Ellis had never walked as fast in her life as she did until she reached the kitchen. She returned to her place at the counter and then picked up some vegetables from the bowl that her mother-in-law had placed in front of her. The young woman started cutting quickly, pretending to be engrossed in the food so she wouldn't have to acknowledge the conversation. However, in her mind, she replayed the words exchanged between them. Ellis tried to piece together the situation between Antonietta and Eleonora, and the only person who could help her was Jason, whom she called and began to tell everything she had heard:
"So it seems the blonde was Vittorio's girlfriend and she cheated on him with this guy Tommaso...," she began, relaying the information. "But she did it to get something for Vittorio's mother... Something that, if he finds out, he'll be extremely upset with his mother. How can I use this to my advantage? See if there's anything in the copy of the contract I left there that can help me?"
"Okay, sis, hold on," Jason requested on the line. "Look at clause 5.1.1. It says he can waive his obligations under exceptional circumstances and request the dissolution of the marriage and settlement... Maybe that's the way..."
"To get Vittorio back with the blonde," Ellis concluded, excitedly. "If Amorielle starts to like her again, he might end this."
"But she cheated on him... I don't know," Jason said.
"But she did it at Antonietta's command," Ellis argued. "Antonietta orchestrated all of this."
"What did I orchestrate, dear?" Antonietta asked, appearing in the kitchen with Eleonora. She stared at her daughter-in-law, who was on the phone, not understanding the conversation she caught the end of. "Who are you talking to?"
"My brother," Ellis quickly replied as she hung up the phone on Jason. She smiled at both of them while concocting a convincing lie in her head. "He just woke up and started questioning me about where I was... So I explained to him that I came here to have lunch with you... And then he asked why he didn't come with me... and I told him you orchestrated all of this."
"I see," Antonietta said, narrowing her eyes.
"And guests don't invite themselves, right? That's an etiquette rule, isn't it?" Ellis asked nervously.
"Yes, dear," Eleonora replied on behalf of the matriarch. She walked up to the brunette, looking up at her, and then said to Antonietta, "She's not such a... simple person after all."
"If that's a compliment, thank you," Ellis said, trying to control her irritation. After all, the blonde in front of her, with her pink suit, emerald green bag, and ivory stilettos, was her way out of Vittorio's life.
"Ellis, maybe you don't remember, but this is Eleonora, the daughter of one of our closest families," Antonietta introduced.
"And Vittorio's ex-fiancée," Eleonora added with a mischievous smile.
"My son never made it official..." Antonietta explained as she approached. "She came here to learn our family recipe."
"He proposed to me, and I declined," Eleonora explained challengingly. "Although if I were to change my mind now, I think he'd accept in a heartbeat."
"Then start changing your mind," Ellis said, smiling at the blonde.
"You have quite a sense of humor, don't you?" Eleonora remarked. She looked at the
brunette's clothes and continued, "Certainly to compensate for something."
"One of my best qualities," Ellis quipped.
Control yourself, Ellis. Don't slap this cow, don't disfigure her. You need her, Ellis thought as she smiled at the blonde.
"Shall we begin?" Antonietta asked to defuse the situation. "As I explained to Ellis, every minute lost in this recipe matters. And we'll already lose a lot of time with the braised lamb, as it takes hours to cook since the meat comes from an old sheep and is therefore very fibrous."
"Alright," Ellis said, adjusting herself at the counter to make more space for Eleonora to approach. She wondered how the blonde was going to cook dressed like that, and with those long nails.
"Today, you two will discover that this dish embodies all the fundamental elements of the Mafia," Antonietta said.
"Oh, yes, undoubtedly it will be especially suitable for someone not born into our world," Eleonora sniped. "Which gives me an advantage, as I was born and raised in it."
"Great," Ellis said, reaching her limit. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes," Eleonora replied.
"Has Vittorio ever cooked for you?"
"No, we didn't have many opportunities," Eleonora answered.
"Damn," Ellis whispered, but not quietly enough to go unnoticed by the other two. Antonietta disguised her smile, while Eleonora didn't understand the reason for the question.
"Why did you ask me that?"
"Oh, nothing. Just checking something," Ellis said, disappointed. She looked at Antonietta and asked, "Please, dear mother-in-law, continue."
"Continuing, this dish will help you understand the logic of our families' organization. The dish represents how merciless and tough a mafioso's life is, and how they need to control even anarchy, even though it goes against all forms of law, as that is their natural calling."
Ellis slightly parted her lips, as she finally understood why this was Vittorio's favorite dish: it represented exactly who the mafioso needed to be. Then a question arose in the brunette's mind: Was he capable of it?