Ariana's POV:
"You are being biased again."
I heard that and turned to see that Leo fratello and Raf fratello were standing behind me. They were looking at me accusingly like I had committed some grave crime.
"Umm... how am I being biased?" I was confused.
They both looked at each other and then at me.
"You only care about Tony." I was shocked to see that.
It was my Leo fratello and not anyone else. He was the one who was complaining like a child. I was so astonished that I felt my mind go blank. He was capable of that? I didn't know. I mean all of my other brothers always competed with each other but Leo fratello never did that so I always thought of him as matured but now...
"Uhh...fratello, are you alright?" I asked carefully.
"Yes. Why are you asking the obvious?"
"No I mean you never compete and I...I don't know."
I saw that papa and Raf fratello were snickering while Tony fratello was trying to hide his smirk. I was confused as to what was going on.
"Wh...what is going on?"
"He is like this princess. The cold and arrogant facade that you see is just his disguise. In truth he is like this. A child at heart and he is very competitive. It's just that he had decided to not conceal his real face." Tony fratello said.
I was confused. I mean it's been almost a year since I have met them and we live together. So how come I didn't know of his true personality. How deep was he hiding it?
"How come I didn't know your true personality till now?"
"I am just that good." He bragged.
I felt my jaw open wide. He...he even boasted. Where is my serious and mature Leo fratello. He was much better.
Although I was confused and still in shock I continued to give Tony fratello a massage.
"If you guys also need it then come on, I will also give you a head massage."
"No."
Before they could come any closer Tony fratello refused them.
"Why?" Raf fratello asked indignantly.
"Princess will get tired if she gives all of you a massage."
"Then why did you let her massage you?" Leo fratello asked furiously.
"I tried to convince her but she insisted and anyways I was very tired. Princess also knew that but are you guys as tired as me?" Tony fratello asked.
"No." Raf fratello and Leo fratello bowed their heads when they heard that.
It was very amusing to see them being suppressed by Tony fratello so easily. But he is very terrifying when he becomes angry. I am even afraid to see him get angry. That's why no one dares to make him angry.
"It's okay Tony fratello. I will just massage them for a few minutes and I will not feel very tired. Just let me. Please?"
"Okay just this once." He relented to my pleading expression.
I smiled brightly before giving both Leo fratello and Raf fratello quick massages too. They both looked extremely satisfied afterward, as if they had achieved something huge.
*****
Today Valente had asked me out on another date.
Just thinking about it made me excited.
Over the past few days, we have grown much closer. Sometimes we video called each other late at night, and sometimes we simply texted throughout the day. Even the smallest conversations with him made me happy.
I was getting ready and was also thinking about what to tell my family as to where I was going. I couldn't say that I am going with Valente again. They would suspect us.
After getting ready I went downstairs.
"Are you going somewhere princess?" I stiffened when I heard that.
I turned around and saw that papa was standing there and asking me about my whereabouts.
"I...I am going out for some time." I said nervously.
"Where are you going?" Twinnie asked.
He was also there. Shit. Why do they have to be so overprotective? Sometimes it gets very irritating.
"I am just going to Jessy's house."
"Oh. Then let me drive you there." Twinnie said.
I really wanted to smash his face at this time.
"No, it's not necessary. I will drive by myself."
"Ok bye." He said casually.
I then hurriedly went to my car and drove from there. If I would have stayed, who knows what else they would have asked.
I immediately called Jessy and told her that I have told my family that I am going to her house so she had to cover for me if they asked. She agreed but of course asked me why I was doing that. I told her that I will tell her the details later.
Just then Valente's call came:
"Hello baby. Where are you?"
"I have just left home. I will get there in half an hour."
He had invited me to his mafia headquarters as he wanted me to familiarize myself with it. Although I protested that it was too early for me to go there, he said that he would always love me only. It was only right that I was acquainted with his mafia. I couldn't say anything else after that.
He also reassured me that he had instructed his men not to tell anyone that I was there and only his trusted men would be there that day. So after his persistence I conceded and decided to go there.
"Ok baby. When you arrive here just call me."
"Ok."
After that I hung up the phone.
After half an hour I reached the place where the Vintelli mafia's headquarters was situated. It was comparable to the Romano mafia's headquarters in terms of the space that it occupied.
I drove to the gates and the guards present there stopped my car. I stopped and rolled down my windows. I didn't call Valente because I wanted to give him a surprise. He had told me that he had shown my picture to his men and I could go in as I pleased.
"Hello Miss Romano." The guard nodded at me and quickly opened the door.
