Chapter 299 Late Night at the Inn
Putting aside the fact that he was supposed to be busy with important matters, the idea of staying here hadn't even crossed her mind when she brought Charlie over.
She was prepared to refuse, but Charlie said, "Okay. I'll go to sleep nicely."
Then, Giorgio glanced around and, still holding the child, walked toward a nearby motel.
Anna was perplexed.
Had they sought her agreement?
Such a headache!
Reluctantly, she began to follow them.
"Anna," Giuseppe suddenly emerged.
His familiar address sounded rather intimate.
Giorgio, up ahead, furrowed his brows and paused, his cool figure standing there.
Anna felt embarrassed as she walked toward Giuseppe, glaring at him unhappily, "Mr. Vittorio, it seems to me that our relationship isn't quite at the level to use such an informal address yet, is it? I would ask you to maintain a certain decorum."
Giuseppe replied courteously, "These days, terms of endearment are thrown around casually, Miss Stefanelli. Are you concerned about these formalities, or is there someone here who might misunderstand?"
"Not at all!" Anna blurted out instinctively, a flush of irritation reddening her cheeks, "I simply don't like it. With everything else going on, if Mr. Vittorio has nothing else, please attend to your business. I've got things to handle myself."
Giuseppe responded, "I just wanted to mention that, about the news on the internet, if you need any assistance, feel free to ask. Besides…”
He took off his suit jacket and handed it to her at that moment. "Would you mind taking my clothes back when you go? The pocket watch inside is valuable, and it's inconvenient to leave it here."
Anna scoffed at the notion that he had chased after her just for this. "I don't need help," she said curtly. "As for your clothes, delivery costs $100, storage fee $500, pay on pickup."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Giuseppe was at a loss for words. A lady from the prestigious Stefanelli family worrying about such a small amount of money? He found it quite amusing. He gave Giorgio, who was further away, a deep glance before heading back inside.
Giorgio hadn't overheard their conversation; he only saw them speaking amicably and then Giuseppe intimately handing his clothes over to Anna. His handsome, brooding profile darkened, his eyes like swirling vortexes concealing his true emotions.
He crossed the street with Charlie in his arms, entering a nearby hotel. The accommodations here weren't five-star luxury but clean and comfortable.
Upon seeing Giorgio, the hotel clerk recognized him immediately, her excitement palpable. "Mr. Vittorio! To think it's Mr. Vittorio in the flesh! I was just reading about you in the news. I never imagined I'd meet you in person! Are you staying with us? I'll arrange the best room for you right away."
"Just get a quiet room for the kid," Giorgio replied tersely.
"Of course," the clerk responded, hastening to arrange Giorgio's most luxurious and quiet room, "Mr. Vittorio, this room facing north is especially quiet, well away from any street noise. It should meet your needs. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
Giorgio's response was cool and dismissive. "No, that will be all."
Flustered by his brevity, the clerk quickly backed away, leaving the room silently.
Once in the room, Giorgio, cradling Charlie, asked, "Do you want to take a bath?"
Anna rushed to answer for Charlie, "He's already had a bath; there's no need to trouble him further. Charlie, let Anna take care of you so Daddy can get back to work, okay?"
Charlie looked up at Anna with his deep, dark eyes, then glanced at Giorgio, his little mouth pursing as he ultimately said, "I want Anna and Daddy both to stay with me."
Anna nearly choked on her surprise. Stay together? She certainly wasn't going to share a room with Giorgio!
She sat on a stool by the bed, not looking at Giorgio, and softly said to Charlie, "Anna will sit here and watch you. You be good and sleep with Daddy. Once Daddy leaves, Anna will come closer to you."
"Okay," Charlie replied dejectedly, his little hand gripping Giorgio's arm tightly.
Giorgio laid the child down on the bed and covered him with a blanket, then leaned back against the bedrail, his hand resting gently on Charlie.
"Five minutes, hurry up and sleep," he said softly.
"Okay, but Daddy, you must promise to care for yourself. You can't get hurt, and no accidents can happen," insisted the concerned voice.
"Sure."
Father and son engaged in a simple exchange, the mood warm and harmonious.
In less than five minutes, Charlie truly nestled into Giorgio's arms and fell asleep. His delicate face, akin to a porcelain doll's, carried an innocence and tranquility that seemed precious and obedient.
Giorgio gently withdrew his arm, rose to his feet, and quietly switched off the overhead light. The room's illumination dimmed instantly.
Anna, taken aback, stood up. "He fell asleep that quickly?"
Giorgio replied with his voice, which held a magnetic charm in the night, "Let him sleep here tonight. We'll take him back in the morning."
Amid the dim light, his tall silhouette moved toward the door.
Anna nodded. "Fine. He will return to normal by morning light. No need to worry. You go on and do what you need to."
With that, she headed for the bedside. However, as she passed by Giorgio, his broad and strong hand suddenly seized her slender wrist and pulled her close. She spun around, finding herself enveloped by his sturdy frame.
Her senses filled with the strong scent of his masculinity, and she could distinctly feel the contours of his muscular build. Her breathing tightened, "What are you doing? Let go."
Her voice was low, worried about waking the child, and it carried a hint of ambivalence that seemed to beckon as much as it rejected.
Giorgio, cradling her face, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
"Stop!" she gasped, eyes widening in shock.
What was he doing? Why was he kissing her? And on what grounds?
She pushed against him, but her strength seemed futile. He dominated her assertively, sweeping across her lips before crashing through her defenses.
After an indeterminable struggle where Anna felt her breath thinning and her initial resistance turn limp, Giorgio eventually released her. His voice was a deep, hoarse whisper, "Stay away from Giuseppe. He's not a good man."
The irony. It was, perhaps, the most absurd thing Anna had heard.
She drew a few breaths of fresh air, her bright eyes cutting through the darkness directly at Giorgio, "And what about Mr. Vittorio? Are you a good man?"
The insinuation was clear—he wasn't.
Giorgio's eyes narrowed, but before he could speak, Anna cut him off, "Having a wife and being intimate with another woman — in my eyes, that makes you even less of a good person. Just go. I'll pretend tonight never happened. If you don't leave now, I'll wake Charlie."
With that, she got into bed, holding Charlie and leaving Giorgio with the coldness of her indifferent and upset back turned to him.
Giorgio's silhouette grew colder in the night's chill.
'Ding dong ding dong ding~~~' His phone started to ring.
He pulled it out, saw it was a call from Tony, cast a deep glance at Anna, and walked out.
'Bang.'
When Anna closed the door to her room, she created a barrier that might as well have separated two different worlds. She lay in bed, her face flushed with anger. She couldn't understand why he always kissed her. Did he think she was cheap, that he could have his way with her whenever he pleased? How was she ever going to escape from him completely?
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