New Love

three

Elena's Point Of View

*Later that night at Jack's Casa, Elena and Harry's Italian restaurant*

"What brings you here bella? I thought you're busy for the whole week!" the head chef of my restaurant, Marino asks as he watches me make the pasta dough from scratch while he chops the vegetables I needed for it's sauce.

"I am busy Marino, this is actually one of my agendas since a potential business partner from Italia is coming in a few weeks and I kind of want to impress him" I say with a smile "If everything goes well, the merger will join our two businesses together and I'll be married by the end of the year." I added as I wrapped the pasta dough in cling film after kneading it.

"What is this? An arranged marriage? Elena, this isn't the 16th century anymore." he sighed as he stopped what he was doing "Did your father tell you that?" he asked

"Si, I was reluctant at first and I still am but I'm his only living child and I want to help our family business prosper while still fulfilling my dreams with the restaurant." I gave him an assuring smile

"I'm just worried about you bella, you don't deserve to be trapped in a loveless marriage so soon after Harry d-ed." he pats me on the shoulder "Who's the lucky signore then?" he hums and continued to chop the vegetables.

"If you must know, his name is Mateo Vitale. He has a couple of bars all around the world-" he cuts me off as he looked at me worriedly.

"I don't think your papa knows who he's selling you off to Elena." he frowns "He is a very ruthless and dangerous man outside of the businessman façade." he stated, I raised my eyebrows curiously at that statement.

"How would you know that Marino?" I wondered curiously.

"I used to work for his family before my Jimmy and I migrated here." his tone changed immediately and shook his head "Maybe it's just a rumor, I haven't seen the boy in 20 years. Barely interacted with him." he chuckled and continued chopping the vegetables again.

Somehow, I'm not satisfied with his answer but I don't want him to suspect anything. He never told me that he worked for the Vitales in the six years that I have known him.

"Is this one of the dishes you used to cook for the Vitales? Pasta Alla Norma?'" I read the recipe card as he began frying off the eggplants, trying to change the subject a little bit.

He nods "Signore Roman loves it but his wife loves the pasta con le sarde; pasta with anchovies and sardines. Should I get the ingredients of that recipe too?" he asks with a chuckle

I nod in excitement "I guess I'm learning both those dishes tonight" I grinned as Marino became my sous chef to cook something for my possible business partner.

---

Thirty minutes later, I topped the pasta alla norma with fresh basil and ricotta salata and then topped the sardine pasta with toasted breadcrumbs. I used a clean towel to make my plate tidy "How's that for a beginner of these dishes Marino?" I smiled in admiration once I was done.

"It looks delizioso, bella!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Grazie, Marino." I smiled proudly as I hand him a fork for tasting.

"Hey Marino! Something smells good in here!" Mine and Harry's best friend and co owner of the restaurant, Luca says as he enters the kitchen, gasping as he sees me in an apron "Please don't tell me you've cooked something!" he jokingly said in disgust

"Alright, I didn't. Marino showed me how to cook these dishes." I winked as I handed him a fork "We're about to dig in, do you want any?" I smiled at him

"Sure! Is that pasta alla norma?" he asks excitedly as he admired the presentation of the dish

I nodded "Mhm! Everything was made from scratch, from the sauce to the pasta." I was about to get some small plates for us but my phone pinged, I went to check it and it was a message from my father.

"Don Mateo and his third in command  are arriving earlier than we expected. They will be coming in a week, his flight will be arriving at nine o' clock sharp next Friday at London National Airport, my darling. Be punctual xx" the text reads.

"Hm" I sighed and put my phone away as I removed my apron, reality setting in that I may be meeting my possible future husband soon.

"Is everything okay, Lee? You haven't tasted the fruits of your labor yet." Luca said in concern. "Unless it's p-is-n-d!" he

gasped

I rolled my eyes playfully and shoved him lightly "You wound me Luca!" I giggled "I just had a really long day and I only made enough for two people, you two can be the judge of my cooking since you're both Italians, buona notte." I smiled and left the restaurant and drove back home to my father's estate, with every intention of sleeping in for as long as possible.

I hope everything goes well next week...

Third Person's Point Of View

"Can't we do anything about this Luca?" The older man says with worry towards his boss and surrogate daughter "Mateo will only hurt her, in one way or another." he sighed

"I know Mateo well enough that he can't move on from Lucia." Luca Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head "That b-st-rdo still thinks that I ordered my men to end his precious Lucia." he scoffed "I have better sh-t to do than to waste my own men to k-ll her" he says as he tasted the pasta alla norma "I've been busy making sure that the Scots don't do anything to cross Elena, giving them what they want as far as weapons and dr-gs go. I know they'd want the power of the Kingsley's all for themselves and Scotland be the centre of all ma-ia related businesses."

"Shouldn't you be avenging Harry? Those Scots k-lled your best friend." Marino asked

"He was my best friend, but I should thank those Scottish b-st-rds for k-lling him for me, I can finally be with Elena after all these years."  Gabriel smiled fondly as he thought about the woman he loves "Let Mateo come to London. But I know that he'll hurt Elena and when he does she'll come crawling to me and I will be the man she deserves."  he chuckled darkly "Tell Jimmy to keep an eye out for  del fratellino mio's arrival, Marino. I can't have him see me here. And tell mio amore that her pasta was delicious" he says before leaving the restaurant.

"Elena Kingsley will be mine, she has always been mine." he thought