Chapter 102

“Serena, look—our baby looks so perfect, she looks like you!” Christian ran into the room with a big smile on his face and raised Siena in the air.

Tonight was the dinner with the Orlando’s and I was still a bit anxious about whatever Christian had planned. Would he really give Dario a pass?

“Latest collection?” I asked him in a mocking tone, the same way Daniela had asked me.

“Yes? How did you know?” Christian asked surprised. “I don’t,” I sighed annoyed. “It’s what Daniela asked me the other time, ugh.” I gagged at the end.

Christian gave me a pitiful look. “You don’t have to hang out with them. I wouldn’t do it so I don’t know why you’re pushing yourself-don’t listen to my mom “Your mom is right.” I corrected him. “And the thing is, I don’t trust your words anymore, I know you already knew about Dario,” I informed him. Christian frowned his eyebrows. “You do?”

“Yes, Daniela told me. She’s at least good for something.” I spoke and waited for him to say something- but the expression on his face had changed and was back to normal. “Do you want to go to the Orlando’s, Siena?” Christian asked Siena who had started gagging.

“You see.

it isn’t just me?” Christian laughed. He walked over so he could pull me in a hug and squeezed Siena between us. “All I need is the two of you, no negativity-just the two of you.” He spoke, but somehow it sounded as if he was only trying to convince himself.

“So you and Gina seemed to be getting along yesterday.” I smiled at him. “I’m proud of you, it makes me happy.”

Gina had been nothing but good to us, and all she ever got in return were Christian’s glares.

“About Gina, don’t get too close to her.” He suddenly spoke. “What?” I chuckled.

“Don’t get too close to her.” He repeated himself. “She’s a personal assistant, not our friend or part of the family-don’t get too close to her.”

“Christian, I’m not starting this with you.” I rolled my eyes and took a step back. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t hang out with her?”

Christian looked at me with a startled look on his face. “Well?” I demanded, but he still did not say a word. “Exactly, because there’s nothing else to say.” I sighed.

“I’m usually a jealous person and don’t want any other women around you, but I like Gina. Maybe it’s because she’s married? I don’t know.” I spoke.

“Maybe,” Christian mumbled. He did not seem in a good mood and I wondered why.

“You’re not going to do anything funny at dinner right?” I asked as I looked down at his free hand which was clenched in a fist. “No, why would I?” Christian forced a smile onto his face.

“We should go, my dad is waiting.” He spoke as he turned around with Siena in his arms. “You’re not angry right?” I asked him while I followed him down the stairs. “Angry? Why would I be angry?”

Christian chuckled.

“I don’t know-maybe because you seem like you can punch in a wall any second?” I told him as I grabbed Siena from his arms. I knew he would never hurt her or yell around her, which was probably holding him back-but I did it just to be sure.

“Serena, listen.” Christian began. “This Dario guy, I can share this district, I’m willing to split everything in half to avoid any conflicts, but I won’t allow him to have you!” He let out his honest feelings.

“So you’re jealous and insecure?” I giggled and tried to hide my laughter. “Yes, I’m jealous and insecure- happy?” Christian admitted and stormed to the car.

“Siena, your daddy is so jealous!” I laughed at Siena who giggled back.

The car ride was silent and tensed mainly due to the fact of Christian driving with an angry look on his face. “You’re not angry with me right?” I laughed at him. “Stop being a cutie.”

“No, I’m not-why would I?” Christian sighed. I was wondering why the thought of Dario flirting with me made him angry, while he didn’t even budge when I told him that it was some random stranger.

“Good, because I don’t want to argue with you-and don’t worry about Dario,”

After a while, we arrived on a beautiful estate, which could also give the Lamberti’s a run for their money. It seemed as if the Orlando’s had no problem showing off their money as the whole estate was full of workers.

“My Lucia, come to grandpa!” I heard Lucio’s voice. He grabbed her from her car seat and kissed her before he looked at me. “You look beautiful Serena, what is the grumpy look on my son’s face?”

“Apparently Dario has been telling everyone how amazing I am, and Christian can’t take it.” I mocked. Christian and looked at the angry look on his face.

“Yes, I’ve heard.” Lucio chuckled. “He has this trait from his mom and definitely not from me.” He smiled.

Lucio seemed perfectly healthy today, but this time it frightened me. Lucio collapsing had shown us that there was no time to estimate how long it was going to take until he couldn’t take it anymore, Christian had a lot from his dad and hiding things for themselves was one of them.

