Chapter 8
-Isabella Di Luca-
"You could've eaten the whole cake on the plane, tesoro. I would buy you many more chocolate and strawberry cakes even if it's not your birthday." Enzo told me as he continued to hold my hand while we sat together in his fancy car. On my other hand, I was holding the box of my half-eaten cake in my lap.
"I-Izzy wa-wants to share c-cake with b-brothers. Izzy l-loves this cake, and ma-maybe brothers w-would also l-love cake!" I excitedly exclaimed, feeling so happy, nervous, and excited to meet my other brothers.
I really hope they like me. I promise to try my best to be a good girl so that they like me. I am a good girl with my oldest brother, and thankfully, so far, he's been nothing but nice to me, so hopefully it will be the same with my other brothers.
Also, regarding the cake, it's really impossible for me to finish any kind of meal, even this yummy cake. The bad man doesn't really let me eat that much; he would only give me leftovers at the end of the day, and that's it. I guess my tummy has gotten used to eating small portions of food, and if I eat any more than that, I feel myself getting sick. Enzo doesn't know this, and I don't plan on telling him about it, or he would be really disappointed with me. I don't want him to think I'm just wasting food and being ungrateful.
"That's very kind of you, Izzy. I'm sure your brothers will love your cake." Enzo turned his head to look down at me with a beautiful smile on his face and kissed the top of my head, looking proud of me for some reason.
I just really like sharing!
Even though no one really shared anything with me before, it doesn't matter as long as the other people are happy, and I'm happy too.
I smiled in contentment and turned my head to look outside the car window beside me, happily looking at the buildings and houses we were passing by. It's already late in the afternoon. Bruno, Enzo's driver, was driving us to our home; that's what Enzo calls it anyway. I can't really call it my home just yet, but I would really like it to be. I've longed to have a place I can call my home since I was a little girl.
Anyway, as far as I can see, Sicily is truly beautiful, filled with unique and beautiful attractions everywhere, and the whole drive we've passed many wonderful blue beaches and white sands I hoped I could go to. I've never been to a beach before. But Enzo promised that he would take me to one soon; he also told me that we have our own swimming pool in our house where I can swim if I want, and he also promised to teach me how to swim when I told him I didn't know how. I've happily been smiling since then.
Enzo said this place, Italy, is my true home. Russia, where Unkie and Kiri live, can also be my home, but Italy is where I was born and lived three years of my life before I was sadly taken. I still haven't asked him why I was taken or who took me. I have a very strong dislike for the person who took me because they took me away from my home, from my brothers, and from my family. I don't know what my three-year-old self must have done bad for them to take me away. Maybe if they hadn't taken me, I would've lived my whole life here with my family at our home, where I would've been safe, loved, and cared for. Maybe if they hadn't taken me, I wouldn't be so broken and used.
I was snapped out of my dark and sad thoughts when my big brother squeezed my hand. It was only then that I realised that the car had finally stopped and we were in front of a huge castle-like house outside.
"Wow."
"We're here, principessa." Enzo chuckled. He unbuckled his seatbelt first, and while he was helping me unbuckle mine, the car door beside him opened, with Bruno outside holding the door, his head bowing down.
All of the people I met who work for Enzo really respect him. This makes me admire my big brother even more.
"Grazie, Bruno." Enzo said as he stepped out of the car first, and I smiled when he held out his hand for me. I happily took it and allowed my brother to help me step out.
"This is the Di Luca Estate, our home."
I was greeted by the castle-like house in all its glory. I stared at it in awe. I can't believe that I was born here, that this was my home, and that I belong here.
Then I noticed that an old man dressed in a formal suit was standing in front of us. He has a sour and stern look on his face, but he was smiling kindly at us, and his smile widens when he looks at me.
"Welcome back, Don Lorenzo. Welcome back home, Signorina Isabella." The old man kindly said to me, in the same accent my big brother has; he even bowed his head a little, surprising me.
Before I could reply to the kind man, my brother spoke first.
"Izzy, this is our butler Luigi; he's been working for our family for four decades now, and he is in charge of what goes on inside and outside the manor." Enzo told me. I nodded my head and smiled at Luigi, the butler.
"It is so good to see you again, piccola signorina. Feel free to come to me if I can be of any assistance." (little miss)
He must have met me when I was a baby. It's sad that I don't remember any of them at all, not even this beautiful place. I know this is not my first time being here, but it still feels like my first time.
"Izzy t-thanks L-Luigi." I quietly replied and held Enzo's hand tighter, still feeling nervous for some reason. In response, Enzo only squeezed my hand as if he were reassuring me. I smiled at the comfort my brother was giving me.
"And the boys?" Enzo asked Luigi.
"Signor Gio e Signor Nicco stanno già aspettando dentro. Tutto è già stato preparato per la piccola signorina." (Sir Gio and Sir Nicco are already waiting inside. Everything has already been prepared for the little miss.) Luigi replied in Italian, which I didn't understand at all.
"Bene. Let's go, tesoro."
I nodded, and we began walking to the two large wooden doors of the castle house, but Luigi called out and asked again in Italian.
"Il bagaglio della signorina, Don?" (The little miss' luggage, Don?)
"My sorella and I are still going to have to go shopping, Luigi."
Shopping? What for?
Before I could ask, the doors suddenly opened, and the two of us were already walking inside.
"Wow."
It's just as grand and beautiful as Unkie's own castle-like house, but this is just more modernised, and the furniture is just a bit different in colour and style. It's definitely not just a house; it is most definitely a castle! I can't believe I'm going to live here now!
