Husband With Benefits

Emerald Ruffalo meticulously peeled the apple, patiently cutting it into precise, thin slices before arranging them neatly on a plate. As he observed his father attemptting to engage Aunt Eliza in conversation, he couldn’t help but consider how Aunt Eliza’s accident had been both a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, he’d finally been able to back Isabella into a corner and scare her into agreeing to leave that powerful man as well as this country. Now all he had to do was get her there, and then he would make special arrangements for her that he would be able to showcase Ian Frost and get him to hate Isabella as well. This would successfully cut off any chance of her ever returning.

But what was happening now was a curse. Gio Ruffalo was so scared of losing his wife that he was not willing to say or hear a single bad thing about Isabella because his wife did not like it.

Slowly, he picked up another apple and started to peel it. Well, not a problem. Just because he wasn’t tlaking doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking bad about her. After all, she had not come to visit her mother. And as Aunt Eliza’a eyes continued to flit to the door, Gio Ruffalo was getting even more angry about his unfilial daughter.

"Gio, you promise Isabella knows about me?"

Gio Ruffalo frowned and adjusted his wife’s pillows to make her comfortable. Of course she knows. She even came here last night. Emerald had to go himself to bring her because the girl wouldn’t answer our calls. And then she stayed here, until I left. The moment I was gone, she dropped all pretnese of caring for you and left the hospital. You can ask Emerald."

Emerald raised his eyebrows and stood up with the platter of fruit as and said," Father, I told you she was tired so she needed to go back. She even had work in the morning. That doesn’t mean that she does not care for aunty. Here, aunty, have some fruit."

"Hmpf. And has she called you a single time to ask about her mother? Or is work more important than Eliza."

Before Emerald could say anymore, Eliza cut off," Gio, if you are bent on talking bad about my daughter, then please go. I will not listen to you badmouthing her anymore without any evidence."

"Isn’t her absence the biggest evidence?" Gio Ruffalo blustered but did not say anymore while Emerald’s face tightened. He would need to make Elize Ruffalo give up on Isabella. But the question was how?

Placing the platter of fruit on the bedside table, he spoke in a calm yet firm tone.

"Aunt Eliza, Dad is just worried. We all are. Isabella has her own way of dealing with things that are sometimes hard to figure out. I... I’ll try and talk to her. Maybe that would help."