Edge of Deception

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"I'll do it." She said, attempting humour in the tense atmosphere inside the car, "You do realise that you've to tell me exactly what am I supposed to find out, right?"

For the first time since the dance floor, he gave her is full attention. "Tanya, you do understand the implications, right?"

She shook her head, "Actually, no. I don't. Why do you say it might be dangerous?"

"I am hoping you would find out something substantial before it comes to that." He turned her body so he was facing her fully.

"If you agree to do this, I'll be with you all the way. But there is an issue. If Mateo, or anyone else for that matter, finds out about this you cannot divulge my involvement."

Tanya's head started clearing slowly, Okay, this wasn't sounding like something she should agree to.

"Ilario, maybe you should ask someone else. I don't feel I am prepared enough for this. To be honest, I don't know if I have enough knowledge to know if I do manage to figure out something important."

Ilario exhaled noisily. "That is where I am stuck. I told you, I need someone trustworthy. If I do send someone else to dig into this matter they might change loyalty. Plus, I have to find someone whom Mateo won't suspect."

She nodded her head slowly, she got he was trying to say.

"In other words, you want me to take advantage of his obvious interest in me to try to get him to talk."

"No, no, don't take it this way." Ilario was frustrated. "I am not asking you to act like Mata Hari or something. Since Mateo likes you, you are already in a position of trust. Besides, he might not even know anything important."

"This seems convoluted." Tanya said. Her head was spinning. "Can we please talk about it on Monday? I am tired, I'd like to turn in for the night."

"Certo." He reluctantly agreed after a pause and unlocked the car for her to descend.

"We'll speak on Monday." He said when she turned to leave after an awkward goodbye. "And Tanya, I'm counting on your discretion."

Tanya did her best to not think about her boss or the club or what he asked her to do. Actually, she didn't really think about what he told her to do anyway. She spent the whole of Saturday thinking about how it had felt when Ilario's lips had touched her knuckle. How she trembled when he had leaned in close to her on the dance floor to speak in her ears. How he had clasped her fingers in his in the car. The look in his eyes!

She had felt him, every hard part of him when he had shielded her bodily to get her out of the club safely.

Her rational mind told her to forget about the night. That Ilario had taken her there to get her to do his bidding but her stupid heart didn't stop thundering every time she thought of those looks, that proximity.

Those forbidden touches!

By Saturday, her studio apartment was clean, or as much as Tanya was capable of anyway. She had arranged all her clothes in the closet neatly and arranged her shoes as well, in a wild bid to take her mind off thoughts that were forbidden. She went out to dine alone and came home as late as possible. Milan had a vibrant nightlife during weekends and Tanya was in total love with it.

In the past months Tanya had wished for a good friend, a close one whom she could call up on a whim on a Saturday midnight to hang out with. She didn't want a boyfriend, but a close friend. She missed Ava dearly. But Ava was in another country, dealing with her own problems. The few times they had spoken to each other, Tanya had got the impression that her conviction to Vishnu uncle that Ava was totally in love with her gorgeous new husband, might not be true anymore.

But, rough patches come and go in any relationship. And Tanya wasn't ready to give up on her friend's quite yet.

Sometimes, she too longed for an epic love story. A story book one where the man of her dreams would be so in love with him that he will sweep her off her feet!

And Ilario wasn't that man! He was someone else's.

But he trusts me!

Ilario told her that he needed someone trustworthy to investigate Mateo. At that time, she had construed his selection of her only because he had found out that Mateo liked her. But maybe it wasn't merely that?

Maybe Ilario did trust her?

In that case, Tanya was oddly humbled by his trust in her.

With that thought, she went to bed.

Sunday morning saw Tanya mulling over what Ilario told her about the Wazisi account. Is it true? That the Wazisi account was somewhat related to those vile clubs? But even so, what did it matter? What is more interesting, though, was the fact that there have been unrest in one of their farms. Shouldn't he be concentrating on those?

Tanya spent her breakfast scrolling through internet for reports of farm unrest in Italy. Several articles popped up, but none of them was related to what she was looking for. So she modified her search to look for 'farm unrest in Wazisi Capital farms'.

Again, more or less the same search results popped up.

She stopped in frustration.

Tanya took a leisurely shower, then went to the kitchen where she prepared herself a light meal. Then she checked the time, it was only quarter past noon. She was not hungry.

As the afternoon dragged on and she didn't get any desire to eat, Tanya made a sudden decision. Quickly donning on a flowy dress and a light makeup, appropriate for a Sunday afternoon in Milan, she stepped out.