4. MAYBE I AM

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"Who the hell is he?" Aria turned around to glare at her daughter as soon as Natalia closed the door behind her.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "That's your future son-in-law, remember?"

"In those clothes?" Aria snarled, looking like she'd just chewed on a mouthful of sour grapes.

Natalia shrugged, loving the distress the situation was causing her mother. "I don't know, Mom. I only followed your orders. I have no idea what is going on here either."

Aria took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Fine. But you better get back in there and charm him like your life depends on it."

"I thought you were here to charm him." Natalia rolled her eyes, gesturing to the ridiculous outfit her mother had on, an outfit that made her reluctant to call her mother.

"I've got a meeting with the mayor," Aria replied, her voice as cold as the champagne Natalia had been sipping on. "But I expect you to do your part."

Natalia's eyes bulged out of her eyes. "You are going to meet the freaking mayor dressed like that?"

"Like what?" Aria's question was a challenge. She knew full well what Natalia was referring to.

"LIKE A FUCKING STRIPPER, MOM!"

Natalia's voice echoed through the corridor of the luxurious hotel. Aria's jaw dropped, and she slapped Natalia across the face so hard it left a red hand print. "You will watch your mouth in public, young lady!"

Natalia palmed the stinging skin. "And you should start acting your age. You should have some kind of self-respect. What the hell are you even doing? Mother, you really need to understand that nobody wants a wannabe like you around-"

Aria flung her hand again, but this time Natalia caught her wrist.

"If you hit me again, I'll hit back," Natalia hissed, "You may be my mother, but you have no right to treat me like your personal pawn."

Aria's eyes narrowed, a hint of fear flashing through them. "You dare to talk to me like that? After all I've done for you?"

"Whatever you have done for me, make a list. I am pretty sure you will have one made already. I will start paying them back as soon as I can," Natalia gritted out.

Her mother's hand remained frozen in midair. It was rare for Natalia to talk back to her. "Natalia-"

"This is Robert's, Mom. And Robert's belongs to me, so if you make a scene here or even dare to come in dressed like that ever again, you will be removed." Natalia's voice was a warning.

Aria's eyes narrowed, and she took a step back, her hand dropping. "Fine, Natalia. You handle this. But remember, you cannot mess this up. If you do, then you will find out what Aria Wellington can actually do. And that is a fucking threat."

With those words. Aria turned on her heels and strutted away, an air of superiority emanating from her that told Natalia that while she was shaken by the altercation between them, her mother was hardly fazed by it.

Natalia took a deep breath and steadied herself before going back into the private room, her head held high.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," she began, looking at the man sitting across from her, the one her mother was so eager for her to marry.

Alessio's eyes caught the bruising on her cheek, but he chose to keep quiet. "That's alright. So your mother was not the least interested in meeting me?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

Natalia shrugged and reoccupied her seat. "She has a meeting with the mayor, she says."

Alessio grimaced, "In that outfit?"

Natalia chuckled, not at all offended by the jab as he had thought she would be. "Go figure."

Alessio nodded.

The attendant walked back in, pushing a trolley. He set down the dishes, refilled the glasses and left without a word, and the two of them kept completely quiet throughout that time.

"So, I am a twenty-five-year-old entrepreneur actively managing Robertson Inc. and passively helping out at Wellington Enterprises. I have no hobbies or likes or dislikes." Natalia started to talk. "I have a pet snake."

"A pet snake?" Alessio was again surprised by this woman.

"Yes, Talia. She is a corn snake. Tiny little thing but a menace nevertheless." Natalia held up her finger where the imprints of tiny fangs were evident. "And there's nothing much else to talk about me, so please, go ahead and introduce yourself."

"I am Alessio Luca Gretto." Natalia's eyes widened when she heard his accent for the first time. And Andria was right! His accent melted onto her very skin like warm honey. "I am thirty. I am a geek, you could say. I just got my latest masters. I have four masters in different areas of automobile engineering."

Alessio saw a flicker of interest in her eyes for the first time. And he really wanted to know what part of his little introduction had captivated her, because he would have to grab onto it and climb up the ladder.

Or was it the accent? The American she-population was absolutely defenseless against his deep voice talking in his sexy accent.

"Automobiles?" Natalia finally snapped out of a daze and raised a brow. "Of course, the Grettos mostly own automobiles in the US. Is that why you studied automobile engineering?"

"Well, it's because I love automobiles so much that we have an empire here in the US," Alessio replied, cocky as he dug his fork into the squid.

Natalia smirked. She liked a man who was not bashful and yet not arrogant. She did not know him enough yet, but she could evaluate from the little time that they spent, and she was becoming more and more interested in him the more he talked.

"So what kind of cars do you prefer?" Natalia leaned back in her chair, sipping from her champagne.

Alessio's eyes twinkled. "Ah, now you're speaking my language. I'm a Ferrari man, myself."

"Not one of your own?" Natalia raised a brow.

Alessio burst out laughing. "Something that doesn't sit well with my father."

Natalia smirked. "Your father sounds like a man of taste."

"Are you saying Gretto is better than Ferrari, cara?"

The way he called her 'cara' made her skin tingle in a way that was wholly unexpected.

"Maybe I am." She shrugged, not letting her reaction show.

"Maybe I should take you on a ride on both so that you can compare." He sipped on his liquor, his eyes on her.

"Are you asking me out on a second date?"

"Maybe I am."

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