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Life

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Chapter 3: Life (Stella's POV)

"Auntie!" 

The frown plastered onto my face by default at the thought of lunch with my father and his wife crumbled instantly when Ava's scream reached me moments before she got off the last step and arrived downstairs, running straight to me. 

I let out a fake gasp that turned into a wide grin as I picked her up with a bit of a grunt and held her on my hip. "Hi, Princess," I greeted with a tiny chuckle. 

She giggled and waved ecstatically. 

"Oh," I laughed, wiping the chocolate off the corner of her mouth, "someone's on a sugar rush." 

"Don't tell Mommy," she whispered in my ear. 

"I won't," I whispered back, "I promise." I closed my eyes as she squealed before pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Where is mommy?" I asked, setting her onto her feet a minute after. 

"Mommy!" she called out as she ran into the kitchen, her little high ponytail bouncing with each leap she took. 

Releasing a breath, I glanced at Rhys who still stood behind me, both of us near the entrance to the house. Without any words, he held out a handkerchief for me. I stared at it with doubt and then met his gaze. 

"You have chocolate on your cheek, Ms. Almonte." 

Instead of taking it, I rubbed my cheek a few times and then turned to face him completely and lifted a brow. 

Only, instead of telling me if it was clean or not, he pocketed his handkerchief and walked away. 

"Prick," I said, not caring if it reached his ears. 

"I heard that," he replied as I caught up with his steps. 

"I said it loud," I retorted before brushing past him and entering the dining room where Alana and my father were already seated. "Morning," I mumbled, walking around the table and past their seats before taking my own. "Where's Alex?" I questioned. 

"He's already in the library," Dad said as he stood up, "shall we, Rhys?" 

"Honey, the food is almost ready," Alana sighed. 

"I told you we would join after our meeting, Alana," Dad replied, "it won't be long." 

My eyes followed my father and Rhys as they walked out, leaving me with my stepmother dearest. I wasn't being totally sarcastic when I said that. 

For some reason, as a child, when my father told me he would be getting remarried and Alana would be joining our family as my stepmother, the visual I had was an exact replica of Cinderella's stepmother but Alana wasn't all that bad. 

As a child, we had our differences and I always, even to this day, preferred to keep my distance from her but solely because she tried too hard to take over the role of my mother. Alana didn't understand that the truth would never change; Alana was not my mother. 

The older I got, the less tension remained between us and our relationship remained somewhat formal. We were polite with each other and civil. For the sake of being that way. 

"How have you been, Stella?" she asked with a smile. 

"Good," I nodded, "you?" 

She nodded back, "All good." 

"You didn't come to the auction last night," I stated, "they were showcasing my jewelry, you know." 

"I know," she sighed again, "and I promised you I would come but... I wasn't feeling very well." 

I offered her a tight-lipped smile before letting out a dry chuckle. "Sure. Feeling better now, are you?" 

"I am, honey." 

"I bet," I muttered under my breath. It was times like this when our relationship grew rocky. When she gave me false promises and unrealistic expectations. 

Alana could try as hard as she wanted to be my mother but she failed to give the kind of support a mother would. She failed every single time. Alana tried desperately to act like a mother but she never wanted the responsibilities of one, hence, she never truly became one to me, Alex, or anyone else. 

The door opened on cue, saving me from any further conversation as Delilah walked in with Ava in her arms. "Hi," Delilah sang, stopping to give me a quick side hug before settling in the chair beside mine. "You finally made it." 

"I was dragged here." 

"By who?" she chuckled. 

"Rhys," Ava answered, comfortably seating her teddy bear in the chair beside hers. 

"Ah," Delilah replied, "Rhys?" And that glimmer in her eyes that always resurfaced whenever she spoke of Rhys to me was there once again, taunting me. 

"Dad called him for a meeting," I stressed. 

"Okay," she nodded, still amused but she dropped the subject. "Does that mean we'll be eating without them, Alana?" 

Alana shrugged cluelessly in response. "What can I do? Damien doesn't listen to me. Work is everything for them, I suppose." 

"Well..." Delilah glanced at me. "Stella should be at work as well but she's here since we called her. I think we should call them." 

I offered her a small smile. 

"Oh, this is different, Delilah and you know it." 

"Why is it different?" I questioned. 

"Well, they're..." Alana trailed off hesitantly. 

"Men?" I prompted her. 

She released a breath, "That's not what I said." 

"No, of course not," I shook my head, "only what you meant. Don't worry, I won't take it to heart." I was used to being underestimated and undermined in this family. 

After all, the business I inherited and was running was never my father's, to begin with, it was given to me by my mother. He didn't give a fuck about it. If things went his way, I wouldn't be working, instead, I'd be married to some moron. 

"What's new with work, Stel?" Delilah asked, diverting the subject. 

