Some of you actually thought the book came to an end. Clearly, those of you who did, didn't scroll down further.

THIS BOOK AIN'T OVER!!!

It's over when I say so with a separate Author's Note like the first book. We still have about 3-4 chapters to go in this book before we get to book 3.

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. ENJOY! ❤️

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6 MONTHS LATER

(Arie's POV)

As soon as I ended my shift at Kennedy Memorial, the hospital I was an intern at, I raced my car down the streets, cursing at the slow drivers and flipping off the ones that were too busy on their phones to even move when the traffic lights turned green. Assholes!

I hurriedly parked my car in the underground lot of the Noelle Clark hospital and took the elevator to the maternity unit. Sweat drenched my scrubs due to the heat and the thought of not making it on time. I could barely catch my breath as I power-walked down the hall. Hell, even my heart was palpitating too hard for me to control.

"Did I miss it?" I shouted breathlessly when I saw Mike down the hall.

"Not yet. It'll be over any minute now."

Amelia, Sophie's father, Harry, Vince, and the kids also waited outside the room, their hands itching with anticipation. Vince had great brown skin, but even he looked pale at the moment.

"What's wrong with you?"

Harry snorted smugly. "He couldn't handle a little crowning."

"Exactly! What a dick!" Ana flipped her hair in a sassy manner, almost coming off as a pompous ass. "Can't handle a princess."

"Ana! What did I say about that word?" I chided the little girl who immediately pouted and melted my heart as usual. She was going to be the death of me.

"It is bad," she mumbled. "Sorry."

I hummed, turning my attention back to Harry. "What was he doing in there?"

"Went to give Augustus something and he looked."

"Out of all of the shit he has done, this is what gets him," Mike laughed, taunting the man.

"How about you take a look, Mike? Giggling like a fucking school girl over there!" Vince shot back with a malicious snarl.

"Hey! Don't talk to my daddy like that!" Ana swatted Vince's knee who faked a cry to please the girl.

"Another punch and he'll need a doctor too, baby." Mike cradled Ana in his arms and gave her soft cheek a big kiss. "You're my strong girl."

          Ana giggled uncontrollably as my heavy breaths normalized. Mike had apologized for his cold behavior toward me right after Verona's funeral, but who was I to be angry with him? His resentment was justified in response to my secrets, but now we were all in a better place. Mike stuck around a lot to get to know Ana who didn't give him the time of day at first. He came to California with Valentina every chance he got, and sometimes even skipped meetings to spend time with the little girl. Both Mike and Valentina tried to cozy up to Ana who started to admire Valentina shortly. Through the woman, she gave her father a chance and had been inseparable from her daddy ever since. She threw a sob-fest every time he had to leave now.

          Mike always traveled and was on a different continent every week. Valentina was a supermodel and had to travel for fashion shows and photoshoots all the time herself. I feared the day I'd have to let Ana go with her dad and stepmom. We hadn't spoken on this matter, but I knew I had to let my baby go someday even if Aunt Wendy woke up. Alas!

          I decided to enter the hospital room, but Gus swung the door open and stood still as if he had seen a ghost himself.

          "I'm about to fucking throw up," he declared, covering his mouth. "It's an alien."

          Pushing him aside, I entered the room and noticed Nora holding Soph's hand while Arabelle held the other. Cries, pants, screams, and reassurances filtered into my ears as I walked further in and took my place at the bedside.

          "Just one more!" the doctor encouraged Soph to push one last time.

          "Ahhhhhh!" Soph bellowed at the top of her lungs as the doctor pulled the baby out and clipped the umbilical cord with the help of the nurses.

"You did it!" I kissed Soph's sweaty forehead as the others sighed in relief, but the new mother continued crying. They weren't the sobs of physical pain anymore. It was the emotional factor of it all. Not having the father of her child any longer was what tore her apart.

***

          After Arabelle, I finally got to hold the sleeping baby in my arms with the brightest smile on my face. "She's gorgeous." I sat on the hospital bed beside Soph who was beyond exhausted with hands and feet unbelievably swollen which reminded me of my own pregnancy. It was all fun and games on TV, but in reality, it was the worst of the worst. Painful and utterly miserable, however, when they opened their eyes and looked at you or wrapped their tiny hand around your finger, the feeling was unlike any other.

