CHAPTER 662. RED PROMISE. A Crazy FamilyIt wasn’t easy. No one in their right mind would have said it was easy. But even though Ainara had spent the past ten years burying all the good feelings she’d ever had for Mauro, she wasn’t so immature as to deny that he could bring them back to the surface when he wanted—especially when it came to protecting her daughter.“There’s a lot you can say about the Kellers,” said a cheerful voice behind her. Ainara turned to see Mrs. Andrea walking in, carrying a covered hanger. She didn’t have to unzip it to know it held a beautiful dress the woman must have managed to get at the last minute.“Pardon…?” Ainara murmured, and Andrea smiled as she approached.“That look on your face means you’re driving yourself crazy, wondering if you made the right decision,” Andrea stated. “So let me finish what I came to say: there’s a lot you can say about the Kellers—that they’re stubborn, clumsy, a bit insensitive, scatterbrained… and all of that is true. But i
CHAPTER 663. RED PROMISE. The Urgent and the Important"There has to be a plausible explanation for telling June that I'm her dad," Mauro grumbled, standing with his hands on his hips while Ainara, standing in front of him, looked ready for battle."And there has to be a plausible explanation for telling your mom, your aunts, your crazy cousin, and your crazy cousin's fiancé's whole crazy family that I can’t have a bachelorette party that ends up in tomorrow morning’s scandalous headlines!" Ainara shot back. Mauro pointed an accusatory finger at her."Okay! But my issue is more important!" he exclaimed. "What if we tell her I was in a coma, like in a soap opera? Or did you tell her I was dead?""Mauro! Mine is more urgent! Your mother wants to bring a naked man tonight, and Adriana's in-laws want to bring a naked man in a cage! Do you know what that means?!"Mauro huffed, brushing his hair out of his face."Your issue can be solved with a blindfold and Uncle John's assault rifle. Plus
CHAPTER 664. RED PROMISE. Say Yes!"Jhoooohn! The rifle!" Mauro shouted the moment one of those cheeky guys flashed his fiancée a smile. Within seconds, every man in the family was on the scene, ready to ruin their women’s fun."Sir, sir, please!" one of the officers said. "We are professionals. If you have a rifle in this house, I recommend you get your gun license ready for me to review. Understood?"Mauro's eyes widened in shock as the man in front of him appeared completely serious."Did you seriously call the police, you bunch of crazies?!" he demanded, glaring at his mother and aunts. But the commanding officer’s voice cut through the commotion."Alright, boys! Show them that tonight, the only ones allowed to be armed are us!""Sweet Jesus!" Mauro yelled just as the nearest officer ripped off his fake uniform. Ainara burst into laughter as Mauro hopped on one leg like a startled flamingo."Jhoooohn! The damn rifle, I mean it!"Of course, the women protested loudly, laughing and
CHAPTER 665. RED PROMISE. A Wedding NightThere were a thousand things to put in order, starting with the fact that Mauro’s new venture was in Zurich, where he was helping his father with business. However, he didn’t want to risk taking June or Ainara out of Lucerne. Most of the family lived there, and Mauro was convinced there was no safer place for them.But all he could do was take one step at a time. The first step was to enjoy their wedding banquet in peace—or at least, the Keller version of peace.That afternoon, they ate, danced, and celebrated the first of their weddings, as the family matriarchs insisted there would be more. Eventually, they left June at her first-ever family sleepover, while the adults teased them mercilessly, threatening to throw more than rice or confetti if they didn’t head off to their wedding night."With so much insistence, resistance is futile," Mauro sighed, scooping Ainara into his arms like a princess and placing her in the car."Wait…! Mauro, we c
CHAPTER 666. RED PROMISE. A Classic Approach"What do you mean, nothing? What are you trying to say?"Mauro pulled his uncle into one of the house’s private offices, shutting the door firmly behind him and ensuring no one was around to interrupt."Exactly what I said. Nothing. The only two men connected to her in any way are Senator Rosso—which we already know isn’t true, obviously—and Lugh, who also isn’t the father because their blood types are incompatible for a father-daughter relationship.""Yeah, and he’s not powerful enough for Ainara to be afraid of him, honestly," Mauro mused. "So… not a single lead?""None. There’s also no record of either of them at any hospital, as if June’s birth took place at home or something. So whatever Ainara’s hiding from you, it’s probably not something pleasant," Uncle Jhon warned."Well… to be fair, she’s not exactly hiding it from me. She was going to tell me last night, completely voluntarily…""But?" Jhon interjected, raising a condescending e
CHAPTER 667. RED PROMISE. PendingShe was sweet, adorable, cheerful… and when she was hungry, she was like a wet gremlin. Mauro’s heart melted as he saw that little face peeking over the side of his bed, only to realize it was barely six in the morning."June…? Sweetheart, why are you awake so early? Did you have a bad dream?""No, Daddy, I’m hungry!" the little girl complained, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Mauro felt a tenderness he’d never experienced before.He could roll over and wake Ainara, but he wanted this moment for himself. So he jumped out of bed, scooped June into his arms, and carried her to the kitchen.He sat her on the breakfast bar and rubbed his hands together as if preparing for the ultimate battle. June watched him curiously as he did four squats, three push-ups, and thumped his chest twice like Tarzan."Alright! Now! What does a five-year-old eat for breakfast?" He opened the fridge but then reached for his phone. "Better ask Saint Google…""Milk," June said, and Mau
CHAPTER 668. RED PROMISE. The Wrong ManAinara was excited—she couldn’t deny it. Working with Senator Rosso had its moments, or more precisely, whatever Lugh said would bring in the most money. She didn’t complain, though, because, honestly, she couldn’t afford to. But the truth was, she was thrilled to be dedicating herself to something that genuinely filled her heart.And Mauro seemed more than willing to entrust her with these projects. However, when they arrived at the office, his secretary looked visibly nervous."Sir, I’m so glad you’re here! I’ve been trying to reach you all morning, but… well… your phone was off!"The young woman knew it was poor etiquette to blame her bosses, but it wasn’t her fault that the company CEO had his phone turned off while someone so important was waiting for him."Is there a problem?""You have an important visitor. No appointment… or rather, one of those who doesn’t need an appointment," she replied. Mauro narrowed his eyes. There were only a han
CHAPTER 669. RED PROMISE. No Matter WhatRolf Weber might have anticipated any reaction from the man married to the woman raising his daughter, but being knocked to the floor with a punch wasn’t one of them.“Are you out of your mind?!” he yelled, clutching his nose, a thin trickle of blood escaping.“Quite the opposite. And for the record, I’m so clear-headed that I controlled my punch just enough not to break it. I imagine it would be rather embarrassing to give one of your famous speeches with a bruised face, wouldn’t it?” Mauro hissed. “But if you ever disrespect my wife again, I guarantee I’ll do a lot more than that. Got it?”Rolf Weber scrambled to his feet, glaring at both Mauro and Ainara, who had risen from her chair in shock and fear.“You’re an idiot! How can you let a woman control your actions?!” he growled furiously. “I came here to offer you a good deal, to take the child off your hands… I just want to take her with me, to live with me…”“And why the hell would you do