Chapter 104 Conflicted
"Your aunt's here!!
Yes my baby
Your aunt is by the door right now...!", Isabella drawled as she approached the door with Sophia in her embrace.
"What were you saying?!", Isabella asked, opening the door to hear Celia's muffled voice.
"I'm her godmother and her aunt!
I can't believe you're downplaying my role!", Celia said, feigning anger.
Closing the door behind her, she rushed towards the sink to wash her hands.
"Oh my!
I should have never done that!
Fine!
I guess I'll just bribe you with some food!", Isabella said, passing a slightly ecstatic Sophia to Celia.
"Did you say food!?", Celia asked as she dried her hands.
"I said food!
It's not quite ready yet!
We'll have to wait about ten more minutes!", Isabella said.
"Hmm
That won't be a problem.
I brought a beautiful dress for Sophia! It's in my bag!
Let's make sure we don't forget...!", Celia drawled as Sophia wiggled her arms and her legs.
"I know!
I know!
I missed you too!", She continued, earning an admirable look from Isabella.
"I miss Miss Gina a lot!", Celia said, quickly noticing the absence of The Doula.
Isabella never opened the windows, Whereas Miss Gina always did.
Overall, Celia thought she managed just fine.
"Me too!", Isabella said, both ladies becoming quiet as Sophia giggled.
"Anyways!
We won't sulk!
Tell me! How was your first week at work!", Celia urged as she got comfortable on Isabella's sofa.
"Well!
I had, I mean we had a rather good time!
Right my baby!", Isabella said, making funny faces for Sophia to laugh.
She continued, "We didn't get to have so much playtime!
That was because I was overly busy!
Plus, the manager said my workload might get even more next week!"
"That'll be tasking for Sophia!
Have you thought about like a daycare or something?!", Celia asked.
"Exactly!
I was thinking about the same thing at work!
You have to link me if you know anyone!", Isabella said, wanting to make sure Sophia got to play with her age mates.
"I just want her to have a normal childhood!
Over at my workplace, it's just the whirring of machines!
I have to buy a muffler to block out the noise from her ear!", Isabella said, expressing her grievances.
"Okay!
I'll ask my Nonna or my mom!
Those women always know somebody!", Celia said, earning a fit of laughter from both ladies.
"Right! How could I forget...!", Isabella drawled, giving Celia a knowing look.
"What?! What did you forget?!", Celia asked back, apparently confused.
"No I'm saying that I didn't forget!", Isabella refuted.
"Okay...!", Celia drawled, pausing to process what Isabella had just said.
"Ohh you meant you didn't forget!
What did you want to say?
Is it something about your workplace?!", Celia asked, quite concerned about Isabella.
"No! It's just that...
Ughhh
You remember the guy from the wine festival!?", Isabella asked, trying to get to a point.
"Ohhh the hot guy who talked to you after the wine tasting!", Celia described as she remembered the man in question.
"Exactly!
His name is Esteban!
He's been really persistent in getting to know me!
But I already know what he wants, but I don't know what to do!", Isabella said, sighing.
She honestly was more conflicted about the situation then she thought.
"Ahhh I see what's going on here!", Celia said, holding Sophia properly as she found interest in Celia's hair.
"Really?
What do you think I could possibly tell him?!", Isabella asked, very ready to get advice to throw the man off her back.
"No!
Plain and simple!
But, the problem is you're too kind to tell him "No" straight to his face!", Celia said, correctly explaining Isabella's conflicting feelings from the past week.
"But!
But!
But...!", Isabella was cut off by Celia who had another point
"Except of course you like him and you're just holding back!", Celia said.
"Ughh!
I don't know!
I still have a lot going on!
Plus I don't think I'm ready!", Isabella said.
"If you don't!
Just muster the courage to tell him no!
And if you do, you'll always have a lot going on. So just create time to go on a date!", Celia said, as Isabella stood up and went to check on the food.
"I don't know!
I don't even want to think about that now!
I'm just focused on getting Sophia settled In a daycare or something!", Isabella said, immediately shrugging off the gushy feelings.
"If you eventually figure it out!
I'll watch Sophia for you!
Please tell me in advance so I can make preparations!" Celia said, giggling at Sophia.
"What preparations do you want to make for a baby?!", Isabella asked quite curious.
"You know
Movies!
Mani's and Pedi's and hair care and shopping and all of that!", Celia said, obviously excited she was getting to spend time with Sophia.
"Come over real quick! The food is ready!", Isabella said.
\~~~
In Milan, a likely bloodbath was about to take place as a package had just been delivered to Luciano.
"When did you say this was delivered?!", Luciano asked as his men gathered in one of the conference halls In the building.
"Very early this morning sir!
At around 3 A.M!", Marco, one of Luciano's men reported.
"Were you able to ID the person who made the drop?!", Luciano asked again, flexing his arms which picked up the box and shook it.
"No sir
He had on a black helmet!
And he dropped by with a regular bike!
Completely incognito!", Andreas said, afterall, he had been the one to try to Place an ID on the person.
"So no one has opened it yet?!", Luciano asked, the potentiality of the package being a bomb bothering him.
"Not yet sir!", Andreas answered.
Luciano scrutinized the box with intense green eyes before he picked it up and shook it again.
It seemed like something small was inside, thus, he opened it to reveal a burner phone.
This was suspicious!
Why would someone he didn't expect drop off a burner phone?
"I want to know what this contains!
Let me know as soon as possible!", Luciano ordered, tossing the phone to one of his tech guys, Aldo.
He was quick to catch it, very aware that if he didn't, it might have cost him his life.
Looking back into the box, Luciano sees a white envelope he didn't take notice of in the first place.
Gently opening it, he squinted his eyes from the message he saw.
A very unsettling one at that.
"ONE OF YOURS!"
He suddenly raised his head as he discreetly folded the message back to how he saw it.
His eyes scan each and every man in the conference room.
As of that very moment, everyone wasn't above his suspicions.