As long as you accept it, it’s fine,” Isabella retorted.
“It’s okay. I’ll like anything you give me,” Emanuele laughed. “But during the party, you’ll have to help me receive the guests. Many people will be coming, and it will be quite lively.”
Isabella furrowed her brows. “Aren’t you worried about any unexpected incidents, since your enemies haven’t been caught yet?”
“He’s already taken a heavy blow and needs time to recover. It won’t be that easy for him to cause trouble again,” Emanuele replied confidently. He didn’t believe Frederick could adjust so quickly. They had destroyed his hideouts and lost many soldiers. Besides, he’d have plenty of security at the party, and not even a fly could sneak in. He would even allow Frederick to watch from the sidelines to see how joyous and grand their celebration was.
Isabella huffed, not in the mood to argue with Emanuele. He always did as he pleased, and there was no point in resisting.
At this moment, Emanuele held her tightly in his arms. Isabella felt his warmth and his dominant aura. It was as if she was his own doll, held closely.
At this moment, he seemed to like her, but every time she showed affection, he quickly reminded her that their relationship was just a game. So even though he held her in such a dominating way, making her feel like he wanted to possess her, Isabella had no other thoughts.
She dared not think, dared not fall for Emanuele again. Her unyielding nature told her she couldn’t like Emanuele. If she did, she would become the loser, trampled beneath Emanuele’s feet.
Just then, she heard Emanuele continue, “By the way, Isabella, our wedding was quite rushed. We didn’t invite many people, especially from my side of the family and your relatives. Many didn’t attend. During my birthday party, I will invite them all.”
Hearing Emanuele’s words, Isabella felt her heart constricting again. Inviting them, did that mean Chloe would be coming too? Last time, Chloe hadn’t attended, which had been a relief. Otherwise, she might have collapsed on the spot. And now, if Chloe came to the party, Isabella wasn’t sure if she could handle the emotional turmoil.
She probably wouldn’t, Isabella comforted herself. Even though Emanuele didn’t like her, he was married to her now, and she was the queen of the mafia. She could call the shots. With her current status, she had no reason to fear Chloe.