“Come on, let’s go.” Christian ignored his dad and made his way to the front door while we followed them. Standing at the door was an old man with Dario by his side. I immediately recognized him and he looked just as fine as he did when I met him the first time.

“Grocery store girl!” Dario opened his arms and pulled me into a welcoming hug. Instead of being my usual awkward self, I hugged him back and gave him a push against his shoulder.”

“If I knew who you were, I would’ve never made that promise.” I laughed at him. “What promise?”

Christian scoffed. How was I going to tell him that I promised to give Dario a city tour?

“Christian, nice to meet you too.” Dario stuck out his hand. Lucio nudged his shoulder and forced Christian to do the same. “Nice to meet you too,” Christian spoke in an almost disgusted tone.

“And you must be Siena?” Dario pinched her in her cheeks while Siena laughed and buried her face in Christian’s shoulder. “You see? She likes me!” He spoke with an excited look on his face before he focused his attention on Lucio.

“Nice to meet you, sir, I heard rumors about you dropping dead any second-but you appear to be just fine.” Dario smiled. I knew that they thought the worst of them, but the smile on his face seemed genuine and soft. “I’m still standing, so you can decide for yourself whether these rumors are true or not,” Lucio told him.

“If you want to get rid of Lucio Lamberti, it’ll take way more than that.” The other man spoke and stuck out his hand “Good to see you again, Lucio.”

“Mauro, I wish I could say the feeling was mutual,” Lucio spoke while Mauro and Dario laughed, but Lurio did not appear to be joking. “Come on, let’s go in,” Mauro spoke and opened the door.

“Wow.” I gasped as I walked through the hallway. “You have a really nice home.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Dario shrugged it off. “We’re not even finished yet-we’ve just started last week.”

“It still looks really nice.” I complimented the house again and stared at him. He was kind, handsome, polite-cheerful, Just as I had described him before, he still reminded me of Vincenzo, but there was only one difference. I immediately saw Vince as a brother figure and with Dario that was definitely not the case.

Lucio and Mauro were having a conversation while Dario and I kept staring at each other.

“You look beautiful.” He spoke as he locked his eyes with mine. I tried my hardest to hide the blush on my face, but I was failing to do so. Dario Orlando just had that something special which I couldn’t lay my finger on.

Rather than it being romantic, it was something innocent. He just had something which made me want to follow him and be around him.

“Thanks” I smiled and looked at Christian who had a bothered look on his face. He seemed pissed and. knowing Christian it wouldn’t take long before he would lose his patience, but something told me that this was exactly what Dario wanted. Despite his nice behavior, the Lamberti’s were still his rival so he probably planned to push it until Christian would lose his cool.

“You don’t mind me calling her beautiful, right?” Dario smiled at Christian. “No?” Christian shrugged his shoulders. “Why would I be angry? She is beautiful.”

“Right,” Dario spoke and locked his arm with mine. “Let’s go to the dining room. I’ve prepared you guys a feast.” He spoke and pulled me along.

“I heard that you love food.” He whispered in my ear. I looked back at Christian and was literally counting down the seconds until he was going to snap. “Wow, the food does look really great. I agreed.

“That’s what I told you.” Dario chuckled. “And look, I even got a chair for the baby.” He spoke as he made his way over to Siena. “Can I?” He asked Christian.

Christian stared at him in disbelief and had no plans to hand her over. “Or you can do so yourself.”

Dario awkwardly spoke and looked back at me with a frightened look on his face.

“He won’t even let me hold her, it’s nothing personal.” I laughed as I comforted him. “I would let him hold our baby.” Dario sighed while Christian stopped in his steps. He really pushed it this time.

“I mean, if we had one-I’m sorry, not like that.” He quickly explained himself. “It’s okay, don’t worry,” I told him after seeing the genuinely embarrassed look on his face.

Mauro and Lucio who were already seated at the table seemed to be getting along well, which made me believe that perhaps Lucio had already changed their mind about them. Christian had so much to complain, but they did not seem like bad people.

Reading people was my thing, and I could not only see but also feel that despite the rivalry, the Orlando’s were genuinely good and nice people. Christian told me that it was just Mauro and his only son, Dario- and that his mother had passed away. Mauro and Dario seemed extremely tight and reminded me of Lucio and Christian.

“Serena, you should sit on the opposite side of me-so I can look at you” Dario flirted with me. The way he did it was so smooth that I did not get turned off by it. I was impressed by his bold confidence.

“If he tries one more thing, I will kill him.” Christian whispered as he sat down next to me. I gulped and looked at Dario who gave me a wink as only one thing went through my head.

Was he really going to kill him tonight?