Chapter 7: Chapter 7

“So, Catalina, I love your name. Does it have any significance?” Alessandro leaned forward, his elbows on the table.

After Xavier’s speech, we were led into an adjacent room lined with tables and chairs. Servers walked around with trays of drinks and hors d’oeuvres in their arms.

While Stefano engaged in what looked like a serious conversation with his father, Alessandro had been bothering me with conversation, ignoring the two women he was sponsoring for the games.

His interest in me felt unnatural, and I was becoming increasingly annoyed.

“My parents are dead, so I wouldn’t know,” I deadpanned.

“Oh, my condolences. How did you and my brother meet?”

“At a bar.” I kept my answers short to imply that I wasn’t interested, but he didn’t seem to get the hint.

“Which bar? My brother doesn’t normally visit ba—”

Stefano paused his conversation with his father to glance at his brother. “Control your tongue, Alex.”

Alessandro’s smile stiffened, and he shot an annoyed glance at Stefano. “I’m simply making conversation.”

“Why don’t you talk to me instead?” Genevieve, who I’d learned was Alex’s potential wife, grabbed his arm to bring his attention to her. “You’re spending so much time talking to Catalina. I’m getting jealous.”

Her voice was overly sweet, but when she glanced at me, it was clear that she didn’t like me. Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth was drawn tight, almost like she blamed me for Alessandro ignoring her.

Did she think I was a threat to her position? That wouldn’t make any sense. We were both marrying into top spots within the family. Wouldn’t it be better if we were amicable instead?

I ignored her look and glanced at the other woman. Rena, I think her name was. She sat there silently, swirling her spoon in her glass of champagne. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she didn’t seem interested in the conversations happening around the table.

The hall bustled with noise as the men talked and laughed among themselves. With the cozy jazz music playing in the background, the socializing had begun.

I placed my chin in my palm as I carefully observed the different groups of women that had started to form.

The first group were standing, huddled together, glancing everywhere but at the person they were talking to. I dubbed that group the antsy women. They looked like one touch would have them jumping out of their skins.

Though, I didn’t blame them. They seemed really nervous, and I knew how they felt.

Another group sat at a table, laughing and leisurely drinking together. They seemed more relaxed, like they’d been prepared for this moment.

If Stefano and I had never broken up, and he’d told me about who he was, would I be like them?

“Uncle, Aunt Christina.” A man approached our table, two women trailing behind him.

“Andrei.” Xavier nodded at the man. “I see you’re also competing this year.”

Andrei glanced at Stefano pointedly. “Well, after hearing that someone was joining, my mother also gave me an ultimatum. Now, here I am.”

Stefano chuckled. “Always happy to help.”

Andrei stepped aside and gestured to the girls. “This is Gabriella and Krystie.”

Christina looked over. “Why don’t you girls socialize a bit? Networking is important.” She glanced at me and the other two women at the table. “Sit somewhere else. No one will approach this table because of the men, but many will want to talk with you.”

I looked around the room, and sure enough, there were a few furtive glances being thrown our way.

Stefano caught my gaze and nodded. “Go on. Remember your position.”

I took a deep breath, my nerves now taut with worry. ~How should I approach this situation?~ It was nerve-racking approaching women I’d never met before.

I stood and pointed to an empty table on the other side of the room. “Would you guys like to join me?”

Gabriella and Krystie nodded and started toward the table. I turned to Genevieve and Rena, expecting them to follow.

Rena opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by Genevieve as she coldly replied, “No thanks. We’ll manage on our own.”

Her blatant dislike for me made me frown, and an uncivilized part of me wanted to give her the middle finger.

Instead, I smiled tightly and replied, “Have fun then.”

~It hurts to be the better person.~

I walked to the table and sat down with Gabriella and Krystie. The second our butts touched the seats, Gabriella’s smile dropped and she sighed. “This is so nerve-racking.”

I looked at her in surprise. Her relaxed expression quickly shifted into one of anxiety, and the switch up was done so swiftly, I almost got whiplash.

