Princess by Blood

32

I find the lady that Vogue sent and she curtseys.

"Princess Antoinette. So lovely to meet you." I smile at her.

"Please, call me Anna." She smiles back at me and extends her hand.

"My name is Katya, but you can call me Kat." I smile and we take a seat outside. I admire our surrounding but it's hard to enjoy this moment when I have so much going through my mind.

"So, I have a list of questions but honestly I can't be bothered asking you them." She seems genuine and I like her. She is the first interviewer or editor that I have ever liked.

"Honestly, I have had so much going on lately, I just need a normal dinner." She laughs and we order our food. We sit and chat and eat for a couple hours and it was great. It felt like we had known each other for ages and I was catching up with an old friend.

"Oh my god that is the best story ever!" She dies of laughter as I tell her a story about me and Juliet in our holiday hours on the coast of France.

"I'm so glad I came to this. This is the most normal I have felt in months. Here's my number. Please, text me for anything. We should hang out again sometime." She gasps and takes my number.

We both look up as a group of mysterious men in black suits walk by. We watch them as they walk up the stairs at the end of the road and to a balcony. I look up on the balcony and gasp when I see who is staring back at me.

None other than Giovanni stares back at me. Shock runs through me as the group of men in black walk up to him. I look back to Kat and she is giving me a look.

"Duty calls in Italy." Her phone buzzes and we both stand up.

"Oh shit, my driver is here. It was so lovely meeting you Anna. I had a great time." We kiss each other on the cheeks and hug. I look back up to the balcony to see that Giovanni is gone.

"You should come shopping with me sometime. I'll see you around, Kat." I quickly say goodbye and watch as she walks away. As soon as she is out of sight, I run the other way.

I don't know where Giovanni is and why he is here, but I cannot talk to him. I run down the street as far as I can before I reach a dead end. I turn around, not knowing which way to go before I suddenly see Giovanni in a side street.

I gasp and go to run away, but he yells out at me.

"Anna! Wait! Please, just talk to me." Something in my heart pulls and I turn back around to him. Immediately he looks down at my bump and his expression falters. I rest a hand on my stomach and frown at him.

"You shouldn't be here Giovanni." I decide not to ask him the many questions I have swarming my head, but instead focus on keeping him away from Nicholas.

"Anna, I live here." I'm confused at his statement and he sighs.

"I go between places for work." I nod my head, not really wanting to get into this conversation right now. He steps forward and tries to reach my shoulder, but I flinch and step back. I instantly regret it and his face darkens.

"Anna." I look away from him and try to dry my eyes. 

"I told you to let me go. Why are you trying to talk to me?" I start to get mad as I look back in his eyes and glare at him. 

"Because Anna." He reaches out to touch me again but thinks twice and puts his hand back down.

"I care about you. I need to know you're okay. Please Anna. I know you're not happy." Even though he is right, I can't let him know that I'm not happy. If he gets even the faintest idea that I don't want to be with Nicholas, who knows what he will do.

"Leave it Giovanni. You have no right to tell me if I'm happy or not. I have a husband and a child on the way. I am happier than I have ever been. Don't you dare ruin my life right now." I turn around and start walking away, and to my surprise he doesn't follow.

I look back one last time and my heart breaks a little more when I see he has gone. 

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