I wake up to the sound of my alarm. I look for the phone on the nightstand and switch off the alarm. I get up from my bed using all the strength I have and walk straight to the bathroom to get ready for today’s trip. I have a good feeling that it’s going to be fun.
Once done in the bathroom, I walk over to my closet to pick what to wear. I am wearing a black sweater, storm grey jeans, black flat shoes and a matching handbag with my shades on top. I love travelling comfortably. I walk downstairs to make breakfast for mama. I will have to break the news to her that I am going to the one place she has forbidden me to go. I don’t know the reason why, but I pray she won’t be upset.
I step into the kitchen and get the ingredients from the cupboard. I mix flour, egg and milk with a little sugar. I set the frying pan to start the pancakes, when mama walks downstairs looking like the happiest person in the world. She pecks me on both cheeks before she sits down and asks me the one question that I have been preparing myself for, so she won’t have ‘my head’ this morning.
“Why is there a suitcase in the middle of my hallway?” Mama says while sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen.
“Mama, I was going to tell you yesterday but by the time I got back you were sleeping. I am going on a business trip this morning.”
“If I may ask, where are you going to?”
“Mama, I am going to Sicily. I know you forbade me from going to Sicily for reasons only known to you. But mama yesterday I got paid $5000 and if I continue working at the company I can make enough money for your surgery. I don’t want to risk having a fight with my boss, so please, I am begging you to allow me to go to Sicily, please.” I say pleading with my eyes.
“I was going to say you can’t go, but the look on your face shows you won’t take no for an answer. So, you can go to Sicily, but please my love, come back in one piece.”
“I will, thank you so much. You won’t regret it. I love you,” I say while I peck mama on both cheeks.
“I hope I don’t regret it and I love you too.”
I sit on the sofa while I wait for Enzo to arrive. I pick up my phone to check some things that are happening in the world. I check E-News to see the latest gossip, only to see the headline is a picture of my boss and me! It says: ‘Mr Lorenzo Costanzo looked handsome with his beautiful date. We are yet to discover her name or anything about her.’
Oh my God! Enzo is going to be pissed if he sees this after what he said in the car last night. He made it clear that he won't ever want to be in a relationship with someone like me. I have to think of a way to make sure he does not see this.
I hear a knock on the door. I get up to open the door to see Enzo on my doorstep with a smirk planted on his face.
“Good morning, Bella.”
“Good morning, sir,” I say, wishing he did not look as handsome as he does.He is wearing a white button-up shirt with a few top buttons open, grey trousers and brown shoes and his shades on. Looking as sexy as ever. It would be so much easier for me not to have this attraction to him.
"Are you ready, Bella?”
"Yes, I am. Come in while I get my bag, then we can be on our way." I say walking inside with so many thoughts in my head. Worried how this trip is going to be, and if he is going to be kind to me or will he give me so much paperwork that I won't be able tosee anything of Sicily while we are there. I hope it's the former.
I walk into the living room to see mama and Enzo talking and laughing. They look like they have known each other for a long time, which seems weird to me.
"Mama, I am going now. Bye, I love you, make sure not to stress yourself too much and take your drugs." I say while I kiss her cheeks before I walk out the door with Enzo.
We step outside and get into his white Range Rover. While we are on the way to the airport, I pick up my book to read to keep myself busy before we get to the airport. I am getting to the interesting part of the book when I hear someone calling my name. They bring me back from my preoccupation.
“What are you reading that is so interesting that I have to call your name three times.”
“Huh”
“Don’t huh me. You have to tell me what this book is about because it seems to have your full attention.”Enzo says, confusing me a bit by his sudden interest.
“Oh, what I am reading. It’s a novel, and the name is: ‘Love Finds You. ‘Do you want to know what is happening in it?” I wonder why he is asking. Since when does he care what I do? I contemplate discussing it with him to see what it feels like to have a conversation with him.
“Sure, why not. It seems like that’s the only thing you care about right now.”
“It’s a novel about a man who is madly in love with a woman, but he does not know how to express his feelings. The reason is that when he was younger he watched his father kill his mother in front of him. So ever since then he never believed in love until he met her.He has a tough time showing his feelings, but when he shows it, he shows it in a very romantic way, it’s so cute.” I say feeling very excited while talking about the book.
