Word count: 2888

Enjoy the chappie ❤❤

Angela's POV

*

Another bright day was slowly but gradually passing with me just sitting in this house because I just didn't want to go out and I didn't have to go to work today.

I picked my laundry basket in my room and tossed the dirty clothes in it, ready to do some laundry when my phone started ringing.

Striding over, I appreciated the shape of my breasts in the mirror engraved to my wall before walking to my bed to pick my phone. I loved the shape of my breasts and it gave me pride to know I had such good looking breasts.

They weren't busty, but sizable enough for me to pull to my lips whenever I wanted to act weird and bored.

Brandon had walked in on me in such a position once and he'd avoided me like the plague for two whole weeks. It was probably an eye scalding sight to him.

The memory made me laugh out loud as I picked my phone.

I squinted at the unknown number and froze.

With the current happenings these past few days, I wasn't sure I wanted to pick any random number. What if it was from the stalker?

Yes the stalker had been caught and Stephano said he would give me an update soon. That would mostly be because I refused to have anything to do with Eros since that night.

This coming Friday would be Brody's burial. But also the party at the Del Peiro's house and I would have to attend both. I still hadn't decided what to wear yet.

Black would be suitable for Brody's funeral.

The ringing stopped but started again just when I wanted to go back and start the washing machine. With a sigh, I picked the call.

"Hello?" The deep voice stated.

It sounded more like a croak. My brows furrowed as I tried to place the voice, knowing I'd heard it somewhere before.

"Yes?" I frowned.

"Rose?"

My heart fluttered as I allowed a smile. "Grandpa Luca. Hello."

"Oh my Rose, I've told you not to call me grandpa. Call me Luca with that beautiful voice of yours." He sounded genuinely hurt.

I rolled my eyes at his blatant flirting. "How are you, Luca?"

"I'm fine. My stupid grandson told me what he did." He gave a throaty laugh. "Of course he didn't tell me, I would've smacked him on the head. He isn't man enough to approach the  lady he likes and he had to go under disguise. I had a good laugh about that, my Rose." Luca laughed harder at his own words as if he hadn't heard anything funnier in months.

"Yes." I replied solemnly. One more thing to remind me about my neighbor who was also my husband to be. "How did you know if Eros didn't tell you?"

"I know what is happening all over Italy, my dear. Do you think I didn't know he had moved there? I wanted to see what the brat was up to. Why do you think I wanted to form a tag team against him?"

I blinked rapidly. Of course, I was talking to one of the most feared and respected men in the whole of Italy. "Oh."

"Don't be mad at him. He was stupid, that is without doubt but when he got to know about the stalker's intentions, he couldn't help it but run to your aid." He laughed softly.

My lips parted as I sucked in a harsh breath. "Uh..of course."

"Yes. Today is Monday. Are you coming with him this Friday? Of course you are. His mother will be happy to see you!"

My nervousness surfaced. What if they didn't like me? Then what?

But basically, we were engaged already, even if it was only in signature. I already signed the papers. So Eros was my fiancé, in a sense.

Warmth blossomed in my heart as I took a peek into the brightness of the sunny clouds and stared ahead through one of the windows. Today would without doubt, be a great day, judging from the bright clouds.

But then I still hadn't gone out much since the stalker incident. Just once to the club with the girls. Brandon had it there engagement so he couldn't hang out with us. Something was up with that guy and I would find it out soon.

"Are you there, my lovely Rose?"

"Yea, I may come with him." And I may come with Brandon too, because I still didn't want to talk to the lying bastard but then the dumb side of me ached to see him and have him close to me like he loved doing. I still hadn't told the girls about the engagement or the person I was engaged to. I could already picture their surprised expressions.

I would have to meet with them tonight and tell them about my engagement and all that.

"Alright, my Rose."

"Luca, why do you call me Rose?"

"When you come on Friday, my lovely Rose. Don't let me keep you all to myself now. Go and continue with your own plans."

With that, the call dropped and I saved his name with Luca and added a rose emoji in front.

'Girls, we'll have to meet at Red Lady tonight. I have an important thing to tell you guys.' I sent to the group and kept my phone, then went back to the washing machine.

After spreading my clothes on the little balcony at the back to dry, I went back into my room. We usually took our clothes to the dry cleaners but since I was home alone and bored, I would have to do some chores to keep myself from lamenting at my predicament.

Suddenly, my heart drew to Giuliano, my other brother. I wondered how he was doing and felt incredible warmness and longing in my heart.

