Elegance with Expense

42. Stranger Men

The fact still remained that the bedroom felt closer to a sauna than an actual suite. I grew surprised, understanding that I slept in here for practically the whole night and the heat intensity didn't seem to affect me at all in my slumber.

I wouldn't go outside either because the temperature was not much better, it was most likely hotter since there was a fan in here. I did the only logical thing that I could think of in that moment, I stood on the bed and bought myself close- yet still at a safe distance- to the ceiling fan.

The stimulated breeze was captivating and refreshing as I simply stood there, cooling down.

A silent noise from the front of the room was heard, but I didn't open my eyes to see who, or what made that sound.

'What the fuck are you doing?' Lorenzo's distinctive confusion came through just over the top of his morning voice. The room with minimal furniture ensured that Lorenzo got the dramatic echoed effect when speaking to me.

'It's so hot, I am going to pass out.' I groaned as I made grabby hands to the quick moving fan. But I silently obeyed when he told me to get down from the mattress, knowing myself that I wasn't exactly known for being the most careful; one wrong step and my head would be sliced off.

'I didn't expect you to be awake so early.' I commented on his timely uprising, now that I think about it, I had never seen the eldest twin willingly wake up at an hour like this. As a matter of fact, I had never seen this from either twin.

He was about to say something, but weirdly noticed the open doors first. 'Were these open all night?'

'No, I just opened them because it is far too hot. It turns out the outside is warmer than the inside.' I mewled as I stared out to the bright white wall, and colourful plants hanging over them.

'Ok, well everyone is already downstairs.' He said nodding the way out of the door. I tightened my ponytail as I followed him through the archway.

The Sicilian villa was nothing like I had ever seen before, all of the walls that we passed were either made from lightly coloured stone, or bricks; all of the floors were the same toned, washed marble floors that were in the room I slept in. I was grateful that this wasn't carpet, because the hard floor was cold on my scorching feet, making me want to lie face down.

There were ancient statues made from clay or stone in the odd corner, each standing on a Roman style pillar. Above the ornaments, Van-Gough style paintings were hung with great delicacy, some looked as authentic as it can get, they must be.

The kitchen was my favourite part that I visited so far, not because of the three stranger men sitting around the table with my family, it was because of the traditional architecture, it was long-established, yet it didn't seem outdated by any means.

As soon as Lorenzo and I entered, the conversations at the table stopped. The three stranger men were all looking at me, faces blank and expressions stoic.

The same elder man who came out the front door last night, greeting the guys as his grandchildren, was sat at the head of the table. I still cannot recall if that was real or not, but I eventually convinced myself that I must have misheard, since our Grandfather was supposedly dead.

He looked the most intimidating at the table, normally Vince would hold that title, but something in his eyes was a little bit different. There was something in his eyes that I had rarely seen in my brothers' eyes.

It was only when I first arrived that they looked at me like I was a stranger, this time, to these men, I am a stranger. Was.

He looked at me with a poker face, not even a muscle twitched as he stared me down as if I were inferior to him.