Vittoria's POV
"Hey you deaf bags of bones!" She shouted at the top of her voice while clapping. "She's here!" She grabbed me and shook me violently. "The little bambina as he calls her is here!"
She nudged me forward.
Marcelle's family and friends are endless.
"Naila Harrington. Cole Harrington." She pointed.
"Hello." I shook hands with them but the man gave me a hug.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Vittoria."
"Si. The pleasure is mine." I smiled at him.
"That's enough honey, your heart will stop. Sit down." The woman told him.
"I wasn't doing anything."
"Do you want a bucket for your drool?"
The whole room burst out laughing. They continued bickering as Bea Bianca dragged me to the next pair. "The hosts, Coleen and Theo."
"It's a pleasure, thank you for hosting us."
"I love your accent." She took my hands. "Nick, you finally got what you wanted! An Italian girl for your son. She's about as authentic as it gets. How old are you?"
The whole room paid attention.
"Old enough. Leave her alone." Marcelle intervened.
Bea Bianca pointed at the next couple. She didn't take me close to them. "Bruce and Dani."
I parted my lips but somehow, now words are available to be said. The woman reminds me of the queen. Could it be her parents? Dio! I immediately looked at Marcelle ti save me from this awkwardness but the woman beat him to it when she got up and approached me. She offered her hand. "I'm Dani."
"I'm Vittoria signora."
"There's no need to feel awkward Vittoria. There are things that are out of everyone's control. Come meet my husband." She isn't asking. Her hand is already leading me towards the man with a very serious expression. His green eyes are just like Reina's only that hers are playful. "Bruce, Vittoria."
He got on his feet.
"It's s pleasure to meet you." He shook my hand. He looked at Marcelle who is still leaning against the arched entry with his arms across his chest. He gave Marcelle a nod. Is it approval?
"The pleasure is mine Signor."
"And now that the awkwardness is out of the way, I have to make fun of you Bruce! Remember Dani was 16 and you were 32 when you two met?"
"Bea, why? Why do you have to go there?" A man with a similar accent asked.
"Because it's funny how history repeats itself."
"Go do something constrictive." He pushed her away. "I'm Marc Anthony. That young man over there is my nephew. I have a few embarrassing stories about him I want to share with you."
"Uncle Tony, come on! On day one?"
"It's payback. You don't call, you don't visit and you leave me with no choice."
"The tour isn't done." Bea Bianca snatched me from her husband. "Your in laws. You obvious know them so let's just skip them." Nick and Keira laughed. "This is Katya and Ferrer."
"It's an honor." I shook their hands.
"Now I have embarrassing stories about him to tell you. Mine are better than Tony's."
"You're stealing my thunder Bea."
"What thunder? You stole those stories from me."
"But you're an absentee aunt!"
"And you two are overwhelming my girlfriend. Enough." He drew me to his arms, pressing a kiss on my cheek.
"I brought a gift." Keira stretched out her arm to give me a gift bag.
"Grazi signora." I peeked inside. It's a big book with colorful pages. "What is it?"
"For every memory you'll make with him." She smiled at me.
"And we can make the first one." Nick suggested. He gathered everyone. Marcelle and I sat on the floor at the front and a different man, probably a bodyguard took pictures of us.
He took my little finger and I leaned into him.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you too."
Marcelle's POV
It's a quiet drive back to our villa. Vee is looking through the blank book. She seems a little off.
"Will you answer it?"
"What?"
"The phone. Can't you hear it vibrating?"
"It's not important."
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
I wonder if it's that time of the month. I can't say it out loud without sounding like a jerk. But I have noticed she gets very mean on those days. She gives brief answers and she operates on a short fuse. But is it a switch that comes on and off? She was fine at the chateau, happy even. Bea told her all the embarrassing stories, uncensored. When we left them, Vee was fine until we got into the car.
"In my experience, nothing is always something." I pulled up in front of the villa. We got out of the car and she hurried into the house ahead of me.
She's being weird.
"Vittoria!" She stopped climbing the steps. "Come here."
She took her time to think about it before she came down. "What is it Signor?"
I smacked the side of her hips firmly. "Are you giving me attitude right now?" I frowned at her.
