Chapter 35: The Birthday Ball

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The first thing Serenity saw when she woke up was a huge gigantic bouquet of pink roses on the bed right next to her. She was surprised and dazzled. She had overslept and woken up late, the last thing she thought before going to sleep was to settle scores with Alessandro for disrupting her movie night but the sweet scented petals in her hands made her bewildered to the point of forgetting herself for a oment.

She found a cute little note on top of it and it read,

Happy Birthday , Love.

It was written in a clean and neat handwriting that almost resembled a font and she instantly knew who it was. She excitedly jumped off the bed.

"Alessandro!" She called out.

But the man in question wasn't there.

Serenity could feel the pint of disappointment in her heart but she brushed it off. He must be busy, atleast he didn't forget to wish her. And once again the full excitement recharged her at the thought of the day being her birthday.

She was finally sixteen.

She quickly cleaned up and ran downstairs with a merry skip on her steps.

The kitchen was particularly in a hustle, someone had invaded the baking spot in the early morning and since it was the respectable guest of the birthday girl, none of the staff dared to say anything.

Butter was preparing a special cake with her own hands for her best friend. She had learned baking the other night...on YouTube but she was very confident that she can pull it off.

Simone who happened to come back after a run was surprised to see that weird island girl running in their grand kitchen.

He signaled a Butler to come to him and asked what was going on.

"Ms. Kaptan wants to bake a cake Signorina O'Sullivan."

Simone made a face.

"Keep an eye on her."

"YIKESSS!" A loud shrieked interrupted them.

Simone snapped his head towards the source. In a couple span of minutes, the flour in the mixing pot busted.

"The fuck! Hey! Island girl!" He managed to reach in and pulled off Butter just in the nick time before the machine splattered gooey batter on her.

"Oh my Nick Bateman! What happened?" Butter cried, looking at the mess.

"If you don't know how to fucking bake then leave the fucking kitchen, don't sprout troubles here, we have a busy day ahead." He reprimanded her and turned around to leave

"Hey! How dare you talk to me in that tone! Learn to be polite, jerk!"

Simone raised his eyebrow and turned around at her audacity.

"What did you say, Butt?"

Butter angrily marched up to him and pushed the rolling pin on his chest, "What did you just call me?"

Simone shrugged, "Butt?"

Her face fumed a deep shade of red from anger and embarrassment, Butter gritted her teeth and was about to jumped on him when she caught the sight of the gorgeous blonde girl from the previous night.

Her angry expression quickly morphed into a pitiful little girl who has been bullied.

She cried softly, "How can you embarrass a girl like that with such demeaning names? What did I ever do to you? I just...I just wanted to bake a cake for my best friend. Did I do something wrong?"

Simone and the chefs who were present all along was caught off guard at her remarkable acting skills.

"What the-"

"Please don't say anymore, I am so sorry if I trouble you."

"What is going on here?"

Athena's bored tone came from the door.

Butter pitifully glanced at her with an innocent pout, "Mister here is calling me bad names."

Athena sighed and drawled, "Simone...would you prefer Alessandro chopping you off?"

"Excuse me! For the matter of fact, I didn't call you any horrible names. I just shortened your name "Butter" in halfway as "Butt" comes from Butter and Butter is too mouthful."

"You cannot just call me Butt as in Butter!" Butter shrieked, forgetting her pathetic act for a second.

"Why? I can. Ms. Captain"

"It's Kaptan! Not Captain!"

Simone rolled his eyes and picked up an apple and forcefully bite off a huge chunk as tho it was her head.

"Simone, Have you got nothing better else to do? Just let her do what she wants. We got enough staff to take care of it." Athena said while massaging her temples. .

He raised his eyebrow with a mocking smirk, "Why do you talk as if you're the mistress of the house, Ms. Springton? You're only a guest too, remember?"

Athena stilled, she turned to him with narrowed eyes and clenched her jaws.

"I am very much aware of who I am, Mr. Vitali. And you should be too, one word from me and Alessandro won't hesitate to shipped you off to the other side of the world." She looked over her shoulder and smirk at Butter who was looking at them in confusion,

"And Ms. Kaptan better brushed up your acting skills. It's pathetic."

Athena has strolled out of the room before any of them could react.

Simone gripped the apple tightly and hurled it at the door where Athena had just went through.

"Ouch! She stole my heart again. Ugh!" Butter grasped her chest and absent-mindedly walked to the other end of the counter.

With a worsened luck, she accidentally slipped and hit her bum on the floor with a loud noise, just at the time Serenity walked in.

The little girl gasped and rushed to her side.

