Chapter 26- MONEY TALKS

Three days later

Aurora had awoken once again but Leonardo had not slept beside her, even after three days he was still mad her for lying to him. Their interactions were more formal than what a married couple was like and there was nothing that she could do about it.

Aurora had tried conversing but to no avail, as Leonardo had done whatever necessary to avoid her at every turn.

'Are you feeling okay?" her mother in-law asked her, concern evident on the older woman's face. Her mother in-law had taken her on yet another shopping trip throughout the town and honestly, Aurora was sick of it.

'Nothing mother, I was just thinking"

'You think too much" Signora Carina waved her off, dragged her to yet another high end store. They walked in and almost instantly a sales girl came to greet them.

'Good afternoon Mrs. Romano, it has been quite some time"

'Well I have not been feeling so well, by the way, this here is my daughter in-law Avena Russo" signora Carina introduced Aurora to the sales girl.

'Good day" Aurora greeted the sales girl, very shyly as she hid behind her mother in-law.

'Oh so she is the famous Avena Russo that everyone in town has been talking about, well it is nice to meet you"

'Anyway, Shirley please show me the newest and most expensive clothing's you have"

'Right this way Mrs. Romano" the sales lady walked them through to the VIP waiting area and within seconds, a rack of clothing was wheeled in. For the next hour, all Aurora could think about was the how much all the cloths had cost them.

She had grown up seeing Signora Mia shower Avena with the latest designer clothing and jewelry but never had she thought that she would be in such a position herself.

'Are you okay? You look sick" signora Carina asked her, Aurora flashed a cheerful smile to conceal the nervous wreck she was.

'No, it's— it think I have had enough shopping for today and the Dallas heat is not helping"

'Okay dear. Shirley, please send the cloths we have brought back to the mansion. I think my daughter in-law needs her rest" signora Carina informed the sales woman and escorted Aurora out of the store and in no time, they were headed home.


**
'Mother in-law, why are we not going home?" Aurora questioned her mother in-law as the driver took an unfamiliar turn into the busier side of town. Signora Carina turned her attention to her daughter in-law, Aurora and smiled at her.

'I am taking you to one of our vineyards" signora Carina beamed with excitement as she told Aurora and even though Aurora smiled, she could not help but to think of the dangers of having her mother in-law close to alcohol.

'Mother in-law are you sure that its safe, I mean for you to—"

'For me to be around alcohol? Do not worry, I can handle myself" Signora Carina placed her reassuring hand over Aurora's own hand and smiled at her. 'Oh we're here!" signora Carina nearly jumped up from her seat with excitement.

The car drove into wide wooden gates as they drove through gravel roads, until they slowed down, besides their car were rows and rows of Vineyards, before them was a wooden barn house with glass doors and people walking in and out.

In an area nearly out of town, Aurora would have expected nearly no one there but there were fancy cars parked in the parking lot, people walking out with brown bags and looking happy.

'What is this place?" Aurora asked in awe as she looked at the property.

'Well this will all belong to you and my son when my husband and I are no more" Aurora listened to her mother in-law, her words sounding sincere as she looked at Aurora with only the love of a mother in her eyes. Her words stabbing a dagger in her heart as she was reminded once more that she was truly an imposter, living the life of
Avena.

'Don't you worry mother, you and father have a long time to live before we take over" Aurora smiled. Soon the door was opened for them and both women walked out, upon arriving to the old rustic barn Aurora's eyes widened at the exterior of the place.

The old rustic barn look had been simply for decoration because the glass doors, gold handles and the doorman dressed in formal cloths.

'Good afternoon madam" the door man greeted, to Aurora's surprise, her mother in-law walked in without acknowledging the door man.

Aurora flashed a smile at him 'Do not worry, she's just had a very busy day and is exhausted. Aurora explained, hoping that her mother in-law had not offended them man but to her surprise, he smiled at her.

'It's okay madam and you are?" he asked her, with a friendly smile and not a hint of anger on his face.

'I am Avena Russo, the daughter in-law of the Romano family" Aurora said boldly, embracing her new identity as Avena.

'Ahh I see, so that would make you Avena Romano, is not?" he joked, earning him a smile from Aurora.

'Yes, that indeed would make me a Romano"

'Well then, nice to meet you, Mrs. Avena Romano" the doorman removed his hat and did a small bow and placing his hat back on again.

