The Troubleshooter

1- Aunty Lili

A/N

Remember this is the third in the series. Start with the collector.

This is my first time writing with a non binary main character. If I mess up the pronouns tell me!

Lili POV

"That's everything for today," Charlotte, my personal assistant, finishes. I'm still not quite used to having a personal assistant, but Matt assures me it will make my job a lot easier if I do.

"And tomorrow?" I check

"Your only meeting is with Nico at eleven, so you can relax tonight and come in a little late tomorrow." She smiles. "I thought you could use a little break now that Mr Canossa has left. Unfortunately Nico wouldn't reschedule or you would have the day."

"Thanks for trying Charlotte," I smile. "You should head home yourself. And take the day tomorrow. Nico can get their own coffee!"

Typical Nico spoiling my day. I'm not even a little surprised that Nico wouldn't reschedule. I've been successfully avoiding Nico since before Sophie's baby shower.

Since I saw them in bed with that woman. What was I expecting? That they would wait for some inexperienced, nervous virgin? Of course Nico was getting action elsewhere.

Nico is such a pig!

I foolishly thought that I had finally got everything I had ever wanted since I was eight years old and then my whole world started to spiral.

My dreams of a life with Nico were crushed the moment I walked into that bedroom. The comforter thankfully covered the worst of them but seeing Nico lay sleeping beside her naked body broke me.

I didn't get to see her face, which is a good thing really. I know I would blame her, she didn't do anything wrong. Not really, but neither did Nico. All those unspoken promises were in my head.

I was still reeling from the hit when we lost Marco and I was suddenly thrust to the head of the family. The distraction has been welcome though. Not only from the grief but from the sudden barrage of shameless, feckless men trying to get a ring on my finger. Evidently being one of the richest and most powerful business women in Italy is 'what men want in a wife'.

Not one of those men could tell you a thing about me, but I'm willing to bet they can give a detailed account of which area's of my family's business are most advantageous.

My cell starts to ring dragging me from my spiraling thoughts. Matt? Ugh some new wisdom he forgot to impart on me no doubt.

"Pronto, what can I do for you Matteo?" I ask.

"Matt is fine 'Aunty Lili' it's a personal call" he replies, I can practically hear his smile through the speaker. "Sophie had the baby!"

"What?! When? She's not due for a few weeks is she?" I ask surprised "have you got a name? Who does she look like? What did she weigh?" I ask, feeling infected by his excitement.

"Five past six, she's nine days early, and so small. Only four pounds fourteen ounces. The hospital wants to run some checks, but she's perfect. We're calling her Marcella" he gushes.

"For Marco?" I gasp tearing up.

"Yeah, Ma cried when I told her. So I expect she'll call you once she calms down." He explains.

"What about Sophie? How is she doing?" I ask, in such a short time she's become so important to me. I feel like I haven't seen her for so long.

"She's exhausted, not that she'll admit it. There were a few issues with the labor, they had to give her a C-section. Sophie was so amazing! The nurses have just sent me out of the room so they could clean her up. She's ok but they want to keep her in for a few days. I'm gonna miss her so much when they send me home later." He sighs.

"Sounds like you left here just in time then. Send me some pictures of little Marcie" I coo.

"It's little Ella, but I plan to. You're going to be sick of seeing her in a few days, you'll have that many!" He laughs, "oh I'm allowed back in. I'll speak to you soon ok? Call me or Nico If you need anything." He rushes, ending the call.

I can't believe one of us has a baby! I pick up the framed picture on the desk. It's my favourite photo. All of us together for once. It was taken a few months before we lost Papa. The cancer would have been terminal at this point, but none of us knew it then.

Everyone looks so carefree. I stroke a finger down Marco's smiling face, suppressing the lump rising in my throat. Things have changed so much since then.

We lost Papa, then Marco. Matt stepped back from the business and now only handles the legal hotel chain aspect to take some pressure from me.

Me. The head of the family… never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up here! It's still not completely sunk in. Everything was so sudden. Charlotte is right. I really need a day for myself.

With that in mind I start to power down my laptop, finishing for the night. My phone starts pinging repeatedly when as promised Matt starts to spam me with the cutest baby pictures I've ever seen!

He was right, she looks so small in his arms I think admiring a picture of Matt wearing scrubs perched on the hospital bed beside a tired looking Sophie.

Sophie has her head resting against one arm as he cradles the baby in the other both of them looking at her in adoration. Swiping to the next image it's a close up of my new niece.

Her face is all screwed up so it's hard to tell her eye colour or who she looks like, but the mass of dark hair is definitely all Matt.

I chuckle when I realise I already have ten pictures of her and she's only a couple of hours old. I'll have to ask Charlotte to find me some time to go and meet her. I'm tired of kissing ass! (Or as Matt calls it 'making connections')