MALICIOUS ARRANGEMENTS

Chapter 8

Ilaria's pov

Style before comfort. That was the motto I lived for my entire life, I wanted to look good, not for anyone but for myself.

Long trips weren't an excuse for me to clad myself in joggers, a baggy shirt, and put my hair in a messy bun, as if I just had gotten up from bed, no.

And the colors and combos I mixed and matched dependent in what kind of a mood I was in. Feeling down since I found no escape route from being stuck with Alanzo abroad, I decided to wear all black.

Though, the outfit looked great, the black skirt was hugging my hips perfectly, and the black high-knee boots made my legs look longer. Not only wanting to wear skin tight clothes, complimenting my shape, I paired the skirt with a loose sleeveless shirt, tugging it into my skirt.

Now, wearing my dark-black glasses, I descended down the stairs, followed by five men I had called upstairs to carry down my five Rimowa luggage.

"What the fuck, you know you are not going to a funeral, right?" I heard Matteo ask me from the living room. Turning towards him I saw him and mom sitting on the couch.

"Who knows? Maybe I'm going to my own funeral? After all, we're talking about Alanzo ..." I walked to the living room with my arms crossed, entering it with a dramatic sigh. "A cold blooded murderer, who hates my guts and I'm going to spend my months with."

"And who are you? Lily-white?" Matteo asked with a scoff. "Uncle Rio had difficulties to find out who the spy worked for because you just knocked out her front teeth with one hit in her face."

I just shrugged at his comment, keeping a straight face, not wasting my breath to defend my actions, the bitch had deserved it.

"Baby, I'm sure your father wouldn't agree with sending you abroad with Alanzo, if your safety was on the line," my mom told me firmly, standing up from the couch, before approaching me and giving my hands an assuring squeeze. "I don't trust Alanzo ..." I said the umpteenth time.

"You're safe Ilaria, even if you'll be miles away from us, we have connections all over the world, and we'll raise hell on earth if you'll ever be in danger." I heard my dad say near the entry of the living room. Looking in his direction, I saw him standing there with uncle Rio.

"I know ... I'll just miss you and mom," I admitted sadly. Family was really important for me. And this was going to be the first time where I'd be away from my family for months.

"We'll miss you more, but it's the best for you," she muttered, hugging me and kissing my cheek. I hugged her back as dad approached us, hugging us both.

"I'll always keep you safe, no matter where you are," he muttered in my hair, kissing my head.

"Promise to come and pick me up if I need you? And can't cope with Alanzo anymore?" I asked him, looking up at him.

"I promise." He kissed my forehead with a smile. "All right, don't make me cry," mom muttered, wiping with her fingers under her eyes.

"Talking about crying, what happened to the crying bitch in the basement, is she dead?" Matteo asked curiously.

"She's dead," Uncle Valerio stared, "she had no more information to tell, making her useless."

"This old hag can never rest, I even thought she was dead, considering that she had stopped picking on us in the past few years," I muttered pensively, "why did she reappear? What's her purpose now?"

"What should she want?" Matteo huffed, rolling his eyes. "Revenge for her dead perverted brothers and the shares mom has, due to her late husband which dad had killed before marrying her himself."