Tricking My Cold Lover

0On a gloomy day in Florence, Italy, someone was far depressed than the weather itself. Three days and counting. All that Geun did was gawk at his phone from time to time. He barely joined the gathering of the Bianchis.      0

Spinello made it a point to invite his close relatives. He wanted his family to meet the Yeongs despite the weather conditions. His ultimate goal was to satisfy Anton's curiosity and to make sure that he will no longer doubt his son for Chan-Mi.      

After all, unofficially, they were engaged. Only the ring and an engagement party stood in the way.      

In the evening, while everyone was merry, drinking wine, eating, and exchanging pleasantries in the dining room, Geun's mind was elsewhere. How he wished he could fly to Korea, but the weather had other plans.      

Sitting next to him was Nari and seeing him constantly ticking on his phone she said, "Are you kidding me, Geun? Ara is asleep. Give her a break, will you?"     

Geun just gritted his teeth. He said, "I was just checking if she replied, Noona. Stop bothering me." He leaned over and revealed, "She has been turning her mobile off lately. I'm so pissed off."     

Nari just laughed at him and she said, "It's because you are a bother! Yeah, you heard me. Between you and me, you are the real bother right now."     

He just scoffed and ignored Nari, squinting his eyes at his mobile.     

Geun could not understand himself. He had never been so frustrated at not being able to control the situation. Geun could not even comprehend how he was so irked by the fact that Ara was meeting one Aron Shim in two days.      

He concluded that he just did not like the idea of his aid offering time to someone else. With a sigh, he silently said, 'Yes, that's it. That's just it.'     

Meanwhile, from the opposite end of the table, Anton and Yanmei were receiving compliments about how young they both looked. Naturally, the same remarks were given to Chan-Mi. All Anton could say was, "Good looks run in my family."     

"We can definitely see that!"      

"Salvi is so lucky."     

Salvi's Aunts and Uncles had varied reactions, but ultimately, we're all pleasing to the ears.      

Giggles filled the air, following Anton's response, and when he saw how the conversation had died down, he took the chance to throw his own questions.      

"So what kinds of investments does your family have here in Italy?" He asked Spinello and his brother.     

They eagerly answered him, and while he was given an admirable list, Anton's mind was calculating the potential income of the Bianchi's. Overall, he concluded that if Salvi were to stop in his music career, he could still provide for Chan-Mi's lavish needs.      

"Do you just stay here in Florence? Or do you go to the province occasionally for a vacation? If so, which places do you often go to?" Anton added. While he made it appear he was interested in vacation spots, he was trying to determine if the Bianchis owned other properties outside of Florence.      

Several questions followed in relation to the same goal.      

"What do you think of my daughter for Salvi?" This was Anton's next question.      

"We think Chan-Mi is so talented."     

Chan-Mi is adorable!"     

"Whoever Salvi loves. That is the most important," said Salvi's uncle with a smile.      

So far, Anton was satisfied. Spinello and Salvi were relieved to see Anton nod so far. The next question he threw, however, took them aback.      

"Salvi, with what recently happened with you and my daughter - having been attacked from your hotel room, I wanted to know how you will deal with your next trips and make sure it does not happen again?" This time, he directed the question to Salvi and Spinello.      

Without waiting for an answer, he followed it with another question. He said, "What if Chan-Mi was being held at gunpoint and tells you to exchange your life for hers? What would you do?"     

"Oh, uncle. I'd exchange my life for Chan-Mi in a heartbeat," Salvi immediately answered.      

"You mean you are willing to die for Chan-Mi?" Anton asked with a frown.      

"Mine? What kind of serious asking is this?" Yanmei complained, seeing the puzzled expression of Salvi's relatives.      

"Salvi, if you answer correctly, I will agree for you to marry my daughter upon your return to Korea. However, if you do not get the right answer, you will have to wait until she turns twenty-seven, as we had originally agreed," Said Anton. He had been wanting to get it out of his chest for some time after Salvi woke up and he wound up offering his daughter to Salvi.      

His probing turned everyone mute. Salvi's relatives wound up looking at each other. They were also sorry for what happened to Salvi and Chan-Mi and felt they shared the responsibility, being relatives of Spinello.      

"Dad?!" Chan-Mi complained. He turned to Yanmei and said, "Mom? Dad is at it again?"     

"What? You aren't confident that Salvi would not answer correctly?" Anton pointed out.      

"Mine? Where are you going with this?" Yanmei asked.      

"I just want Salvi to make the right decisions for both of them, So, what is it, Salvi? What is your answer?" Anton challenged.      

Salvi was sure he loved Chan-Mi more than his life. Thus, he answered outright, "Uncle, I would give my life for Chan-Mi. I would take a bullet for her."     

Anton grinned. He said, "That's good Salvi, but I'm afraid that is not the right answer."     

Sighs could easily be heard around the dining table and Salvi gulped, thinking about how he failed in that question.      

"Dad? What is this? You are just making another excuse!" Complained Chan-Mi.      

"Salvi," Anton said, pointing with his hand. He ignored Chan-Mi's words. "If you leave this world, my daughter will be heartbroken. Do you think Chan-Mi will survive in the days that will follow if you sacrifice your life? She will hate herself."     

"The right answer is not to let it happen," said Anton with conviction. "Brush up on your skills - both of you. Never be too complacent. You were lucky, you had no major injury, but what if you did? You should at least be an expert at disarming a gunman before getting married."     

Without another word, Chan-Mi got up from her seat this time. Her eyes became watery as she said, "Excuse me. I am feeling unwell."     

She walked away without looking at her Dad and everyone else. She lost her appetite and mood altogether. For the first time in her life, she was angry at Anton and she could no longer hold back.      

Chan-Mi easily found her room and cried her heart out, burying her face against the pillow.      

It did not take long for Anton to follow her, knocking at the room assigned to her by Spinello.      

"Chan-Mi? Sweetheart, are you angry at me?" Anton asked, but he did not receive a reply.      

For minutes, Anton urged his daughter to open the door. It was after for some time that she finally did, and what Anton saw broke his heart.      

Chan-Mi's eyes were red. She wiped the wetness on her face and said, "What do you want, Dad? I get it, you win. I'll wait for next year, but after Salvi and I get married, I want to live in Italy, not in Korea."