Francesco was standing at the corner of the private section of the restaurant looking outside the window as though he was waiting for someone. Meanwhile Adele was eating her sandwiches slowly sitting at one of the tables in the empty room. The silence was getting to her. Francesco had reserved this room for her to eat in peace. But he didn't seem he was in peace. He had ordered the food for her and was standing at the window looking outside the whole time except the occasional times he popped out to speak to Antonio briefly and then coming back to his spot at the window.

Adele sighed and looked up at Francesco " What is going on? Why are you at the window?"

Francesco spoke without looking at Adele. " It's to do with my business sweetheart. I am waiting for someone."

Adele spoke " Can I ask who?"

Francesco kept his stare outside the window and raised an eyebrow. He smiled weakly to himself and murmured " Sweetheart, stop trying to distract me by asking questions that you know I won't respond to positively. You know me well enough to guess my responses when you ask me about my business related activities that I have no interest in sharing with you. Why don't you finish the sandwiches darling before I come over there and persuade you to eat." He then kept staring outside with a hint of a smile on his face.

Adele frowned. She didn't like how he was ignoring her questions. Whatever he was focusing on was top secret. She spoke " I was not trying to interfere in your business. I just was worried for you. Tell me what has occupied you."

Francesco kept his stare outside and spoke "No. Don't try it sweetheart. Go on. Have your sandwiches or I am ordering more."

Adele sighed and took a bite from her sandwich reluctantly. She then spoke "Well. I am also distracted. You haven't said a word ever since you have arrived in this room. What's interesting about the street? Tell me."

Francesco turned to Adele " I am almost done." He then looked on the street with interest and then took a deep breath. He then finally walked away from the window towards Adele. He leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead and as he straightened up he spoke " Adele. I have to attend to this business right now. I want you to just wait a bit longer here while I go outside and attend to some business. I will get Costanzo to keep you company while I am gone."

Adele swallowed hard as she looked up worriedly "Francesco .... are you going to kill someone?"

Francesco laughed and spoke "No sweetheart. Not this time. I am just going to have a quick friendly chat with someone." He then bent over and kissed Adele on the cheek and without another word walked to the door. He left the room briefly and shouted orders to the guards who where keeping watch outside the door " Get me Costanzo from his room. Quick."

He then turned to Adele while standing at the door. He smiled sweetly " You look beautiful sweetheart if I haven't said it enough today. This dress looks great on you."

Adele tried not to sound sarcastic as she responded but she wanted to get the message to Francesco " Well ... You picked this dress. I was meant to wear the dress Georgina had picked from that French boutique catalogue but you said this red dress is more suitable for tonight. You said what she had picked was too short and said i will shine brighter if I wear this long dress. So thank you."

It seemed like Francesco didn't get the meaning behind her sentences since he smiled " You are welcome sweetheart. Any time. I know how to pick stunning clothes."

Adele looked down and sighed. He didn't get that this was no compliment. She preferred Georgina's dress. That girl had better taste.

Suddenly Costanzo entered as he looked at Adele and Francesco. He whispered " Good afternoon." He looked abit depressed and low. Adele knew something was wrong. He looked troubled and sad.

But Francesco took no notice of his brother's distraught state and spoke " It's almost evening. Wait with Adele while I go sort this business out. If she needs anything get the guards to do it. I try to keep it short but you know how this can go. I may have to go to the compound briefly. In that case, just take Adele to the party and show her the ladies floor on the balconies were women hang out. But get the guards to keep an eye on her from the bottom floor. The ladies floor is in full view from the bottom. You watch Adele too while I am gone." He then walked out without waiting for Costanzo's response and closed the door behind him."

As the door closed, Costanzo leaned to the wall next to the window and looked at Adele sadly as he whispered " How is it going?"

Adele got up from the table and walked to Costanzo. " I should really be asking you that? How are you holding up? I haven't spoken to you much since ..... you know .... what happened about Sancia. Are you ok? You look troubled. Is it because you miss her? It must be to do with Francesco ordering you to keep away since he has broken up the alliance with the Giovannis. Life must have become more difficult. I know."

Costanzo nodded " Thank you Adele for caring about me. I will find a way."

Adele reached her hand up and held Costanzo's hand in hers " You look terrible. I know you have been looking down lately but nothing like how you look like right now. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Costanzo reached his other hand to Adele's hand and lifted her hand up. He planted a kiss on her hand. He then pulled his hand away and let go. He took a few steps away and leaned to the wall again and spoke" There is nothing you can do. But thanks for offering. It's my problem. I need to solve it. Sometimes I wish I had never met Sancia. Sometimes I wish I could meet a girl like you in that small town in Oklahoma and could fall in love. But no. My luck was to go to college and fall in love with a Giovanni woman. I blame my father for disrespecting her the first time I took her home. Sancia got upset that day. She didn't like to be on the losing end and be the one to be sent away to study in England to keep her separate from me over a family feud. She never forgot her anger and got married to a man I despised to quench her desire for revenge. She didn't have to do that. Francesco was the head of Rosario family and Sergio was head of Giovanni family by the time O'Neil proposed to her. It was time of peace but she married him to say she had won. She didn't love him. She just did it out of anger. She hurt me just to make herself feel satisfied ... She is quite complex psychologically."