I am about to tell him about the part I am reading when the car comes to a halt. I look out to see a big beautiful plane. I step out to see the biggest plane I have ever seen in my life. Even though the only time I had ever seen a plane was when mama and I travelled to Spain to visit my grandparents. That plane was nothing like what is in front of me.
"Wow, it’s massive, do you own it?"
"Yes, I do, with five others.” He says smirking.
“Come on, let’s get in." Enzo says leading the way into the plane.
“Wow, I am guessing there is a lot about you I don’t know.”
“There are so many things about me you don’t know, and I have no desire of telling you. Please, could you stop staring and get inside the plane so we can be on our way,” he says like it’s a regular thing for someone to own five private planes.
We get on the plane. I get a seat close to the windows and put on my seat belt because he says we are already late and have to be on our way right away. It does not give me enough time to look around, but from what I saw before I sat down the plane is beautiful. Once we take off I fix my seat in a way to make it very comfortable for me to continue my book.
“You have not finished the story you were telling me in the car,” he says as I am about to open the book to continue.
“Oh, as I was saying in the car. Right now, where I am in the book is where they are going to do… you know…” I tell him as my voice begins to fade because I just realised I am reading the part where they have sex. I can’t say that to him. I feel so awkward talking about that type of stuff, especially with my boss.
“What is, ‘they are going to do you know…’ What is happening in the book, it sounds very interesting? I would like it if you could tell me more clearly.” Enzo says. I think to myself, how am I going to say to Enzo they are about to have sex. Then I think I am just going to say it. After all, we are adults.
“They are about to have their first time together,” I say it in a way which I feel sounds reasonably like sex. But it seems Enzo wants me to say out the words, the way his eyebrows are raised up, waiting for me to give him a better answer.
“They are about to have sex,” I say boldly. The look on Enzo's face makes me want to laugh, but I think it’s best if I don’t. I don’t think it will be good for me to laugh at my boss.
“Oh, that’s nice, once you are through tell me what happens next,” He says as he looks at me as if it’s weird to read books that have sex in it. He continues to read something on his laptop acting like nothing happened.
After reading four chapters my eyes start to become heavy. I decide to rest my eyes before we land in Sicily. I close my eyes and I fall into a heavy sleep and I don’t wake up till we arrive.
I sleep for what seems like hours. I wake up to find myself in a room. I get down from the bed wondering where in God’s name I am. I look around and see a door, I walk to it and find out it’s a bathroom. I see another door, I walk to it and open it. I see him sitting on a chair doing something on his laptop. It clicks in my brain that I am still on the plane and have been carried into a room. Embarrassing, but at least I got some sleep without hurting my back. I am wondering who moved me. I hope it’s not Enzo.
“Bella, you are up; that’s good. Now come and sit down because we are landing in the next few minutes,” he says as I am about to close the door and go back inside the room to sleep some more.
He does not even ask me how my sleep was or if I am hungry. What kind of human being is he? Oh, I forgot, he is the Devil himself, an asshole. I thought we were starting to get along, but I guess I am wrong.
I pretend like he’s not there and take a seat and put on my seatbelt.
We land on Italian soil thirty minutes later. We are on our way to our hotel, but he says we have to stop by the office. A meeting just came up which he can’t move up to tomorrow.
I have been waiting for what feels like hours since we got to the office. He entered a room, and he has not come out in 2 hours, but with me being tired it feels more like 4 hours. I can’t wait for him to get out.
I hear voices and see people walking out of the room he entered, when my eyes land on someone I have known all my life and have missed. The only guy who has ever made me feel like I was not a single child. My best friend and my brother from another mother.
“William!” I say while opening my hands wide to hug him and tell him how much I missed him.
