Deadly Nightshade

Chapter 24: The Bittersweet Feeling

Enzo's POV

Matteo Capone's unexpected visit left me with a bittersweet feeling.

There is bitterness due to the fact that he is Lea's ex-boyfriend, and from what I've heard, they have a long history together. And also due to the fact that he is Matteo Capone. He seems like the nicest man you will ever encounter, but he is deadly. The stories I've heard of him are what make him a legend in the mafia world; no one, not even the Morozov's, dares to cross him. Not to mention he is wealthy and attractive. He is every girl's dream.

There is sweetness since Lea's behavior towards me never changed, not even when he was in the same room. And her behavior towards him clearly indicates that she no longer has feelings for him. Now, I won't admit it in public or to anyone for that matter, but knowing that makes me feel relieved. Not to mention the sense of pride I felt when Matteo said to me, "Take care of her; she is an amazing woman." But on second thought, it is my job to take care of her as her personal bodyguard.

I went to the small cabin next to Lea's house as soon as Matteo's car left the Cattani Residence to start my night shift.

Tonight, I was in charge of monitoring the CCTV cameras. The only place in the Cattani Residence that does not have a camera is Lea's bedroom. But that is why she has alarm buttons strategically placed throughout her bedroom so that if she is in danger, she can call us for help.

When I walked in the room, I overheard Alonzo speaking to Dante. "How powerful can he be if he doesn't need a bodyguard with him?"

"How can you not know? That was Matteo Capone." Dante replies to him.

I stayed by the door; their backs are turned to me, and they don't appear to have heard me enter the room since they continue their conversation.

"That was Matteo Capone?!" Alonzo gasps.

"Yes. I heard that he and Ms. Cattani dated for a long time and were inseparable. Maybe they were making up; did you see the way he kissed her before he left?" Dante comments.

"He kissed her?!" Alonzo gasps, again.

"On the head, but still. Can you imagine the power those two would have if they got married? That would be-"

I slammed the door shut with a loud bang, startling Alonzo and Dante. They immediately stood up, but when they saw me, they relaxed.

"Are you two done gossiping?" I scold them.

Dante avoided my gaze; he gathered his things quickly and left the room, apologizing when he passed by me.

Alonzo, on the other hand, gave me a knowing look. "Don't." I simply say as I sit on the empty chair.

"I didn't say anything." Alonzo smirks. He gathers his things calmly, unlike Dante.

He was walking to the door, and since I was sitting sideways, I saw him turn around. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he casually said, "By the way, I am only rooting for you."

I grabbed an empty water bottle and threw it in his direction, but Alonzo saw my intentions and quickly shut the door, so the bottle hit the door instead. His laugh could be heard outside the door. I roll my eyes at his antics, but I'm used to them. After all, Alonzo has been my best friend since I joined the organization.

Midway through my shift, I notice that Lea got out of her bedroom, went downstairs, and entered the kitchen. She was looking for something to eat.

Come to think of it, I have never seen Lea cook; I don't even know if she can cook at all.

She was looking through the kitchen drawers, probably looking for pans and ingredients. Due to the amount of time that I've spent at this house, I knew where everything was located. And to be honest, I haven't seen Lea in the kitchen very often, if at all.

After her dad passed away, she made a few changes in the Cattani Residence. The cleaning staff would only work for three hours per day (they had to be done before noon) with weekends off, but she still pays them the same as before. She removed the chef and placed him at one of her restaurants; she also made sure that he sent all of us (the bodyguards) at least two meals a day. One of us (the bodyguards) also needs to go grocery shopping once a week, a task previously performed by the cleaning staff. She made a list of the essentials. We always send Dante or Fabrizio.

With that being said, she barely eats, not unless someone brings her food. And to be honest, it is rare that someone does that for her.

She had the majority of the ingredients ready, but she kept looking for that one thing that was apparently nowhere to be found. I looked at the ingredients that were displayed on the kitchen counter, and I immediately knew what she wanted to make, and that was her favorite dish.

Fettucine.

What she couldn't find was the pasta. I thought for a while, and I remembered that Dante had gone grocery shopping this week, and there was definitely fettucine on that grocery list. "Look at the top drawer, to your left..." It was merely a whisper, and it was meant for her, but she obviously couldn't listen to me since I was only watching her through the CCTV camera. Part of me wanted to get out of here and help her find that fettucine. But I didn't want her to think that I was watching her. I mean, it is my job to be watching her right now, but I don't want her to feel spied on.

When I looked at the CCTV camera again, she had a sad expression on her face when she couldn't find the pasta, which made me frown, but I also found it cute; the way she was pouting made her look innocent.

After a while, she found the fettucine, and that was the first time in a while that I'd seen her smile. Come to think of it, Lea rarely smiles these days, so seeing her happiness made me smile instinctively.

She was preparing her dinner while music played throughout the whole kitchen. It is moments like this that make her seem so normal and carefree.

Once the fettucine was done, she sat on one of the kitchen stools and enjoyed her dinner. She took a bite of it, and I could tell she enjoyed it by the smile that spread across her face.

Throughout the whole time that I was watching her through the CCTV cameras, I kept a smile on my face; for some reason, she makes me smile softly to myself even without trying.

And for some reason, my mind keeps replaying in my head the moment that we had today at the Boxing Room: the way that her eyes were looking at me, so softly and tenderly; the spark that she had in her eyes; the way that her cheeks were rosy, giving her a natural blush; the way that her forehead had droplets of sweat; and don't even get me started on her lips.

What are you doing to my heart, Lea?