A/N: Hello beauties! I hope you enjoy the update. I am trying to update every day for this week. Since my trip to Italy was canceled, I am just sticking to traveling in my country. I'll be heading to Seattle next week and will not be back until the 20th! I am going to take the Coastal Starlight train back home. It is considered one of the most beautiful trains in all of America! Please comment below and vote! Lots of love, CC!
I didn't know where they were taking me. I wasn't taken through the front door; Bianca had yelled out some numbers to us, which Salvatore punched into this large, intimidating door. It led to the garage. I looked around, confused, but Salvatore then went to what looked like an elevator. He pressed the button, and the doors opened. "Where does this lead, Salvatore?"
"It's leading to the tunnels underneath the home. It will lead us out to several different exits."
"Where will we go?" I was nervous now. There was so much going on in just a few moments. Just a minute ago, I read a letter from Gino on cloud nine. He told me all about how much he missed me and promised to call me tonight. He told me how he thought the negotiations with the Italy-Iceland Trade Deal went. He admitted that he had my advice close to his heart and went with what we had discussed when handling the Mediterranean Sea strategies. I was safe to make sure none of the prying eyes could read it. I learned the hard way, just what someone would do to get their hands on our letters.
"We'll take the tunnel that empties to the Vatican City."
"The...Vatican City, like the actual Vatican City."
"Yes, Lady Chance." Oliver's car was in front of us now. Oliver quickly got into the driver's seat, but Fernando stopped me from getting in.
"Forgive me, Lady Chance," he bowed his head, "I do believe it would be safer if you rode in the royal cars."
"And I believe it would be best if she rode with me, the man, his majesty, entrusted Chance to."
"I believe his majesty entrusted her safety to the royal guards!" The royal guards now stepped forward, Fernando igniting chaos.
"Everyone, just calm down." I raised my hands, catching all the men's attention. "I will leave with Oliver, Fernando. You are going to be in a car right behind me, right?"
"Si, Lady Chance, but I-"
"Is it true, Gino trusts Oliver?"
Fernando's jaw tightened; Salvatore was glaring at Fernando now. He straightened and quickly nodded his head, "Yes, Lady Chance. His majesty trusts him."
"Very good." I winked at Fernando, getting into the car as Oliver held the door open for me. "Stop worrying, Fernando; it'll give you lines." Oliver chuckled at my comment, as did the rest of the guards; even Fernando had to hide a smile.
"Trasferire!" (Move out)
The cars moved through the tunnels constructed of cement. At first, it was just one tunnel, one long, ominous tunnel. When it finally came to a break, there were four options. In the leading car, Salvatore took the furthest tunnel to the right. I looked behind me; the cars continued to follow. It was pitch black behind us, but as we continued through the tunnel, light flooded the tunnel with each mark we hit. "Oliver?"
"Yes, Chance."
"Why were they so concerned about the helicopter?"
Oliver shifted the car as we neared what I could only assume was the exit. "Well, having a helicopter so close to the premises with you on it is far too dangerous to ignore. You will find, soon, that there are rules when it comes to the royal family and their people. The helicopter was breaking protocols, and therefore the two news companies will have to come before the Royal Court."
"They risked all of that just for a stupid photo?"
"You would be surprised just how many people want a photo of you, Chance." He passed me my hat that was tucked under the seat and my sunglasses. "We'll be exiting the tunnel, and I have a feeling there may be some chaos in Vatican City." I put my sunhat on, tied the ribbon under my chin, and slid on my sunglasses. I put my sunglasses on just in time for the car to exit into a sunny Vatican City. Oliver came to a quick stop; his arm came in front of me, stopping me from slamming into the dashboard. Salvatore's car hit the breaks so hard; his car skidded forward before making a quick detour around the crowds of people illegally blocking the street.
There wasn't a single paparazzi around; the only problem was the number of people catching on to the private vehicles. Gino wanted me to travel around with more conspicuous cars; that way, it didn't attract as much attention. The royal guard's cars surrounded our vehicle as we approached a red light. One in front, in back, to the right, and the left. "Do you think there's something we don't know?"
