Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 420 -

*Giovani*

I watched my wife pace the kitchen floor, a whole variety of snacks left in bowls on the counter as she anxiously waited.

"She'll be here soon. What if she hates tropical fruit?" Olivia asked, biting down on her lip as she glared at the innocent pineapple pieces in the bowl.

"I'm sure she'll love it," I told her, trying to soothe her nervousness. "And even if she doesn't, I doubt she'll hate you over some fruit. Who knows if she even likes fruit?"

She paled, and I knew I'd put my foot in my mouth. I groaned as she turned to me with wide eyes.

"You're right! I'm so stupid! We should have gotten something else. What was I thinking?" she berated herself, glancing out the window. "Elena will be here any minute! There's no time to get anything else."

"The fruit is fine, and you're not stupid," I told her, knowing it was useless. She wouldn't calm down until Elena was here and told her for herself that the fruit was fine.

I'd noticed her anxiety getting higher ever since we started the surrogacy process, and it was driving us both a little nuts. All I could do was be patient with her.

The doorbell rang, and Olivia jumped almost a foot in the air, a frayed smile on her lips as she cried, "She's here!"

She tore off to the door, running like she was being chased by a wolf pack. I frowned, looking at the bowls of snacks left on the kitchen counter. I grabbed a mango slice and stuffed it into my mouth.

It was Elena's first time at the compound, and despite my concerns, I had no reason to stop Olivia from extending the invitation for a tour. Ever since the embryo implantation, Olivia had been going above and beyond to include Elena in everything.

While I did have reservations, and I was still uncertain about whether trusting her this deeply was a good idea, she could be carrying our child, and I had to give her the chance.

I followed them, leaning on the wall as Olivia threw open the front door, a huge smile on her face. Elena stood on the other side, an awestruck look on her face.

She had no doubt never seen anything as grand as the compound before. Like Olivia, she'd lived barely out of poverty, and though Olivia had been friends with Dahlia and gotten used to the flaunting of wealth, this would have been Elena's first time seeing it.

"Welcome," Olivia ushered her inside, letting Elena take in the place.

Her eyes were wide with wonder as she marveled at everything around us. Her eyes were fixated on a few expensive oil paintings hanging on the walls, the grand staircase leading up.

"I'm so excited you were able to come," Olivia rambled. "Make yourself at home. We set out some fresh fruit if you want some, and Maria made some macarons and cannolis. She's the best cook, so I guarantee they're delicious." "Thank you so much," Elena giggled, letting Olivia take her by the hand and pull her into the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the platters of food laid out on the counter, and almost hesitantly, she took a few slices of fruit. "It's delicious." Elena smiled appreciatively.

Olivia beamed with pride.

"Are you two the only ones who live here?" Elena asked, glancing around at the nook and running her hand along the marble counters. "It seems like a lot of space for two people."

"Oh no," Olivia smiled. "We've got a few people who live here, not just us. It's sort of Gio's family home, so his extended family comes and goes. Which includes Dahlia and her two brothers you met at dinner."

I nodded in approval at her way of phrasing it. It wasn't exactly like she could say this was the compound for the Italian Mafia.

"Here, let me show you around," Olivia grinned, linking her arm with Elena as she took her on the promised tour. I followed just behind them as Olivia showed her much of the house, pridefully telling her everything she knew.

"It's beautiful," Elena gushed. "I've never seen such a house of grandeur before. The architecture is gorgeous, and then I saw the garden in the back on the way in. It's idyllic to grow up in. You must feel very lucky to live in such a wonderful home."

While the admiration she expressed was reflected honestly within her eyes and on her face, I could see little flashes of something. When she ran her fingers along the beams of the grand staircase, I could see the longing in her touches, the way she held on just a little too long, the way her eyes latched onto the paintings and stonework on the walls with a sense of envy. The fleeting moments weren't harsh or cruel, so I didn't mention it, but something felt off already.

I knew she had come from a poorer background, so I felt a bit guilty showing her a life she might never have, the riches she'd never had the luxury of thinking about.

At least while she was here, I had to make it my duty to make her feel comfortable and accepted. She was giving us a precious treasure, completing our family. The least I could do was make her feel at home.

We popped into Dahlia's room, where she was lounging on her bed, and Dahlia caught one glance at Elena and squealed.

I winced, pulling away as Dahlia tackled Elena and Olivia into a massive hug.

"You should've told me she was coming!" Dahlia pouted at her best friend. "I would've prepared something!"

"I did! You just weren't listening," Olivia retorted, crossing her arms at the accusations.

