Cara's pov
"Holy shit!" Diana gasped beside me, sharing my awe as we mindlessly walked into my new home.
When Luca told me he was picking an apartment himself, I knew it'd be someplace really comfortable and safe. But Luca, once again, had outdone himself. The condo was something a celebrity would live in. A long corridor lined with cove lights connected the entrance to the living area– a very spacious, fancy living area.
"Oh my God!" Diana exclaimed again. "This is insane!"
I'd asked her to tag along after a short visit to her place, a visit where I'd spilled the beans about my relationship with Luca. I'd expected the judgment and the reproval but I'd gotten none because just like with Gina, Diana had known all along.
"Finally, I was getting sick of playing the oblivious friend." She'd sighed heavily with a hard roll of her eyes.
"How long have you known?" I'd asked after picking up my jaw from the floor.
"Since the time I saw him come out of the storage room with untidy hair, only for you to appear minutes later with a guilt stricken face AND untidy hair as well."
A deep groan left me, mortification creeping up the back of my neck as I buried my face in my palms. "Ugh! Was I really THAT obvious?"
Diana's shrug was offhand. "Yes, babe. You're an open book."
We'd left after that and in the same black van my bodyguards once abducted me in, well kinda. Diana had grilled Sergio and Nino with a flood of questions all through the ride and now they avoided her like the plague. I remembered Sergio muttering something about her being worse than me on the elevator ride up and as soon as we got to the condo. He and Nino disappeared. Off to check out the perimeter or whatever the excuse they needed to escape us annoying girls.
Diana definitely didn't notice their absence though, she was too busy gawking over the sight. Not that I could blame her, I was smacked myself, unable to believe that this was my home now.
"It's like something that would be featured in an interior design magazine." Diana commended again.
I concurred with a dull nod of my head, completely entranced by the modern beauty of the place. The color pattern was completely different from Luca's penthouse as it was much softer and feminine. It was also much smaller but was about three times the size of my last apartment.
I could see elements of my taste in the space, from the dark blue and white walls to the sturdy white floorboards to the sheer curtains that hung down the large windows.
"It's already furnished." I noted, my eyes coasting past the beige sectional sofa to the glass coffee table and the standing shelves filled with all sorts of mini decors.
"Let's check the bedroom," Diana said excitedly, immediately skipping past me.
I followed her, the excitement of seeing how my new bedroom looked building inside me. We opened the door to a softer blue painted room with a queen sized bed and a grand vanity.
A plush sofa faced the window sill and the lighting pouring in was generous. Like Luca's bedroom, there was a walk-in closet on the left end and an ensuite bedroom with wide sliding doors.
Diana hurried to the bed, dropping on her back with a plop. "This is a literal princess pod." She declared.
I concurred with a soft smile, taking in the place a second time. It was a literal princess pod, humble yet luxurious. The perfect balance between Luca's standing and mine. He'd really been intentional with the interior. I suddenly began to miss him because I wanted to find him and kiss him with all the gratitude in me.
Diana sat up on the bed, patting the space beside her. I obliged her silent request, loving how soft and comfy the mattress was when I sat down.
I was so going to love sleeping in it every day.
"To be honest, I'd expected a much blander, impersonal apartment when you asked me to come with you but I'm happy to be so wrong. This place…" she looked around the room, "you can tell that it was decorated with you in mind and if I had any lingering reservations about the boss, this clears it. A man couldn't get any more intentional than this."
I grinned, thoroughly pleased with her acceptance of Luca. It mattered to me that she liked him. She was my only friend aside from Gina so her opinion meant a lot.
"Thank you, Dee. You don't know how happy that makes me."
She took my hand in hers and squeezed gently. "Now you really have to introduce me to one of his friends. I don't care if they're in Maine or New Zealand, long distance relationships are a thing these days."
I laughed because I knew she was joking. "Right, I'd try to set up a zoom meeting with all of them so you can have your pick."
She gave me a cheeky smile. "You better."
We spent the next few minutes checking out the rest of the house- the fully equipped open plan kitchen, the three other bedrooms, the patio and the mini lounge all the while chatting about future sleepovers and girls' night in plans.
"How many famous people do you think live in this building?" Diana asked when I was escorting her back to the elevator.
I considered the question for a second before saying, "I really don't know."
"Then let me guess," she pouted thoughtfully, "three b-list models, some trust fund kid and a politician, so five."
I pressed the elevator button. "That's very specific."
Diana gave me one of her flippant shrugs. "I like being thorough like that."
I was teasing her about how she was more dramatic than thorough when the elevator dinged open to the last face I expected to see.
"Dominic?" I glitched at the same time Diana drawled, "you."
Dominic's surprise and confusion only lasted a second before his unfriendly hazel eyes became even more unfriendly. "What are you doing here?"
I was about to answer when I noticed his gaze wasn't directed at me, he was glaring at Diana and she was glaring right back.
"I could ask you the same question." She said in a hard voice.
Dominic's lips were a harsh line. "Well I live here and I'm very certain that you don't."
I looked from him to Diana. What the hell was going on?
"Do you two know each other?"
I got a loud scoff from Diana while a passionate "absolutely not," was Dominic's answer.
"Well, it seems like you do." I said dryly.
Dominic's sharp gaze turned on me. "Do YOU know each other?"
I crossed my arms. "Yes."
A mocking smirk appeared on his face. "Makes a lot of sense."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?" Diana spat beside me.
Dominic only spared her an irritated glance.
Ignoring his obvious insult, I pointed out the important detail. "You clearly have met Diana before."
Diana sneered. "A rather unpleasant encounter." She turned to me. "He's the douchebag I told you about. The one from club Nova."
Surprise took over my annoyance and my gaze snapped to Dominic whose flaring nostrils told me he didn't appreciate being called a douchebag one bit.
"That was… him?" It suddenly made sense. Of course the lofty, rude asshole was Luca's right hand man.
Diana squared her shoulders, her jaw turning up. "Yes. And it's unfortunate that I got to run into him again." Her eyes narrowed at Dominic. "Whether your conceited ass believe it or not, I'm here to see Cara's new apartment. Not that I even owe you any explanation."
I watched as Dominic's dark gaze morphed into one of surprise then went back to dark.
"Fucking son of a bitch." He cursed before glaring at me like I stomped his grandmother to death. When he was done shooting invisible lasers at me, he cursed again-this time in Italian-then glided past us and down the hallway until he got to the door opposite mine and disappeared inside.
It was then I knew why he'd reacted so angrily. Luca had moved me to the same building and floor as his.
Great.
He probably did it for my safety, as much as Dominic was a proper asshole, he was also someone Luca really trusted. Luca knew Dominic would readily protect me if something happened. And he'd do it for Luca that is. The man hated the sight of me and that was precisely the reason why I didn't like the idea of living on the same floor as him. I might even say I DETESTED it.
"What a giant prick." Diana sneered. "Who is he?"
I reached for the elevator button again. "Dominic, Luca's closest friend." She raised one eyebrow and I rushed to add, "yeah there are no friends in Maine. I just made that up to hide the fact that I'm dating my stepbrother. And also the fact that his best friend is an asshole and the rest probably broke people's bones in their spare time."
Diana's gaze softened. "Thank you, you helped me dodge a bullet."
We got into the elevator, staying silent for a while before Diana suddenly said, "I hope he somehow gets kidnapped and shipped off to the north pole so I never get to run into him when I come visiting." She was clearly still incensed by the encounter with Dominic.
I hoped I didn't have to run into Dominic either but it was better this devil than being exposed to some russian wanting to use me to hurt Luca.