He had always been reckless with girls but he was good at whatever he loved, one of which was modeling. I opened my chat to send him a message and the most recent chat, from Donovan caught my attention.

I clicked on it without a second thought and went through the messages he had been sending, before reading the recent ones.

Donovan: *I know I messed up. There's no excuse for what I did, but it was for the best.*

Donovan: *'If it means lying and being by your side to gain your trust and protect you on another night, I would do it without hesitation.*

Donovan: *Mountains may move, and hills may vanish, but my honest intentions towards you will never fade.*

Donovan: *I'm sorry. It was all my fault baby, and I apologize. I'll never lie to you ever again. I'm sorry.*

Donovan: *Talk to me when you can. I miss you.*

The last one made my heart flutter, he missed me. They were all sent by Donovan. Or Eros.

Eros.

I narrowed my eyes at the 'Donovan' name and quickly changed it to 'conniving bastard', my chest heaving as adrenaline pumped furiously in my veins.

After changing the name, I felt a little better and smiled at my phone screen. He lied to me, and it hurt that all the time he spent being Donovan was based on a lie.

Were his doting kisses, caring attitude and tender words to me also based on lies? My heart constricted at the thought.

I left the chat and decided to chat Giuliano up.

The last time I had sent him a message was three weeks ago and he had even given me a short response. Yet he was out there giving attention to those thin legged girls...

I heaved a sigh.

Giuliano needed to do better than his one night stands. He didn't care about the tabloids and how he was always seen holding a black haired girl in one cover and a blonde haired girl in another magazine.

He simply didn't care. 

Angela: *Hey, did you forget your sister? Reply me immediately you see this if not I'll hunt you down!*

I sent to Giuliano and went back to reading messages Eros had sent to me.

I curled myself into a small ball and pulled the covers to my waist.

I knew Eros was a nerd in love with books, but it was hard to believe he could send me such heartfelt lines.

A part of me felt those lines were thoughtful. Despite how I'd ignored him that night when he told me he was Eros.

We'd eaten and driven back home but I just left him downstairs when we'd arrived and went back to the room and also left for my place very early the next morning.

Giuliano: *Baby girl, I didn't forget you. Remember the West Coast project?* Giuliano's message popped up from above so I replied it without leaving my chat with Eros.

Angela: *Yes. What about it?*

I traced Eros's words with my finger tips. Did he really miss me?

Giuliano's message popped up again.

Giuliano: *I'm currently finalizing it and therefore, busier than before. I might have had a fling with their manager once and she's now acting all oblivious, as if she has never met me. Acting formal and shit. It's driving me insane.*

Angela: *Now you're getting a taste of your own medicine. Hahaha!*

Donovan: * told you that laughter thing you do like a witch always freaks me out. Anyway, I'm planning on seducing her. She's so fuckin uptight, she needs to get laid.*

Angela: *That's not up to you 'eye roll'*

Giuliano: *It is, fuckin prude with that smart mouth of hers!*

Angela: *Leave her alone. Not every girl wants into your pants!' I scoffed at Giuliano's ridiculousness.*

Rocky: *I'll meet you guys later. I also have news!' Rocky replied a chat in the group chat I sent earlier and I replied her with a love emoji before closing the chat.

Giuliano: *When I come back, we'll discuss about the modeling companies I told you about. I have two I just signed contract with. You can take the female spots since you meet the needed criteria.* Giuliano sent.

Maddy was yelling about something Rocky said and I gave her an eye roll emoji.

Angela: *That's so thoughtful of you. See you soon, babe. ❤*  I replied Giuliano.

I closed my chat with Giuliano and finally opened the chat with the girls and Brandon which was named 'Four idiots'. Of course Madeline was the one that came up with the name.

Angela: *stop making a fuss over nothing. We'll see tonight.* I replied Maddy who was upset that she didn't have any news to share unlike I and Rocky did.

I dropped my phone and went to prepare breakfast. I would have to hold a meeting with my manager and inform her that she could resume accepting contracts and proposals again.

Then I went downstairs to prepare something to feed my stomach. The kitchen door, which was broken, had been immediately repaired after the stalker incident. I'd also given a statement at the police station the next day though I still didn't speak with Eros even though he was the one that drove me there.

Lost in my world, I began to blast a Beyonce song, Halo on my speaker.

It fitted my current mood because my mind wouldn't stop drifting to Eros.

When I picked the egg from the fridge and my eyes drifted towards the wine, I remembered his own wine and how he'd patted me on the back, calling me baby that night.

