Loving Leonardo

Chapter Fifteen

It was almost time to leave, and Ella was ready and packed. She decided to go and wake up Sean to say goodbye. This trip would be the longest they'd spent apart in years, and now she felt guilty leaving him. Lola called her last night, promising to see him every day and text her to let her know what was happening.

"Sean? Sorry to wake you," Ella said, sitting on the edge of his bed. His room was larger than her own, and she'd put in her dad's old double bed for him. It was the only room they'd decorated after they moved in. She wanted Sean to feel like he still had a lovely bedroom, even if it wasn't as big as his old one.

"What time is it?" He mumbled under the sheets drifting back off to sleep. Ella kissed him on the forehead, trying not to cry. She was so close to her little brother he was her only family member left. It was hard to say goodbye, but the money she was paid was for his future, so she kept thinking of that.

"Love you, Sean. I'll call you every day, ok?" She wasn't sure if he'd heard her, he looked as if he'd drifted back to sleep, and he did have school in a few hours. Shutting the bedroom door, Ella wiped her tears away. She heard her phone beep, and it was Leonardo telling her he was outside. Diana was already at the door, a faint smell of flowers coming from her. She leaned in to hug Ella.

"Good morning dear, Leo is outside," she smiled, "Don't worry about me looking after Sean. I raised two young men myself, and they were a handful. How has Leonardo been treating you?"

"Diana, it's strictly business between Leonardo and me," Ella said, blushing as she remembered the kiss. "Thank you so much for looking after Sean. I've changed my sheets and left space in my wardrobe if you need it. There's also some money for shopping in a jar behind the cereal boxes. I better be going. Please call me if anything happens."

Ella handed Diana the keys and said goodbye.

Even though she hardly knew Diana, she knew she could trust her, and the woman radiated positively. Also, the fact she picked out Ella's resume made her feel a lot of gratitude towards Diana. Ella wished she had a motherly figure like Diana in her life when she was younger.

Instead, her mother got pregnant with her, then left. Ella wouldn't have believed Sean was her dad's child if he didn't look so much like their father had. The woman must have come back for a one-night stand with her dad before running away again. Deciding to dump Sean on Ella's father like he meant nothing. Ella hated her for that.

She headed out to the car where Leonardo was pacing around on his phone, a small smile on his lips.

"Anyway, I have to go now. I will see you when we arrive, ok?" He paused, looking annoyed as he waited for a response from whoever was on the line, "I look forward to seeing you too," he mumbled as he put the phone down.

Ella wondered who it was. Was he planning on meeting an Italian lover? So, what if he was?

"Don't end the call on my account," she casually said.

Great, she sounded like a jealous girlfriend, but she'd said it now and couldn't take it back.

He shook his head, smirking at her and rolling his eyes. "I told you, there is no need for jealousy.

It was only my mother," he laughed, and thankfully Rupert, the driver, quickly stepped out and put her luggage in the car as Leonardo opened her car door. She didn't say anything as he got in too. Mortified that he'd teased her about her jealousy again.

"Do you have your passport?" He asked, sitting much closer than was necessary.

"Yes, of course, I have my passport," Ella replied.

They didn't talk again until they arrived at a private airport. Two security personnel took their luggage over to a sleek jet after security. Ella had only been on a plane once when she was a child, which she could barely remember. This was a whole other means of travel. Leonardo had his private jet. She was stupid to believe he'd travel any other way. She'd seen his emails from accounts and saw how significant his investments were. He was insanely wealthy. She followed Leonardo up the stairs, excited to see inside.