Word count: 2577
Unedited ❤️🙏🏾
Riley's POV
*
After a full week and few days of not being able to contact Luciano, a part of me began to get worried. Everything was going fine at home but there was just this feeling of emptiness inside me that was beginning to grow bigger with each passing day.
He was supposed to take me to my brother's wedding as his plus one but at the moment, I hadn't gotten any signal from him on his whereabouts or his date of return. He hadn't called even once and en in fridge kept saying she hadn't gotten any information from Dennis.
I wished I could see him right now. I missed him so badly but I had no idea where he currently was.
My brother would be coming to pick me and take me over to his place along with Ingrid and that gave me a little consolation that I would at least get my mind off the thoughts about Luciano and his safety.
By evening, I'd gotten my champagne mermaid dress and Ingrid had gotten the same style only in blue. It was so perfect that I couldn't wait to put it on and take pictures. I gave orders about some things that should be sorted out in the house already since I already made some laws on how things should be done immediately Ingrid arrived.
Whenever the maids cooked, they would also give some to the security guys. I learnt they usually ordered fast food but that would have to change. Now the maids had started doing the rotation thrice a week so each security guard would get to eat a home cooked meal thrice a week, which was fair.
When Fred came over, I was in high spirits and eager to spend some time with him and his fiancee before tomorrow's wedding.
I'd spoken to her on phone twice though I'd never met her in person.
"Trisha can't wait to meet you. I'm sure she'll love you." He said just as I stepped out of the black house, the bodyguards walking before us with mine and Ingrid's bags. We would be spending the night there and returning home tomorrow evening or next tomorrow morning.
"I hope so. I like her already." I chuckled, giving him a shy smile while Ingrid was on her phone as we walked to his Audi. I made three bodyguards follow us for our own safety though I knew Luciano would've made sure a full truck of bodyguards were at my disposal if he was around.
The thought of him had me smiling a little. He was so protective and loving. I miss him so badly.
"Would you like to sit at the back with your friend?" Fred's question snapped me out of my thoughts and I blinked, looking towards Ingrid who was on her phone.
"Nah she can sit at the front with you. It's fine." Ingrid smiled while opening the back door and shutting it before I could even speak. I shrugged and got into the front seat beside Fred.
The bodyguards got into the car behind us and Fred started the car.
"So how long have you known Trisha?" I asked, wanting to know more about him. We usually spoke and texted on the phone but it couldn't be compared to actually physically conversing with him.
I noticed there was this way he usually furrowed his brows which was exactly how I also usually did and it was both nice and overwhelming to know someone who I was related to because I'd always been made to believe I didn't have any blood related family member.
"I've known her for several years. She's actually my best friend and we got together about two years ago...then six months ago I proposed and she said yes." He gave me a bright smile that made me smile as well.
"Wow. You must've been smitten by her all these years." I chuckled.
"Yes. She's really sweet. I'm happy I have her in my life. The attraction was always there but she had a boyfriend for about two years so I had to suppress my feelings towards her for this long. Anyway, things have fallen back in place and I'm so happy we now also have you in our lives." He placed a palm on my hands which were resting on my thigh and I nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad as well. Is Mario joining us today or he's coming to the wedding straight tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah. He should arrive tonight. He'll be coming from work though his wife should be at my place as we speak. You'll also like Nina. They've been married for a year and some months. She's heavily pregnant and should deliver anytime now."
"Aww I can't wait to meet her as well." I gushed.
We kept chatting as I mostly asked about his work and what growing up was like with him and Mario but his responses were vague because according to him, they were living the lives of the average rich people who already had a major part of their lives planned out by their parents.
They were now in the family business so that was what they were focused on.
He finally stopped in front of large black gate and immediately it was opened, he drove in. From the distance, I could already spot the cozy looking storey building. There was a little garden in front and the feeling of homeliness instantly embraced me.
"Welcome to my humble abode." He told me softly as he parked the car while I looked out to the beautiful garden on the left side of the house.
"Thank you, Fred. You have such a lovely home. I love the garden omg." I gushed as I alighted with Ingrid.
"Thanks. I've had so many people complimenting it as well. Trisha did all the work and finished it a month ago, including the house painting."
The house was painted in the palest blue and paired with white, the detailing making his home blend in with the sky and clouds and also giving it a dreamy view. From the look of the shining door which was a mixture of the pale blue and white, it already gave me the feeling that the house had been recently painted. They'd opted for a custom blend of green, blue, and black for the trim and shutters, which was complemented by classic shingles and copper roofing. It was an elegant combination that felt homey yet chic at the same time.
As we walked down, we were greeted by a black tiled walkway with Installation of artificial light green grass on the sides, which extended to the ends of the sides of the house.
Maybe because of the six weeks part-time course I recently signed up for on interior designing, I realized I was beginning to notice interiors and exteriors of houses the more.
We were led into the large house along with two bodyguards bringing the bags behind us while one took position outside
"Nice and cozy." Ingrid commented beside me as we went to sit. Unlike the exterior, the interior was in black and white theme. There were two black couches and a black sofa in the living room with a path on the left that led to the stairway. The wall was painted black while the tiled ground was white. Small but bright chandeliers hung in several parts of the ceiling, giving the space a homelier look.
"Babe, I'm home." Fred called while an elderly lady who I guess was the maid came forward to usher the men who were carrying our things up the stairs. She greeted Fred, who was busy staring at the stairs as if anticipating the arrival of the person that would alight from there.
Then she looked towards me and back to Fred, her eyes going slightly wide.
"Welcome home sir."
