Lost Gem

Chapter 19 [ANXIETY]

Anastasia slowly fiddles with her fingers as a look of nervousness washes over her features. She is just informed that her grandparents and family from her mother's side have arrived in the mansion to meet her.

"Are you going to spend the entire time just standing frozen?" She almost jumps up in fear at Stefano's annoyed voice.

She slowly brings her gaze down and shakes her head frantically.

"They are waiting downstairs. Relax, they will love you and if not, then simply think they suck." Anastasia blinks and Stefano feels like his own breath hitches when his gaze falls on the corner of her lips that slightly tilts up at his words.

He looks taken back for a moment. He had hardly seen her smile and somewhere he feels pride swell in his chest and there is some hint of happiness too. Simply, he feels dope.

Anastasia follows his steps to reach downstairs. But as she enters the living room, she almost pauses.

Anastasia feels her face pale as they all turn to look at her. Their eyes observes her head to toe.

"Come closer dear." A kind and soft voice of an elderly woman reaches her ears. Anastasia looks at the lady. She looks somewhere around her late sixties.

Stefano gives her a small push and it is all that she needed. As Anastasia reaches in front of her, she is immediately pulled in a tight embrace.

Her whole body tenses and her hands commence to tremble. Allesandro and Adriano who are the only one present there beside Stefano takes immediate notice of it. Not only them but also other guests.

The old woman pulls away and gives the young girl a kind smile. Taking her shaking hands in her, she slowly kisses them.

"You just look like her." She whispers with a grim look on her face but in the next second, the sweet smile have returned back.

"Forgive this old woman, dear. Old age is finally catching up to me." She laughs softly.

"My name is Vanessa. How to put this? Your mother Angelina was my oldest daughter." Vanessa softly caresses her cheek with that soft smile never leaving her face. She points at the stern looking man on her left.

"Your grandfather, Alberto."

Anastasia slowly looks up at him and after seeing his hardened face, she instantly looks away from him in fear.

"Mamà. She looks a lot like elder sister."

Anastasia looks up at the smiling young woman. Her tone holds a certain awe and her red hair are similar like her own. And, looking at her huge belly, it is easier to say she is pregnant.

"Hello my sweet niece. My name is Wanda and this handsome guy is my husband, Tristan." Said person smiles at his wife's antique and looks at Anastasia offering her a small nod.

"My son, Victor." She points at the boy sitting in Tristan's lap. He looks about 3 years old and he is quietly playing with his father's rings but at the mention of his name, he looks up at Anastasia curiously for a moment before glancing back down.

"Umm h-hii. I'm Luna." Anastasia looks towards the source of this voice and her eyes falls on another girl with red hair similar like her own and Wanda.

"Luna is my youngest daughter." Vanessa answered for her. Luna looks about to be in her mid twenties. Suddenly, Vanessa's eyes fills with tears. No matter what she do, she cannot ignore the look of evident fear on Anastasia's face. The way she is trembling only hints about something that Vanessa prays must not have happened.

"Tell us about yourself, Anastasia." Wanda says cheerfully. She has already noticed the tense atmosphere and she is trying to divert everyone's attention.

Anastasia's face pales when eyes falls on her again.

"C'mon just say something." Wanda frowns a little.

"I think it is enough." Allesandro takes it as his chance to jump in the conversation.

"Anastasia is nervous and it is her first time meeting so many people at once. It would be best if you give her time to adjust with this atmosphere first."

Wanda's frown deepens clearly displeased. Tristan seeing this, places his hand on top of her hand for comfort.

"Papa! Why are you lying?" Every head snaps at Arabella who is standing near the entrance of living room with few guards behind her. They all have handful of shopping bags in their hands.

Arabella merely waves at them, motioning to take her stuff upstairs and calmly move towards the guests.

"Pap--" Arabella starts.

"Shut up, Arabella." Stefano lazily comments making her bite her tongue.

"What were you saying, girl?" Her eyes lights up at Alberto's voice. Though, the old man holds no certain affection for her that she knows too but it does not matter. She really do not care.

Allesandro silently stares at Anastasia's fear-stricken face with his clenched fists.

"She is mute." Arabella answers in a nonchalant way...

"W-what?" Vanessa gasps in bewilderment.

"You should correct this brat, father. My sister can speak fine but she chooses not to. And I, my father and brothers respect her wishes." Stefano corrects Arabella's statement with a piercing glare on his face that is held straight in Arabella's direction.

"Oh honey. It's perfectly alright. You can speak whenever you feel comfortable around us enough."

Arabella mentally rolls her eyes and storms upstairs. Adriano motions at Stefano with his eyes who gives a small nod first and follows Arabella. He knows that he needs to have a certain talk with her.

After a bit of talk, Anastasia is excused upstairs. Wanda takes Victor's hand and follows her upstairs along with Luna.

Alberto glares hard in Allesandro's direction who silently stares back at his face without an expression on his face.

"Who should I blame? This is your fault!" Alberto cannot help but roars out.

"She was abused, wasn't she? Fucking hell, just look at her face, she looks traumatized! I'm taking my granddaughter out of here! She will come with me and live with us! I won't let her live here! She has already suffered enough!"

Allesandro remains calm and collected but Adriano lost it in the next second which is a rare sight.

"She is not going anywhere, granddad. And, if you try to take her away from us forcefully, I won't hesitate to kill you. Next time, make sure to talk respectfully to my father. Don't give me a reason to break you in several pieces that it will be impossible to mend." The deadly threat in Adriano's voice sends a chill down Vanessa's spine. She along with everyone present knows what Adriano is capable of doing and no-one really wants to get on his bad side.

"I assume that this is the right time to stay together and help Anastasia to recover from the trauma she suffered." Tristan states acting like a peace-maker.

But he internally rolls his eyes as Alberto looks away with a huff.

Author Note

Get early access of the completed book on Patreon. Link is in my profile....
I apologize for the late updates. I have been extremely busy due to hectic schedule and I hardly managed to update weekly on Patreon too.... But a good news! I have finally gotten a much needed break and I'm planning to finish my pending works as well as edit my books a bit... So they won't sound a lot cringy lol....
I would like to thank you for your patience...
Author Davina!!!!!