Oliver looked uneasy but quickly covered it up once he heard my question. "I think the guards will protect you with their life. I think Gio will never let you get in harm's way, even if he's not in the country currently." I nodded my head, looking around, catching Leonardo's eyes. He gave me a stern nod before continuing his scan of our surroundings. He was in the car to my right, sitting in the driver's seat. "Leonardo, what's wrong?"
"Her royal highness has arrived at the Vatican City. We are redirecting ourselves from their path."
I frowned, still confused. Who? "Gio's mother." Oliver cleared my confusion.
Oh. Shit. Wow. I sunk into my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "Gio's mother doesn't like me."
Oliver chuckled, resting his arm against the back of my seat. "You know why she doesn't like you."
"Jee Oliver...thanks for not lying to me," I scoffed.
He rolled his eyes, turning his body so he could face me properly. "She believes you are going to take her son from her."
"But that's inevitable. Gino is bound to get married, and then he'll have his own family." Not with me. With someone.
"Mm, yes, but...what I am trying to say is that she is terrified that you are going to make everything different."
"Because I'm American?"
"Because Gio has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you and because Gio sends the King's guards to watch over you. Because he has openly discussed how much your opinion means to him. Because he sends, you love letters that I can only guess entails fascinating secrets." Oliver had a sly smile on his lips, tilting his head in amusement. "It is quite endearing how naive you are about love."
"Love is a strong word, Oliver."
The guards whistled, Salvatore, waved his finger around. He moved forward, and Oliver followed after. The streets were cleared so that the guards stayed on my left and right. "When is your trip ending, Chance?"
"Five more days." I hadn't thought of it. I was on vacation.
"Will you go back to the US?"
I shrugged, playing with the end of my hair. I wanted, so badly, to check out of this conversation. Not because Oliver was a terrible conversationalist, but because I was a horrible person who could not bear thinking about the future. Future. That also seems pretty intense for our situation. "I don't know what I am doing tomorrow, to be honest." I sighed, turning my attention to the streets. Everything is perfect until I start overthinking.
What am I doing here?
Who do I think I am?
What do I expect?
What does Gino expect?
What does the family, Italy, the world expect?
I don't know anything, yet everybody knows everything about me, from my favorite color to my college degree and grade point average. My bottom lip was beginning to sting, the constant gnawing of my two front teeth now wearing out the skin there.
I'm scared of everything that is going on.
"Chance."
I don't want to leave Gino either.
"Chance?"
I just need to take this one day at a time, but will Gino wait for me?
"Chance?" "Chance!"
I snapped my attention from the passing doors of the Roman streets. My eyes were now on Oliver, who looked concerned. "Don't let Italy overwhelm your thoughts."
"I'm not."
My response was far too quick to be convincing, but at this point, I didn't care enough. If I keep thinking, I'm going to exhaust myself. I need to get out of this funk. I need just to shut off everything and forget that guards are following me and that I am falling for the King of Italy. "We're not going to the Coliseum."
"Oh?" Oliver frowned, unsure of where I was going with this. "We do have the place all to ourselves...my dear Chance, so I believe that is where we are going."
"No."
Oliver nodded his head, looking at me with a sly grin, "Let me guess, you want to give the guards the slip and go somewhere else?"
"I want to stop overthinking and forget about the whole country hating me and the favorite Queen of Italy hating me, and forget that Gino is a King." I squeezed my shaking hands together before taking a deep breath and continuing again. "I want space."
"Space," Oliver repeated, his attention now elsewhere as if thinking long and hard about that desire. As I was about to ask Oliver if he was in or not, the car suddenly made a sharp left into a narrow alley and barely fit our car. I gasped, looking behind me, the black cars of the royal guards coming to a screeching halt as they ran out of the vehicle before radioing in what I could only assume were my shocking departure. "They are going to kill me." He chuckled as he shifted gears, and the car rocketed forward. I held onto the handle of the door, laughing, throwing my arms in the air.
"Correction," I yelled over the engine, "Gino is going to kill you!"