"I'm glad you like our house, principessa." My brother chuckles.
"N-not a-a house, it's a c-castle!" I corrected him, earning another laugh from my brother.
"Yes, indeed, this house is a castle, and you're our long-lost princess that we've dreamed of returning to for so long."
I jumped in fright when two guys suddenly appeared in front of us. Both of them were really tall and slightly muscly, but Enzo was still obviously taller and larger than the both of them. The guy who spoke on the right side was slightly taller and older than the other one, and he had a soft smile on his face while he was looking at me compared to the other guy, who was deeply frowning while looking down. They also have dark hair and blue eyes like me and Enzo, but the two of them look so much more alike.
They're my other brothers!
"Hello, sorellina. My name is Giovanni, the third brother, but you can call me Gio." My brother, Gio, continues to smile as he introduces himself. But I almost laugh because it seems like it was the very first time he smiled, and he really looks kind of awkward, but he still smiles anyway.
Gio seems nice. I like Gio.
"H-Hello, Gio! I-Izzy ha-happy to meet y-you!" I happily exclaimed.
But I was suddenly confused when Gio's awkward smile fell and he looked at me in surprise, while the other boy looked at me with a funny face. What's wrong? What did I do? Have I been a bad girl already? I didn't mean to.
"Dimwit." My other brother, whom I still didn't know, suddenly says, still looking at me with a funny face.
I don't know what he means by that, but before I could process it, Gio suddenly smacked the back of his head and said something to him in Italian. Gio's violent reaction to my other brother made me feel even more scared; all of a sudden, I felt like not wanting to be anywhere near him. If he can easily hurt the brother he knew all his life, I don't even want to imagine what he can do to a sister he hasn't seen for years.
I held on to the one brother I felt safest with for dear life, as I could almost feel the tears coming.
"Stop it, you two. La stai spaventando." (You're scaring her) Enzo said to them in a warning voice while I felt him suddenly and easily picking me up, holding me to his chest as he calms me down, which works really well. I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"They're just playing, Izzy. It's okay, that's just how brothers play." Enzo whispers in my ear. I only nodded my head, not fully convinced by what I saw.
"But I believe the introduction is still not over." Enzo exclaimed, and I looked at him; he was looking at the other guy, who was frowning again. He seems to be the youngest out of the three, like he's the same age as me.
"My name is Niccolo, the fourth brother. Now can I go?" He finally says and sighs.
Oh, so he's Niccolo. But where's my second brother?
"Go where exactly?" I looked up at Enzo, who was narrowing his eyes while looking at Niccolo.
"There's a party I need to go to. Can I go?" Niccolo asked again, sounding frustrated now.
"Absolutely not. Our sister just returned home after many years, not to mention today is her birthday. Where are your manners, Nicco?" Enzo replied to him, sounding mad for the first time since I've met him.
I don't like it. I don't like when people get mad. I don't like fighting, especially when it's about me.
"But I need to go! Fanculo!" (Fuck) Niccolo shouted, making me let out a quiet whimper and another one when Gio smacked the back of his head again, looking equally mad as well.
All three of them are mad now.
"Don't curse in front of our sister."
"Which party is more important to you, your sister or your friends?" Enzo asked. I could just feel his whole body tensing, and he only tightened his hold on me.
I don't like any of this anymore.
My brothers are all mad. They are all fighting. And it's all because of me.
It's my fault.
It's only my first day here, and it hasn't even been an hour yet, but I've already been a bad girl and made all of my brothers get mad and fight. I'm just the worst.
"E-Enzo, please, l-let Ni-Niccolo go to h-his party. I-Izzy likes h-him to go. I-Izzy okay." I whispered to my big brother while trying my best to keep my tears from falling.
It hurts to see that Niccolo obviously doesn't like me; he prefers to be with his friends than to be here. Gio just gets more violent with him. And Enzo is getting more upset and mad. And it's all my fault. So even though it hurts, I would really like for Niccolo to go to his friends so that all of them wouldn't fight anymore.
"See? She doesn't mind." Niccolo gestures to me, smirking slightly. Gio shook his head and crossed his arms to his chest; at least he wasn't hitting Niccolo anymore.
"Alright, fine, go. But I'll talk to you in my office as soon as you get home, Nicco." Enzo finally says, making me sigh in relief.
I watched as Niccolo mumbled something before quickly walking away.
There goes wanting my brothers to like me.
I'm so stupid. I'm such a bad girl.
"I'm really sorry about Nicco, Izzy. He's just going through something." Enzo tells me while stroking my hair and smiling softly at me.
"I-Izzy understands. Bu-But I-Izzy really t-tired, I-Izzy like to rest i-if that's o-okay." I managed to say despite my stutter and my voice cracking a bit while I continued to hold my tears.
"Are you sure, la mia principessa?" Enzo frowns.
I feel really bad. I know Enzo has something planned for me, but with the long flight and what just happened with meeting two of my brothers, I just really want to curl into a tiny ball in the corner and cry my heart out.
"Of course, whatever you want and need, tesoro. Let me show you to your room then." Enzo smiles at me, calming my heart a little. I buried my face in his chest while I felt him walk.
Well, at least I still have Enzo.
As long as Enzo likes me, I'll be okay, I guess.
***
AN:/ I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK ALREADY HAS 1K READS AND IT'S ONLY BEEN 8 CHAPTERS! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING! I HOPE YOU ARE LIKING THE STORY AS MUCH AS I AM LIKING WRITING IT! ALSO CONTINUE THE SUPPORT AND VOTE, COMMENT, AND FOLLOW ME FOR MORE UPDATES!