chapter two

As usual,  Tobia started her day by drinking a cup of coffee without sugar, a slice of toast with butter and raspberry jam which reminded her of her Aunt Elena, who insisted on making the jam herself and storing it. So it became a habit for Tobia and Vera to eat jam every morning. She missed them especially Vera, her sister who did not know  Until now that she was protecting her from falling into a marriage that would destroy her future;  What Tobia had learned about Stefan made her make an agreement with him that they would be engaged for a few months and then she would break off the engagement to keep what she had learned and that had already been done.  It was not the truth, and when her sister confronted her with her suspicions, she decided not to tell her the truth of the matter and was satisfied with accepting her father's punishment, which gave her the opportunity to live a life  away from the life of the mafia and its dangers;  Here she has completed her eighteenth year and joined the university and is working in a secure job until the end of her studies and will leave America entirely and travel to live in one of the European countries away from her old life

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Annie got up too and sat down to breakfast with Tobia and started reading the newspaper as usual

Tobia: I don't know why you love reading the newspapers, it's boring

Annie: I know, but I like to read the news of the Velvet World, my dear

Tobia laughed at Annie's saying: Why do you need to read their news?

Annie: I look forward to being one of his people someday

Tobia warns her: Be careful, my dear, of what you wish for

Annie: I dream of being one of them by doing repentance not by hunting someone, you know how I think

Tobia: Yes dear, but this world is not what it seems

Annie felt the sadness of her friend, she knows what she went through

I know, my dear, and said, joking with her: Now let's see what's new

Tobia finished her coffee while looking at the street through the glass kitchen window

Annie towering: what?

Tobia was startled by Annie: What happened?!

Annie gives her the newspaper: Read for yourself

  Tobia took the newspaper from her, and as soon as she read the published news, which say (the expected ceremony of the wedding of businessman Frank Giovanni and the daughter of businessman Mark Udine next week in a hotel....) 

Annie: Didn't she call you?!

Tobia, with a faint smile that did not reach her eyes: No, she did not

Annie hugged her: I'm really sorry, Tobia

Tobia's  eyes filled with tears, which steadily and streamed from her eyeballs

Tobia: I didn't think they were that cruel. Annie. How many dreams did Vera and I dream about that day and plan to support each other, but here she is getting married without even letting me know.

Annie: Don't be sad dear,  may be she was busy

Tobia:  busy!

Annie knew that any argument she would present would be flimsy, so what prevents a sister from informing her sister about her wedding date

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Everyone is preparing to travel to New York, where the wedding will take place, so they must be present long enough before the ceremony to prepare for the ceremony and receive the invitees;  Frank vacated one of his hotels to accommodate his guests and his bride's guests for a week

Elena: Is everything ready, Vera?!

Vera: Yes, my aunt, and the bags in the cars. It was only left for my father to come

Elena: Ok baby, but where's Laura?

Laura advanced towards her: Here I am, Ally

She frowned at them when she heard Laura call her "Ally", that pampering was about Tobia, who was the one who always called her that.

Elena: My name is Elena Laura, and you better call me Aunt

Laura sarcastically: Why ?!  Or is this name monopolized by her, and then you are still young, so you are only five years older than me?

Elena was always close to her nieces, as she was a few years older than them, but the closest of them was Tobia, the youngest and most intelligent of them, who was hated by her cousin Laura.  Tobia was special by her spacious olive color and the pure white skin are an example of the charming Italian beauty that made everyone fall in love with her at first sight, and the beauty of her light spirit and simplicity added to her, which aroused the constant indignation of her cousin, but only Laura's attempts to ridicule Tobia were exceeded by any chance she had.

Elena: Yes, it is, and now let's finish it, the plane is waiting for us

She left them and went indignant. She misses Tobia, but her brother does not allow any of them to communicate with her at all.

Laura directed her talk to Vera: As usual, she does not allow anyone to get close to her, as Tobia did

Vera: Yes, how close they were

Laura: Forget all this, are you ready for your bachelorette party?!  Or will you leave it to me?

Vera, her eyes widened, knows how crazy her cousin is about parties, which she won't allow. Frank warns her not to go overboard with the bachelor party.

Vera: No, you will not do it, what you did about the clothes is enough for me

Laura laughed when she realized what Vera was aiming at;  She took on the task of choosing the clothes that Vera would wear after the wedding, but what really irritated her was the pajamas she chose for her, which is really a disaster for the shy Vera.

Laura: Believe me, I will receive abig thank  from your husband when he sees what I brought for him

Vera, shocked: For him?!

Laura: Of course he is the beneficiary, not you, my dear

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One of the largest American shipping companies, headed by Philip Giovanni, the youngest son of Fabio Giovanni, one of America's most famous bachelors, as everyone calls him;  His eldest brother Frank left him his position after he betrothed to Vera Udine. The betrothed went smoothly. Who could refuse the head of the Giovanni family, but this was not the case with Philip, as his mother was an African American of dazzling burgundy beauty, which Philip inherited from her, as he was not brown.  The complexion, and he inherited an attractive bronze color that made him the focus of attention of girls, but it was not enough to become an ideal groom for the daughters of the oldest Italian families;  They wouldn't allow mixed-race marriage so easily

Philip greeted his brother as soon as he entered his office with a breathtaking view of New York City;  The office is located on the twentieth floor of the company building with glass walls that reflect the natural scenery outside its walls

Frank: It's fine

Philip: So what is the reason for this visit?

Frank: Vera will arrive today with her family and we will have dinner together and I came to invite you

Philip exasperated: No, please, you know how much I hate those flattery sessions

Frank: Don't forget that you are the best man and my brother and you should get to know your sister in law and her family

PHILIP: Well, but does she have a beautiful sister that I'll take to introduce her to the city

Frank: you will never change, yes she does, but she will not be present, as she is far from the family

Philip: What do you mean by traveling, for example?!

Frank: No, she was engaged to Stefan Marcus, and she broke off the engagement, and her father punished her by banishing her away from her family.

PHILIP: What a cruel punishment, but she is really daring to publicly reject Stefan. I hope to meet her one day for sure. I will like that girl.

Frank: Sure. Like you, she loves being away from family

Flip Snap: Frank, I haven't moved away, the truth of the matter is that I don't get along with everyone so I chose to work away from them

Frank: Philip, you are the one who torments himself. No one would  dare to hurt you. And whoever dares, I will exterminate him from life.

Philip gratefully: I know, but I'm so much better, I get what I want effortlessly

Frank: Well, I'll meet you in the evening, for dinner will be in a restaurant...

Philip: Ok, brother

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The staff in the restaurant met to receive work orders for the night. The restaurant was fully booked by one of the important figures in the city, and certain procedures must be taken for that night.

Adam: Tobias will be in charge of orders tonight with Annie

Seafood must be prepared, so an order will arrive in the kitchen from the fish market. We must work on it well, and now everyone can go to their work. Do not forget to take care of preparing the tables and making sure that the pianist is present.

Tobia: Ok, Adam, I'll call him

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A meeting that will bring them together without any of them knowing, is that a coincidence or a date with fate?

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