“What is? This dinner?”

She shook her head. “No, the games. I’ve been trying my best not to overreact or freak-out, but this is real! I never thought I’d get picked, you know? Everything is moving so fast. Aren’t you guys nervous?”

Krystie pursed her lips. “Well, it is nerve-racking, but I’ve prepared myself for this. I think we should look at the most popular women here and befriend them.”

I nodded. She was right. Objectively speaking, the more allies you made, the easier it would be to pass these games. I knew this, but Stefano had told me not to engage first. As the woman with the highest position in the room, I needed to wait for others to greet me.

I wasn’t used to having this much power. It was foreign to me. Even in high school, I’d kept to a small circle, and now I was expected to reign over these women. It made me uneasy.

“Let’s go over to that group,” Krystie suggested, looking at a table filled with women chatting and laughing.

Gabriella frowned. “Andrei told us to stick with Catalina.”

“But there’s no one here,” Krystie said. “We have to play the game. Stay here if you want; I’ll go greet the others.” She stood from her seat and sauntered off.

Gabriella sighed. “Ignore her. She’s been like this from day one. Do you have any idea what the first game is about? My stomach is in knots right now.”

I shook my head. “I asked Christina, and all she said was that our mentors will tell us everything we need to know about the games.”

Gabriella snorted. “All mine did was talk about the rules and conditions.”

I shrugged.

A few minutes later, Stefano’s words rang true. Our table was approached by many women, and I was the center of their attention. My unease grew.

These women weren’t interested in me; they were interested in my position. I was reminded of Sam’s warning that some of these women were not only out to win, but to take me out.

My spot could get stolen by any one of them. They could take me out of the games then seduce Stefano into choosing them. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth, and it forced me to look at the situation differently.

These women weren’t my friends. They were my competition. My caution rose as my table became one of the loudest and busiest. The women talked about why they decided to enter the games, the men who chose them, and what they wished to achieve by becoming a member of the Roscotto family.

When I was asked about my decision to join the games, I kept my answer short and said that Stefano and I had been dating before this, and I joined the games to gain approval from his family, which was half true. The women ate it up.

Some tried to curry favor with me, while others failed to hide their blatant envy.

The only woman I really clicked with was Gabriella. Since Andrei was Stefano’s cousin, Gabby wasn’t threatened or interested in my position. She’d mentioned that she volunteered for the games to get away from her home situation, and that instantly made me feel more comfortable around her.

The women were now divided into three groups. The crowd surrounding me was the second largest, and surprisingly, Genevieve attracted the largest crowd. The smallest group was filled with women who didn’t seem interested in socializing at all.

~Is this okay?~ I thought. ~Should I actively try to bring in more women now?~

I snuck glances at Stefano, hoping for a reaction from him, only to find that he didn’t once look my way. Perhaps it didn’t matter to him.

Gabby caught my gaze and teased. “You’re drooling, babe. I know he’s handsome, but don’t forget that he’s a dangerous man. I heard from Andrei that Stefano isn’t someone we should mess with. He doesn’t hesitate when it comes to brutality.”

“Really?” I blinked in surprise and glanced at him again.

He seemed to be discussing something serious with his father and Andrei. Their expressions were guarded, and Stefano looked disinterested.

It was different from the mischievousness I was used to. When we were together before, he’d smiled a lot. He had been playful and flirtatious, almost impish in his joy.

But now that I thought about it, since I’d been kidnapped, he only ever smiled in my presence. He wasn’t as easygoing as he was back then.

Why?

Why was he different?

He looked in my direction, and our gazes instantly clashed. Fire on ice, my dark browns to his swirling blues.

My heart thudded against my rib cage.

A ghost of a smile lifted his lips before he turned his attention back to his father.

Our connection broke, just like that.

I was left confused.

What I saw with my own eyes and what I heard from others were two completely different things.

~Stefano, which side is the real you?~