'Nice to meet you to Mr.?"

'Please call me Berry"

'Well nice to meet you, Mr. Berry and I—"

'Avena!!" her words cut short by her mother in-law calling her from the interior of the wine shop.

'Coming! Bye, I have to go" Aurora said her goodbyes, entered into the building and stopped. Her eyes widened at the beauty of the place. Above her, a white chandelier with crystals lit the building with a couple more small bulbs, on each sides of the walls carefully designed and crafted shelves holding each and every wine bottle, ready to be sold to the next lucky buyer.

'Avena, come here darling her" her mother in-law, raised her hand towards Aurora and she took it. All the guests seated in the waiting area looked rich and smelt rich and Aurora had served enough of them to know what rich people looked and smelt like.

Her mother in-law walked her past the waiting room, tasting room, reception and they were headed into the deeper parts of the farmhouse.

'Where are we going?" Aurora whispered to her mother in-law who walked her deeper into the passage until they walked into a room.

This time Aurora was beyond stunned at what she saw, the interior of the room was filled with warm colors, white fur couches and mats. Before them a glass table, standing on leopard carved wooden legs and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

'What is this place?"

'This is where all the VIP come for their wine tastings and you my dear have the pleasure of coming here, please come sit down" her mother in-law sat her down on the chair and within no time, there were glasses of different wines brought before them and deposited on a glass table.

'Here are our best wines, drink on" Signora Carina encouraged her and she herself grabbed a glass of wine too.

'But why are you bringing me here to taste these wines?"

'Like I told you, one day you and my son will be in charge of all this. Now drink up dear"

'But mother" Aurora stopped herself, and looked at the employees in the room. 'Can you please excuse us" Aurora asked them, both young men smiled and walked out of the room. 'Mother I don't think you should be drinking"

'I am not drinking, I am tasting dear" signora Carina told Aurora, waving the matter off as though her drinking habit was nothing.

The assistants came back into the room and explained the different wines to Aurora and as she listened, half her attention was on her mother in-law who drank glass after the glass.

'Thank you, I really appreciate it. Mother, I think it is best that we head home"

'But we just got here" signora Carina exclaimed, slurring her words in the process.
Aurora stood up from the chair and held onto her mother in-laws arms, who was heavier than her.

'You don't have to worry, we will get the driver to carry her out through the back door" one of the assistant chimed in. Aurora laid her mother in-law onto the chair, as she passed out.

'You sound like you are familiar with this happening"

'Yes. I am sorry for speaking out of turn but signora Carina has a habit of drinking and getting wasted, she was banned by signor Metteo" Aurora was shocked to hear this from the assistant.

'So she was not supposed to be here in the first place?" The assistant nodded her head in agreement and a cold feeling ran through Aurora's body. Her mind filled with all the questions she would have to answer once she faced Leonardo, already his disappointed face flashed before her.

She could not bear the thought of letting him down and even though it was not her fault, her relationship with Leonardo would face further strains due to this.

'Thank you for telling me this, I highly appreciate this"

**
'How's the married life treating you?" Ricardo teased Leonardo who sat in his make shift office, in the guest room, preparing lessons for his students once he gets back to teaching.

'Ricardo please stop joking with me, I am not in the best of moods lately" Leonardo expressed his anger to his friend.

'Okay what did the spoilt brat do, I mean it has only been a few days of marriage and there is already trouble in paradise" Letting out a breath of frustration, Leonardo shut his eyes.

'Bro what happened?"

'My mother convinced her to go to the country club, she watched my mother feed her addiction and Avena being the woman she is, kept it from me"

'Where is your mother now?"

'She went out with Avena for shopping; honestly, I do not have a good feeling about this to say the least" An unsettling feeling filled Leonardo's stomach as he thought of his mother shopping with Avena and what they could get up to.

'So what are you going to do?"

'I am waiting for them to come back home, I might even forbid her from being around my mother"

'I don't think you can forbid your wife from doing that"

'Why not? I am her husband after all"

'I don't think it works quite like that" Ricardo told his best friend, Leonardo smiling knowing that he was simply pulling his best friends leg.

'I know is does not, I was just kidding"

'Ricardo, come back to bed!" A woman's voice called out to Ricardo on the other end of the phone.

'Wow you must be one lucky man"

'Off course I am, I have women falling at my feet my dear friend. I will call you another time because, this beautiful brunet is getting impatient"