"Would you like directions to the boss's office?" He asked politely.
"Yes, please."
He explained the route carefully, and after driving further inside, I finally reached the main building.
The place looked less like a mafia headquarters and more like a luxurious corporate building.
Valente really knew how to hide things in plain sight.
When I arrived at the front of the building there was a man who was standing passing by there. So I stopped him and asked him about Valente's office. He gave me the directions as he also knew me. I was impressed by Valente's meticulous thought.
I went to the floor that he told me about. I reached the floor that his office was on and glanced around. The entire floor was empty and there were only two doors there. One was his office and another was a meeting room. I went towards his office.
I was so excited to give him the surprise that I didn't even knock on the door and open it. It was not locked so I pushed it open. Valente looked up and saw that I was standing there.
The moment he saw me, his cold expression softened completely.
"Hey baby." He came to me and gave me a tight hug.
"Why didn't you call me? I told you to. I would have come and picked you up myself."
"I just wanted to give you a little surprise."
"I am very happy with it. You can give me a surprise like this whenever you want to. I would be very pleased."
He pecked my lips and led me to sit on the couch. I looked around his cabin and it was decorated in a dark colour theme. It looked elegant and screamed power. It suited his personality perfectly.
"So did you like my office?" He asked me.
"Yup it suits you."
"Did you have any problems coming here?"
"No. Your men told me the directions and I found it easily. You really told all of them about me?"
I was really touched by his gesture.
"Of course. What if they offended you, then I would get into trouble. So it is better to tell them to behave themselves." He said while smiling at me.
I smiled helplessly at his words before leaning forward and kissing him lightly.
The moment I did, his eyes darkened.
Suddenly, he pulled me closer and deepened the kiss.
Unlike our earlier soft kisses, this one quickly became heated.
My fingers instinctively grabbed his shirt as he kissed me deeply and passionately.
His hand slid gently into my hair while the other rested firmly against my waist.
I could barely breathe properly by the time he finally pulled away.
Both of us were breathing heavily.
I leaned against his chest while listening to his rapid heartbeat.
He was just as affected as I was.
That realization made me secretly happy.
"Baby." he murmured softly.
"Hmm..."
"Tell me about your childhood. I want to know everything about you."
"Well my childhood was pretty normal. I was raised by my parents and as they are university professors so my childhood was spent mostly in studies. It isn't like they forced me to but because I also liked studying. I loved reading books."
I chuckled softly.
"If you give me any interesting book and a comfy chair, I can sit there for a whole day reading. I like to spend my days like these when I want to just relax."
He smiled while listening carefully.
"So my childhood was very normal. Do you know when I entered the mafia world for the first time?" I asked curiously.
I have told my family and friends but I didn't tell him.
"When you came back to the Romano family?" He replied curiously.
"Nope. Guess again."
Ariana playfully smiled and winked at him.
"Umm... then before that?"
"Yes. I entered the Mafia before I even knew of the Romano family."
"What!"
He was very stunned to hear that and was looking at me wide eyed. I could see from his reactions that he really was shocked.
"Yes. Why? Are you very surprised?" I asked.
"Yes I am." He nodded.
"Well, that is the truth. I entered the mafia when I was in Texas."
"How and why?"
"Well that is a bit of a story..."
I told him everything about how I entered the mafia. The whole story from meeting Levi... to entering the mafia... to meeting my family. Everything.
"Well that is...I don't know what to say." He muttered and nuzzled his face into my neck.
"I am just thankful that Levi was there to save you but I am also sad that I wasn't there to save you and you have to go through all of that." He said.
I gently rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.
I was very grateful that God had given me a chance to get to know him. He was really perfect and thought of me and my well being.
"It's all in the past. The experience that gave me can't measure anything. I am not some helpless and weak girl who has to rely on someone else to be safe. I have the ability to even save my loved ones. Because of that when I was introduced to the mafia I wasn't that nervous because I knew that I had the ability and no one can say anything about that."
"And I am very happy about that. Your ability and experience will keep you safe in many situations in the future. In our world we can't predict what will happen in the next second. I am happy that my future wife will be someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me." He said and kissed my cheeks.
Heat instantly rushed to my face.
"What wife? Who has agreed to be your wife? Don't spout nonsense." I said trying to control my heart beat.
"You are of course. I will only marry you in this life and no one else." He said seriously.
My heart skipped a beat at his words.
Even though I wasn't fully in love with him yet... a part of me secretly hoped that one day, I would be.
****
Hello dear readers.
Here's another chapter.
Happy reading.
Love, Stella.