"Dio! No!" Shame answered.
"What is wrong with you then?"
"You refuse to tell me what you and Emilia talked about!"
"I told you we will talk about it. Have t we just gotten here? Is it tomorrow already? Why are you throwing tantrums?"
"Mi dispiace. My conversation with her ended badly. It's eating me up. My name is Vittoria Bernardi. When I say Bernardi, I think of her. It's her surname, not mine. You see, I don't have a surname. I don't belong anywhere and for things between Emilia and I to end this way, it really hurts me Marcelle. I should not take it out on you."
"Thank you for expressing yourself and trusting me with such sensitivity. Come, let's sit down." I took her hand and led her away to the couch in front of the fireplace. "I sort of understand what you're feeling. Not exactly, sort of. When I was told that Sinclair is not my father, I was very confused. From early on I have always been an over thinker. I didn't take the news the way Marcella did. In my case, I had two fathers. I loved one of them and I hated the other for coming into my life and ripping me away from everything I knew. I wasn't Marcelle Sinclair anymore. It took me a very long time to accept my biological father. You are not Vittoria Bernardi because Emilia's is not your blood relative. You're grateful to her for giving you an identity and you just wonder who you are without her. You feel untethered. You need to feel like you belong somewhere. I know this is not enough but you belong to me. I want to be your family."
Her eyes teared up. She covered her face. "Grazi. Per favore, what did she tell you?"
"Give me your phone."
I want to call Emilia so that she can tell Vee about her mother. I know if I call her she won't answer. But she loves Vee and she will answer.
"Why?"
"I want to call Emilia." I opened my palm but she's hesitating and shifty. "Vee, is there a problem?"
"I give you her number. You call from your phone."
"I have her number." I snatched the phone from her hand. She tried to snatch it back. "Don't do that." I slid my thumb over the screen but it requested a password. "Since when did you have a password?"
"You have password too!" She sped spoke.
"Because I have sensitive information on my phone. You don't have sensitive information. You have your little friends. So what are you hiding?"
"Nothing!"
"Password. Now."
We squared off before she got closer. "Give it to me. I'll put the password."
"What's the password?"
"Will you tell me yours?"
"No."
"And if I don't tell you?"
"You will never know who your mother is. I know you had this conversation with her and to spite you she refused to give you a name. To hurt us,she told you I know. So it's totally up to you Vee."
"9009."
I out in the password and went straight to the phone book despite the temptation to go through everything else. I called Emilia's number. It rang for a few seconds before she answered.
"Have you come to your senses child?"
"Emilia, don't hang up." I spoke to her. "If you do, I'll send my men to the convent and I'm certain you don't want them unhinged around your young nuns. Do I have your attention?"
"Si."
"I want you tell Vittoria what you told me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Shouldn't you be setting a righteous precedent Emilia? Don't upset me. You obviously told her that we spoke to drive a wedge between us. Don't make me do something that will hurt you. Talk."
"Vittoria, do you hear him? Do you hear the kind of man you have gotten yourself entangled with?"
"Name." I told her
"Vittoria, I love you very much. You have always been a daughter to me. I want it to stay like that and that is why I never told you about your mother. I didn't want to lose you. I realize now that my mistake was to hold on too tight because you ended up slipping away. Per favore, forgive me for my behavior. I miss you and it makes me anxious and bad. I'm sorry my dear. Your mother's name is Vienna Northcott."
She hanged up.
I looked at Vee to see her expression.
She's pale. She's very pale.
"It wasn't my place to say and I would have told you if she refused to. I went there to understand where you come from, who you are and where you belong. I would have told you after speaking to Vienna."
"Dio! It wasn't a coincidence that we met. She purposely ran into me." She got up and started pacing. She pushed her long hair back. "I have a brother. I have sisters. I have a family."
I wouldn't look at it that way. It's very different when you are a half sibling but Vee is the kind if person to look at the glass half full. I knew Lili and Charlotte would have issues fitting in and that is why I openly embraced them despite my shock at the news. Not everyone puts aside personal feelings to be welcoming to a step sibling especially if this sibling is the product of an affair.
Vee is the product of an affair and now, I want to know who her father is.