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"You have a place in my heart no one else ever could have."
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
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V I C T O R I A
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I was happy but a little sad at the same time. Happy because I hadn't lost Alex's friendship, but sad because I knew he deserved someone better than me. It pained me to think that my foolish heart had missed the chance to fall in love with such a wonderful man.
After our lunch, Alex dropped me off at my house. And 2 days later I received a message from Nic informing me that he was arranging a party at his home and my presence is needed the most. I didn't reply immediately; instead, I busied myself getting ready for the party.
I took a warm shower and slipped into a black dress paired with 2-inch silver heels. Opting for minimal makeup, I left my hair open.
As I arrived at Nic's penthouse, I could hear the lively chatter and music emanating from inside. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I rang the doorbell. Shortly after, he appeared with a broad smile, his eyes scanning me with an intensity I couldn't quite decipher.
"Hi," I greeted him, feeling a flutter of nerves.
"Un giorno mi ucciderai con la tua bellezza, amore." He muttered something in Italian, his words tinged with emotion, before gently kissing my cheek.
"Please, come in," he gestured, stepping aside to welcome me into his home.
"Thank you," I replied, entering the penthouse and scanning the room where everyone had gathered.
As I greeted everyone with a polite smile, my gaze lingered on an unfamiliar girl standing with Sebastian.
"Who's she?" I pondered quietly, but before I could inquire, Marco approached and kissed my hand with his usual charm.
"Hi, Honeybee," he greeted me warmly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Marco! Please don't tease me in front of everyone," I scolded, slapping his arm playfully. But Marco, being himself, leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, trying to stifle his laughter.
"Why? Don't you like this nickname? But Victoria, you were looking adorable in that honeybee costume."
"Marco!" I gasped, glaring at him fiercely. "You are so bad, I hate you."
"You do?" he inquired, arching his brow.
"Yes," I declared with a pout, and he laughed wholeheartedly.
"Actually, when we were kids, I participated in a drama at my school. I invited everyone, including Dominic and Marco. Unfortunately, Christian and Sebastian didn't make it to that show due to some personal issues, and till now I thank God for their absence. It was my dark, awful past."
"I got the role of a honeybee in that drama, and the makeup artist did a ridiculous job on my face with a green wig on my head. I don't know until now which honeybee has green hair. From that day till now, Marco and Nic make fun of me."
I sighed but again that unknown girl caught my attention.
"Marco, who's that girl?" I whispered to him.
"She's Sebastian's cousin," he replied quietly.
"I don't remember seeing her before," I murmured, expressing my surprise.
Marco leaned in and replied softly, "Yeah, because she lives in Germany. It's her first time in New York."
"What's her name?" I asked, intrigued.
"Evelyn. Evelyn Mayers," Marco replied.
"God, she's beautiful," I remarked, unable to take my eyes off her.
"Yeah, she is," Marco agreed.
We were both admiring her when she caught us staring. Feeling embarrassed, I quickly averted my eyes. However, when our gazes met again, she smiled politely at me.
"Why does she have the last name Mayer? Isn't Sebastian's family name Russell?" I asked Marco, puzzled.
"That's because she's not a Russell," Marco clarified.
"Huh?"
"She was adopted by Sebastian's uncle, and you know what," Marco leaned in like a gossiping aunt and whispered in my ear. "she's a widow."
"Oh my gosh, that's really sad. How old is she?" Curious, I asked, "And how do you know so much about her?"
He chuckled softly and murmured, "During our teenage years, our summer vacations were often spent in Germany and Italy. Sebastian's grandparents were adamant about introducing us to every member of their family."
His words brought back memories, and I found myself lost in nostalgia.
I completely forgot about this tradition of these handsome boys who have now grown into devilishly handsome men.
suddenly our gazes met again, she smiled and I returned her gesture, but then she whispered something in Sebastian's ear and excused herself.
As she left the room, I noticed Christian also excusing himself. It felt odd, but it wasn't my place to point it out. Lost in thought, I was brought back to reality when Marco snapped his fingers in front of me.
"Victoria, Honeybee, Are you alright?"
"ye...Yeah, I'm fine."
"And don't call me that, Marco."
He smiled charmingly, and we continued our conversation. I was laughing at one of Marco's jokes when I noticed an angry Dominic approaching us. Before I could process why he was upset, he grabbed my waist and pulled me beside him.
"fück off, Marco."
He said sourly, and I gasped in surprise.
"Dominic, what happened?"
He tightened his hold around my waist, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Marco. His grip was so tight, I could feel the tension radiating from him.
"It's nothing, Victoria."
I glanced between Dominic and Marco, noticing the shameless smirk on Marco's face. Before Marco could say anything, his phone rang, interrupting the tension. He cursed under his breath before answering the call irritably.
"Now, What do you want, Ivanna?" Marco's voice was tense with frustration. "I've told you a thousand times—I'm not your brother. You're not my family. Stop calling me your brother."
As I watched Marco's heated exchange, confusion knitted my brow. Though I'd never met Ivanna, I knew she was Marco's sister, adopted into the family 8 years ago. Yet, Marco's reaction to her referring to him as her brother left me puzzled.
I was in a haze when I saw Evelyn return with swollen lips and a red hue on her beautiful cheeks. Then my eyes settled on Christian, who looked visibly upset, his lips pressed into a thin line and his gaze burning with intensity as it rested on Evelyn.
"What's happening here?" I questioned myself, but before I could voice my thoughts, Marco abruptly ended the call and stormed off towards the kitchen, cursing under his breath.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, perplexed by Marco's sudden departure.
"I don't know," Dominic replied, scratching his nape. Then his gaze shifted to me, as he scanned me from head to toe.
"Have I mentioned how stunning you look?" he asked softly, his eyes locking with mine. In that moment, The gray storms clashed with the blue oceans, and an indescribable emotion flickered in his gaze.
"No" my voice barely above a whisper
"You look absolutely exquisite, Mi Tesoro," he whispered, using the Italian and that accent. With that, he gently took my hand and led me towards the room where everyone was gathered.
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End of the chapter
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