TWENTY
1998 Words
ENZO —
I really wanted to honor Mr Leonardo Dante's wish to we'd his daughter but she already had a bad attitude I can't even cope with, of I can't cope with her character how would I possibly be able to leave the rest of my life with her and one thing I don't believe in is divorce. I would have to see her father and end this deal he would need to find another way to pay me back.
I stood front of the mirror slowly adjusting my suit when I noticed someone trying to sneak up on me and when I checked through the mirror it was my little angel Sofia, I knew she was trying to scare me so I needed to play along and act scared.
"Booo!!!" She yelled making me chuckle and then pretending to shiver, I turned around and squirted down to her size with a wide smile on her face.
"I scared you." Sofia teased making me smile.
"You won this time, I never believed I could get scared so easily." I said to her as she giggled planting a kiss on my cheek, I really needed it.
"You look handsome daddy." Sofia said to me and just then Isabella rushed in like she was in a little panic.
"Thank goodness she was here, I was already getting scared she might have gone missing." Isabella said to me holding her chest tightly.
"Don't run off like that again Sofia." She pointed at Sofia who just gripped tightly to my shirt.
"I wanted to see daddy." She cooed almost at the verge of crying.
"Why are you scolding her for checking up on her daddy." I said to Isabella who groaned.
"You are petting her too much and now she don't know when to listen to me." Isabella said while Sofia was already tearing up with tear drops on her cheeks.
"Why are you making this something serious?" I said picking Sofia up on my chest as I stood up and walked up to Isabella.
"You want her to be with you, here she is." I said to her handing over Sofia to her as she stares at me awkwardly.
"Don't misunderstand me Enzo."
"It's nothing like that, I needed to go somewhere anyways and Sofia would be safer staying with you." I said to her turning back to the mirror while I adjusted my suit which got ruined by Sofia's tight grip on it.
"Sofia, go and wait for me in your bedroom I need to have a word with Enzo." Isabella said to Sofia who nods and rushed out.
"Where are you going to." She asked immediately Sofia was out making me scoff.
"My fiancee house." I said to her trying to knot my tie.
"Is she really your fiancee?" Isabella asked making me turn to face her.
"I guess so, like I was contemplating on whether not to accept her dad's offer but now she us already claiming position." I said to Isabella who looked a bit nervous.
"Her dad offered her to you?" Isabella asked a bit shocked at the words I say to her.
"Yes,to save his company." I said to her walking up to where my shoes her being kept to pick the perfect one to go with my dress.
"I thought it was on the verge of bankruptcy a few years ago?" Isabella whispered to her safe as she played with her fingers nervously.
"It's still under bankruptcy but it seems like Mr Leonardo doesn't want to give up the company." I said to her.
"He is risking one of his daughters life for his company,he is as selfish as always." She said to me making it all sound weird, how was she so aware of things in the company.
"You seem to know alot about Leonardo Dante?" I questioned making her look even more nervous.
"Ugh…." She stuttered making me move closer to her.
"Is there something you aren't telling me, or something you think I have to know.?" I asked but she shrugged with a nervous smile.
"I work against him, don't forget that." She said to me.
"And besides, I don't think the two ladies are his daughter." I added.
"Why do you say so?"
"Because there seem to be no trace or signs of the other daughter, it seems like they wiped her memory out of the house even photos that seemed to be of his whole family that particular daughter was erased." I said to her slowly heading out and was expecting her to be behind me but she wasn't, I turned around to find gripping tightly to her mouth like she was on the verge of sobbing.
"Isabella." I called out to her making her come back to her senses and compose herself before rushing up to me.
"I am sorry I got distracted for a second there." She said smiling as we both headed out.
"I won't be able to tell Sofia goodbye because she most definitely won't let go of me and I won't want to be late." I said to Isabella while my guards opened the door to my car.
"You don't have to worry too much about Sofia, you know how understanding she is." Isabella said to me making me smile before entering the car as it slowly drove away, for an awkward reason I looked back at her and a flashback came in, from the night of the incident with that lady whom I was never able to find.
"Were you ever able to find that girl?" I asked Alex who was at the front passenger seat.
"No, you don't know what she looks like or her name it made it difficult to find her and it's been more than 5 years, I don't think the girl would care about an apology from you or even remember you." Alex said making me groan, I never got an the chance to apologies to that girl and fir a weird reason I felt like I had wronged her. A kind of guilt that can never leave my thoughts.
