Chapter One
Isabella’s POV
The day was finally here. As much as I wished a blizzard would happen, and the whole event would be postponed, it wasn’t. Regardless of how I had refused to be involved in planning and organizing, even to the point of not choosing from the options my tailor sent, I could not run away from the reality of this day.
My brother’s funeral. A funeral I never thought would come, at least, not until I was a senior citizen. Yet, here I was, just a few months after my 25th birthday, about to witness the funeral of my only brother. Hell, Giovanni was only three years older than me.
An unwilling sigh left my lips as I looked out the window from the side of my bed.
Today is going to be a lot.
I shifted until my feet touched the cool floor, my palms digging into the mattress, making it dip on either side of me. My heart tightened with pain as a memory played out in my head.
“Bella! When did you become such a criminal?!” Giovanni exclaimed, his brown eyes widening in mock surprise.
“What? You thought you were the only one with brains?” I questioned, laughing delightedly at him.
He rose up on his haunches, leaning forward. Knowing what his intention was, I protectively held my cards to my chest, still grinning.
“What now?” he asked, dropping back down to the floor, across the table from me.
I gestured for him to play.
He took a moment looking through his cards, trying to decide on what to play.
When he eventually dropped a card, I simply stated, “Now, I win.”
I dropped my card and looked up at him with a victorious lift of my eyebrow.
“Wow,” he mouthed.
“Hm-mm,” I muttered, dusting imaginary lint off my shoulders.
He dropped his cards and stretched his legs under the table, relaxing backwards with a small smile on his face.
Mirroring him, I shifted on the floor, away from the large center table, resting my back on the couch.
“I’m proud of you, though,” he remarked, chuckling.
“Right,” I answered. “Or you’re just trying to play it cool now that you lost.”
He gave a small laugh before saying, “Nah. I’m not talking about the game.”
“Okay...”
“I’ve missed you, Bella. So much,” he revealed, letting out a sigh.
“I think I missed you more. Do you know how tiring it gets being alone in this big house?”
“Alone?” he repeated, lifting a doubtful brow.
“Dad and the staff don’t count, you know that,” I clarified, resting the side of my face on my folded arms.
“When does this end, Giovanni?” I inquired, my tone low. “I mean, does it ever end? You traveling here and there because of dad’s dealings, and me being n restriction. Do we not have a choice in how we live?”
“Baby girl, you might hate me for saying this. But I know you’ll hate me even more later if I lie to you. You’re an adult now, soon to be twenty.”
I lifted my head from the table, blinking at him in silence before he went on.