"Thank you, Marla. Riley, this is Marla. She's the house help so if you need anything let her know. Marla this is my sister Riley and her friend Ingrid."
The elderly lady's brows creased and she stepped closer to me. I stared at her, reading a certain emotion in her eyes that I couldn't understand. Her eyes expressed sadness and they were a little teary. I couldn't understand why those emotions resided there but I was absolutely sure about what I actually saw.
After waiting for about a few minutes and she still didn't speak, I blinked in slight confusion. Maybe I looked like someone she knew and seeing me sparked emotions in her.
Maybe.
"Hi. I'm Riley." I greeted with what I could manage as a comforting smile, feeling somewhat drawn to her which was strange since I'd never met her in my whole life.
"Welcome home miss, it's nice to have you here." She told me softly, in a motherly tone. "If you need anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to let me know."
I nodded distractedly while she kept looking at me. She was my height but had some body fat and a slightly chubby but beautiful face. She had black hair which she'd put in a ponytail and she was holding a mitten, which probably meant she was cooking.
Suddenly, I could hear noises though I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I looked towards the stairs, realizing Fred probably had some other company apart from our bodyguards, his fiance and the maid. I could even hear the laughter of a child and a male deep voice calling out to someone.
Marla excused herself and went back to the kitchen.
The bodyguards alighted and told me they would wait at the car while one of them took a position at the entrance.
A pretty lady sashayed out and walked down the stairs, a dazzling smile on her lips as she walked to Fred and pecked his lips while adjusting his tie and murmuring something to him. He replied her in an equally hushed tone and her eyes widened as she turned sideways to face me.
She had blonde hair, a model shape, and an admirable height with nice C-cups and an attractive backside. I didn't usually notice these details in women but damn this woman was endowed. She was also really pretty with this innocent vibe that usually rolled off beautiful but confident waves.
"Hi, you must be Riley. I've heard so much about you from Fred and Mario. It's nice to meet you." She stepped closer and pulled me into a hug, catching me off guard with the amount of warmth she showed.
"Yes, I am. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm totally in love with this place, Fred said you took charge of the design arrangements. You did a pretty nice job." I smiled at her, looking into her light grey eyes as she stepped back a bit.
"Thanks. That's my field so I put more efforts into this one since it's my new home." She glanced I'm Fred's direction with a small smile and turned back to face me.
"I could see that immediately we drove in through the gates. Your handiwork was written all over. Oh, this is my good friend, Ingrid. My boyfriend's cousin."
Her eyes widened a fraction and she blinked though she maintained her smile as she looked over to Ingrid.
"Welcome to my home, Ingrid. I'm so happy to have you here."
"The pleasure is all mine. And congratulations on your wedding tomorrow."
"Haha thanks. Enough of the formalities. I've had your men put all your stuffs in a room. We didn't know if you would like to share a room with your friend or stay separately but that can be sorted out later. Come and meet my family, they've all been anticipating your arrival." She held my hand while also nodding at Ingrid and led us up the stairs.
"I'll join you guys in a bit." Fred called from below.
"Okay." I replied distractedly while following her to the first floor. She took a left turn and then we entered a room full of people. There was a huge piano on the left side of the room and a flat screen TV which was displaying a cartoon show.
"Everyone Riley has arrived." Trisha said. I looked at her with furrowed brows as she made the announcement.
"Riley! Oh my dear, welcome home. It's nice to have you here." An elderly lady hugged me, her soft, somewhat frail skin looking pale in comparison to mine. I was a few inches taller so she pulled back and looked up at me while the light chatters were still going on though I noticed that the attention of most people in the room had now shifted to us.
"Uhm, hello ma'am." I blinked dumbly, wondering why she hugged me that way. Instantly everyone quietened down, all staring at me and freaking me out a little. I looked from one person to another.
They were all staring at me. Two elderly ladies, a few ladies who looked like they were a few years older than me with one of them being pregnant, two guys and a girl who looked like my age, two men who were probably in their fifties, then three small children who were also staring at me.
I blinked.
The elderly lady gave me a warm smile, looked towards Ingrid and then back to me. "I've heard so much about you from Fredrico. He wouldn't stop talking on and on about his sister. I am uhm, yes, I'm Trisha's grandma." She hugged me softly again and then finally stepped back with a slightly teary face before walking back to her seat.
I wasn't even going to lie, my throat clogged up a little at the strange warmth I felt when she hugged me just now. I blinked, wondering why my eyes were going misty.
"Hello." I merely said, wanting to leave because it was uncomfortable to have so many people just staring at me like they knew something I didn't.
"You don't look okay, Riley. I should've waited for you to rest up a bit before introducing you to our family." Trisha said softly, placing a palm on my shoulder.
I stared at the woman who was directly facing me. It was strange but she hadn't said a word since I stepped in and it felt like she should've spoken.
I wanted to hear her speak. It was weird. There was this strange feeling I couldn't explain.
Just as I stepped closer to her, I felt a pull on my hand and turned to see Ingrid looking from the woman, to Trisha then to me.
"Let's rest a bit and then we'll do the proper introduction. You look really tired Riley." Ingrid softly murmured in my ear and I nodded, realizing I truly felt tired.
My lips curled into a smile in Trisha's direction and she nodded while leading I and Ingrid out but I couldn't help glancing one more time at the people who were still quietly observing us.
All the while, all I could think was 'what the hell just happened??'
*
What do you think about the chapter? It's getting mysterious. Haha.
There's a twist of events coming right up and I'm sure you'll love every bit of it.
Thank you guys for supporting me and my works non-stop ❤️❤️❤️