"Butter! What happened!"

Simone barked out a laugh, looking at them.

"Butter slipped on a piece of butter and buttered her butt."

Serenity tried to hide her smile as she helped her up.

"Stop it, Simone." She softly giggled.

***

The warehouse was stilled with inevitable tensions, the alpha males of the Irish mob and the Italian mafia had arrived, no words spoken and cold silence drifting in the air.

Alessandro had forwarded a hand in negotiation to the O'Sullivans just for the sake of peace for his girl.

On the other hand, the O'Sullivan Brothers had come up to take their beloved sister back home with them with the least bloodshed possible.

All the men, the consiglieres of both sides, advisors and subordinates joined them on the conference table, a solemn look plastered on their faces and their fingers inches away from the weapons on their waist.

Bruno, Boris and Igor had taken seat in lieu of Conall O'Sullivan, seeing that their dear old Athair had lost his shit.

"Name the price." Boris said, his eyes glaring daggers at the man on the other side of the table.

Alessandro returned a blank look, "Pardon?"

Bruno gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to speak but Igor was faster.

"Give me my Seri back, Bastard! Take whatever you want to take from us but I swear to God if I can't have my sister back, I won't think twice before pulling the trigger!" Igor shot up from his seat and slammed his fist on the table.

"Calm down Igor!" Boris roared and pulled him back

Alessandro ignored what he had said and turned to the more sensible twin.

"I respect you, Mr. O'Sullivan. And hence this is why I am here to work out an agreement to avoid any unwanted circumstances in the near future." He eyed at the fuming Igor and Bruno nodded curtly in reply.

"Our athair might not be responsible enough to protect ... but Serenity O'Sullivan is an exceptional treasure to her brothers. We cannot give her away that easily, Mr. Vitali."

"I am ready for whatever it takes to make her my one and only. She will reign beside me. I will lay down the world at her feet but I cannot let her go."

"Bastard!" Igor cursed, "You have your own sister! Serenity is a child! You are dragging her in your own hell."

" She was born in hell, Mr. Igor. There is no way out of here unless death. I can protect her, keep her safe..." Alessandro sneered, "...unlike you."

"I am not afraid of wagging war, Mr. Vitali." Bruno gritted, "how can we be assured that our sister will be safe in your hands?"

"Bruno!" Igor and Boris hissed at the same time.

But Bruno didn't listen, his eyes fixed directly into the cold face of the Vitali heir, the deep raging fire suppressed under his crooked eyebrows.

"We are indeed taking a collateral, perhaps someone dear to Mr. Vitali for this arrangement only then would we be sure to give you our sister's hand in marriage for the future."

Alessandro clenched his jaws.

"But that will only come after Serenity's answer of course. She gets to choose whether she wants to be with you or not. If her response is No, then Pardon me. You will never get her. I will not let you."

"A marriage in exchange of a marriage. Is Mr.Vitali willing to sign away your sister, Ms. Alicia to us?"

....

"Happy birthday, Serenity." Antonio greeted her.

Serenity beamed, "Thank you, Antonio. Have you seen Alessandro by the way?"

Antonio looked down at his watch and hummed.

"He should be back by now."

"The rest of the Vitalis will be arriving shortly, you should go and get ready. We will be having a short brunch together."

She gasped, "Antonio! Why didn't you inform me sooner! I haven't even picked my dress yet. What am I going to do? There's so little time." Serenity turned around hastily and ran up the stairs.

Her clumsy feet missed a step and she was about the hit her knees on the sturdy edge when her waist was grabbed and thrown backwards.

Serenity let out a scream and latched onto the person immediately.

"Stupid girl, How many times do I have to tell you to not run on the stairs!" Alessandro scolded as he picked her up in his arms.

"I am sorry."

She mumbled in a small apologetic voice.

"Where were you, Alessandro? I wanted to see you first in the morning but you weren't there."

Alessandro halted for second and stare at her pouting face. He cleared his throat and continued walking.

"You wanted to see me first in the morning." He said.

She innocently nodded, "Of course."

"Don't worry, It will happen soon." He muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"We have reached, love." He put her down on the bed and went straight to his closet.

He later come back with a large packet neatly covered in a gift wrapper.

"Wear this for the brunch. I have already prepared everything in advance. You do not have to get worked up over anything, love."

"What if I don't like what you've prepared for me?" She teased with a smile.

Alessandro smirk and pulled her up. He pushed her towards a new section in his gigantic closet.

Serenity was dumbstruck at the sight.

Rows and Rows of sparkling gowns and dresses ranging from elegant to regal choices. And beneath it were a dozen pairs of matching shoes.

