Sensual Redamancy

Chapter 30

•Dominic•

"Are you certain that deluded bitch, Natalie Martel, had absolutely nothing to do with this scandal?" Teodoro asked me for the hundredth time, irritation and suspicion lacing his whiskey-soaked voice. "I have this strong gut feeling she had a diabolical grin on her face behind whatever goddamn gadget she used to ruin my reputation."

I took a rather light sigh compared to the heavy ones I'd released all day long, continuing down the long hallway with my father.

"You ruined her life and shifted things uncomfortably in her life with a sex tape. Of course, she'd be thrilled to serve you a cold dish of karma with a little bit of drama to spice things up," I responded flatly, fighting the urge to completely annoy him with the thoughts spiralling through my mind.

Indeed, Natalie had been the prime suspect with a clear motive of revenge and I'd personally made sure to confirm she'd had no hand in this scandal.

When I'd called her, she'd rather seemed disappointed someone had beaten her to dragging the Bernardi name into the mud, though she'd hoped it'd been a sex tape instead to balance out the humiliation.

I'd been relieved though she was innocent and wouldn't have to drag out her rivalry with my father. I knew how that always ended and I didn't wish such misfortune on my wife's older sister that she clearly cared about.

"I'm beginning to doubt you are on my side, Dominic," Teodoro pointed out, throwing me a sharp look with a cocked brow.

"Of course, that's your neat way of saying thank you after everything I've had to go through today and probably the next couple of weeks because I have your tainted blood coursing through my veins," I retorted.

His lips curled into the warmest, cynical smile I'd seen on his lips in ages. "I raised you well and I'm proud of your sense of loyalty towards your blood. We're the Bernardis and we have to make sure everyone trembles at the mention of our family name."

The pride in his voice irked the last ounce of energy I'd been saving all day out of my system. How could anyone be so comfortable in the merciless, ruthless torture of innocent people because of decades-long unsettled scores?

"Yet here you are, fleeing the state like a poor, quivering mouse. From where I'm standing, you're the only person trembling right now and everyone else wants to stone us to death."

My implication was a bit of a fetch, but his reaction told me he got the message.

He stopped walking entirely to face me directly and so did I, looking him straight in the eye and unbothered by the emerging anger flickering in his icy blue eyes.

"I wouldn't call it fleeing and if anything, I refused to be likened to a pathetic, quivering mouse in any sense. It's called strategy and making a smart move."

"Shouldn't I at least be informed of this strategy since I'm to stay behind in New York dealing with your mess while you're doing God knows what, where and with whom after fucking up everyone else's lives?"

I was beginning to lose my temper and patience after a long day of containing it all and I knew my father wouldn't like it. I just had to hold it in for a little while until he fled away for his safe enclosure.

Teodoro's smile widened a little, his hand giving me a light pat on my shoulder. "You will do nothing about anything, Dom, and simply resume your roles like nothing happened. I'll handle the rest. That's the strategy."

"And I take it the journalists and gossiping employees are in on this resuming roles like nothing happened strategy?" I shot back sarcastically.

My father's smile faded away slowly. "Since when does a lion care about a measly fly's opinion?"