We got to the Dante's mansion quicker than I expected.
I got down from my car slowly with Alex behind as I entered the mansion, a maid greeted me and to another sitting room. Different from the one he had took me to the other day.
."Ferrari." Leonardo greated as he came down the stairs but this time Aurora wasn't beside him which I was really thankful for, I don't think I would be able to quit this deal if Aurora was here at all.
"What brings you her so quickly." Leonardo Said taking a seat at the closet sofa near me.
"Nothing much, I just want to change our deal." I said to him,
"You can take your time to think about it but please don't say no." Leonardo pleaded with me even before I began.
Leonardo's plea caught me off guard. He seemed desperate for me to accept Aurora as my fiancée. I couldn't understand why her father wanted this so badly. It made me question if there was something more to this deal than meets the eye.
"I appreciate your offer, Mr. Dante, but I'm just not sure if Aurora and I are the right match," I replied cautiously.
Leonardo's face fell, disappointment evident in his eyes. "Enzo, I understand that Aurora can be difficult sometimes, but she needs someone like you to help guide her. I see the goodness in you, and I know you can bring out the best in her."
I sighed, feeling conflicted. On one hand, I wanted to honor my agreement with Leonardo. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with someone like Aurora. She was stubborn, impulsive, and had a wild temper that constantly put me on edge.
"Mr. Dante, I don't doubt that Aurora has potential, but I don't think I'm the right person to bring it out," I confessed.
"You underestimate yourself, Enzo. I have seen the way you have already influenced her positively. She has shown a willingness to change and grow since you've entered her life," Leonardo argued.
I couldn't deny that Aurora had indeed shown some improvement. She had become slightly more considerate and less quick to anger. But I still had doubts if this change was genuine or just a temporary façade.
"Even if that's true, Mr. Dante, I'm not convinced that our differences can be reconciled. We have fundamentally different values and personalities," I explained.
Leonardo's pleading expression turned into a stubborn one. "Enzo, I'm asking you to please reconsider. I need this deal to go through, and I believe that you and Aurora can find common ground. Give her a chance, for the sake of the company."
I took a deep breath, contemplating his words. Part of me wanted to believe that I could help Aurora become a better person, but another part of me feared that it would be an uphill battle. I couldn't deny the fact that I wanted to help Mr Leonardo, but was that enough to sustain a lifetime commitment?
"Alright, Mr. Dante, I'll give Aurora a chance," I finally relented, much to Leonardo's relief.
A sense of resignation settled within me as I realized I had committed to something that could potentially cause me a lifetime of frustration. I hoped that I was making the right choice for both myself and the company.
As Leonardo smiled gratefully, I couldn't help but wonder what Isabella had meant earlier. She had insinuated that Aurora and her sister might not be Leonardo's biological daughters. It was an intriguing thought that planted doubt in my mind about the true nature of this deal.
But for now, I had agreed to be Aurora's fiancé, and I would fulfill my commitment to the best of my abilities.
ISABELLA —-
While Sofia played with her bathing water I couldn't help but remember what Enzo said, does that mean my father really disowned me and not just that he also wiped all my memories away. And here I was always thinking that he would give me a second chance as his daughter,if I became successful I would be given a chance to prove myself. I wanted to safe his company from the mysery I caused it but I guess Aurora was always his favorite and now she would be the one to save his company, I just pray Enzo would accept her with the character she has and most especially he should be able to let go of Sofia at the right time because he seems to be getting to attached to Sofia. I need to find a way to start separating the both of them before it becomes too late.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my packed suitcases. The decision I was about to make weighed heavily on my heart, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn't stay in this mansion any longer, pretending to be a part of this family when I was nothing more than an outsider.
Sofia played happily in her small bathtub, splashing water all around her. She was oblivious to the turmoil within me, unaware of the lies I was about to tell. I didn't want to burden her with the truth, at least not yet. My first priority was to protect her.
As I heard the sound of Enzo's car pulling into the driveway, panic surged through me. I needed to act quickly, before he could confront me about my sudden decision to leave.
"Sofia, sweetheart, we're going on a little adventure," I said, forcing a smile as I pulled her out of the tub and wrapped her in a towel.
"Where are we going, Mommy?" she asked, her big, innocent eyes looking up at me.
"We're going to visit Aunt Maggie," I lied, my heart aching at the deception.
- Writer