Adele could see Costanzo was getting emotional. He was close to tears. walked closer to Costanzo " Something is up. Tell me. What's really bothering you. You weren't like this yesterday. You were missing her but today you are almost crying. Tell me what's wrong. What's happened? It must be hard for you but you look unrecognisable. You seem to be hurting even more since I last saw you this morning. Costanzo...... has anything ..... gotten worse? ......" Then as she observed the silent form of Costanzo she panicked " Things have gotten worse. haven't they? But how? Tell me Costanzo. I want to be there for you. I want to help you."

Costanzo looked at Adele with sad eyes " No one can help me Adele. But thank you......"

Adele sighed "You are killing me Costanzo. Tell me what's wrong. I want to know. I won't tell anyone. I swear. Is it because you don't trust me?"

Costanzo sighed in defeat and sat down on the floor while leaning to the wall. Adele mirrored his actions and sat down on the floor in front of him. Her dress was quite loose luckily making it easy to sit.

Costanzo shook his head "I do trust you Adele. But my problems are more complicated than you think. I am not dealing with ordinary relationship issues that I can easily discuss with people. This is because Sancia is not an ordinary woman. She is a criminal. She is alot like Francesco. Sancia is starting a new game. I am on edge for a good reason. I don't know where to turn and what to do. People are in danger all because of me. Every decision I take from now on can affect many people."

Adele spoke " How? How would your decisions affect anyone? Has Sancia done something?"

Costanzo looked deep into Adele's eyes " Please don't tell Francesco about anything I tell you. Its a total mess and I need to sort it by myself........ Sancia .....today ..... she sent a bucket of flowers to my hotel room. It had a message attached. It said....... If I can't have you .... then no one can.....Don't test me."

Adele gasped "Oh dear lord.... How can she say that? Does she want to ..... kill you now? You would be in danger from her. She wants to kill you. I cant believe this.... "

Costanzo spoke quickly "No.... Adele.... You don't understand..... Its not me in danger....."

Adele spoke "How can you be sure? That message means she wants to kill."

Costanzo nodded sadly "It means she wants to kill. But not me. That message was in an envelope attached on the bucket of flowers written all over pictures of Elize and also a few pictures of some women I dated once or twice based on Francesco's orders were included too. Sancia wanted to send the message that any woman that gets close to me is dead. She said "Don't test me." By that she means I cant go near any woman. if I do. She will kill them."

Adele was baffled "Hold on. She has sent you a message written on a picture of Elize too. Your second love? But Elize is getting married in a month. Isn't she? Why would Sancia target Elize alongside other women you have dated?"

Costanzo sighed "Elize is now a target because .... she called off her wedding. The message came in the post yesterday to Francesco since he was invited to her wedding that was meant to happen in a month in England. Antonio reckons that her fiancé cheated on her. His lady friends told him apparently. Now Elize is staying at this hotel attending the ball tonight..... and this hotel is owned by Sancia. I really don't even want to go the party tonight. If I even glance at Elize or any woman , Sancia may hurt them. She would be looking for an excuse to harm any woman I look at from now on."

Adele gasped "I don't know what to say..... This is unreal."

Costanzo nodded and spoke sadly " The worst part is that I don't know what to do. I cant even get guards assigned to Elize tonight to protect her since according to Francesco, Elize is not worth protecting for being related to a senator. Antonio thinks I should tell Francesco that Sancia has threatened me .... I cant predict what he will do. If I do tell Francesco ...... then ..... there are possibilities. The worst case scenario in my view is that Francesco would go to war with the Giovannis as retaliation against Sancia for threatening a Rosario. A war with two mobs is a deadly one. That means shoot to kill for any tresspassers who work for Giovannis and also any one working for Francesco cant show up in areas controlled by Giovannis unless they want to die. But many may do it accidently. I don't want people to die Adele because of me. I really don't."

Adele spoke with shock "Costanzo ..... I am so sorry..."

Costanzo sighed deeply " It gets worse. Antonio reckons that Francesco may or may not go to war over this if I tell Francesco but he thinks there is something Francesco would definitely do. Antonio thinks Francesco could ........... force me into a marriage with someone of his choice just to hurt Sancia. Antonio reckons Francesco would not take kindly to her threatening women associated with me. Francesco would force me to marry someone to prove to Sancia that a Rosario won't be forced....... Here we go. I told you everything. As you can see, Sancia is starting a dangerous game and I am afraid of the consequences. Nothing good seems to have come out of this disastrous relationship between Sancia and I. Adele. I just wish ..... I didn't love her. I wish I didn't love Sancia."