Mia Figlia

Chapter 26 ✔️

PoV Riccardo

I met Stella in the kitchen again, where she was enjoying her breakfast. Well, at least until I arrived. She tried her best to ignore my mere existence, but I noticed a minor red tint on her cheeks. I turned away from her to mask my smile. She would not blush if she were angry at me, would she? I poured myself a coffee and sat down.

"You should eat a bit. Your eating habits are quite unhealthy." Her soft voice made me look up. Usually, I would glare at anyone who suggested something like this. Instead, I lost myself in her big brown eyes. But something annoyed me. Her glasses. They were plain ugly. She needed a different set which would not hide her beauty. I decided to take her shopping after my father had left us alone again. Where was he currently anyway?

I could not risk him seeing us together. It would be water on his mill. I quickly drank the last sip of coffee and got up to put my cup in the sink. The sooner I was alone in my office, the better. In addition, because I did not want Sam to notice me. The doctor would certainly be pissed off due to the fact that I was ignoring his orders once more.

I turned around and bumped into Stella. My eyes fell on the cornetto in her hand.

"Open your mouth. I know you like sweet stuff."

I paused for a moment, puzzled. Then I grabbed her hip with one hand and tried to push her aside. Stubborn as she was, she resisted with all her might. The corners of my mouth moved up, knowing that she would not stand a chance against me if I were well and used my muscles. Suddenly, a pain shot through me. The little beast had pinched me in the side. Luckily not my injured one. I opened my mouth to read her the riot act, and she shoved the cornetto between my teeth.

"Well, there you go," she grinned contentedly. I enjoyed the warmth that emanated from her body. It was as if she wanted to warm me. Stupid thought of mine, but I liked it. Satisfied, I left my hand on her hip. To my delight, the brunette stayed with me. She was still holding the sweet Italian croissant. I bit off a piece. She was right, I loved sweet food, food in general, but I too rarely took the time.

"Eccellente! We will celebrate your engagement next weekend, which is ten days from now." Stella was so startled that the cornetto almost slipped out of her hand. The warm glimmer in her eyes disappeared. Instead, panic spread. I took the croissant from her and pushed her behind me.

"Father, we are not a couple," I tried to save the situation, but he only raised an eyebrow with a grin.

"That is not what it looks like to me just now." He turned towards the door. "Isabella, I found your mom."

My sweet daughter darted into the kitchen. My father grabbed her and walked towards us with her in his arms.

"Your mommy and daddy are finally getting married. You might get a little brother or a little sister soon. Isn't that great?" My fists clenched, crumbling the cornetto in the process. I fought the urge to punch my father across the kitchen. But only because I did not want Isabella to see it.

A slender hand gently touched my upper arm, reminded me to stay calm. My muscles relaxed immediately. Stella preferred to hide behind me and thus out of my father's field of vision. I could not even blame her.

Isabella, on the other hand, bounced smiling around the kitchen, after my father had put her back on the ground. It looked like she had waited for this, maybe wished for us to become an ordinary family. As much as I understood her desire, I was mad at the former don. How dared he, to use my daughter against us? Particularly against her own mother. I gave my father the stink eye, and he smirked evilly. It was obvious, that he used to manipulate people on a daily base for his job, which was now mine.