He smiles and hugs me back. How I have missed him! “How are you? How long has it been since I saw you? I missed you so much; even mama misses you too.” I say releasing him from our hug. “I am fine, and I don’t know how long it has been since I last saw you, but I missed you too,” William says. I am about to talk when I hear someone clearing their throat behind me. I look up and see Lorenzo looking at me as if I did a despicable thing by saying ‘hi’ to William. His hand goes around my waist like we are a couple; and he smiles at William, but it’s not a genuine smile. “It seems you and my personal assistant have met before, which I don’t like very much,” he says, not even caring that William is standing right in front of us. I remove his hands from around my waist. “William and I are friends, we went to the same university. I don’t understand what you mean by you don’t like him. It’s not like me being friends with him is any of your business. Is
I woke up this morning with a killing headache from all the crying. I walk to the bathroom to do my morning routine. When I have finished taking a shower, I stand in front of the mirror to look at my reflection. I look like dead meat. I tell myself I must stop crying every day because of that asshole. He is not worth my tears. I have to prove to him that he can’t control my life. I have to be very strong. If not, he will know he is getting to me. I have to prove him wrong. Once I walk out of this hotel, I intend looking like the happiest person on this planet and not just my usual self. I am going to put on some makeup to make myself feel good and put the most elegant clothes on. I think it’s high time I stop letting him always win and walk all over me like he owns me. I need to stand up for myself or this terror will never end. I step out of the bathroom to get ready for today; I have a feeling today is going to be good and hopefully work in my favour.I ha
I wake up with the sun kissing my face. I am so happy today is Saturday, no work for me today. I pick up my phone to check the time; it’s just 9:00a.m. That means I still have a lot of time before Enzo’s mom comes by. Last night she called me and told me she would be coming by at 1 p.m. to take me around the city. I am so happy; I can’t wait. I walk out of bed and go straight to the kitchen to make some breakfast.I put my phone on to play music while I am making breakfast. I am dancing to Swalla by Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dollar $ign. I turn around; I am startled by what I see in front of me. A shirtless Enzo is sitting on the stool in the kitchen drinking water like it’s a regular thing to be shirtless in the kitchen. For God’s sake, does this man not know he is sexy, and it’s not right to show off his sexy body when I can’t even allow myself to look for too long...‘It’s not fair’ I whine to my
I wake up from the sound of my alarm ringing. I check the time on my phone; it’s just 6:30.a.m. Why is my alarm ringing now, I still have 2 hours before work starts? I am about to lay back down when I receive a text message. I check it and see it’s from my boss.“Where are you? I hope you have not forgotten we have a meeting at seven this morning, Miss Luciano?”He has never called me by my name before. He must be in a bad mood. Oh my God, I forgot about the meeting this morning. I have only thirty minutes before the meeting starts and I have not even gotten out of bed. He is so going to kill me today.I quickly walk to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. By the time I am done showering 5 minutes have gone by, meaning I have 25 minutes left. I quickly dress up and run out of the house.Mama has gone to work, so I have to use the bus, but if I use the bus I won’t make it on time. I decide to use a cab, but unlu
It has been two days since the whole late incident and office drama went down. So far, since I have been working here this has been the best two days. Enzo has not given me unnecessary work; he hardly looks for me. He sends his secretary to me if he needs anything instead of telling me himself. If you think of it maybe he is trying to avoid me after what happened in his office, but it’s not like I did it on purpose. It just happened that my top buttons were open and because I was kneeling he was getting ‘a front-row view’of my cleavage. If he can’t deal with it, then that’s his business.I have an appointment today with the doctor. We are going to talk about mama’s surgery payments since I have the money. The only problem is that the meeting is today. I don’t know if Enzo will allow me to go if I ask him for the rest of the day off. I could go without asking him because it’s actually around my lunchtime. But what
I have been working non-stop since I got to the office this morning. Today is Friday, which means no work till Monday. I am so happy, but Friday’s are my worst working days. I have to finish all my work for the week before going home. And I am not planning on staying late again.Enzo left very early this morning. He did not even let me prepare breakfast for him. Since I came to the office, I have not seen him all day. I am grateful for that because the Enzo in the office and the Enzo outside of the office are two different people. I still wonder why sometimes.I am in my office replying to some of Enzo’s emails when my phone vibrates beside me. I check to see a message from Enzo saying,‘we have a meeting with one of his investors from London at 1:00.p.m.He also said‘we are going to meet the investor at a restaurant not at the office,’one that I can’t even pronounce the name of,
