Chapter 646

The atmosphere in the Casalini living room was heavy. Matthew, his wife Mona, and her son Adrian were present. Sofia casually painted her nails.

After hearing Sofia’s reason for coming, everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Mona’s face, in particular, darkened considerably. Matthew glanced at his watch. It was already one in the morning. He turned to the butler. “Prepare a guest room for Ms. Giovanni.”

“Richard didn’t come back with you?” Matthew asked, turning to Sofia.

“My husband is busy,” Sofia said, glancing at the butler who was about to arrange the room. “No need for the room. Dad, just give me a straight answer. When will you give it to me?”

While she called him “Dad” quite naturally, it didn’t sit well with anyone present. Matthew clutched his chest in frustration, and Mona and Adrian’s faces were even more unsightly.

Earlier, Sofia had claimed that she and Richard were legally married, that she had been tricked, even threatened, into it. She meant that although they had registered their marriage, she wouldn’t forgo any of the customary rituals. She even brought a list. Before Richard’s mother married Matthew, she brought a dowry to the Casalini family and recorded everything on a list. Sofia meant that she deserved that money.

Saying things like “customary rituals” sounded elegant, but what she really meant was that she wanted to split the family’s assets now that she and Richard were married. Everyone was sharp; no one was fooled. Now, her words, “When will you give it to me,” were even more aggressive.

Mona asked, “Is this Richard’s idea?” She was trying to maintain her image as a good stepmother, but it was difficult at this point. If one listened closely, one could hear a hint of gritted teeth in her tone.

Sofia missed a stroke while painting her nails. Annoyed, she slammed the nail polish brush on the table with a bang. Matthew was speechless. Mona and Adrian were speechless as well. Although she seemed angry about her nail polish, she was actually standing up to Mona. The moment Mona spoke, Sofia slammed her brush down.

Mona’s face immediately darkened. “What do you mean by that, Ms. Giovanni?”

Sofia retorted, “If I remember correctly, you should address me as Mrs. Sofia Casalini.”

Mona was shocked. “You…”

Sofia raised an eyebrow at her. “What was your status with the Casalini family again?”

It was true that Matthew brought Mona here soon after Jessica passed away. Everyone said she was “Mrs. Casalini,” but Sofia remembered that Matthew never gave this woman a wedding. Sofia didn’t care what outsiders thought about her. To Sofia, Mona was nothing more than a house guest.

As expected, Mona’s face turned pale and then red when she heard Sofia’s sharp retort. Sofia looked at Matthew. “Dad?”

Mona also looked at Matthew, desperately hoping he would say that she was the lady of this house. Matthew stared at Sofia with sharp eyes. “Where’s Richard?”

Sofia said, “He left after dropping me off. He said he was going to pick up Finn.”

“Dad, you know the history between the Giovannis and the Casalinis. You have to stand up for me in this. That jerk Richard has been against my brother for all these years. Now he’s forcing me to marry him.”

“No matter what, you have to compensate me for this.” Sofia emphasized the word “compensate.”

Mona and Adrian’s faces darkened, especially after Sofia entered and addressed Matthew as “Dad” repeatedly. However, her demands were outrageous. It wasn’t just a share of the inheritance she wanted, but practically two-thirds of the Casalini family’s assets. To make matters worse, Richard was absent.

“Richard declared three years ago that he’s no longer a part of the Casalini family?” Adrian, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

However, Sofia shot him a sharp look the moment he finished speaking. “And who are you?”

“You don’t know who I am?” Adrian’s face couldn’t get any darker. Sofia didn’t resort to vulgar insults, but her pointed question was enough to humiliate him. Adrian’s identity had been questioned over the years, but never to his face. After all, he was one of the heirs to the Casalini family.

Sofia scoffed. “Of course, I know who you are. I’m just afraid you’ve forgotten yourself.”

With that, Sofia looked away from Adrian and rolled her eyes. “Since we’re on the subject, let me remind you that in Fiorenza, illegitimate children have no inheritance rights as long as the legitimate heir is alive.”

Mona and Adrian both fell into silence. The atmosphere in the room instantly turned icy. Their faces, already grim, turned even more so after Sofia’s words. Adrian’s eyes, in particular, were fixed on Sofia with a dangerous glint. Sofia, unafraid of him, turned to Matthew impatiently. “Dad, say something.”

Mona and Adrian cringed inwardly each time Sofia addressed Matthew as “Dad.” It wasn’t a term of endearment; it was a demand for money.

Matthew rotated the rosary beads in his hand. “Richard didn’t tell you? He took his mother’s entire share three years ago.” The memory of that time still stung; it had been a significant financial blow to the Casalini family. Richard hadn’t cared, taking everything he wanted. He had stayed away from the Casalini family for the past few years, giving them some peace. But then, Sofia’s arrival felt like an even bigger storm brewing.

Sofia retorted, “Well, he won’t give it to me. Dad, you know that after marriage, the wife manages the money. So, either you give me Mom’s share, or you tell Richard to hand it over.”

Adrian interjected, “That’s absurd!”

“What do you mean absurd? Who are you?” Sofia snapped back.

Adrian sputtered, “You…”

“Fine,” Sofia declared. “I’ll have my mom or my brother come and discuss this with Dad. What belongs to my husband belongs to me, and I will get it.”

“He took it all three years ago.” Unable to maintain her pleasant stepmother facade under Sofia’s aggressive questioning, Mona said.

Sofia said, “But I didn’t get it.” She rolled her eyes again.

Mona was even angrier seeing Sofia’s unreasonable behavior, especially in the middle of the night. No one was fully alert, yet Sofia insisted on discussing the assets at this hour.

Sofia called out, “Dad!”

His chest heaving, Matthew closed his eyes and said, “Tell Richard to come back and say this to my face.”

“Dad, you better think this through. If Richard comes back, he’ll want more than just this.”

Her words sent shivers down Mona and Adrian’s spines. Indeed, if Richard returned, he wouldn’t settle for just this. Bound by Sofia’s connection to the Giovanni family, Mona and Adrian didn’t dare to disrespect her too much. In just two hours, their anger intensified, and they pinned their hopes on Matthew. Sofia made it clear that she wouldn’t leave tonight without getting what she wanted.

Chapter 647