James."I am beyond thrilled at this news, Giovani," I said softly, giving him a happy smile. At the moment, we were meeting at a private bar, exchanging words while dining on some American-style food like burgers and fries. "This baby should be born to married parents, though," I muttered in thought. I furrowed my brow, picking up a fry and putting it into my mouth, savoring the salty goodness. Becca was growing exponentially more happy and loving. I hoped I was turning less cold, as well. Giovani took a bite of his burger, dabbing his lips with his napkin and giving me a soft smile. "You are quite the family man, James," he said in that soft voice he always used. To his enemies, there would be a hint of danger there. To me, there was just adoration. My cousin continued with, "There is only one thing to do. Plan that proposal. Something special for the woman your heart drips for. Something romantic. I could help you with that. I have a few suggestions myself."
James.A few days later, I was ready to drop the question. The hints I'd been giving to Becca didn't confirm anything, but she seemed very positive. I'd been getting extra smiles, which was saying something, as lately she was warm and down to earth more than before. I knew the incident with Allison was still on her mind. Security and their slip up nearly cost her not only her own life but Dahlia's. A shiver went down my spine at the idea of finding them lying bleeding on the floor, dead because of Allison.I was very grateful Becca did what she did. Still, it took its toll on her. She sometimes cried to herself in the bathroom, and I was happy to comfort her. Thankfully, most of the time, her mind was on the new baby on the way. The doctor kept reporting the developing baby was healthy, which was a relief for both of us. Security let me know that Giovani was waiting to be let in, and I told them to do so. Today was the day, after all, and he would be of grea
Becca."James's proposal was amazing," I gushed to Madeline, my heart still warm from what James had done. Including the family really touched my soul. Seeing Dahlia and Alessandro there made me break down crying in the best of ways even more so than if James had been alone.The nanny smiled at me brightly, currently sharing tea with me in the living room. She nodded, a glimmer in her eyes as she heard me speak. She'd been involved too, I knew, and had done a great job of distracting me. Her conversation about a baby shower was legit, though. "I'm so happy for you, Becca," she said, leaning over to pat me on the shoulder and shaking me a bit. "The kids were thrilled to be involved, too. Did you see their little faces light up? They may not have known what was going on, but they definitely felt the happy energy.My smile widened, and I nodded. She was right, that was for sure. James had made me a home-cooked meal, one of my all-time favorites, following the proposal. I
James.The joy of marriage and taking care of the kids in general made my heart lighter, but I also needed to focus on the darker things. At the moment, I was looking over a report for the family business and frowning very deeply. "I know you have been taking care of most things, Giovani, while I've taken on the family man role. But we're still in danger," I said, letting out a sigh. At the moment, we were meeting not at a casual restaurant, but in a private room in my compound. Two cups of coffee sat on the mahogany table in front of us, along with scones on small plates we nibbled on as we spoke. There were organized papers next to both of us, as well, though most of what we spoke of, we typed on a laptop. My cousin gave me a nod, letting out a soft sigh and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He said, "Times have been rather tough, James. With a lot of pressure from the fuzz, the value of bribes has only gone up. A pain in the rear, really." I n
Becca.The compound was abuzz with the upcoming wedding. I was glad the move from the larger to the smaller compound went so smoothly. The kids didn't even notice the change; Alessandro and Dahlia were as happy as ever. The only one who wasn't too delighted for us was my father, but there wasn't much I could do about it. James said he'd talk to him again, though I doubted it would make a big difference. Thankfully, my stepmother seemed to be fully on my side. At that moment, I was sitting on our couch and trying to stop myself from the overwhelming excitement that overcame me. Today, I'd be bridal gown shopping with my stepmother and Sophia. Sophia was going to make an amazing maid of honor. She was so good when it came to fashion and decor. Soon, security sent me a message saying the two women had arrived. When I went to the front lobby area, I was swept into the arms of my stepmother, who held me there tightly. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed, her voice k
Becca."I think this hall would be wonderful," I said to James, giving a happy smile. At the moment, we were going over wedding plans. We were rounding even more things out, which was beyond exciting. Everyone was adjusting to the move well, too. I'd jumped at the suggestion of a smaller compound. I didn't mind the downgrade in size. What was more important was that fewer eyes would be on us. We'd have another baby soon, and less stress would be wonderful. I could settle down as a mother. Still, James was acting a tad distant, causing me to tilt my head. "What do you think?" I asked, causing him to snap his attention to me. He furrowed his brow, no doubt embarrassed, and gave a sheepish grin. He scanned the page on my screen. I turned to study him for a moment, asking softly, "Is everything okay?" As stressed as I was about him being the Don, I learned to work with him as opposed to getting so angry. That never helped the situation, after all. Took a while, but b
Allegra.Spinning to show off my latest outfit on the catwalk, I felt so alive. My hair flowed down my back, and I felt like I was on top of the world. My heart pounded, and my smile was simply radiant. Cheers rang out from either end of the catwalk as I set yet another trend. When the show was over, I met with my boss, who couldn't stop showering me with praise. "You're KILLING it, Allegra," he said, his voice dripping with awe. I nodded in agreement, beaming at him. "Thank you for giving me this chance. I'm glad you didn't end up regretting it given some of the restrictions that come with me," I said, still cursing the fact that I was banned from the United States. It made many things inconvenient, but here I was, happy anyway. "Are you kidding?" he said with a laugh. "No regrets, none whatsoever! You're a star, Allegra, I can't emphasize that enough. Top of the line, of a perfect stock, you have so much enthusiasm you bring to the catwalk that it radiates from
James."All is well, James," Giovani said, looking over the list he made on his phone. He glanced up to give me a reassuring smile, but I wasn't buying it. Something was wrong. I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, letting out a sigh. "You're sure? I have noticed a lot of odd going-ons lately," I said. Giovani tilted his head as if confused by this. At the moment, we were sitting at our kitchen table in the compound. Giovani took a long sip from his coffee and nodded. "I am," he said, giving me a smile. "I have yet to let you down, James, and I don't intend on starting anytime soon," he said. He leaned back in his chair and then asked, "What odd going-ons, then?""The feeling of being watched, which I suppose I should get used to. I caught people in dark clothing staring from the distance, however, before scurrying off like rats," I said, a frown plastered on my face at the memory of that. Becca had been around when that happened, and I'd ap