"Did you invite him over?" Ang wondered right after pressing a button on the panel to ring the man up to her apartment. She didn''t know what the uncle was doing here, but Gael didn''t seem to be totally against seeing him. He looked more baffled than angry.


    "No." Gael looked down on the floor as if trying to understand what was happening. "He''s supposed to be in New York already. I''m just as surprised as you are."


    "Why do you think he''s here?"


    He just shook his head. It took him a full minute before he spoke again. "Giovanni can be unpredictable. Who knows what''s running on his mind right now."


    They opened the door just in time for Giovanni to arrive. He had a full-on smile on his face as he approached them as if they had been long time friends, and it was normal for him to visit.


    "Good evening. You must be Ang. I''m Gael''s uncle—I know I look young to be his uncle—that''s because I am. My father couldn''t keep it in his pants even at sixty-ish... We, De Lucas, are very irresistible." He winked. "Wouldn''t you agree?"


    Gael had an unreadable expression as he introduced the two, ignoring his uncle''s grand greeting. "Ang, this is Giovanni."


    "Hi. It''s nice to meet you," she greeted. And because she was polite, she extended a hand towards him.


    Giovanni took her hand and kissed the back of it. "The pleasure is all mine."


    She didn''t have to retract her hand as the gesture onlysted for a couple of seconds, then he dropped it promptly—which meant it was merely a greeting—and she appreciated it. "Come in."


    All of Gael''s men had already stood as they reached the living room, bowing their heads as they greeted Giovanni. Surprise filled his face as he took in the sight—wrappers, boxes, and whatnots scattered all over the ce.


    "I''m sorry. It''s messy in here. It''s not always like this." She began clearing the empty boxes of pizza that were still on the kitchen ind, stacked it up, and made a mental note to throw it outsideter. "I was wrapping Christmas presents for the kids at the orphanage, and they arrived earlier today to help me out since my best friend couldn''te."


    Giovanni only nodded at the men who returned to what they were doing before he arrived. Then he faced Ang with a smile on his face—it''s a handsome smile but one that didn''t reach his eyes. "Don''t worry about it. I''m the one who came uninvited."


    She went to grab some stuff in the cupboard. "Do you want coffee? Tea? Juice? Sorry—I''m out of juice. I wasn''t expecting so many visitors today…" Ang tucked her hair behind her ear and flicked it like she always did when she was nervous or unsure of what to do.


    "I''ll take coffee. Thanks. I wasn''t nning oning over until thest minute. My...flight got canceled." He and Gael exchanged gazes, and thetter crossed his brows as if he didn''t believe his uncle, but Giovanni kept a smile on his face and shrugged.


    She offered him to take a seat on the stool at the kitchen ind. It was the only chair that wasn''t used.


    "What''s up with the nt?" Gael nodded at the thing the other brought.


    As if only realizing just now, Giovanni jerked the pot towards Ang who received it gingerly in her hands. "Ah, right. I totally forgot. It''s not every day I visit someone who''s not family. I heard you just moved in. It''s a housewarming gift—got it downstairs and was told it''s a wee nt. I didn''t want toe up empty-handed."


    "Oh. Um. Thank you. You shouldn''t have." She didn''t recall if there was a flower or nt shop downstairs.


    He waved his hand. "Nah, it''s okay. Not a big deal. I stole it."


    Gael shook his head while Ang gaped, unsure how to react to Giovanni''s somber expression. Was that normal for them? Stealing? It''s only a nt though...but still...


    Giovanni broke out augh. "I''m just kidding. I don''t steal nts. I found that in a cafe downstairs, took it, and gave thedy at the counter some cash."


    She awkwardlyughed. Great. Now, she owned a not-stolen nt. For some odd reason, she didn''t hate the thought of it. It was ridiculous. Giovanni''s indeed unpredictable, like Gael said. She set the nt near the window.


    Folding his arms across his chest, Gael leaned on the counter opposite his uncle and questioned, "What are you doing here?"


    "Like I said, my flight was canceled. There''s a storm or something in New York, and I don''t want to risk flying there. I would go back to your house, but I was told most of you were here, so here I am. And I wanted to meet Ang." He shifted his gaze from Gael to her and gave her a yful grin—probably something he''d use if he''d flirt with other women.


    Her heartbeat raced, not knowing what to expect from this man, so she could only smile back. Who would have thought that she''d be at home on a Monday night with a room full of mafiosos?


    Giovanni took off his coat and rolled his sleeves up as he looked around the living room. "So, what can I do to help?"


    He wanted to help? "Oh…" Ang scanned the boxes and found one item left. "There''s only one gift that needs to be wrapped, but it''s okay. You don''t have to—"


    "I''ll do it."


    Before she could say anything else, Giovanni had already grabbed the toy and a wrapper that Rick handed to him. He then proceeded to wrap the toy—although clumsily. And once done, he proudly smiled like he did all the wrapping of the finished ones behind him. "See? I did it." Then he began moving the gifts into the boxes without being told.


    Ang went to stand next to Gael, watching Giovanni as he moved about the area. Her apartment had an open floor space where they could see everything in the living room from the kitchen. She stared at Giovanni as though she was trying to figure him out. "Your uncle… He''s... I don''t know what to think of him. Are you two close? Is he okay? I mean...can he be trusted, or should I stay away from him? He sort of has this...energy I can''t make out."


    Gael took a deep breath as though readying himself for an exnation he didn''t think he''d do today. "Giovanni. He''s probably the closest member of the family that I have. He may be smiling, or whatever it is he does that makes women swoon, but he''s been through a lot. Everyone in the family knows he''s cold-blooded, but he won''t hurt you."


    "Me? Why is that?"


    "Because of me." He turned his head to face her, his eyes full of warmth, causing her cheeks to flush.


    "Oh."


    Then he looked at his uncle again. "He wouldn''t hurt women. We''d never do that. That...energy—as you say—that you feel around him, it''s his wall. He has it high up so that no one will try to take advantage of him. So that man you see smiling like a billboard model...that''s his mask."


    Giovanni was handsome. And his smile—although fake, could cause women to turn his way. "Like a facade? He looks calm and carefree…" she muttered.


    "Don''t be fooled. He''s ruthless. But I trust him with my life."


    Ang turned her head to Gael, a throb in her heart growing at the knowledge of him having that deep connection with his uncle. "And you''re...not? Ruthless... I mean." She didn''t know why she asked.


    In a mere second, Gael hovered over her, caging her with his arms on either side of her. "What do you think?"


    The edge of the counter dug into her hip, but she ignored it. She swallowed as his eyes pierced right through her. There. She saw it. It was just half a second, but she saw it in his eyes. There''s darkness in there, lurking in the shadows and waiting to be unleashed, but it disappeared before she could even breathe. It was as if he had that side of him tamed, and all it would take was a trigger, and hell would break loose.


    And the twisted part? She wanted to see it. She was damn curious and afraid at the same time. It pulled her in, and she wanted to be pulled.


    Ang was officially insane.


    This man before her was mafia. A man who had killed—he even admitted it himself. His world was dark, and she was afraid of total darkness. But somehow, she wasn''t scared of him.


    If she was, she wouldn''t be... No. She shook her head mentally. It wasn''t the time to think about that.


    "Anyone hungry?" Giovanni''s voice brought her back to earth, and she looked over Gael''s shoulder, meeting Giovanni''s eyes as he said, "How about I order all of us dinner?"


    Great. A room full of mafia ying elves and wrapping Christmas presents in the afternoon, and now, dinner with these men.


    "Yay..." she softly cheered in almost a whisper before she swallowed. Why did it feel so stuffy all of a sudden?