Dangerous Affairs

Chapter 1.

If Abigail knew that on that particular day her life was about to change and there was no way she could get her old life back, she would have taken the day off as she had planned. It was her grandfather's birthday and he flew all the way from their little village in Rye, to spend it with his grandchildren. He hasn't seen them for nearly a decade and was so excited to be able to come down to Italy to see them. Her mother, her two younger brothers and herself moved to Italy after her dad passed away tragically when she was 16 years old. That was the saddest day in the life of Abigail. Her dad was her world and she was hoping that he will be by her side for many years and most of all like any other girls, to walk her down the aisle. As a little girl she will dress up as a bride ,she and her dad will dance to their pretend father and daughter's first dance. She would giggle as her dad will pick her up and swirled her around. Thinking about those memories always brought tears to her eyes. Her mother was a seamstress and a very good one, the best her village had known.
Her mother had an old friend who worked in a big textile company in Italy who found a job for her as a seamstress. Though with a heavy heart to leave her families behind, her mother had no choice to leave in search of a brighter future for her children. Their life hadn't been easy, they had to go through many hardships but sticking together as a family had been their greatest blessing. After all, a family that sticks together can overcome life's biggest challenges.

Abigail was a clever girl, she took her studies seriously and she came out amongst the best students in her class. She was able to get a paid scholarship at Milan University. She was also interested in textiles like her mother so she took a course in fashion and business. Being an excellent designer, her design for her final exams, won her a special mention and a good letter of recommendation from her professors.  But landing her dream job was far from reality. Her big idea of her designing and her mother sewing her designs slowly disappeared and became just dreams. She wanted to work so badly to help her mother since she was getting too old to be up early to go sit at a sewing machine.

Her mother had not been as lucky as her to have a higher education so she preferred to stick to what she knew best, that is sewing. Abigail got a job as a fabric packing officer in the company that belonged to the Conti De Luca family. One of the most prestigious families in Milan and also described as one of the most feared family. Their company "The Conti Heirs" was one of the biggest exporters of expensive quality fabrics and had designer clothing shops in Italy and many branches across Europe.

Abigail worked in that position for nearly two years ,until one day with luck on her side ,she landed a job in their main office in the designing department. She had to work alongside many other young talented designers but since she stood out amongst all of them she was moved to the section that worked closely with the head of the designing section that is  Raphael De Luca.

Raphael was the youngest son of Alonso De Luca, he had two other brothers. The De Luca brothers had often been said to be amongst the most handsome men in Italy. They were all single therefore considered as the most eligible bachelors around. Their looks and charms had already broken so many hearts.

Abigail didn't get to see any of them except in magazines.  The De Luca had a special floor on the rooftop of the "The Conti Heirs" building which belonged only to the family and for close friends visiting. She had spoken with Raphael over the phone only and like other girls in the department, she was captivated by his sweet voice. Raphael was her secret crush in a world that only existed for her.
How can you "love" someone only by listening to their voice?, she often found  herself wondering .

"Abigail may you bring this to the top floor, the boss's floor", said Mrs, Brunei entering Abigail's small office with a big smile on her face carrying a file that looked as if it's a secret mission from the MI5.
Mrs. Brunei was a small and plump woman in her late sixties.She had been working with the De Luca family for ages and it didn't seem like they wanted her to leave anytime soon. She was still a strong woman but she has often told Abigail that she needed a break from all of this and go on a long tour round the world.The De Luca family has always been extremely nice to her and sometimes people in the company considered her as part of that family.She worked closely with Mr. Alonso and also with Antonio, who called her nana.