OWED AN INVITE

ARIANA’S POV~

“They took Estella away!” I exclaimed sharply, before turning to Enzo to back me up, “yeah, just now, they said they were going to run tests on her” he replied.

“What?” Mateo questioned, he looked confused, “We just overheard her discussion with Emiliano, he is alive?” Enzo continued.

Mateo gave him a suspicious look before taking my hand, “yes I just found out a few weeks ago, he did that to Ariana” he mentioned before pointing down at my wounded leg.

“When I find him I will rip him apart limb from limb, he will regret the day I was born into his world” he finished.

Enzo nodded confidently before giving me a quick look.

“What is that?” Mateo asked, before standing in front of us, “What?” I inquired, hiding my face as he leaned in.

“That look? I just saw it now, what the hell is going on with you two, am I getting a set-up somewhere, I can't put it past Enzo, the piece of shit plans the most bizarre ways to prank me, every year it gets worse” he said.

I gulped, this would surprise you alright.

Enzo laughed before patting his back. “You worry too much, my friend. You are tense. You should lighten up.” He gave another laugh before walking away. He turned to look back at Enzo, a look of suspicion glinting in his brows.

“Fine”  he concluded.

“How’s Chiara,” he asked, I froze, I hadn't even seen her.

“We haven't been up to see her, we let Estella go up to see her first” I replied, he turned to give me a quick look and said nothing.

Together we walked quietly down the hallway, we entered Chiara's room, and there was a nurse with her, brushing her hair as she looked out of her barred window.

“Chiara, you have a visitor” the nurse called, chiara turned to look at her.

Her blank face suddenly brightened as she saw Mateo.

“You came!” she exclaimed excitedly before jumping on him, it startled me, and Mateo set her on the bed softly.

She sprang back up, and the nurse backed me away cautiously, “she’s heavily medicated, she’s been very anxious lately and I think we know why” the nurse mentioned.

“I missed you, even after what you said to me I still loved you, even after what he did to me,” she started, she must be talking about the rape, I still couldn't believe Silvio could do that.

“Im sorry chiara,” that was all he could mutter, he looked at her with guilt in his eyes.

“Where’s my baby” she asked him with pleading eyes.

“Right here chiara, look” the nurse replied pointing at a wrapped doll on her bed.

“No not Christine, my little sunblock, my rocco” she giggled.

“Im sorry sometimes she has delusions, she maintains that she has had a baby before but records don't show” the nurse explained.

“A baby?” I questioned, then she turned to me, her gaze lowered to disgust as she approached me, “Estella says you’ve been nice to her” she started.

I gulped and nodded, “Hi Chiara” I smiled.

She looked down at my belly and back at me, “I always knew you wanted him, you just did a good job at hiding it and pretending to care about me when all you wanted” he paused then moved back slowly, “Was him” she added pointing up at Mateo.

She laughed manically, the nurse picked out a syringe from her pocket and waited.

“You wanted him! You wanted him! You wanted him! You wanted what was mine! You thief! You bitch! You wanted him! Where is Rocco? Where is my baby!” she screamed at the top of her lungs before lunging at me, as she did Mateo jumped in front of me, protecting me from her scratches and her fists as she tried to reach for my hair, mateo raised his arm around me, protecting me.

Enzo burst in and together he and the nurse subdued Chiara and soon she had been sedated.

“I think it's best you leave, she needs her rest” the nurse announced.

We nodded and left the room, “what the hell was that!” Enzo exclaimed sharply.

Tears flowed down my eyes and I couldn't stop them, “im a bad friend” I sighed before leaning on the wall.

“I never came to see her, after everything with my stepmother I just couldn't take it anymore” I Cried.

Amidst the tears, I saw Enzo approach me but Mateo who was closer had pulled me close to him and I was safely in his arms.

It felt peaceful there, in the arms of the only man that would protect me, and come back for me. Save me.

But still feel the most insecure I ever felt.

“We should go,” he whispered, “coming here was a bad idea” he added before kissing my temple softly.

I pushed him away from me and marched out of the hallway and into the elevator.

I just can't… “im sorry Mateo, it's all too much, I don't need your pity” I muttered to myself.

Mateo pov~

“Get Estella, I'll go after her” I instructed, and he nodded in response, i watched him go, eyeing him suspiciously as he went.

You wont get me this year you sick psycho bastard.

Ariana had been extra sensitive these past few days, she hadn't been herself, I understand the pregnancy was taking its toll on her but something wasn't right.

She had been fidgety since Enzo got back, always on edge, last night at dinner she tried to throw up and micola wasn't too happy about that.

I took a step further and then a call came in, “Just who I was expecting, Don Argento, I believe I owed an invitation no?” I started before walking towards the elevator.

Don Argento laughed, “I left the best for last,” he paused before I heard him take a drag of his cigar and then he continued.

“I understand my wife was not the only special thing that made it back to our shores” he started.

I snickered, “You heard? How fast new travels”  

“Of course Mateo, we are a network of spies after all” he paused, “I want to know what’s on that tape, there’s serious talk about it, have you listened to it?” he inquired further.

“A few parts of it yeah” I replied pompously, reeling the moment.

“Maybe you should listen to all of it, a formal invitation has been sent over to your estate, bring the tape with you, see you at the party Don Mateo Donatelli” he stated, the last words of his sentence weighed in matters of respect.

I'd been so distracted by Julius that I didnt take the time to listen to it all, I'd made several copies just in case my father wanted to try his funny antics.

And now I believe the truth about why Don Vincenzo Rinaldi killed my parents will soon reveal itself to me.

All thanks to the man I trust more than anything, Enzo.