My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin

Days had passed, and since Emma’s visit, she hadn’t come back to their house.

If anything, Lucian and Primo had been home later than usual to spend time with her in the city. Lucian would still tell Ashley, and she would nod and agree.

"Madam, what would you like to eat for dinner?"

Ashley, who was idling in the living room browsing through some catalogs for her office’s design — even though she hadn’t decided which building she would take — turned to Nolan. He stood near the one-seater couch, smiling warmly as usual.

"Hmm..." she thought about it and shrugged. "I don’t know."

"Would you like something warm?"

"Mhm, anything is fine, Nolan," she hummed as she refocused on the catalog. "I’ve actually been craving noodles. The spicy kind. Really, really spicy ones."

Nolan nodded. "I’ll tell the chefs to make some for you."

Ashley didn’t answer and just continued what she was doing. Meanwhile, Nolan stayed in his spot, studying her.

After a moment, Nolan sat down on the couch beside her.

"Hm?" Ashley raised her brows and turned to him. "What are you doing?"

"I think this one is a great design, Madam," he pointed at the design she had been holding while browsing for others.

"You think so?" Her face brightened a little. "I thought so too! But I wanted to see other options first before I decided."

Ashley happily talked to him about the design and the kind of office she envisioned for herself. Meanwhile, Nolan listened to every word, making sure she knew she had his full attention.

After all, Ashley’s mood had been a little unpredictable.

Even though she put up a brave face and tried not to be affected by the slight changes in their routine, Nolan could feel it.

"I wish Betty were here," she muttered as she leaned back. "I think Betty would choose the right building for me. Who would have thought having so many options could be a headache too."

She cocked her head back until it rested on the backrest of the couch. She stared at the ceiling, huffing sharply.

Silence hung in the air after her lively chatter, and it was broken with a whisper.

"Right. That parent-teacher meeting is tomorrow," she hummed, sliding her eyes to Nolan. Then she smiled. "They’re going, right?"

"Hmm?"

"Lucian and Emma," Ashley remarked. "They’re going to attend, right?"

Nolan’s lips parted before he closed them again. It felt like a trick question, and he didn’t know how to answer without hurting anybody.

"Of course they will!" she answered with a light chuckle. "Otherwise, I’ll kill Lucian."

Nolan forced a smile, clearing his throat. "If they don’t, I think you should go, Madam."

"Mhm, I don’t think so," she shrugged. "That will only complicate things."

"Why would it?"

"What would I tell them? That I’m his mom? That he’s got two moms? Wouldn’t that reflect badly on Lucian? And give the other children something to tease my baby about?" she clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "I’ll just remind Lucian later."

Nolan exhaled deeply and nodded. "I see."

Again, Ashley refocused on her activity while Nolan stayed with her. Since she had been alone most of the time, it worried him greatly. So, as much as possible, he had been accompanying her to keep her spirits up.

"By the way, Madam, the Master and the Young Master might come home early today," Nolan brought up, watching her slowly turn in his direction. "He told me earlier, and it slipped my mind. Apologies."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Haha. Yes," he chuckled, watching her mood lift.

"Then forget about the noodles!" she intoned, putting the catalog aside. "I mean, those two haven’t eaten anything home-cooked for days. They’ve been eating out — how about something nutritious?"

Nolan’s smile stretched. "And some fruit too."

"Yes, fruit too!" she giggled. "And maybe something — should I cook? Nope. The chefs will do a better job —"

"I think it’s a great idea for you to cook, Madam," Nolan cut in excitedly, infected by her brightening mood. "The Young Master has been enjoying the lunches and snacks you’ve been preparing for him. I’m certain they would both love it."

"Really?" Her eyes twinkled, and he nodded. "You said it! Let’s go to the chefs’ kitchen, then!"

"Yes."

With that, Ashley and Nolan headed to the house a few blocks away where the chefs lived. Once Nolan explained their plan, they happily welcomed Ashley into their wide kitchen.

Surprisingly, they were astounded by Ashley’s knife skills and her technique; she moved like a professional.

What began as their plan to guide her eventually turned into something like a cooking show, where everyone simply watched and clapped for every perfect toss she made.

Nolan, standing to the side, smiled warmly as he watched the "show."

"I guess even if she says she’s fine, she still feels lonely being all alone these past few days," he muttered. "I hope she stays like this."

*****

Thanks to everyone’s cheers and assistance, Ashley managed to prepare several dishes for Primo and Lucian.

"Hehe," she giggled happily as she set the table, then turned to Nolan. "Nolan, what do you think of the table setting?"

Nolan smiled in satisfaction. "Everything looks appetizing, especially all together. It makes me hungry."

"I already had someone bring a plate to your house," she winked before looking at the food. "Right. You should eat it while it’s still hot!"

"But —"

"I’m okay!" she intoned, checking the time. "The big boss and Primo will be here anytime soon. So, you don’t have to worry."

Nolan studied her expression, then glanced at the time. Thinking it would be best to let the three of them have this time together, he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Madam, let me know what they think of your cooking."

"Of course," she laughed and steered him toward the side entrance connected to the house next door.

Once she managed to usher Nolan out, Ashley ran back to the dining room. She looked at the food on the table, then looked around to make sure the house was clean.

"Should I prepare water now?" she wondered. "No, no, maybe later."

Last week, Lucian and Primo hadn’t eaten dinner at home. Even on the weekend, they left to meet Emma in the city. This week was the same.

Hence, her excitement at them coming home early.

It had been a while since Ashley had eaten dinner with them. Still, she was grateful that Nolan had been keeping her company.

"They’ll be here soon," she muttered, dragging a chair out in the dining room.

Ashley sat there alone, gazing at the food in satisfaction. Once in a while, she would glance toward the entrance.

One minute... two... ten... thirty minutes passed, but there was no sign of Lucian or Primo.

"Did something happen?" she wondered. At the same time, her phone pinged.

Ashley pulled it out and checked. It was a message from Lucian.

It read:

[From: My Baby Boo <3

We won’t be home tonight.]

Then Lucian sent her a photo of Primo holding ice cream. The background looked fancy, like a high-class resort or hotel.

Ashley stared at the message, then at the photo, longer than she should have. And before she knew it, she had been sitting alone in the dining room for hours.