I have had a full bottle of wine yet my nerves were denying to calm down. My whole body felt so stressed at the moment that I could kill a whole continent and still feel the same.

"You called me, sir?" Jenny asked politely, fear evident in her voice.

"Yes." I turned to her before continuing " You have been home with my wife most of the time. Anything about her caught your attention?"

She stared at me in confusion not understanding exactly what I wanted to know.

"Her likes, dislikes, favourites..."

"Oh, I see." she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Mrs. Salvatore likes to spend a few minutes in the garden every morning. She loves to bake. Her favourite colour is Red and she is a huge fan of the Marvel movies and series I guess."

" You guess?" I raised an eyebrow at her confusion as she stammered

"Ah.. well, she likes the Loki series a lot. That's all."

The Loki series, huh?..

"Any guess of her friends?" I pressed already knowing about it.

"Two. Nick and Lorraine. That's all I know."

Nick... that's a new name..

"You can go now." I waved my hand in dismissal and she hurriedly left the room.

I was lost in my own thoughts when a rough hand squeezed my shoulder and I instantly knew it was father.

"Welcome back, dad" I said with no emotions in my voice.

Taking the right seat beside me, he poured himself some wine while saying " I thought you didn't drink much alcohol."

"Stressed. And it's only wine, dad."

"I know." His sigh told me he was tired yet he decided to sit with me.

"I heard her screams." my hand stopped midway as the words slowly left his tongue and he sipped the wine.

"I thought me and Margret raised you better." disappointment in his voice "but I guess I was wrong.."

I looked at him as my wine glass now touched the table, my eyes full of shock.

"I failed to teach you to respect your wife. The woman kind."

His eyes on the wine as he swirled the glass in his hand causing the remaining liquid inside to swirl with it.

"Father, I didn't..."

"I know." His voice devoid of any emotion. " But what you did to her these two times were more than enough to break her."

Letting out a sigh, he continued,

"I decided not to interfere as it is between you both, but caonsidering how you have been treating her. She is going to be broken."

He finished the with another sigh and soft footsteps were heard.

"She is changed and asleep." Charlotte said softly while taking the vacant seat beside me.

She is home??

"When did you.."

"The trip was cancelled. I never left." Her voice a little rougher as she too poured herself a drink.

"I never knew the brother I loved could be capable of doing such to his own wife." The glass touched her lips as she took a slow sip of it, tasting the wine.

I was at loss of words, ashamed, at myself. Our mafia was known for its respect towards women. While all other sold and used women as they pleased, we didn't. And that was what made us most respected and most feared.

"I don't know what to do anymore" I confessed, staring at the table, too ashamed to meet their eyes.

"You are not like that. You never were." Char added.

"True" Father agreed.

"Start fresh again. Father and I will handle the deal. Ever since the deal happened, you lost control over yourself."

"I know. It's as if I can't control my anger anymore."

"It seems there was a fault in our upbringing." Father seemed too tired.

"There wasn't." Both me and Char chorused so fast that a chuckle was heard from him.

"Go back and apologise. Start afress. Be the man I taught you to be." he advised.

"And just being a man is not enough. Be the gentleman you always were." Charlotte added, her lips slightly rising upwards.

"I will." I assured. I have to be the old me. I still am. It's just... the deal with the Spsnish mafia has been messing up with my brain even before I got married.

But since the matter is at control now and Charlotte can handle the rest better, I can be my old self, my real self. The real me.

"That sattles it." Father commented. "It's too late now. Go back to sleep now and Charlotte, you have to attend the meeting with the Spanish tomorrow. Take some rest."

"Yes father."

We all were up, leaving for our room while father patted my back, in a warning I suppose.

And Char batted her eyes at me in encouragement.

Silently thinking them for their much needed advice, I left for my room.

I had a mission to accomplish to. I will make my marriage work. No matter what it takes.