Chapter one

ISABELLA POV

 “Marriage? To the DeLuca”s, NO Daddy, I don’t think I can”, I step back in shock, my heart pounding in my chest, all the adrenaline of getting him to the hospital, the fear, and the anxiety leaving my body, I turn around ready to run through the doors when my mother stops me, placing her hand on my shoulder.

 “Isabella darling, please, this is the only way to save this family, your father, your brother,” she says her voice shaking in fear.

 I turn around looking at my father, his eyes swollen, bandages crossed over his body, his eyes red from blood pooling in his eyes from the beating he received, right in our ancestral home, I turn to my mother, her eyes filled with tears, my socialite mother, always happy and cheerful, but all I can see in her eyes right now is fear of the unknown, the future, what more could they possibly do to us?

 Let’s rewind to this morning……

 “Isabella, Bianca is on the phone for you” I hear my mother scream from my room door, my feet move across the wooden floorboard, grabbing the landline from my new office table in my bedroom, “ hey loser,” I twist my fingers through the cord, settling my weight on the table as my eyes take in my bedroom.

 “Happy birthday baby girl!!! She screams into the phone” followed by her grunting probably falling over something as Bianca is clumsy, sometimes I wonder how she ended up as a supermodel.

 I wince, “Bee, don’t tell me you fell?” I question her.

 “Forget that, I booked us an appointment at the saloon, and then we can go shopping, and then we can have brunch with the girls, what do you think?” she says quickly.

 We’ve been best friends since we were babies and I’m still not used to her speaking so fast, “calm down there tiger, I chuckle into the phone, my eyes turning to the high double white doors of my bedroom covered my gold swirly vines and red roses, “what makes you think I don’t have some man taking me out for my birthday uh?” my eyes move towards my unmade bed with white Egyptian sheets, according to my mom, her kids will only sleep in the best of the best.

 Her long laugh echoes through the phone, “We both know you’re single to a stupor, just like me, she chuckles, “Maybe we should try finding a man, don’t you think?”

 “Easier said than done, I shake my head, why did you call through the landline anyway Bee, I frown Matteo could be listening in,” I say referring to my younger brother.

 “I called your phone numerous times and you didn’t pick up, and I had to tell your mama to save me a piece of her special lemon cake, knowing your family, that will be devoured in minutes,” she huffs.

 “Hi Matteo,” she giggles into the phone.

 “Good morning Bee,” his voice follows.

 “Get out of the call”, I chuckle into the phone, “younger brothers” I mumble under my breath in annoyance.

 “Breakfast is ready Bozo”, he laughs ending the call.

 “so I’ll see you in an hour? In two hours?” Bianca says into the phone

 “In one hour Bee, and bring my present, or else” I give her a stern warning, “no big surprises. You get that?”

 She chuckles ending the call, I pull the phone from my ear, only God knows what she has arranged this time, she always shocks me with the biggest presents or the most unexpected and embarrassing presents.

 I chuckle to myself, walking towards my balcony and pulling the glass doors open allowing the morning sun pour into the room, the white walls brighten up the space more, “Isabella Mariano turning 22 today” I say happily to myself, turning this age has always been a big milestone for me, not specifically the age but finally getting my life on track, I graduated from Harvard university last year with my finance degree, and this year I was appointed the chief finance officer at my dad’s luxury furniture company, although I got the job because I’m my father daughter but I’ve been training for this for a very long time, following him to the office, I enjoyed calculating numbers, I was so interested in the maths of it all, from then on, my dad knew the CEO position was not for me, I was a numbers girl, he knew I would do best in the finance position, so I became better, went to school, took up many internship positions during the holidays and finally it was all coming into fulfillment from today.

 “Alexa play me feather,” I say out loud already moving my body happily to my closet to pick out a dress for the morning.

 “Playing Feather by Sabrina Carpenter” the automated voice replies to me, the speakers connected to the roof of my bedroom are immediately filled with the tune of smooth music.

 Grabbing a lime green short dress with a sweetheart neckline and a flared bottom, I place the dress on my bed, along with a pair of white sandals, I move to the bathroom, completing my morning routine, my reflection bounces back at me, my long blonde hair in a reckless and untidy bun, my hazel eyes shining brightly, the yellow lights from my bathroom mirror hitting them at the best angle, I quickly have a bath, I look back at the mirror having an internal conflict with myself if I should apply makeup or not, I decide against it as I’m still heading to the saloon, I quickly finish my skincare, brushing my hair down my back, I quickly pull my dress and sandals on, pulling on a pearl studded watch and pearl earrings, I walk out the door.

 On the left is Matteo bedroom door, a sign that says stay away on his door, and further down the hall is my parent's room followed by random rooms in the house, I take my right towards the spiral staircase, the walls are painted white also with wooden floors, numerous pictures cover the walls, the house has been in my family for ages and has been renovated a few times.

 “Happy birthday mam”, a voice says beside me.

 I turn around to see a maid, as she shuffles away quickly.

 “Thank you!!” I scream right back at her coming down the staircase

 I reach the foyer, on the left are two doors, one leading to my dad's office and the other to the living room, on the right are also two doors, one a full glass door leading to the garden and the other leading to the dining where I know my family will be, I push the door of the dining open, and the long table with a spread of food cross my view but I'm quickly blocked by my mom walking towards me with a lemon cake and candles lit on the cake, my pink thin lips are pulled into a wide proud smile, her eyes like mine, twinkling under the candles, and her blonde hair pulled into a neat bun.

 “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU” Oh to be loved by family.