Chapter 7
1376 Words
Chapter 7
Mrs Emilia De Rosso step out of Salvatore's office and led the way to the elevator with Ariana behind her. She was so furious that she didn’t notice those around her greeting her as she walks past them.
“Mother, where are you going?” Ariana called after her as she kept walking without giving any attention to her surrounding.
“To my office,” she answered at the same time Ariana caught up to her.
“But your office is just opposite Giovanni’s office, why are you going toward the elevator?”
Emilia looked around and was surprised to find out she is indeed going in the wrong direction. She turned around and stormed into her office.
"He is getting out of hand Ariana," she finally blurts out what was troubling her.
"How is that?" Ariana stared at her.
"He never dares to tell me to my face that he slept with two of his staff, but now he has become bold,” she frowned. "It's like he doesn't even have any emotion left in him.”
"I know mother," Ariana placed a comforting hand on her mother-in-law's shoulder. "What do you think we can do? You know he is not a kid anymore and you can't keep threatening him with his career."
"I know, I'm only hoping I can have enough time to do something that would make him change back to the old Salvatore I gave birth to,” her eyes brimmed with tears. "I miss my son, my loving boy, not this unfeeling man he has become."
“We all missed the carefree boy he used to be, seeing him like this breaks my heart. it is also taking its toll on Giovanni,” Ariana whispered. "I have an idea that has been running through my head for months now, but I don't know if it will work out. You know how Salvatore is," Ariana twist the ring on her finger.
"What is it?" Emilia perked up at Ariana’s word.
“I think we should get him married, maybe having a wife at home will give him a sense of responsibility and make him stop running after everything in skirts. But then, we both know how Salvatore hates the idea of a wedding."
Emilia seems to mull over it for a while.
"It is a clever idea, and I know he would hate it but we have to do what must be done to get him out of the hell he is trying to push himself into,” she pursed her lip. “I'll find a potential bride for him myself."
Ariana bobbed her head in agreement.
"I need you to put up a vacancy for the post of PA, I need to get Salvatore a new assistant."
"What happened to Isabella?" Ariana frowned.
"Giovanni told me he has slept with her, I don't want her mixing pleasure with work, it will complicate things."
"I will put up the vacancy at once," Ariana pulls out her tab, and got to work.
Isabella moved away from the door; she push her hand over her mouth to keep herself from giving away her presence.
She heard everything...
"They want to replace me?" She asked rhetorically, staring at the door as if she heard something wrong. "After her son slept with me and toss me to the side, she also wants to chase me away," she mumbled.
The urge to run into the restroom again gripped her, but she controlled her emotions.
"I won't let every one of you walk over me," she beats her chest gently. "I, Isabella Hardison never lose."
She placed her ears on the door again and smiled.
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"I'm here to see Aria Simione," Luciana taps her feet on the floor gently.
"Who are you and what business do you have with her?" The receptionist asked.
"I'm Luciana, and I am her friend."
"Okay..." She taps on her desktop for a while, before picking up the landline to dial a number.
"Miss Aria, this is Rita speaking," she paused. "Not at all, there is a miss Luciana here looking for you."
"Alright I will let her know you will be here shortly," she hung up the phone and turn to Luciana.
"You can wait for her over there," she gestures to the seat close to her
"Thank you."
Luciana sat down, her leg crossed as she waited for Aria to come down, it did not take long though, as the elevator pinged.
"Luciana," Aria called across the hall as she flew into her arms "What are you doing here?"
Luciana pulls away from the hug and pats her back.
"I wanted to come here to apologize for how I let things end between us," she swallowed hard "You are right about what you said, I have been letting the guilt eat deep into me, that I didn't give myself the chance to live."
"What are you saying?" Aria frowned at Luciana.
"I'm saying I want to try again; I want to be a better friend and more importantly, I want to be a better person for myself."
"You are joking right?" Aria stared at her as if she is an alien.
"Who are you?" She pulls back to look her over.
"What do you mean? I am your friend Luciana."
"I know, but I'm surprised by this lady in front of me right now," Aria felt like crying, she had always prayed for Luciana to wake up and realize she is killing herself every day. "Are you sure you didn't do something to my Luciana? Are you drunk?"
"What is wrong with you girl?” Luciana frowned. “I am starting to regret my decision of coming here to talk to you," she turns around to leave but Aria pulls her back and engulfed her in a warm hug.
"I'm just happy my friend finally decides to change, you don't know how happy I am," she cooed. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear you say these words to me," she pulled away and looked straight into Luciana’s eyes
"Well… what do you think the first step of being a better version of myself should be?"
"Well...”Aria imitates her voice. “I don't know about anyone, but you need to go shopping."
"Wait! what?" Luciana squinted her eyes. "What happened to all the clothes in my wardrobe?"
"Trust me, girl, if you want a change, you wouldn't dream of wearing those clothes."
"What is wrong with my clothes?" Luciana crossed her arm in front of her.
"If you must know, they aren't the ideal clothes a lady should be seen wearing. I only put up with it because I know what you are passing through."
"Jesus! You do not mean that, do you?"
"You wanted to hear the truth."
She held up her hand to stop Luciana from saying any other thing
"Look, I have to get back to work so it will be pointless arguing about clothes when we should be putting things in order,” she bit her lip. "You have to promise me when you get home now, you will gather up all those clothes and burn them."
Aria arched her brows at Luciana when she sensed she is about to protest.
"Okay fine, I will burn them."
"I'll do the rest once I get home, there are some things that need to be thrown out of the house."
"You can't throw my stuff away babe, you know how much they mean to me–,"
"–and how much they destroyed your life," Ari completed her statement for her.
"We agreed not to argue, so just do as I say, okay?" She places a comforting hand on Luciana’s shoulder.
"Okay. I see you have to go now, we will continue this conversation when you get home."
Aria pulled her into a hug again, she moved away after a few minutes and turn to leave.
"Aria," Luciana called.
She turns her head to look at her friend.
"Thank you," Luciana whispered. "For being a faithful friend all these years."
Aria flashed her a smile and walked into the elevator, while Luciana walked out of the company.
- Writer