"Not much. I'm flying out to Milan this weekend for a photo shoot and show. Making some deals there, going to an auction. I'll be back in three days." 

"Milan again, huh?" 

"Milan again," I chuckled. 

Brunch was brought and served shortly after and about fifteen minutes after that, Alex and Dad joined us. Rhys had... left. 

"You're not staying?" Alex asked him. 

"No, I have another meeting," he answered, meeting my gaze briefly, and then left without another word. 

Well, there goes my ride. 

"Hey," Alex said, taking the seat next to Ava's so she sat between her parents. 

"Hey," I greeted back. My eyes drifted straight ahead at the door as it closed behind Rhys. 

"I see you've finally made it to a family meal, Stella," Dad said. 

I bet he's been waiting to say that. 

"We're halfway through one. I guess I made it but you're late, Dad." I sent him a forced smile on top of that. 

"Okay, drop your weapons," Alex interrupted, cutting the tension in the room, "we're here for family brunch, let's act like it." 

For a while after that, most conversations were trivial and a lot of time was spent listening to Ava's stories from her playdates with Ronan, Leo, and some of her other friends at daycare. Alana also extended some of her invitations to us and Dad and Alex kept their business talk to a minimum as well. 

"Stella, I know you left early last night but how did you like the party while you were there?" Delilah asked me, shifting Ava onto her lap once she had finished eating. 

"It was all right," I answered, "a bit boring but I spoke to some old clients, found some new ones." 

"Did you speak to anyone you liked?" Alana asked with a keen smile, "anybody eye-catching perhaps?" 

"I'm afraid not," I let out a laugh. I wasn't exactly interested in the sons of my father's friends and those were the only kind of men I often met and interacted with at these parties. It was mostly business talk and discussions of when our fathers had worked together and how well they knew each other. 

"I think it's time for you to find someone, mia cara," Dad said after a beat. 

"She's twenty-three," Delilah chuckled, staring at my father in disbelief. 

"Well, you and Alex were together by then," Alana shrugged. 

"We weren't married," Alex chimed in. 

"No, but you were very sure of each other," Dad cut in. "And you, Stella, hardly speak to people at parties." 

"If you don't socialize there then where else would you meet a nice man, Stella?" Alana asked. 

"If there are in fact nice men at these parties then I've been unaware." I turned to Delilah. "Please introduce me to a nice man next time," I joked. 

"Joke all you want but it's not a laughing matter," Dad said sharply and everyone's laughter fizzled out and collapsed. "You're at the perfect age to find someone and settle down. Your business is doing great, you're a well-known face in New York City, and all our friends always ask if you've got your eyes on anyone." 

"How about you ask them who has their eyes on me instead?" I sighed, resting my glass on the table after taking a sip of orange juice. 

"I did," Dad replied with a knowing smug expression on his face. 

"And you should know that many men have their eyes on you," Alana added, "my friends gush about you all the time. Honey, you're a gorgeous girl, you'll find a husband like that," she snapped her fingers. 

I paused in surprise and forced out a chuckle, "Is this a serious conversation?" 

"It is," my father replied sharply, "you should meet Nico D'Angelo." 

I was utterly oblivious as to who that was. 

"Nicholas D'Angelo? Matteo's son?" Alex questioned hesitantly. 

Approval glazed over his eyes and my heart dropped to my stomach, sickening me. "You know him. Good." 

Alex paused in doubt. "No, I know of him. Only from your previous deals with Matteo." 

"Dad—" I tried but he cut me off almost immediately. 

"Stella, you will do as I say, all right? I don't want any arguments on this matter." 

"What do you mean?" I asked. "This is ridiculous. There's more to my life than marriage. I've been focusing on work and—" 

"There may be more to your life than marriage but it's time for you to settle down now." 

"Dad." I stared at him, stunned. 

"I don't want any further discussion on this. Make the time and meet Nico D'Angelo." 

Is this really happening to me? Un-fucking-believable. 

I knew my plan of action almost instantly. He wanted me to meet Nico? I wanted to see how he would make that happen if I never showed up to begin with. 

Whether it be Milan or another corner of the world, meeting Nico D'Angelo would be the last thing I did. It was one thing letting my father dictate what I did in that social circle but marriage? 

That wasn't something I would let him dictate. My future was mine. There was a limit to everything and with this, I had finally reached mine.

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Chapter 3

You guys, what do we think of the story so far???

I feel like not being to upload the aesthetics kind of threw me off so it's been a bit dry lol BUT

I am now OFFICIALLY a Wattpad Creator and therefore cannot use copyrighted images for some time, that's why a lot of my aesthetics and outfit images have been removed from the books I have signed!!

Don't worry, they'll all be back!

I have unfortunately been feeling a little demotivated because of that so plssss comment more and let me know what you think of this story <3

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