When a woman is talking to you, listen to what she says with her eyes.

-Victor Hugo

Rafe Moretti's POV

I smiled to myself as I stared at the small paper bag in my hand. I went out to the jewelry store. The custom-made bracelet I order was finally done. I glanced at my wristwatch and smile again almost one hour before the time my wife and I agree to have dinner here at the hotel.

This was not yet the special dinner date I planned for her. But for the past nights, I saw that she's somehow always deep in her thoughts. I kept on asking her what's wrong but she brushed off my questions like they were absurd.

I knew something was bothering her and she's refused to tell me what's bothering her lately. That's when I decided to leave my mountain of work in the office and spend some time with her now that everything runs smoothly according to plan in rebuilding the Moretti Industries.

I was about to go to the restaurant here in the lobby of the hotel when I bumped into a familiar face. "Leila?"

"Rafe!" The rebellious Sicilian princess smiled sardonically in my direction. "What are the odds to see you here in London?"

"What are you doing here? Where's your husband? I'm surprised that he let you out of his sight and let you wander alone in London." I glanced around to see any sign of her husband.

She waved her hand with a chortle. "No, he came with me but our little Anton was left in the care of Patri for a few hours. He's more than happy with the fact that he can spend the day with his grandson without her daughter and son-in-law."

"Where's your husband?" I asked again, I don't want him to misunderstand anything about me and Leila when he saw us talking.

Leila rolled her green eyes. "He agreed to help me find a nice gift for Laila when she gives birth to her daughter but that man couldn't resist some business meeting in our trips. We agree to meet here."

"Did you find anything for Laila?" I inquired seeing that her hands were empty of shopping bags.

She pouted like a child in my direction. "Honestly, no. I couldn't find a perfect gift for her. I want something unique that she will appreciate. But everything is just the same shops after shops. In these rare moments, I wish I am as creative as Laila when it comes to personalized gifts. Like the time when I gave birth to Anton she gave me these cute baby clothes with my son's name."

I smiled at her sympathetically. "What do you plan to do now?"

She shrugged casually. "I don't know. It seems that my initial thoughts were correct. I should have search first in Palermo before coming here. I think I can find something there that Laila might like but Leandro persuaded me to look here first." Leila looked at my eyes deeply. "You know what? While waiting for my husband why don't we hit the bar so that we can have privacy while talking?"

I glanced at my watch again. I still have time before Coco arrives. I fished out my mobile phone and send a quick text to my wife telling her that I would be in the bar with Leila.  Once I was done texting her I followed Leila in the bar. We sat at the secluded table. "How's Laila?" I asked offhandedly, once we're seated comfortably.

Leila smiled cheerfully. "She's now in the last trimester of her pregnancy three or two weeks from now the baby will be born. Poor Nikos he's worse than Laila each passing day with his worry for her safe delivery."

"Will she give birth in Sicily?" I queried. "I thought her husband will insist that she will give birth to a private hospital in New York."

"Laila wants to give birth in Sicily to be with Patri. Despite the fact that Cesare Fiorenza is such a cold man she loves him still. You know Nikos couldn't say no to his wife." Her twin sister answered with a mocking tone.  "What about you? How are you these days?"

"I'm fine," I said simply.

"Fine?" She echoed with a grin. "What about the fact that you bought something for your wife? I see you bought her some jewelry."

"It's nothing..." I answered, fighting the flush in my face. "...just a simple gift to her."

She studied me for a moment. I didn't think I like the way she's looking at me intently. I tried to look away from her scrutinizing gaze. "Marriage looks good on you, Rafe." She said softly. "I didn't expect this but I'm happy for you. I'm sure Laila feels the same way."

"What makes you say that?" I asked quietly, glancing at her smiling face.

"To be honest," Leila said for a moment, her lips twitched with a smile. "I never thought I'd see you this happy. I must admit I'm skeptical when I first saw Coco in Palazzo di Fiorenza and she introduced herself as your wife. I knew from then on that she's your convenient wife. The wife you desperately needed to save your family from bankruptcy. She took the position I left. But I was in awe on the next thing I saw from the two of you."

"And what is that?" I inquired, frowning in her direction.

She eyed me with a devilish glint in her green eyes. "Are you going to deny the fact that there's more to this convenient union you have? I saw the way you looked at her and the way she looked at you at Cesare's birthday party."

I sighed deeply, closing my eyes briefly. "It's complicated."

"Why it's complicated?" She asked, creased her eyebrows together. "Tell me, do you still have feelings for my twin up to this time?"

"No!" I replied immediately, I stared at her in horror. Whatever feelings I have for Laila have long gone since she married her husband. When I met Coco I have no longer felt anything for Laila other than brotherly love. "I already get over with my feeling for her."

"Tell me. Are you in love with her? Your wife—that is? Don't you dare deny it or lie to me Rafe Moretti I know when people are lying to me." She grinned deviously in my direction, as her eyes dance with excitement.

I sighed again, shaking my head in resignation. "It's complicated."

She threw a disapproving look in my path. "Why I can't squeeze any concrete answers from you? You are always telling me 'it's complicated'. Why does a question answerable by yes or no have to be complicated? Why the secrecy, Rafe?"

I gave her a resigned look. "I think you are asking too personal questions, Leila."

