Within The Bonds

Epilogue

"You saw the look on their faces when I brought this up that day. They aren't going to tell me anything," she remarks, as the color-drained image of their faces from when she brought this up before comes back to mind.

Yet there is a sliver of hope in her, that isn't letting her believe that they will uphold their promise and her in on the family secret.

"It's like I haven't proven myself yet, but you know what?" She says finally turning back to face him, all the enthusiasm drained from her eyes. "I don't know what else to do, to prove that I'm ready to know the truth...I really don't," she sighs, wrapping her arms around herself flopping down on the edge of her bed with her head hung down.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone. It's not about that," he tries explaining now feeling disappointed in himself, having to see his girl so upset on her special day.

Getting down on one knee in front of her, he tucks one side of her loose hair that's shielding her face like a curtain, behind her ear and curling two fingers under her chin her makes her look at him.

"I hate seeing you upset, you know that?" He asks rhetorically.

"Then stop keeping me in the dark," she mumbles under her breath.

"You knew what was in the box, didn't you?" She adds, asking the question that has been bugging her for an entire day now.

Looking directly into her eyes, there is no way he could possibly lie to her--not that he could, given any other circumstance either--and so he nods solemnly.

"Why didn't you tell me right then?" She presses for more details.

"Because..." He sighs, unable to find the right words.

"I had to give your family the first chance to explain everything to you, just like I do now," he tries his best to frame his phrases correctly.

By now Astoria too is trying to come to an understanding with him, hating the fact that she put him and herself in this position while all she really wants to do is spend her day cuddled up in his arms while drinking hot chocolate.

"How about we just put this conversation on hold until the end of today and if they still don't tell you everything you want to know, I promise I will tomorrow itself," he assures her with utmost honestly shining in his eye which, ears him an almost immediate and much-wanted smile from her.

"There's that cute little dimple I was looking for," he says before planting a soft kiss on her cheek causing her to instantly start blushing.

"You still didn't tell me how you got in here," she points out, wanting a distraction before she turns the shade of a tomato.

He sticks his thumb out, pointing to the open window, " being business partners has its perks," he remarks causing her brows to scrunch together depicting her confusion.

"What's that got to do with you getting in?"

"Well I know the entire security plan of the mansion as well as the timing of the change in shifts of your security and since the increased threat on your family we loaned some of our most highly skill guards to your family who just happens to have the morning shift today."

"They snuck you in?" She asks as he gets off the floor and himself comfortable beside her on the bed.

"Close but not quite. Jason knew I was coming," he replies causing her eyes to widen immediately.

"And he was okay with that?" She asks in complete astonishment.

Alessandro shrugs. "He said he'd rather know when we meet than have you have to go behind his back," he replies, quoting Jason almost word for word from their conversation the night before when he was confronted but the worried yet stern brother.