The Wronged Bride

CHAPTER FOUR

"Who is he?" Chiara asked blankly while staring at the stranger.

"Are you kidding me?" Aleira suddenly squealed as she shot a look of disgusting at her. With sparkling eyes she ran towards the man.

"Hello, my name is Aleira, nice to meet you " she held out a hand for a handshake but was met with cold eyes. Smiling awkwardly, she took back her hand and stepped back.

Chiara was still watching the strange man, a frown on her face. Wondering who he was and why was he sitting so comfortably as if he owned the place.

"Wow! Its Lorenzo Deluca! He happens is the powerful and mysterious heir to the Deluca Suites empire." Aleira whispered to herself with a fierce glint in her eyes. "Tall and devilishly handsome, especially with those eyes. He is a dream. I want him." She declared to herself.

Finally, the young man in question uncrossed his legs and stood up. He was dressed impeccably in a jet black tailored suit. His sharp faces was framed by his full jet black hair that was styled to the side and his wer eyes seemed to be assessing and judging. His aura was both engraving and intimidating.

"I'm here for a reason." He began, his voice velvety yet deep and stirring. He brought something out if his pocket and dangled it in front of him for them to see.

Chiara immediately gasped and unconciously moved forward. Clutched in his hand was the very necklace she’d been searching for. The golden necklace chain gleaming under the chandelier’s light.  It was her necklace. 

"My necklace...how?" She whispered softly, thankfully they were all too focused on the necklace to notice her reaction.

Her face was pale as her words caught in her throat, her mouth felt dry and her palms suddenly sweaty. 

"Where did you get that necklace?" Ariana suddenly asked, her eyes sharply trained onto the necklace as if she was trying to discern something.

Lorenze's cold expression never wavered as he answered.

"A few weeks ago, in the hotel your family had a celebration, I spent the night with the owner of this necklace. I took it with me for identification." His eyes roamed the two women's faces. "Who?"

Aleira tried to keep her face from contorting but she couldn't stop herself getting pale. Her eyes quickly darted to Chiara who was staring at Lorenzo with a lost look. She bit her lips hard in anger. Her parents' faces wre not looking good either, discreetly they glanced at Chiara and back at the necklace. Alex nodded at his wife, his eyes calculating, as if confirming something.

"So she didn't spend the night with that guy? But how?" Aleira muttered under her breath. She paid him a large sum of money to do something so simple, how could have messed it up.

What should she do? There was no way she was Letting Chiara take this away from her.

Chiara meanwhile had been debating internally about what to do. She never knew the man she slept with was actually a huge influential figure. With a stressed look on her face, she opened her lips today speak but then...

“That… that’s mine.”  

Aleira suddenly stepped forward, her eyes glittering with calculated confidence as she declared, her voice smooth and commanding. “You must be looking for me.”  

"Really?" He asked with a tilt of his head, his eyes finally showing a glimmer of interest.

Aleira quickly caught onto his interest. Swift and cunning, she nodded frantically.  

“I was there that night,” she told Lorenzo smoothly, “I lost this during our time together.”  

Alex backed her shamelessly while rubbing his hands together. “Yes, that necklace is a family heirloom. So it is hers.”  

Chiara slowly shook her head, face as pale as a ghost. Her eyes were wide as if she had heard a taboo.

"No...its not true." She breathed out.

Lorenzo finally rested his gaze on her. His cold eyes dared her to speak more but she couldn't at the moment. She was trembling because at that very momment, Ariana, her mother had her hand at her back, squeezing her skin. It took all of her strength not to cry out in pain. Her father and Aleira both gave her nasty looks, hinting at her to shut up.

"You were saying?" He finally growled.

"N...nothing.", she shook her head, shoulders slumped and turned her face away. 

"How can you be this one? I was drunk that night so its hard to remember precisely the woman." He challenged.

“Lorenzo,” Aleira purred, “I was with you that night. This is mine.”  

A cold glint passed his eyes as he finally dragged his gaze away from Chiara but they would occasionally glance at her shortly.

Seeing him becoming distracted, Ariana put on a stiff smile on her face.

"Ha ha! Chiara is our youngest daughter and still naive. She doesn't need to be here while the elders are talking." Placing a soft hand on Chiara's back, she pushed her softly towards the stairs then leaned into her ears.

"One word and you are done. Do t try me." Her voice sounded soft and caring but was laced with venom.

Chiara flinched a little before nodding and climbing up the stairs.

Lorenzo finally could not see the young woman again, so he focused on the one in front of him.

"Since you are the one, I'm here to offer you a compensation.  But now that I've found you, how about a twenty million dollar compensation. That should be enough for you."

Alex's eyes glinted greedily and he made to accept but was stopped by his wife.

"Our daughter is too precious and is not just some commodity that you can pay for." She told him with eyes and chin raised.

"Then what do you want?" Lorenzo asked coldly.

Ariana and Aleira secretly shared a smile then she faced him again.

"The only way to compensate her is to protect her dignity and virtue. So...marry her."