Chapter4 Pillowtalk

Aurelia arched an elegant eyebrow. “Oh? What pearls of wisdom does dearest Maximus have to bestow upon me?” Dante’s expression tightened slightly. “I’d appreciate it if you stopped calling me that.” Aurelia burst into laughter. “Whatever. Speak.” Dante took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “Let’s be clear, Aurelia. I never agreed to this marriage willingly. I’m only going along with it for my mother’s sake. What we have now is purely temporary.” Dante expected her to react, to show some sign of hurt or at least a trace of the affection she had once showered upon him. However, her response caught him off guard. Dante stared at Aurelia, who looked at him with watery eyes. He thought she finally displayed some sort of affection for him that she had always shown him. But then, to his surprise, she yawned. “Sorry, was that rude?” Aurelia snickered as she covered her mouth with a dainty hand. “I’m too tired and the conversation you initiated is boring since I already knew that. Is that all you wanted to say?” Dante stared at her, baffled. He didn't mind it too much earlier, but right now, he realized this was not the Aurelia he knew. It hadn’t even been a week since her last emotional outburst when she found out he had gone on a date with Annalise. Aurelia had been the one who had enthusiastically pushed for their wedding, showing unwavering devotion and affection toward him. But now, everything has changed so drastically. She showed no remorse for shooting a man, seemed to have abandoned her idealistic notions about the elite's lifestyle, and exuded an aura of cold indifference. Her laughter and smiles appeared fake and insincere. Dante couldn’t help but wonder what had caused this transformation. Had Aurelia discovered something? Was it related to Claudio, his nephew? As far as he knew, she was involved with Claudio, although it seemed to be one-sided on his part. Annalise had also mentioned that Aurelia wanted a backup plan in case their marriage failed. Dante didn’t like unexpected variables and factors in his plans. He needed things to go his way. But despite her strange behavior that could potentially ruin how things were, he was inexplicably curious about Aurelia Di Angelis for the first time since they met. Aurelia’s eyes narrowed at Dante’s words. “Don’t worry,” she replied, her tone calm and apathetic. “I’m more than willing to divorce you. If your parents insist on having grandchildren, then I’ll agree to all the necessary procedures for in vitro. I won’t get in your way. If I may say so, I’m quite eager to leave this place behind.” Dante regarded her with a calculating expression, his dark eyes piercing. “Do you know what I'm thinking about right now?” Aurelia couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I can’t read your mind, can I?” At that moment, Aurelia couldn’t help but think he did look so much like a fox demon as a devious, twisted smile curved on Dante’s lips. “You’ve piqued my interest, Aurelia. I think I won’t divorce you anymore.” Aurelia’s jaw dropped in shock. “What the hell do you mean by that?” she exclaimed, her voice laced with confusion. “You’re kidding me, right?” Dante maintained his smirk, clearly reveling in the discomfort he was causing Aurelia. “I’m quite doubtful Claudio is just your Romeo,” he continued. “I have a hunch that he’s trying to win you over so that he can scheme against me and take my place. The way I see it, I should keep you by my side as collateral against him.” “Claudio doesn’t love me,” Aurelia retorted. Dante mused, his gaze never leaving her. “He loves you, all right. He loves your beauty and your status as my wife. He’ll cling to you, Aurelia. It won’t be any less than a man enamored by you. Is that any different from what love is?” Aurelia shook her head in disbelief. “You’re insane. You love with your assets, your properties, and your… your financial advisor. You don’t have a heart, you psycho.” Dante chuckled darkly. “I’ll take that as a compliment for me and my financial advisor.” Aurelia snapped, her frustration boiling over. “You’re very much welcome, asshole. Why the fuck do you even care so much about my business? Using me as collateral is useless. Why don't you just kill me or something? You’ve got Annalise and a whole bunch of side chicks to marry all you want. A geezer like you wouldn’t care.” Dante cocked his head to the side. He didn’t look offended that Aurelia insulted him. She half expected his hands around his neck at this point. “You want the truth?” He said in a teasing tone. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s hear it.” Dante leaned forward, their faces mere centimeters apart. As much as Aurelia wanted to move, she couldn’t. She didn’t want to look like a pushover. “I just want to see a woman like you squirm. Is that so complicated? Let’s just say I think you have the potential to be one of my chess pieces. I’d love to see you fulfill your duties as my wife while keeping an eye on Claudio. If he steps out of line, I’ll kill both of you.” “You play with death so easily,” Aurelia laughed humorlessly. “That doesn’t sound so posh coming from you,” Dante retorted. Aurelia smiled cynically. “How nice of you to think I have the potential. Since you’re so good to me and you’re willing to keep me as one of your people, then let me tell you a little secret." She climbed onto the bed, crawling closer to him. She draped herself on one of his shoulders, hands perched on him as she brought his lips close to his ears. She whispered, “The Xyclone has been disrupting your business operations, right?” Dante froze. For the first time that night, he actually showed a disarmed look. “How do you know that?” Aurelia threw herself on the mattress, her body lightly bouncing. She was surprisingly enjoying this conversation. “A little birdie sweetly sang in my ear,” Aurelia replied with a wily grin, “chirping away the gossip she was able to reap. Ah, you’re going to have such a bad, bad time, Maximus. After all, The Xyclone has completely absorbed the Knightcobalt.” Dante’s eyes widened in a terrifying way that sent shivers down Aurelia’s spine, but she steeled herself, refusing to let him see her fear. Although he really did look like he would choke her, Aurelia couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at Dante’s reaction. It just meant that what she said was correct. She decided to push a bit further. “You see, Maximus,” she continued, her voice dripping with faux sympathy, “your precious empire isn’t as impenetrable as you thought. You may be a brilliant man with power and influence at your fingertips, but The Xyclone also has men like you. They’re just hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike.” Dante remained silent. He may be staring at Aurelia like a predator intimidating another predator, but it was obvious he was deeply contemplating what she just said. The sound of a ringtone suddenly echoed through the room. Dante finally turned his gaze away from her as he wordlessly took his tablet and plugged in his earbuds to answer the call. “Get some rest,” he said curtly before leaving the room. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."