I wake up with a big smile on my face today. I can't believe I slept in the same bed ‘with Lorenzo Costanzo’ I am mentally screaming. After our conversation yesterday, we decided that we would take things slowly. I am so grateful he acted like a gentleman, despite our attraction to each other. I still need to learn to forgive Enzo for everything he has done to me. I spoke to him about Chris and any future men I might come across. He said he would learn to control his possessiveness. I also made him promise to go to the hospital today and apologise to Chris for his behaviour last night. I remove Enzo's hands from around my waist, making sure to be careful not to wake him up. I make my way to the kitchen to make something to eat. On my way to the kitchen, I pass this huge mirror that I did not notice last night. I look down at what I am wearing, and a big smile appears on my face. I am wearing one of Enzo’s black shirts with a pair of his new boxers. I make my way to the kitch
I wake up to the sun reflecting on my face. If it were any other day, I would not be happy about waking with the sun on my face, but today is different. Today is the day Enzo will proof to me he is worthy of my forgiveness. By doing wonderful things, I could never imagine him doing for me. I want to freshen up before Enzo wakes up. I try to remove his hands from around my waist without waking him up, but my plan fails. I look down and see those beautiful green eyes staring at me with a smile on his face. Those same eyes that leave me breathless every time I stare at them."Hey, beautiful," he says with his sexy morning voice."Good morning," I say trying to pull away from him so he won't smell my morning breath."I am about to go and make breakfast. Do you want anything?" I say finally releasing myself from his hold. I quickly walk away from him to avoid him smelling my morning breath."Anything you make will be fine with me," he says as he gets up from t
10 YEARS LATER It’s been ten years since the war. Apparently, Carlos was making sense the day we were fighting. He is not related to my father in anyway, for which I am grateful. He is the son of my paternal grandfather’s enemy. My paternal grandfather killed Carlos’ father and carried Carlos away when he was a baby. He raised him but never told him about his true identity, but it seems he found out. He became angry and decided to finish what his father started according to him, but we all know where he ended. Enzo and I have never been happier in our lives. We have four beautiful children. Stefano, Thomas, Aurora, and Melissa. Enzo loves his children more than anything in the world. Enzo and I moved to Italy after his father retired. Life in Italy is beautiful. Our children are the best thing that ever happened to us. Stefano is nine years old; he is a replica of his father but has the character of both his parents. He is tall, has green eye
I amstanding outside Papa’s hospital room, praying and hoping for him to get better. “Mama is papa going to be okay?” I ask with tears running down my face. “Yes, honey, all we have to do is pray and hope for the best. Baby girl you don’t have to cry anymore, papa is going to be fine,” Mama says, picking me up off the ground and placing me on her hip while hugging me close to her. “Why is mio angioletto (my little angel) crying?” My uncle Carlos says. “Uncle Carlos!” I say quickly getting down from mama’s hip. “Uncle Carlos, why is daddy not waking up?” I say hugging him tightly. “Don’t worry little one, everything is going to be fine.” “Camilla, what happened?” “We were celebrating Val’s fifth birthday party when gunshots were fired from nowhere. They were aiming for Val, but Marcus got in the way and save
The next morning I wake up at half past noon. I am not surprised, I was exhausted. I walk out of our bedroom to find Enzo. I see him in the study.“How was your night, amore,” I say stepping into the study.“It was good, mi amore, and I am guessing yours was as well, looking at the time you are waking up,” Enzo says kissing my forehead.“You are right. I wanted to tell you that I will be going out with Joan to show her around Sicily,” I say smiling while I sit down.“Okay, just keep me updated if anything happens.”“I will, amore.”“I will be going to Spain with William.”“Alright, be safe and keep me updated too on how things go over there,” I say, standing up from the chair to take my leave.“I will,Bella”“Have you had breakfast?” I say before stepping out the door.“No,” Enzo s
