Chapter 22

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Elenore had a tough time getting back to sleep that morning, so she decided to start packing. They were leaving for Monaco later that day, and they had a private showing of the apartment lined up. Lando made the call, and the realtor happily agreed to help them out. As she folded clothes and packed her suitcase, Elenore's excitement mixed with a bit of anxiety. She'd spent the morning chatting with her mom, sharing the news and her excitement about introducing Lando to her family. Her mom was thrilled about meeting him, but during their conversation, Elenore realized that her brother, Charles, would be around for the first week of summer break, as he always was. That anxiety was creeping in, and Elenore felt a knot in her stomach.
"Hey there," Lando greeted her with a warm smile as he entered the room. However, that smile quickly faded when he noticed the distress on her face. He walked over, took her hand, and asked,
"What's wrong? Elenore hesitated, struggling to put her concerns into words.
"Charles is coming to Monaco. What if he gets upset?" She looked down at the floor, her worry clear. Lando's face softened, and he gently lifted her chin with a finger, making her meet his gaze.
"Hey," he said soothingly, "it'll be alright. Nothing's going to happen. I can get along with Charles." Elenore's eyes still held uncertainty.
"But what if he doesn't like you?" Tears welled up  in her eyes. Lando chuckled softly and brushed away a tear with his thumb.
"It doesn't matter. I love you, and if he doesn't like me, we'll just have to pretend to get along." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
"I promise you, everything will be okay."Elenore sniffled and managed a faint smile.
"You're the best, you know that, right?" She wiped away a tear.
"I do," he replied and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead before heading into the bedroom.
"Wait, when are we leaving?" She called out after him.
"We're leaving in two hours!" he called back.
"Have you packed!?" Elenore shouted after him.
"I can't hear youuu..." he playfully teased from the other room, eliciting a laugh from her.

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Elenore went to the kitchen in search of her headphones but stumbled upon a delightful surprise. Lando was in the midst of preparing lunch.
"What are you doing?" She laughed lightly as she approached him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Making you lunch," he replied, still focused on chopping vegetables. Elenore raised an eyebrow, a curious smile on her face.
"Why? We have to leave soon, mon amour."
"Because you have to eat, and I know you don't like the airplane food," he said, stealing a quick kiss on the top of her head while keeping his attention on the cooking.
"You're an angel," Elenore beamed.
"Can I help with anything?" Lando grinned, appreciating her offer.
"No, I'm all good," he said confidently. She looked at him fondly.
"Have you packed?" Lando hesitated for a moment, his expression guilty.
"About that..." He finally sighed. Elenore laughed.
"I'll take care of it," she assured him with a kiss on his cheek and headed to the bedroom.

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"Lando, come on! We have to leave now," Elenore called from the doorway, sounding impatient.
"Coming!" Lando rushed down the hallway with his bag in tow. He had been on a quest to find his laptop but soon realized that Elenore had already packed it.
"We're going to be late," Elenore sighed as she stepped out of the apartment.Lando chuckled. "Luckily, we're flying private, or we would have missed our flight." He playfully added, "I blame the delicious lunch distraction."
"You are lucky you are cute," Elenore laughed.

A taxi was waiting for them as they got out of her apartment complex. And they were off. Elenore was excited for her mama to finally meet Lando. She reached out her hand, and Lando happily intertwined their fingers.
"I'm so happy we're doing this," Lando said, looking over at Elenore.
"I can't wait for you to meet mama," she smiled. "I think Lorenzo might be there as well." She was beyond excited.
"I can't wait to meet them," Lando said, smiling lovingly. Elenore looked at Lando with nothing but pure love, so head over heels for this man. Everything he said made her knees go weak and her stomach erupt with butterflies. She couldn't wait to introduce him to her family and, hopefully, move in with him in her hometown. Everything was falling into place.

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The plane ride was smooth, and as they touched down in Monaco, Elenore couldn't contain her excitement. When they got off the plane, her brother, Lorenzo, was waiting for them.
"Lorenzo!" Elenore ran up to her brother and hugged him, with Lando following closely behind.
"Hi El!" Lorenzo smiled. Elenore backed up and stood beside Lando."You must be Lando, pleasure to meet you," Lorenzo extended his hand, and Lando happily shook it.
"The pleasure is mine," he said with a smile. As Elenore looked at the both of them, her heart filled with love. She wrapped her arm around Lando's waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
"So, should we head back to mama's place?" Lorenzo suggested as he smiled at them.
"Sounds amazing," Elenore said and grabbed her bag, walking towards Lorenzo's car.
"So, how is mama?" Elenore walked beside Lorenzo while Lando walked behind them.
"She's good, the salon is going so well ever since Charles put it out there," Lorenzo said with a smile.
"About that, when is Cha getting here? He isn't exactly..."
"Thrilled about the idea of you and Lando?" Lorenzo laughed.
"Yeah, that," Elenore replied with a grin.
"He'll come around, El. I think Lando is wonderful," Lorenzo reassured her.
"Thanks, Lo," She smiled. "It means a lot."

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