“Hello there?” Becca’s voice breaks through my thoughts, accompanied by a playful wave of her hands in front of me.“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, shaking myself out of my reverie.“I’ve been standing here for over a minute,” she says with a hint of amusement.“Sorry, I was lost in thought. You were saying?”“I was just telling you about how sweet your neighbor is. She brought in some homemade pastries while you were out earlier today, and might I add, she’s quite pretty too.”“Really? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her.”“Indeed. She mentioned she’s tried to say hello and welcome you to the neighborhood a few times, but the gate has always been locked. Today was her lucky day, it seems.”“I’ve been swamped since I moved in, and to be honest, I prefer keeping to myself. One of the reasons I chose this place asides it being close to the vineyard, was for the peace and quiet. Plus, it’s more of trees than actual humans and the owner told me my only neighbor is a model who’s rarely aro
The hum of the jet’s engines fades into the background as we touch down at the airport in Italy, and I feel a sense of relief wash over me even as I gather my belongings and prepare to disembark. It's been a long journey from Greece, but I'm finally back on familiar ground, ready to face the situation at the office as soon as possible.As I step off the jet, I'm met by Alberto, who stands very close by with a concerned expression on his face. He falls into step beside me, his brow furrowed in worry."Valentina," he says, his voice tinged with relief. "I'm so sorry to have drawn you away from your vacation sooner than expected, but the situation was getting out of hand"I nod, my own concerns weighing heavily on my mind. "I understand, Tell me everything," I say, my tone firm.Alberto launches into a detailed account of the situation with the perfume, his words echoing in my ears as we make our way through the airport. It's clear that the issue is more serious than I had initially thou
As I recount my recent experiences to Giovanni—selling off my old cars and preparing for production to start—I sense his genuine pride in my progress."I admire your dedication," he remarks. "Once production begins, the rewards will be massive.""I can hardly wait," I reply eagerly.“And Becca? Did her presence make a difference?” Giovanni inquires.“Yes, surprisingly,” I admit. "She kept reminding me it's all part of the healing process."“It's great that she's decided to stay and support you,” Giovanni says. “Having her as your inside man will be great.”"I couldn't agree more," I say, feeling grateful. "Although it comes with a price—I'll be starting therapy soon.""That's a positive step," Giovanni assures me. "Having someone to talk to can make all the difference."“I hope so,” I respond, a hint of skepticism lingering in my tone. “I just hope it's worth my time.”“It will be,”Giovanni assures me confidently. “But before we head back, do you mind if we make a quick stop at the
The afternoon sunlight streams through the windows of my childhood home, casting warm pools of light on the cozy living room where I sit with my mother. Despite the familiar surroundings and the comforting presence of my mother, I can not shake the feeling of unease that grips me in the aftermath of the cryptic call from Mr. Russell.While we sit together, sipping tea and exchanging stories, I try to push aside the gnawing sense of dread that lingers at the edges of my consciousness. I regal my mother with tales of my recent vacation in Santorini—the sun-drenched beaches, the charming villages perched on cliffsides, the mouthwatering cuisine that tantalized the taste buds.My mother sits listening with rapt attention, her eyes sparkling with interest as I paint a vivid picture of the idyllic island paradise. She has always been my confidante, my rock in times of trouble, and I cherish the opportunity to share my adventures with her."It sounds absolutely divine, darling," she says, he
“Your first sales are very impressive, Marco. I'm genuinely proud of you. It seems everything you lay your hands on turns to gold, and this venture is no exception,”Becca remarks, a beaming smile of pride adorning her face.I smile contented at the progress obtained from my first exportation. “You realize I can’t be the public face of this business indefinitely, don’t you?”“Yes, I’m aware. Once we’ve established ourselves in the oil market and garnered massive positive customer reviews, I’ll be able to step into the spotlight,” I reply.“That’s reassuring.”“Thank you, Becca. You’ve become family to me. I’m grateful for your unwavering support, both for Aurelio and myself. I’m not quite sure how to repay your kindness.”“You and your brother have done more than enough.”“I’m willing to do more. Just tell me what you need, and if it’s within my capabilities, consider it done,” I assure her, eager to reciprocate her generosity.“Are you sure?”“Yes,” I respond firmly, meeting her gaze
When the doorbell rings the second time, I quickly hasten my steps to answer it, my heart fluttering with excitement at the sight of James standing on the doorstep. His warm smile lights up his face as I greet him, relief washing over me at the sight of his familiar presence."James, it's so good to see you," I say, stepping aside to welcome him into the house. "Please, come in."James step over the threshold into the house, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he takes in my eager expression. "Valentina, it's always a pleasure," he replies, returning my smile with one of his own as he wraps me up in a warm hug.“It’s been a while since I saw you, last I heard you were exploring the beaches of Santorini.”“It’s been a while I saw you too, you seem to be doing a great work of avoiding the tabloids this days. And I don’t know about any explorations.”“Mio Caro, I try to be out of the tabloids to the best of my ability, I’m as surprised as you are that my pictures have not been splashe
