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New Beginning

Assistant Morbidelli was a man of few idle words. During the car ride to the hotel, he detailed the locations they would visit over the next few days and what business they had at each. His explanation was more of a command that didn't tolerate objections.

For their safety, he assigned guards to both Adam and Sarah. The men were tall, and their muscular forms filled out their black suits, making them look padded. They stood at the door and corner of the room like pillars, unmoving, with cold, stone faces and piercing gazes. A thin, coiled cable ran from the back of one ear down into their jackets.

Before he sent Sarah off to the room prepared for her, Assistant Morbidelli had her sign a contract. One he said was necessary to protect 'Mr. Francesco'.

That was one of two things Adam realised about the man that strengthened his distrust of him. He never called him Adam. He always referred to the boy as 'the young heir' or 'Mr. Francesco'. The other thing was that he only spoke to the guards in Italian. This Adam found annoying, especially when he did it mid-conversation.

Morbidelli questioned Adam about his life growing up with Sarah, such as his living conditions, schooling, and abuse. He said it was necessary to have as much information as possible to ensure the judge would reverse the adoption. The more Adam spoke, the more fervently Assistant Morbidelli made notes. By the end of their talk, a dark expression had settled on the man's face that made Adam feel guilty. He hadn't lied, but now he felt like a snitch.

The three days Adam spent with Assistant Morbidelli were the most uncomfortable he had been in his life. The man scrutinised the boy's every move, from eating, dressing, walking, writing, talking, and idling. Adam had a sneaking suspicion that he even scrutinised how he slept too. The most unsettling moment was when he confirmed Adam didn't know a word of Italian. Assistant Morbidelli exhaled loudly.

"You will have much to learn." He said, sternly.

Before they met with the judge, Assistant Morbidelli made Adam demonstrate his signature. Simple enough, but when the boy signed Adam Jordahl, Morbidelli corrected him, saying that all his documents should be signed Francesco A. Baggio. The man seemed to dislike anything that wasn't Italian.

Adam didn't see Sarah during those days, except when they were on the plane or at the courthouse. She looked completely terrified, especially at court.

The judge had read through the contract between Sarah and Aurora as well as a report submitted by Assistant Morbidelli. Finally, he asked Adam some questions, similar to the ones Morbidelli had asked the boy. He too nodded and scribbled, and at the end of the hearing announced that the adoption would be reversed. He reprimanded Sarah and said she would have an additional trial for her crimes.

The judge, who looked like a proper-shaven Jolly Old Saint Nick, smiled warmly at Adam and congratulated him on reuniting with his birth mother. He wished the boy luck and a better future with his mother's care.

Adam and Assistant Morbidelli did not stay in Austin after the reversal was completed. The evening after they left the courthouse, they were on the plane again, headed for Italy. Despite having a comfortable bed to sleep in, Adam found it difficult to sleep on the plane. Seeing him unable to sleep, Assistant Morbidelli assigned him Italian lesson videos. The lessons droned on and on in the boy's ears, images drifting past his lifeless eyes. He was too tired and uninterested to pay attention; eventually, sleep took him.

Following a light breakfast and more lessons, the plane finally landed in Italy. But the flying was far from over. A short dive later, they were aboard a helicopter zooming over cities, towns, and the Italian landscape. Adam watched in awe as the landscape shifted between green and brown, neatly bordered patches, hills, and mountains, all littered with sand-coloured houses. The houses became fewer and larger, with rolling hills stretching for miles in every direction. Here, a few hilltops had sprawling estates with winding roads lined with tall trees leading to the summits. They even flew over a large complex that looked like a castle.

"Welcome home, Mr. Francesco." Assistant Morbidelli smiled. It was a gentle smile, one filled with affection and pride.

But the helicopter did not stop at the complex or one of the estates. Rather, they landed at what could be considered a small house compared to the others around. The house was two stories and sat snugly on the hill, with a smaller building off to the side. The house was surrounded by thick woods, and had an immaculate backyard with a pool, while the front was a gravel yard with a fountain and four black vans.

As he entered the house, Adam was greeted by a group of people, some of them were uniformed, which made it easy to guess who they were. The four women in silver uniforms with white trimmings and aprons, he knew, were the maids. The tanned, rugged man in the navy blue one-piece with the straw hat had to be the gardener. The man in the all-white uniform was most likely a chef, and the one in the white coat was a doctor. The last two, he had no idea who they would be. The man was in a full suit, with the jacket tails down to his knees and immaculate white gloves. The woman wore a navy blue dress and seemed more sophisticated than the other maids. Everything about her looked perfectly placed, and she was also the one with the most jewellery.

"Welcome home, Mr. Baggio." They said in unison as he approached.

Mr. Baggio. That's what he was now. No more Chase or Adam Jordahl. He was now Francesco Baggio.

Assistant Morbidelli introduced the people to him. He had correctly guessed the maids, chef, doctor, and gardener. The two he couldn't guess were the butler and governess. The guard he had been assigned was his chief bodyguard and responsible for a small team of guards who not only watched the house but would accompany him whenever he stepped out.

Morbidelli ordered one of the maids to show the boy to his room while he engaged the rest of the staff in Italian. Adam had no idea what the man was saying, but he was clearly giving them orders based on his tone.

The room the maid brought him to was larger than his old room, but just a little smaller than Aurora and Logan's bedroom. Mom. I wonder what she's doing right now?

Adam turned around to find the maid still standing in the room with him. He gave her a slow nod to show he did not need anything else, but the woman just stared blankly at him.

"Thanks." He said, nodding again. But still, the woman didn't move.

Maybe she can't speak English. He couldn't speak Italian, either. Adam waved at the woman, but apart from leaning like she was waiting for him to speak, she did nothing else. He took a breath and looked around the room in panic.

"Gracis...?" He said unsure, raising his open hands in question.

The maid looked at the boy; her poker face stare cracked, and a small smile tugged at a corner of her lips before she regained her composure.

"Grazie." She said, giving a small bow and leaving him alone.