"It's fine. You didn't have to prepare anything," Elena laughed, squished between the two of them. "I'm more than happy to be invited to see your home. You truly are fortunate to have such a wonderful husband, Olivia." There it was again.

I frowned, leaning against the wall as the three girls chatted excitedly with one another. Neither Olivia nor Dahlia had seen the complicated emotions in Elena's eyes, the way her comments bit just a bit past genuine praise. No, the two best friends remained blissfully unaware, consumed by their own excitement and gratitude as they both restarted the tour, this time with Dahlia on her other arm, pulling her along.

It was a bit disturbing to see how easily Elena had fit in between them, how easily she had hidden her underlying feelings. If I hadn't already been suspicious of her and been looking for it, she could've fooled me too.

But I had seen it.

As I followed them to the garden outside, I stayed quiet, pondering my thoughts. I was torn between whether I should address Elena's envy and whether it could be detrimental to our relationship or let it go to protect the harmony.

Elena was our surrogate for better or for worse; I wasn't going to ruin her relationship with Olivia for simple suspicions. After all, it would be hard for any person who'd come from a lower background to step foot in here and not be envious. I didn't want to create a problem if it wasn't there.

"What kind of flowers are these?" Elena asked as we strolled through the garden. She smiled, stopping to point out each different plant and ask what it was called.

She gazed up at the tree full of light pink blossoms, a truly beautiful sight to see under the blue skies above. A smile played at her lips as she gently grabbed one without breaking it from the branch and sniffed.

"It smells like spring," she remarked casually.

"I don't know," Olivia said, frowning as she tried to recover the name from her memory. "But you're right, they are beautiful."

"Probably some flower with a hard-to-pronounce name," Dahlia waved it off. "They're everywhere in Florence, especially during spring."

"Magnolias," I said softly. "It's a magnolia tree."

Three pairs of eyes landed on me, and Elena smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at me.

"It's wonderful, Mr. Valentino," she said.

There was an uncomfortable feeling that burrowed under my skin as she stared at me for a little too long. The expression of her awe for the tree and flowers was normal, so why did it feel so wrong?

The tour continued with Elena being dragged along by my wife and cousin, and I trailed behind-uncertainly.

They toured the entire compound, leaving bedrooms and important offices out of it. Olivia wanted to take her in to see our suite, but that was where I drew the line. I directed them upstairs, and Elena just smiled through it all, making comments here and there. Some were filled with genuine warmth, and others with appreciation for Olivia being "lucky."

Those were the comments that made me most uncomfortable.

Olivia had made it clear to me over our time together that she couldn't care less about wealth. She only used my money when I insisted, and though she was thankful for it, she never asked me to pay for anything.

That was always my decision. But Elena... she may have looked somewhat similar to Olivia, but she was as far from my wife as she could be. Her eyes lingered on the diamonds in the chandelier; she asked about the age of the vases and the grand fireplace, letting comments about cost slip without seeming to be rude.

Despite how focused on her role she was, there was just the tiniest hint of bitterness in every smooth movement, one that she was clearly desperate to hide.

I watched her closely as the group retreated to the kitchen, snacking on the various foods that Olivia had brought out just for her.

"Hmm, this is delicious," Elena grinned as she took a bite of the cannoli.

"Maria's the best," Olivia said proudly.

"No disagreements there. You should try her margaritas after, you know, the whole pregnancy thing," Dahlia commented sheepishly as her eyes flickered to Elena's flat stomach and then awkwardly to the table. "Never mind." Elena laughed. "No, that sounds amazing. I'm honored you consider me a friend even after the baby is born."

"Of course," Dahlia grinned. "Us girls gotta stick together. Plus, you're helping my best friend out with her dream. How could we not love you already?"

Touched, Elena beamed. "I'm just happy to be able to help support them on their path to parenthood. Right, Olivia?"

"Right," Olivia agreed, a dash of cannoli cream stuck on her nose.

Elena and Dahlia exchanged glances, bursting into giggles as Olivia sent them a weird look.

"What? Something wrong?" she frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

I chuckled, kicking off from the wall as I stood behind her.

"You've got a little something, carina," I whispered to her, covering her from the peeping eyes as I licked the cream straight off the tip of her nose.

She blushed, turning bright red, and I chuckled, stepping back as I licked my lips. She was right; those cannolis were good.

"Ooooh, love in the kitchen," Dahlia smirked. "You two should get a room before you start making out right in front of us. It's not very sanitary."

"I think it's sweet," Elena said, watching us as I wrapped my arms around Olivia, holding her close.

I eyed Elena as the girls laughed and joked around.

I was still unsure about her. She seemed to be genuine, but a little voice kept nagging in the back of my mind.

Was everything really okay with this woman?