As Becca sets the dining table, I begin clearing up in the kitchen, but she interrupts me. "I said I'll handle that. Go put yourself together; they'll be here any moment now," she insists. "I'm almost done," I protest, not wanting to leave her with all the work. "Marco Lorenzo!!!" she exclaims, using my full name to emphasize her point. "Wow, I'm off. Please don't forget the wine," I say with a grin, heading out of the kitchen. "Done," Becca confirms, her voice trailing after me. I quickly tidy myself up and make my way to the living room just as the doorbell rings. Becca flashes me a knowing smile as she goes to answer it. "Hey, Marco!" Giovanni greets me with a warm embrace as he enters, followed by Flora. "Hey, Giovanni. Flora, it's good to see you," I reply, returning the embrace. "Thanks for having us over," Flora says with a smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's our pleasure. Come on in," I say, gesturing for them to follow me to the dining table. “We brough
The silence of my room envelops me like a heavy blanket, this is what makes me yearn for my mom’s place rather than me staying in my own house. The loneliness that comes after my work hours is second to none. My thoughts drift inevitably to Chiar,a it is getting close to a week now and she isn’t back from Greece. I pick my phone and leave her a text message about she leaving me for a man she barely knows and how that’s against sister code. I smile as I send the text, I can imagine her face as she reads the text. I miss her actually. My thoughts flit to Marco, I’ve not heard anything about him since I got back, there’s nothing in the news and tabloid about him which should be a good sign but it still makes me worry.I can not shake the feeling of unease that settles over me since our last encounter, the memory of our heated argument still fresh in my mind.I wonder what he’s doing now? How is he coping and handling things without his father’s money and influence?I know that I need to
6 years later………I roll up my hair, tying it into a bun as I prepare what the children will eat on their way to Mother’s place after Gabriella’s ballerina performance. Since the twins came along, our lives have been overwhelmed with intense joy.“Drop that floss, Gabriella!” I yell, running after her.“Daddy said I can have them,” she squeals, running outside with it.“I’ll go get her, Mama,” Gabriel says, running after her.“Thanks, baby.”Just then, Marco strolls into the kitchen.“Why are you giving me that look?”“We agreed on no sugar today, but you went behind my back and gave Gabriella permission to have cotton candy.”“What cotton candy?” he asks, trying to feign ignorance.“Marco, don’t play dumb.”“Okay, babe I’m sorry. When she asked, I intended to say no, but those big eyes got to me. It won't happen again,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist.I gently push his hands away and reach for the children's food pack.“Baby, I said I'm sorry.”“Marco, this has to stop. Yo
As we gradually shift from autumn to winter, the smell of fallen leaves fills the air. The crisp, cool November breeze gently brushes against my bare skin as I stand outside our home, taking one final look at it before we move to our new place. I gather my last bag, smiling as many special memories here with Marco begin to play in my head.“I'm going to miss this house. We have so many good memories here.”“Me too,” Marco says staring at the house.“I know Becca is going to care for this place just like we did.”“I know she would.”“Look how far she has come. Buying her own cars and house.”“Business has been good and also, she suggested it was time to show my face.”“I agree with her. I know this isn't goodbye goodbye because we will obviously come and visit but it feels like it.”“Don’t worry, you will fall in love with this new place.”Marco drives us to our new place in Florence with our things already in place. With this new place, He went over the top. In this new home, it is l
Since Nonna learned about my bleeding, she has stopped me from going to work and instructed Mr. Thomas to step in until I give birth, which he agreed to without hesitation.Everyone went wild about the news, especially Mother and Nonna, and we all can't wait to find out their gender next month. Now that I'm showing, the general public now knows.With Mother’s wedding coming up, everyone aside from me has been super busy preparing for the big day, which is tomorrow.The only duty I’ve been given is to pick up Chiara’s dress because she wasn't around to take her measurements when we did. Once I pick it up, I drive down to the resort Nonna booked for the wedding.Nonna insisted she sponsor the wedding, and knowing Nonna, no one could argue with her. If you didn't know about our family history, you would mistake Alberto and Mother for her children.“That took you forever, sexy preggy,” Chiara says, opening the door.“Is this the thank you I get from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get t
