Chapter 123 - Boyfriend

As Santiago was having a tour of the mansion by his Red, Persephone's phone rang. She excused for a moment before going away to take the call. 

Only when he noticed that no one was in sight, did he let himself lean against the wall and study her once again. Her previous straight dark hair was curly and red now. Her face had an otherworldly shine. The freckles trailing on the bridge of her nose were as beautiful as before. 

The green of her body-hugging dress was popping the green of her eyes. Those green eyes which had been haunting his dreams for the last two months. The green eyes which didn't let him sleep. 

He noticed that her body changed in these months. Her breast seemed more fuller and her hips rounder. But she still was as thin as before, if not more. He wondered if all of his food went to her boobs and ass only. 

"I don't think your fiance would like you talking to another man," Santiago said when she returned. 

"Excuse me?" Persephone narrowed her green eyes at him. 

"You heard me fine," Santiago said in a tone which infuriated her. Apparently, everything he said and did infuriate her, including his existence. 

"Who were you talking to?" He said in that smoky sizzling voice of his as he took a step ahead, his hands tucked in his pockets. 

Persephone found herself speechless as his hot breath landed on her face. No, he wasn't standing that close to her but she still could feel tremors on her skin when he spoke. 

Stay away from him. She warned herself. He was an intriguing man. But dangerous nonetheless. Way more dangerous than her papa and Nico. 

She should stay away from him. But did she find herself attracted to him? Even without trying, she could only focus on him. It was crazy. Total crazy. And extremely ridiculous. But she couldn't stop or control it. 

[Oh God, I'm pregnant with someone else's kid. And engaged to someone else too.] 

"Who were you talking to?" Santiago asked. He didn't know why it was so important for him to ask her. But he wasn't able to forget how she called the man on the phone 'baby' and smiled at him. 

"My boyfriend," Persephone instinctively replied. 

"You have a boyfriend?" Santiago managed to utter the word. 

Persephone nodded. She closed her eyes and remembered little Santaigo's grinning face. He was a sweetheart to her. He has been keeping her sane these days. And it was clear that she had grown too close to him. Luckily, Valencia had no issue with her spending time with her son. 

"Yes," Persephone nodded. 

"Hey, I have been looking for you," Sophia came with Nico behind her. Actually, she came here running away from Nico who had been behaving strangely for the last few weeks. Come on, she wouldn't believe that now that she was getting married to someone else, he had a sudden interest in her. And Lord knew why he didn't want her to marry Santiago! Well, he could just fuck himself along with his issues. 

"Sorry, I was giving Mr. Vitello a tour of our mansion but had to stop when I got a call from my love Santiago, " Persephone happily told her. One must note that she was happy only after talking to little Santiago. Grown-up Santiago was only the cause of her worries. "I love that boy too much." 

Santiago ends up breaking in a fit of cough when he hears her. Sophia had to hit on his back with her fists. 

Wait, did she say she loved Santiago?

And that Santiago wasn't him? 

What the heck? 

"You were talking with that little boy again?" Nico asked her with furrowed brows. Of course, he knew who this Santiago was. 

Persephone nodded like a fangirl. "My beautiful blue-eyed boy." 

Nico heaved out a sigh. "You and your obsession with blue-eyed boys." He then weirdly looked at Santiago and apologized. "Sorry, we weren't talking about your blue eyes. I didn't even notice until now that you too have blue eyes." 

He was doing a fine job at hiding his hostility for the guy. 

"I do have blue eyes too," Santiago said while staring at Persephone. His gaze was burning her bare skin. "And my name is Santiago too." 

Now it was Persephone's turn to break into a fit of cough. 

Could this get more awkward? 

[Ah, baby, come save your mama from this embarrassment.] 

… 

"Are you fine?" Isabelle asked her with naked concern. She was holding Persephone's hair while the latter was busy puking the food she consumed. 

Persephone nodded while her eyes were about to drop anytime soon. She was now lethargic. 

"You need rest," Isabelle said.

"I'm fine," Persephone insisted. "If I defy papa's orders once again, it will give him a chance to talk shit about my baby again. I don't wanna hear him saying any bad words about my baby, Belle." 

Don Marino had to leave immediately after lunch as he got a call that changed the color of his face. She didn't know why but she had a feeling that it must have something to do with his dear Enzo. 

She scoffed inwardly but didn't comment any further. 

On the other hand, Isabelle had been worried sick. She had been trying to contact Killian for the last few weeks but none of her calls connected. Salvatore had been keeping a close eye on her and she had a feeling that he knew something. However, she had been playing safe lately. 

When she noticed Don Marino's ashen face, she immediately texted Killian even though her calls weren't going through. If he saw her text, he knew what to do. 

Now, they were told to spend quality time with Santiago Vitello and so they would do as ordered by Don Marino. But Isabelle had a feeling that once she knew something substantial about this newcomer, it would certainly give her clues. 

But clues about what?