BLOOD AND BLOSSOMS

COMING COMFORTS

Back in Como

Isabelle was still in her office sulking,the memories of her parents death flashed in her head again, the night of the shoot out, she still couldn’t believe she couldn’t do anything but watch her parents been killed, she was laying on the couch now, two bottles of alcoholic wine were lying empty on the floor, she was not properly dressed, she tried to sit up but couldn’t, if only cologne was still alive, she missed him a lot and nothing was ever gonna stop her from finding her parents killers.

Lorenzo and Ash walked into the mansion, just getting in, they saw that the interns were all taking a rest without training, Lorenzo looked at ash as she shrugged..

“You guys are back?” Guilia said as she walked in hands akimbo

“Yea, why are the interns not training?” Lorenzo asked

“Well.. Madam said they should take a break, weird but I don’t know” she answered

“A break? I never had a proper breathing break when I was training” Ash said pained

“I don’t know , ask Matteo but then, Ash i need your help”

“While you need my help, care to listen to my action of heroism?” She asked with a silly smile

“What heroism? You killed people” Lorenzo said as they laughed. Soon Ash and Guilia walked out.

Lorenzo sighed and walked towards Isabelle’s office, he saw Laura in the hallway with two other engineers fixing the cctv cameras.

“You back?” Laura said

“How’s it going?”

“You know madam and her sense of reasoning, they were just two seconds away” Lorenzo shrugged with a smirk

“She hates to take chances, that two seconds might cost her 13 years of hard work, so she should and always keep her eyes down….” He picked out a piece of paper on her hair “and you too should do that” he smiled and walked away, Laura smiled as she stared at him walking away.

ISABELLE’S OFFICE

Lorenzo knocked but he got no response, he knocked again and called but still no reply, he sighed and looked around, he saw a bodyguard…..

“Hey, hey” he stopped the guard “Have you heard from madam? Did she leave the mansion?” The bodyguard shook his head

“She’s been there all day, she even cancelled the interns practice and hasn’t assigned anyone since” Lorenzo sighed and nodded

”You can go..thanks” the bodyguard walked away, he turned to leave but he suddenly heard shattering of glass, he walked to the door and placed his ear on it, he heard another sound of the glass, he quickly opened the door and saw Isabelle trying to get up from the floor, pieces of glass in front of her, he was shocked, he looked around and quickly locked the door, he ran to her and squatted but didn’t touch her

“Madam are you okay?” Isabelle looked up with a blank look and suddenly burst into laughter, Lorenzo stared at her and tried to help her, he felt sad knowing already how wasted she was, he helped her sit up and carefully picked up the glass on the floor.

“Hey?”Isabelle called in her drunken state, Lorenzo paused at turned to look at her, she grinned

“Wanna hear a story? A silly one at that?” She asked, Lorenzo scoffed and disposed the bottles, he walked towards her and stood in front of her

“I’m so sorry madam, you’re drunk and I don’t think you’re in your right sense now, so please take a rest”he suggested

“So the story goes like this”she continued like he never said anything, “Did you know that my parents were killed 15 years ago? Like they were murdered?” Isabelle shook her head and tried to drink again but Lorenzo took the bottle from her..

“What? What? No, no, give me back my drink” she complained

“You’re wasting yourself madam, you need to calm down” Isabelle looked at him and smiled

“I like you alot” she said, Lorenzo paused and stared at her

“You’re not saying this things out of sincerity, you’re just drunk and you need to rest okay madam?” Lorenzo said and lifted her from the ground putting her on the couch

“I’m damn serious” Isabelle replied, he looked at her, he did not want to believe but it was said that whatever a drunk person said was true and was a secret, he scoffed

“Well, I completed the task you asked me to”

“What task? Oh my God” she exclaimed and covered her mouth with her palm, eyes wide opened, “Did you sell my couch?” Lorenzo chuckled

“You’ll know when you wake up tomorrow okay?” He said pulling his coat as he adjusted it to her head, “You should sleep now” he tried to get up but Isabelle held his shirt, he looked up at her

“Could you stay with me for sometime?” She asked with a pout, he hesitated and sat

“Thanks” she said, he couldn’t believe his boss was this blithe, there was silence in the room, he looked at Isabelle and saw her already dozing off, he was beginning to feel something he shouldn’t feel for her, something forbidden, he tried to brush her hair from her face when she suddenly spoke…

“I and my dad were never in concession” Lorenzo flinched and sat up adjusting his sleeve, her eyes were still closed, she turned her head to him eyes still closed

“He said he always wanted a male child while my mum gave him a girl, his family never complained… that’s even if he had a family” she laughed, Lorenzo staring at her deeply and attentively, “. But you know what? I didn’t give a damn, my mum was scared that one day he’ll hurt me and I was ready for the day he would ever try such” she opened her eyes , they were bright but she was still drunk

“I caused their death”

“What? No you didn’t ma’am,they were killed, you did nothing wrong” Lorenzo said softly

“Yea I know, cologne told me” she said with a smile, “But I know the truth and guess what?….. I didn’t know the day I wished for him dead that was the day he was killed” Lorenzo gulped, Isabelle shook her head lightly as tears rolled down her eyes…

“And it’s stupid cause am crying” she laughed, Lorenzo looked away and exhaled

“What happened to them?” He asked, Isabelle looked at him and grinned

“They were shot in the head right in front of me” she said and chuckled “and I just stood there looking like a fool, I did nothing, my mama, her scream when my dad was shot?….” Isabelle breathed out heavily, “I don’t ever want to hear that kind of scream ever again, she was in so much pain and i could see how she wanted to hold him back in her arms and just… and just….” Isabelle burst out in tears, she cried all out like she had never, which Lorenzo allowed…

“I’m sorry, I’m boring you right?” She said and sniffed as she cleaned her face

“Hey?” He called and sat her up wrapping his hands around her

“You might not remember this when you wake up tomorrow morning but I just wanna let you know that I’ll be here for you no matter the challenges even though you don’t want me to” he assured, Isabelle broke the hug and looked at him with squinted eyes….

“I was right when I said I liked you a lot ” she smirked and fell asleep all of a sudden.