ILARIA (book 3)

23. ILARIA

"Why have you been ignoring Arturo?" Romeo bursts into the spa.

"Because I'm bored of him." I say truthfully, taking the cucumber off my eyes. "Why are you interrupting my peaceful alone time."

"Arturo is outside." He smiles.

I blink blankly at him, seeing a figure walk in through the door too. "Ilaria." Arturo sighs.

"Da Rosa." I sigh back. "Alone time. I need it. I'm on my period and I'm pissed off."

"Ilaria you cannot ignore me for a week."

"Okay, consider you un-ignored." I shake my hand to dismiss him. "Both of you, out."

"Nope. Arturo is staying." Romeo wiped a cocky smirk on his face. "He's also staying at your-"

"No he is not." I turn to face Arturo. "You step foot in my penthouse and I will have your foot removed. When I'm on my period I need my alone time and you're not respecting that at the moment. Leave me be."

He looks at Romeo, Romeo just stares at me. "Leave us, Arturo."

He sighs before leaving.

Romeo then looks at me with his disapproving look. "So you're more than happy to go to dads hotel that Baby Hamada coincidentally checked into but you can't see the best suitor?"

"Why are you stalking me." My jaw clenches.

"You can't be hooking up regularly with an FBI agent, Ilaria. It's bad for the name. You know mama and papa will say the same thing so either you cut it off right now or I tell them."

"Fuck yourself, Romeo." I stand up. I know he's right deep down. Involvement with anybody in law enforcement, criminal justice system or even just anyone who works for the government is bad, unless we know that they're corrupt.

"Go in a huff because you know I'm right." He looks to the door. "He is everything you want, and he's about to make capo very, very soon."

I look out of the door to Arturo waiting outside.

"I dont even see you while I'm on my period, Romeo. I will not be seeing him either. He can see me when i'm not." I roll my eyes, walking to the back.

That was good enough for him.

They leave me to do my thing and then I get a lift home.

Bodyguard A looks at me. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you had a rule not to speak unless spoken to." I look down at my nails.

"I can break rules if it means I get to know what's making you upset. I've never seen you so quiet."

I look up. "Do you have a wife?"

"Yes."

"What's marriage like?"

He looks at me for a second. "Draining. Me and my wife don't even sleep in the same bed. I took this job so I didn't have to be around her."

C slaps the back of his head. "It can be beautiful though, Miss Ilaria, he just got a rotten egg."

"What's your guys names?" I ask. "It's dehumanising calling you letters."

"Paolo." A says. "And he is right. It was beautiful  at the start but now I can't stand her."

"Spencer." C says. "And me and my wife are madly in love and have been since 13."

I smile at that.

D clears his throat. "Grayson."

"No wife?" I turn to look at him.

"Marriage ain't for me." He smiles softly.

"Is this why you're upset?" Paolo asks. "Your suitor-"

"I'm upset because I'm on my period." I cut him off. "Does it change once you have commitments?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm 22." I say. "I was supposed to get married at 18. But I'm scared I'm going to miss out on half of my... youthful years being so committed to one person."

"Is that why you're fooling around with the fed?" He asks.

"I like the fed."

It was like the whole world went silent.

"You like the fed?"

"More than any of the suitors. But I can never marry the fed, but I could hypothetically date the fed but then my parents would be mad because... He's a fed but also because I wouldn't be continuing the tradition."

"Maybe that's because you spend so much time with him, more than the suitor." Spencer says, making sense.

"Arturo bores me. We just talk about wedding and kids and, while i want that, I like having more meaningful conversations." I sigh. "Asahi offers that."

"Is marriage truly what you want? Or is it just what your family want?"

I fold my arms across my chest. "I want marriage. I just want it to be with the right person and everybody thinks it's Arturo but-"

"But you would rather Asahi."

I'm quiet.

"I catch feelings far too easily to be fooling around."

"I say go wherever your heart leads." Grayson says. "And take your time. You're young, pretty and intelligent. No matter how many boys you say no to, you'll always have more waiting."

I pout at that. That's so sweet.

"Thank you." I turn the radio on.

They got the memo and didn't speak anymore. I get home. I just need to cry. "Okay, no one bother me."

"What food do you want?"

"I'm not hungry." I walk into my room, change my outfit into some shorts and an oversized tee and then curl into a ball and cry.

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i <3 her bodyguards even tho i killed Jones off

word count: 901