I pace up and down Giovanni’s corridor, seething with anger at what I witnessed hours ago. I had planned to surprise Valentina by picking her up from Nonna’s place for dinner, but I got surprised instead. I was so confused about whether to reveal myself or not. In the end, I turned around and headed for Giovanni’s place.Just a few nights ago, I was appreciating how well our marriage has been going and how open we are with each other, but what I saw today casts doubt on that belief.“So you saw her with James and?”“I didn’t like the way he was all over her. To make matters worse, she told me she was going to greet Nonna and Mother but didn't mention James would be there too.”“Okay? What if she didn’t tell you because she knew you would react like this?”“You are supposed to be on my side.”“Marco, tell me what you want me to say or do. Beat him up? Besides, you knew about his connections with the Matteos before you went in. Why do you have a problem with him all of a sudden? If you
Maintaining my pregnancy a secret till I start to show ended the moment I walked into Nonna’s place. Mother and Nonna simultaneously chorused it the second I stepped foot inside the house. Ever since Marco, Nonna, and mother found out about my pregnancy, I've been treated like an egg. With Marco, it's even worse. This man won't let me do anything at home. Mother and Nonna have made it their sole mission to stock up my house with food. Now all I do is go to work, peruse documents with my legs crossed and eat junk.It's a miracle that my clothes still fit. Preparing for the Pure Beauty Award global ceremony tonight, I put final finishing touches to my look before I slip on my heels. I wish father was here to see to witness this moment. His beauty and skin products were nominated for the Pure Beauty Award ceremony. “How do I look?” Marco asks stepping out of his closet.“Handsome as always.”“You look ravishing my love and I know you will bring home all the awards. You've shown nothin
I'm amazed at how much progress my parents and I have made. Visiting them frequently and vice versa without anyone bickering. Valentina and mother's laughter erupts from the kitchen filling the entire place as they organize lunch. “Marco, how has business been going?” Father asks, stretching a plate towards me.“It's been good, and how are you adjusting to your new line of business?”“Adjusting fine. Never knew I could do so well in supervising building projects. I'm taking that class you recommended.”“That's beautiful.”“Enough of business talks,” Mother announces, walking in with Valentina as they set the rest of the food on the table.“This smells so heavenly,” Father compliments, and I nod in agreement.“I can't take all the credit, your wife also assisted.”“Thank you both.”As we dish our food, I notice Valentina dishing a smaller portion of what she would normally eat, an occurrence that's been consistent for the past two weeks now. Also, lately, she has been easily irritated
“See that glow, you weren't this good-looking before you stepped on that plane last week. Despite the workload you came to handle after you got back, you are still looking flawless. Hmm, must be the marriage glow and the other reason why women glow,” Chiara gushes, offering me a plate of cake.“Your place just keeps getting better. I love what you did to the wall.”“Thanks, it is sad no man is surprising me with an aquarium in my home simply because I can’t get over moments from my trip.”I flush, remembering how I came home from Bora Bora to a gigantic aquarium nestled in a corner of our living room. A gift from Marco because I couldn't stop talking about our glass-bottom boat tour.“Stop being dramatic.”“I want my man too. Is there something I'm not doing right?”“Soon, you'll find your perfect match.”“I know, I just need to know how soon. I may have noticed you’re overly bubbly these days? Are you pregnant?”“What? No. Chiara, you are way too observant for my liking. You used to
These past few days in Bora Bora have been some of the best moments in my life so far. I can’t get over the beauty of the underwater world. The beautiful, colorful fishes and the coral reefs were breathtaking. I took so many pictures to last a lifetime.The thrill, fear, romance—everything—we experienced it on this trip, and I hate that we have to leave tomorrow. I don’t want it to end. My highlight has to be seeing Marco scream like a child when we went skydiving. Who ever knew that a day would come when I would see Marco Lorenzo scared of something?The lingerie Chiara and I shopped for has been nothing short of a game-changer. Chiara was right when she said they had the power to make a man lose his senses.Can the world just pause for another week so Marco and I can continue having so much fun without coming back to a truckload of work on our desks? I shudder at the thought of the workload piled on my desk right now.Cristos! Yesterday was Mother's date with Alberto, and I forgot t
Surrounded by lush greenery and the stunning beauty of the coastal waters, I feel completely refreshed and renewed. The peace here is unmatched, providing a perfect escape from the usual hustle and bustle of Tuscany. I’m still yet to get over the Mahi Mahi and rice from yesterday—so divine.After our long flight yesterday, we chose to relax and unwind for the rest of the day. I place a gentle kiss on Valentina, who is still sleeping soundly.I connect to the resort’s Wi-Fi and just as I'm about to start preparing for the day, Giovanni’s call comes in.“I’ve been away for how many days and you suddenly can’t breathe?”“Good day to you too, and last I checked, you are not Flora. Unlike you, I’m a good brother always wanting to check up on you and you, on the other hand, forget your brother once you are lost in love. How’s the honeymoon going?”“Wonderful, it’s such a beautiful place to be.”“I’ve been told. How’s your wife?”“Sleeping soundly. Yesterday’s flight was a bit overwhelming.