“I missed you all, did you guys miss me? By the look on your faces I guess not.” Carlos says with a fake smile on his face.“What are you doing here?” I say with venom dripping from my voice.“Hello, my beautiful niece, did you miss your favourite uncle?” he says, stepping forward, but before he can reach me Enzo steps in front of me.“Don’t even think about taking another step closer to her.” Enzo says with pure hatred in his voice. I step beside him to calm him down before he blows Carlos’s head off.“Whoa! I mean no harm.” he says like he actually means it.“Keep telling that to yourself, we both know that’s a lie,” I say while glaring at him.“What are you even doing here? Because, I don’t remember inviting you.”Enzo says.“I don’t need an invitation; I am family after all.”“You are not family
It’s Friday, one more day to the ball I have been planning for a week. Everything is ready for the ball. The only thing missing is the dress I am going to wear, and that’s why the girls and I are going shopping later this afternoon. I finish with all the last minute arrangements at the hall before I take my car to meet the girls at the mall. I am meeting up with Sofia, Joan and Victoria. It feels so good to have a car now; it makes moving around so much easier.I arrive at the mall and walk to the store where Sofia said they are at. I say hi to the girls before taking a seat to rest a little before I start the search for the perfect dress.I have been to five different stores, and so far I have not found ‘The one’ like Victoria likes to say. We enter a new shop; I see the dress I have been looking the whole time. I ask the shop attendant to get me the dress to try it on. I try it on, and it fits perfectly. After trying on the dr
The next morning I get up early. I shower and walk downstairs for breakfast. I am dressed in a grey coast scoop dress. I am carrying a white leather tote bag. I am wearing a pair of blackmail bomb heels, with aviator sunglasses. I remove my heels and wear my sandals since I am walking to Enzo’s parent’s place, which is just four blocks away from mine.I arrive at Enzo’s house and I put my heels back on before ringing the doorbell. The maid opens the door and asks me who I am before letting me in. I tell her my name, and she lets me in. She says Enzo is waiting for me in his bedroom, to which she gives me directions. On my way to his bedroom I say hi to Mr and Mrs Costanzo. I knock on Enzo’s door, but the only sound I hear is water running. I enter and decide to wait for him guessing he is showering. I am going through my phone while I am waiting for him. He walks out of the bathroom with only his boxers on, looking amazing as always. I speak up to redu
I wake up with someone's arms around my body. I get more comfortable knowing its Enzo. Then I remember that I am in his house, not my father's house. I can't imagine how worried my family is going to be when they wake up and find out I am not there. I get up and look for my phone to call mama so she won't be concerned, but my morning could not get any more difficult. I pick up my phone and see its dead. I must have forgotten to charge it last night. I will just get home before she wakes up. I have to wake Enzo so we can leave before anyone notices I am not home."Baby, baby, baby.""Mmmmm.""We have to leave before someone notices I am not at home," I say, but it is like I am talking to a wall because Enzo only gets more comfortable on the bed."ENZO WAKE UP," I say shouting into his ears."WHAT," Enzo says, picking up his gun from his side table that he kept incase of an emergency."Oh, it's you, mi amore," he says putting the gun back down."What
“I missed you guys so much, but I don’t understand how you guys are alive. I watched you both die in my arms. That was the worst day of my life,” I say still holding tight to my brother's hands.“We will explain everything later. But first we eat and entertain the guests that should be here any minute,” papa says.As soon as papa finishes speaking, Vanessa comes to announce that the guests are here. The family that walks into the living room just made this whole night a lot more exciting and confusing, when Enzo and his entire family walk in. The surprise on our faces could not be faked—but only between us children—as our parents don’t look fazed by anything that is happening. I am already shocked to see my brother and father, who I thought were dead, alive today. And now I am finding out that my family knows Enzo’s family, but the big question is how? Because even though some of my memory is back, it’s still
The next morning Enzo drops me off at home before going to work. He promised to pick me up in the afternoon so we could go and check out the site for the restaurant. I walk into the house straight to the kitchen, because Enzo was in a hurry so we did not have breakfast. I sit on the stool to try and think of what to eat when another thought occupies my mind.Sometimes I feel like the things happening in my life right now are not real. Like I am imagining all these beautiful things happening to me right now. The one man in my life I would have never expected to make me so happy is the same man making my life’s dream come true. This side of Enzo I am seeing is making it very hard for me not to fall in love with him. I know that I have stronger feelings for him, and I can’t even explain what I feel anymore. But the main question here is, do I love Enzo? Funnily enough, I do not know the answer to that question. But I have a feeling I will be able to answer that soon.