American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 158 Women, Two of Them

Christmas arrived unexpectedly after the snowfall.

Without a word, Beta crammed the entire "family," including Matilda, Leon, and John, into the private plane sent by Gianna.

As the Boeing 737 took off through the snowy night, Matilda leaned against the porthole, gazing blankly at the city lights that were gradually disappearing.

Twelve hours later, rain on the Apennine Peninsula replaced the snowfall in New York.

The icy rain pattered on the tarmac. Unlike the snow in New York, the winter rain here had the viscous feel of the Mediterranean, feeling like countless tiny ice needles on the skin.

Leon sneezed as soon as he got off the plane, muttering that he missed the weather in New York; Matilda opened her umbrella and looked curiously at the ancient Roman-style roofs in the distance, where rainwater was flowing down the tiles and forming silver streaks.

Matilda wrapped her coat tighter, her breath lingering briefly in the air before quickly dissipating.

John looked at the gray sky: "At least we don't have to shovel snow."

Beta stood on the gangway, his icy blue eyes sweeping across the city.

This will be his new beginning.

Outside the VIP hangar, two Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUVs slowly came to a stop at the small gate. The tires made a slight sound as they rolled over the puddles, and rainwater flowed down the vehicles, reflecting the hazy airport lights.

Beta immediately recognized the people in the driver's seats of both cars.

In the car ahead, Ashley's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, her pupils flashing dangerously in the dim light. Her slightly raised chin and taut lips conveyed the message, "I'd love to break your legs right now."

Catalia in the car behind was quite different. Leaning against the window, a playful smile played on her lips. When her eyes met Beta's, she winked mischievously and lightly patted the passenger seat with her nail-painted hand.

Matilda keenly sensed the unusual atmosphere and silently backed away from Beta, pretending to be very interested in the water on the tarmac.

Beta took a deep breath; this was an epic choice.

On one side was his family-arranged fiancée, and on the other was his passionate lover. His gaze lingered between the two cars for less than half a second before he unhesitatingly opened Ashley's car door and got into the passenger seat.

After all, Ashley's rage is far more destructive than the trouble Katalia might cause.

“A wise choice,” Ashley spat out through gritted teeth, the accelerator already floored. The Stelvio’s engine roared fiercely, raindrops sprayed in a fan shape on the windshield, and the tires spun for half a second on the slippery track before shooting off.

Beta's back slammed heavily against the leather seat, and he grabbed the armrest above his head with his right hand.

In the rearview mirror, Catalia's car remained quietly parked in the same spot.

John, Leon, and Matilda walked toward the second car.

Catalia, however, remained calm and composed, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. She rolled down the window, letting the cold rain soak her newly styled hair, a knowing smile playing on her lips. This game had only just begun.

Ashley's emotions at this moment were fully expressed through her driving style.

Stelvio was recklessly speeding through the streets of Rome. He drove against traffic across one-way streets, ignored red lights, and drifted with his tires running over double yellow lines.

The speedometer needle has already reached 120 kilometers per hour.

Beta stared at the dashboard: "Perhaps... we can slow down a bit, we're in the city."

Ashley slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched on the wet pavement, and the ABS system vibrated against the pedal. The hazard lights flashed incessantly as the car slid sideways for dozens of meters before finally coming to a stop, albeit crookedly, on the side of the road.

Ashley's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as she slowly turned to look at Beta, her eyes burning with rage.

Before Beta could recover from the dizziness of the sudden braking, Ashley had already unbuckled her seatbelt.

With a crisp "click," the car locked into Park, the electronic parking brake light came on red, and the next second, a fist reeking of perfume slammed towards Beta.
Beta grabbed her wrist, but Ashley's foot followed immediately by a kick from the driver's seat.

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" Each curse was accompanied by an even more violent kick.

Beta had to release her wrists and instead grab her slender ankles, forcefully pulling her from the driver's seat into his arms.

Ashley struggled like an enraged lioness, delivering a headbutt to Beta's nose. Blood immediately dripped down Beta's chin and onto Ashley's cashmere sweater.

"Are you serious about our feelings?" Ashley asked breathlessly, her mascara slightly smudged with tears.

Beta wiped the blood from his nose and held up his blood-stained finger in front of her eyes: "Obviously, one hundred percent."

Blood dripped from his fingertips onto the central armrest.

Ashley abruptly broke free from Beta's grasp, tossing her coat onto the back seat. She straddled Beta's lap, the sound of her stockings tearing clearly audible in the enclosed carriage.

"You bastard!" The curse was eventually dissolved in a kiss.

As Beta drove his SUV into the castle courtyard, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Ashley was fast asleep in the passenger seat, her messy hair plastered to her sweaty forehead.

Beta forced his heavy eyelids open as he got out of the car; the cool morning mist cleared his head considerably. In this intense "reconciliation negotiation," Beta was clearly the one who had expended far more energy.

He opened the passenger door and wrapped Ashley's bare legs with his coat. Ashley's stockings were nowhere to be seen, her shirt buttons were fastened in a haphazard manner, and her disheveled long hair covered half of her face.

He hoisted the Sicilian princess onto his shoulder, stuffed the lace lingerie from the chair into his trouser pocket, and carried Ashley like a looted trophy, striding toward the main castle building.

In the empty castle corridors, only Beta's footsteps could be heard. The person on his shoulder occasionally murmured in her sleep, her warm breath brushing against the back of his neck. Following Ashley's half-awake guidance, he finally found her bedroom in the maze-like corridors.

Just as Beta reached out to push the door open, a familiar scent of orange perfume wafted in.

Katalia leaned against the doorframe, clearly having been waiting for a long time.

Her gaze darted back and forth between Beta and Ashley on her shoulder. When she saw the suggestive red marks on Ashley's bare calves and the suit jacket that barely covered her private parts, Katalia smiled softly.

Morning light streamed through the stained glass, casting colorful rays between the three people.

"Good morning." Katalia gave a meaningful smile. "It seems the negotiations went very well?"

Catalia grabbed his collar, forcing him to look down, and a citrus-scented kiss gently landed on the corner of his lips.

As they parted, Katalia winked: "Remember to come find me, or my temper is much worse than Ashley's."

Beta stood frozen in place, and at that moment he missed his life in New York terribly, truly.

(End of this chapter)