Then the cup reminded me of him. In fact, everything reminded me of him.

And weird enough, I could remember the smell of his cologne that day at Stephano's office. So strong, so manly and musky.

It felt like I was close to him again.

"You're zoning out."

"Yes I am." I heaved a sigh and went back to breaking the eggs. But I suddenly froze.

Turning around, I saw him there. Sitting and staring calmly with his intense hazel eyes.m trained on me.

My heart turned to mush but I hardened my stare. "What are you doing here?"

"You said I was thoughtful, but that wasn't only what I wanted to let you know for you to have called me thoughtful. So, I decided to come here in person."

My gaze flitted across the door.

Eros got up and came to stand by me. His gaze was indifferent but there was slight warmness in his eyes.

"You were careless, again." He tapped my nose as if I was a little girl. "You didn't lock the door. Anything could have happened."

I narrowed my eyes at him as my heartbeat skyrocketed. He was too close for my liking. It was doing weird things to me and he'd used the cologne from that day at Stephano's office.

Everything made sense now. No wonder Stephano had been telling me that Eros said he'd contacted me. Eros had been Donovan all along.

"That's none of your business." I spat in spite.

He grabbed my shoulders in a swift moment, so fast that I couldn't have seen it coming.

"Everything," he pulled me closer to him, his breath fanning my face as his eyes fell to my lips. "Everything about you, Angel, is my business."

"Dream on." I wriggled to get free but his hold tightened.

He scoffed. "If this is a dream, angel, then please I never want to wake up. You're too real for this to be a dream, I'll stay like this forever."

"You're a liar." I threw at him.

"Yes, sadly. I did what I thought was best...I apologize for hurting your feelings."

"Let me go."

He leaned in and heaved a sigh, pulling me against himself before letting go.

I frowned and turned to my eggs, ignoring him.

"It seems you don't want to see me."

"You figured?" I gave a dry laugh, but stopped when I remembered Giuliano telling me that my wicked laughter always gave him the chills when we were children. After all, it wasn't like I wanted to send Eros away or scare him with my evil laughter. 

Deep down, I knew I wanted him here even though I was still mad at him.

I didn't want to talk to him, but I also didn't want him to leave.

"Why did you text me?" He asked in a low whisper.

"Huh?" I dropped the eggshell I'd just emptied in a bowl and furrowed my brows at him. "I didn't."

"You sent me a text and a heart emoji." He replied tightly. "You told me I was thoughtful...." His eyes darkened.

My eyes shut for some seconds and I internally screamed. The text was meant for Giuliano, we usually called ourselves babe and baby whenever we felt like it.

"I..the text wasn't meant for you."

"Who was it meant for?" He asked cooly. I didn't miss the tick of his jaw.

"A buddy of mine. A male buddy." I stretched the male word.

Giuliano was also my buddy right? My male buddy, also my friend and of course my brother. And I didn't care if the lack of elaboration made Eros jealous.

I couldn't read a simple emotion on his face. "What?"

"Mhmm." I blinked at his now befuddled expression.

"Well, tell that male friend of yours, that in the next two weeks, you'll be formally engaged to Eros Del Peiro." He leaned in while speaking and I held my breath, anticipating his next move.

He then pressed his lips against mine, kissing me deeply, not caring that I didn't match his intensity. Relaxing, I began to reciprocate his moves and felt him consume me with how passionate we kissed. He held me by the nape of my neck, angling his head and stealing my breath away with his kisses.

When he pulled back, I sucked a deep breath of air into my lungs and tilted my head to the back a little so I could look up at him.

"Also, grandpa calls you Rose. I've told him to stop it, because you're not his. He shouldn't flirt with you. I know you're still mad at me, but I'll never stop trying to make you know how sorry I am. I'll be on my way now." He stated and his eyes went from my eyes to my lips and back up to my eyes before he cursed softly.

He pulled me close him and kissed me again, deeply and lovingly while I just stayed and allowed him to do what he wanted, slightly stunned that I enjoyed kissing him too.

I tilted my head to the side and deepened the kiss, loving every bit of his possessive kisses.

Then he pulled away and my mushy thoughts gathered into one as I recalled his words.

Wait, what in hell did he just say?!

Was he jealous of his own grandfather?

I heaved a sigh and watched him leave after a longing glance in my direction. We would have to sort out our differences as soon as possible.

The earlier, the better.

*

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Your girl,
Hephzibah.