"If you still don't like it, I will bring more-"

"No!" She squeaked and covered his mouth.

"I like it. You don't have to. You are spoiling me, Alessandro. I will turn into a bad girl and you won't like me then."

Alessandro chuckled and bend down to her height.

"I will still like you if you're a bad girl, love. Although my hands might itched to punish you."

He pinched her chubby cheeks and step back to watch her eyebrows pulled into a tense frown.

"You will punish me?"

"Umm- hmm" He nodded.

She shook her head, "I don't like punishments, Alessandro. I will run away if you think you can punish me."

Alessandro let out a hearty laugh. Who knows she might beg more of it when the time comes.

But for now, her innocence will be the death of him.

"Alright, I won't punish you, my love."

"My family will be here soon. Go and get ready."

***

Serenity giggled and twirled in front of the floor length mirror, the soft creamy texture of the fabric felt like lilac on her skin, it brightens her appearance and gave her a soft look all over.

She ran to Butter's room for a quick touch up and the two girls went down together.

"Shouldn't your Oompa Lompa accompany you? Where is he?"

"He went to receive them, I guess."

"Talk about the devil and he appears." Butter chuckled and shove her to the side.

Serenity was caught off guard and her back slammed against a hard chest. She was instantly engulfed with the familiar chocolaty scent and musky cologne.

"Alessandro..." she blushed and turned around.

His eyes were on her, there was a tender, yet dangerously dark look coated on his pupils. He slowly clenched and unclenched his jaws.

"You look gorgeous, love."

Her blushing face turned a shade darker.

"You are handsome too, Alessandro."

Alessandro pulled her closer and kissed the side of her head. He intertwined their arms and walked her down the stairs carefully.

Butter gaged at the unwanted PDA but silently turned away to the kitchen.

The brunch was held in the greenhouse pergola. It was Serenity's first time meeting the whole Vitali family. She was nervous to say at least.

She was greeted with the sight of a picturesque large family. There was two handsome men in their middle age along with their equally elegant and stunning wives who seemed to have forgotten how to age. She envies the good genes that runs in his family. A ten year old girl and a little child was also seated on the chairs.

Alessandro cleared his throat and instantly all the attention was on them.

"Fratello! Fratello!" a little girl of around the age of four jumped down her seat and ran towards them. She hugged his legs and screamed gibberish.

Alessandro gently picked her up and introduced her to Serenity.

"This is my little cousin Tamara Connors. And Tamara, she is-"

"Your girl friend!!" Tamara answered him excitedly, "Madre tells me he is good girl."

"She. Tamara, not he." The lady in green suit corrected as she stood up and approached them.

"This is my aunt, Lavinia Vitali Connors and her husband Ross Connors."

The man on the table raised his aviators in greetings.

Serenity smiled politely, "Good morning, Mr. And Mrs Connors."

"Call me Zia, darling. No need for such formalities." Lavinia looked at her tenderly, her dreamy eyes looking emotional and nostalgic.

Serenity was confused at the overwhelming display of affection.

"You look just like her..." Lavinia stroke her hair and her eyes reddened. Serenity was surprised. She looked like who?

"Z-Zia?"

"Lavinia." Ross called out in a warning tone. Instantly Lavinia stepped back and blinked rapidly.

"Oh forgive me, darling. I happened to be too emotional. You must be weirded out."

"Oh no, Zia. It's alright."

Lavinia smiled softly and took Tamara from Alessandro. They stared at each other silently as though there was a secret communication between  them and Alessandro finally gave a subtle nod.

"Come love, I haven't introduced everyone yet." He guided her towards the table.

"This is my uncle, Riccardo Vitali and his wife Silvia. They are Simone's parents." He then patted the older kid next to him, "She is my cousin, Minerva Vitali, sister of Simone."

"Buon giorno" Minerva greeted her shyly.

Serenity was confused with what she had said and she turned to Alessandro.

"It means Good morning, love." He smiled and pulled out a chair for her.

"And everyone, she is Serenity O'Sullivan, the youngest daughter of the O'Sullivan clan and-"

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" Tamara yelled proudly, showing her gummy teeth.

Serenity blushed brightly and lowered her head. She was even more shy when Alessandro didn't correct the child.

****

How was it?

Good?

Bad?

Or just meh?

It's my birthday and I would like to gift you all a return gift for all the love you've given me throughout the journey of this book.

I am currently going through my finals and hence I would be back by the end of December.

Please bear with me.

And don't forget to Vote and comment.

I love you all.

Until then,

Adios

Stella Cadante