"No, I'm not!" Leila contradicted firmly. "You can answer yes or no to my question. It's not that hard to respond." She raised an eyebrow in my direction. "So, are you going to tell me? Don't worry, I can keep a secret. Are you in love with her?"

I took a deep breath. There's no point in hiding it when this woman was too persistent in asking these questions. "Yes, I love her. I'm in love with her. I think I have loved her the moment I first saw her."

Leila chuckled, resting her elbow on the table. "My dear Rafe is fallen."

"Leila Fiorenza," I warned her darkly.

"Leila Salazar now, thank you." She teased happily, ignoring the warning in my voice. 

"Leila Salazar," I repeated her name carefully. "You are not going to tease me about this, right? You promised that you will keep this secret."

She frowned at me. "We can't keep this as a secret between the two of us. She has the right to know this. You owe it to her." She paused for a moment before smiling fully in her direction. "I'm sure my twin sister will be delighted to hear about this information. I can't wait to share this with Laila."

"No, you will not tell anything to Laila," I said in frustration. "This will not change anything. Please keep this secret between us."

She stared at me for a long moment before she spoke again. "All right. I will not say anything but don't you think she needs to know? I mean tell her that you love her."

I sighed and looked away at the knowing gaze of Leila Salazar. If I confessed to Coco would she accept it? I didn't think I could bear it if her answer was otherwise. I was not sure if I could handle another rejection from a woman I love.

I was a coward, I know. But I was not ready yet to take the risk.

Coco Spencer's POV

I was pretty much excited when Rafe called and told me that he wants us to have an impromptu dinner at this certain hotel after office hours. My gloomy mood for the past few days lifted considerably at the thought of us spending more time together. He also informed me that this was not the fancy date we're having this Saturday.

So I dressed earlier than the time he told me. By the time I was about to slide into the taxi I received a text message from him informing me that he would meet at the bar at the same hotel because he bumped into Leila.

I smiled while reading his text message. I no longer felt jealousy with it comes to Leila even though she became briefly engaged to Rafe before I came into the picture. Besides, it's hard not to like her since I believed we're the same in some aspects.

I should not let Blair's words affect me but sometimes that's hard to do when you feel slight insecurity in yourself which I smugly believed before I don't have anything to be insecure to other people. Trying to convince myself to forget his vile words I pushed away from the dark thoughts inside my head and think of happy ones on my ride to the hotel.

Once I arrived, I nearly run to the bar excited to see my husband and Leila. It's been a while since the last time I saw that self-proclaimed devious woman.

I instantly saw them at the far end of the room. A secluded area of the bar, I saw about to let myself known to them when I notice that there were on deep conversation talking with low voices. I slowly near them trying not to get their attention and wants to have a hint to their topic.

I sucked my breath and stopped on my track when I heard the last part of Leila's question. "...are you in love with her?"

My heart was constricted with pain. Who were they talking about? I asked myself silently. Suddenly, I was afraid to hear the answer from Rafe. Because in my heart I knew who were they talking about. It's Laila Pallis. It's always her—the woman Rafe Moretti loved more than anything in this world. "Yes, I love her. I'm in love with her. I think I have loved her the moment I first saw her."

His answer felt like my heart had been stabbed repeatedly by a dagger. Because...because I thought that given a time he would forget about his old love and learned to love me instead. But I guessed that was not possible, his heart still belongs to Laila Pallis.

Leila chuckled, resting her elbow on the table. "My dear Rafe is fallen."

"Leila Fiorenza." He warned her forebodingly, I couldn't see his reaction since his back was on me.

"Leila Salazar now, thank you." She teased happily, until now she's hadn't noticed me standing near them since she's too engrossed with teasing Rafe.

"Leila Salazar," Rafe repeated her name with such care. "You are not going to tease me about this, right? You promised that you will keep this secret."

"We can't keep this as a secret between the two of us. She has the right to know this. You owe it to her." She answered gravely. "I'm sure my twin sister will be delighted to hear about this information. I can't wait to share this with Laila."

So Rafe was planning on confessing his feeling to Laila? Even though that they were both married now he still wants to declare his feeling? Didn't he care about the consequences of his action by then? He would be at the receiving end of Nikos Pallis' wrath.

"No, you will not tell anything to Laila." He said in annoyance. "This will not change anything. Please keep this secret between us."

She stared at him for a long moment before she spoke again. "All right. I will not say anything but don't you think she needs to know? I mean tell her that you love her."

As much as I hated to admit, Blair had been right all along. Rafe would never learn to love me the way he loves her. I would only be the substitute for the woman he love and lost. I would only forever chasing his elusive heart and die hoping it could be mine someday. But the harsh reality that I would not be mine however hard I try.

I would not let this continue. I was not a martyr woman I would end this charade now and I would be the one who would walk away with my head held up high.

Since they haven't noticed me yet, I slowly walked away from them and pulled my mobile device into my handbag. I quickly dialed my grandfather's attorney. After a few rings, he finally answered. "Hello, Attorney." I paused, fighting back the tears in my eyes. "I just realize that I am no longer interested in granddad's money. I'm done with his blackmailing me. I want my old life back. I—I want out of my marriage as soon as possible. Please prepare for the divorce paper I want them before Saturday."

I ended the phone call and type a quick text to Rafe informing him that I couldn't come, after all. I decided to visit my friend how's living in Hampshire and stay with her for a few days.