Loving you against my will...the harder I try to resist you, the weaker I seem to be
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Stefano
Present day
"The Duke of Hellington want to speak with you using the skype" Ivan said without sparing me a glance.
I nodded briskly at him "connect him" I stated without looking up from my tablet.
He left my office immediately without saying another word, I tried to stop and talk to my friend but I could not bring myself to do that.
Our relationship has been sour since that morning a month ago.
It's better this way though. I missed my bodyguard but since he refuses to understand that I was losing my sanity around that woman then there's nothing I can do about it.
I rested my head backward and shut my eyes briefly, It's been a month yet nothing had changed.
I can't help but think about her.
When I close my eyes, all I see is her red flaming hair and ocean blue eyes.
I growled inwardly feeling so frustrated.
She has been the bane in my existence for a while and I need to erase her as fast as possible before she do any more damage to my sound mind.
After an hour of speaking with the Duke...
I spoke with the financial advisor of the HAY CAPITAL at Omaha, Nebraska for the current chart of Paris who are so desperate for the expansion of the HAY Hotel located over there.
I settled my attention back to my tablet, checking the flutter wave of the joint business with the Russo's at Maldives. I smiled at how the charts had skyrocketed up before a knock interrupted me and opened before I could even reply then I knew who could try that. The alternating devil...Russo!
"Amico..." he stated looking so exquisite in his tuxedo as he found his way to my love leather seat across.
"To what do I owe the pleasure this morning" I replied with a smile plastered on my face shutting down my tablet, resting my both hands on the mahogany desk and facing him squarely.
"I should be asking what you're doing in my Territory for a month now if I'm not mistaken" he eyed me suspiciously squinting his eyes at me.
"Need I remind you I don't manage hotels alone but I also deal with industries and you know I have one located here" I countered irately. He chuckled.
"You're sure about that?" he glanced at me with whatever maybe on his mind.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing... just want to know if you're indeed here for your steel business in which everyone knows how successful it has been and doesn't need a close monitoring like you're doing now so I really need to be sure my friend is here for a business or there's something else..." he trailed off screeching his eyes at anywhere but my side.
"Don't put words in my mouth Russo... I'm here for my work and that's it!" I stated sharply than I expected. He smirked.
"Easy amico? Even your voice said otherwise..." he said trying to control his laugh. I frowned.
"RUSSO!" he held his hands up in the air before turning to me...
"Stop trying so hard that's why it's getting worse." He stood up toward the coffee stand and made himself a cappuccino.
Typical Ryder, his love for cappuccino has not changed a bit just like the old days. When all of us will choose to take espresso,americano or black coffee, he was all over cappuccino and I always wondered why he loved the coffee.
"What's your obsession with Cappuccino?" I clicked my tongue in distaste... He chortled. "Care for one?" He asked glancing at me.
"No thanks" I smirked at his direction before he smiled cynically coming back to the leather seat. He took a sip before turning to my side with an intense gaze and saying...
"Talk to this woman, leaving her behind won't solve your problem." he said sipping his coffee again.
My body strained at his words. I'm not supposed to be affected but here I am trying to get hold of my inner self.
He stared at me irrationally again and said "this woman has owned your heart right from the beginning and there's nothing you can do about it... trust me I've been there and no matter how you try to fight it, you'll always be at the losing end" he stated casually with his eyes still fixated at me. I remained silent.
He took his eyes off mine when he realized I didn't react nor respond to his words. He rested his head backward. " I know it's hard for you but trust me it will worth it"
I kept tapping my pen on the desk at my conflicting heart, allowing Ryder's words to sink into my head but will it worth it like he said? I doubt... If she can break me once, then she can do it again.
"Stop overthinking... She must have had her reasons for leaving you back then unlike me who was an asshole..." He paused, I knew he still carried loads of regrets for his actions in the past. For a moment he sounded vulnerable before masking it up again.
" She was your phone screensaver back then at high school, Stefano you don't make girls your screensaver despite how they flocked around you..." He recessed before turning to me "Then it made sense... You loved her and I'm sure you still do" He said making my heart pound erratically just at the word love
"Loving her is a losing game" I twisted my lips in distaste trying not to be affected by his words. A fickle smile formed on his lips as I gave him this 'what?' look.
"Huh-oh someone has been listening to Arcade" he said sarcastically. I shifted abruptly, I can't also believe I just said that so I tried to change the topic to make it less awkward.
"Why are you here Russo? I know it's not just about me being at New York" I stated as a matter of fact.
"Marco..." he stated rubbing his palms together, a habit I noticed from him whenever he was battling with something huge within himself .
"Marco? As in my Father?" I asked to be sure and he nodded.
"What about him?"
"I met him at the white House a week ago and I tried to speak with him but he ignored me like a plague and honestly it hurts" he wore this sad expression on his face. I sighed as I don't even know what to say.
My father being my father and before I could retort back my phone buzzed cutting my attention away from him. I looked at the phone Id... He's not a bastard... father!
"Care to explain why you left Italy for a month and apparently you made me a fool by coming back and forth with your jet at the weekend to the Mansion for me not to suspect huh? I need clear and fast answers... don't even dare to beat around the bush!" he shrieked on the other side of the phone as I sighed briefly. That was his own way of greeting.
"Buorgiono papa" I said... If I think that would calm him down then I must be mistaken... I said that to piss him off the more.
"Don't you dare try to change the topic Figlio" he shrilled. I smiled cynically.
"Nothing father, just wanted to check how my work here is growing" I stated and I didn't miss the brief stare of Ryder when I mentioned father.
"If I was a kid, I'll probably believe because the last I checked that business is growing really fast and does not require an intent monitoring my Son is showering to it right now..." I shifted uncomfortably.
Talking to MARCO ALCANTARA needs intelligence and cleverness because he will outsmart you at any wrong word you dare to alter.
"Father believe me" I muttered quietly after a short silence...
"There's more to it right? I won't force you to talk to me now but feel free to speak with me about it" he said in a calmer tone that for a moment I almost mistook it to be my father still talking.
" Okay Dad" I sighed
"That reminds me... I heard something else...what's with the groom's men that's flying around my ears?" I sighed again, this conversation will be longer than I expected as I glanced briefly at Ryder whose eyes is fixated at me with a curious expression.
Trust my father on news, nothing about me passes his ears. He took me in surprise that he took this long to realize I was not at Italy itself.
"Dad...we've gone past our rift" I tried to make him reason with me.
"Our? Or yours? And when did this happen? Answer me as I'm talking...since when did that Bastard Russo become your friend again?" my father cursed at the other end making me shift my phone a little far from my ears at his loud outburst and I'm sure Ryder heard it as well. I sighed squinting my face together.
"Father it's in the past already" I tried to make him understand but he wasn't having it.
"Get your ass down here to the Mansion at this moment!" my father commanded angrily cutting the line as if the mansion was a nearby place at New York.
I glanced at Ryder as I witnessed his sad and puzzled face.
I knew how close he was with my Dad in the past so I understand why my Dad is so angry with him but can they continue like this forever?
I stood up and placed all my files together before arranging them gently back at the cabinet, grabbing my suite jacket and moving towards his side as he gave me 'what am I doing' look.
"Rise...we're going to Italy" his eyebrow rose in confusion.
"We?" His eyeballs grew big as I nodded.
One more paper to go and I'll be back with my full update. I just hope you enjoyed this...
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Love you,Ria🍒