          Soph stole a glance at the little girl in my arms somberly. "She even looks like him."

          "Well, Wren was a good looking guy, so don't worry. She's an ugly baby right now. Once the redness and all wears off, she'll be a pretty girl," I laughed at my own joke which only made Soph whine in response.

She smacked my thigh and yapped, "Fucking bitch."

"Aye, easy. I got your baby!" I sighed contently, cozying up next to her. "Babe, Wren would be so proud of you though."

"You should've seen his face when he found out I was pregnant. He'd be jumping up and down right now." Her eyes welled up as she pecked her daughter's forehead. "I just wish he was here to see his baby girl."

          "Let's not dwell on the past. It's a happy occasion." Nora caressed Soph's cheek like a loving mother with the warmest smile that reminded me of Aunt Wendy. "I'll let the eager ones in now."

          Nora opened the door, shushing everyone on their way in. Zachariah came first, exhilarated to be a grandfather. The man could barely contain his happiness. Everyone took turns holding the baby, kissing and cradling the newest member of the family while Ana and Lucian stared awkwardly in silence. I had instructed them to stay quiet when they met the baby, and surprisingly, they were doing just that.

          "She's sleeping!" Ana whispered as we seated her and placed the baby on her lap for her to hold. She pecked the baby's forehead then grinned like a Cheshire cat before innocently asking, "Can she drink my booby milk now?"

          "Ana!" I exclaimed before bursting out laughing like the others. Mike, on the other hand, slowly facepalmed in disappointment.

          "Where's my niece?" Evelina finally arrived with Heaven and went straight to Amelia who was now holding the baby. "Wow! She looks just like Wren." The girl frowned dolefully at the memory of her deceased brother but quickly brushed off the gloominess, strangling her emotions. "Are we sure it doesn't have a penis?"

"We are sure the baby is a she, not a bloody it," Arabelle stared her little sister down who only rolled her eyes in response.

"Please tell me we're giving her the name I proposed then," Evelina huffed impatiently.

          "Can we name her Mariana like me?" Ana suggested.

          "How about Lucy after me?" Lucian chimed in.

          "I'm actually thinking about naming her after the man who helped me so much through this." Soph smiled sweetly at Gus. A bit too sweetly. "Augusta."

          "Wait, seriously?" Gus was taken back by Soph's unexpected gesture that even left me surprised. The Bonferroni man smiled proudly.

          "Fuck no, bitch!" Soph scoffed at the man's gullibility. "I'm naming her Renna after her daddy."

          "Sophie!" Zachariah spoke his daughter's name sternly, silently asking her to zip her mouth.

          Gus' jaw twitched as we all chuckled. He tore his steely gaze away from Soph and looked at Amelia. "Mother, we have the baby. Can we just kill Sophie now?"

***

ONE WEEK LATER

(Arie's dress)

          The entire ballroom blared with music and floor thundered with dance. The party was thrown by Zachariah in one of his hotels to celebrate the birth of his granddaughter who was sleeping in one of the rooms, away from the commotion.

Ana and Lucian played with the other kids of the family, fitting right in. Elites from across the country attended the event that was more of a business gala than a birth celebration. I didn't expect anything less though. Even the other Bonferronis and Dragos attended.

Ashton flirted with beautiful women in the room as usual, keeping his distance from Evelina. He didn't want to get involved with a Bonferroni and risk getting ripped limb from limb for screwing up in the slightest which he was prone to doing. However, other young men circled Evelina like vultures, yearning to at least earn the honor of a dance with the girl who was turning everyone's head. Gorgeous genes ran in the family for sure.

          Nonetheless, Vince was warding off those boys with a cruel look from a distance or a word in private. Sometimes, he could do nothing but watch in annoyance when Evelina did give a poor boy a chance to dance with her. Vince always swore he couldn't even think of Evelina in a romantic way, but I always saw otherwise in his little gestures. Maybe I was reading it all wrong and he was just doing his job protecting her. Only he knew for sure.

          Heaven, who I recently realized was the daughter of one of the men who raped Evelina, stuck close to Amelia and accompanied her everywhere. Gus was busy wooing other ladies. I was sure there was some sort of competition between him and my brother. They had become close friends over the months. Maybe even best friends. Sophie was surrounded by people kissing her ass, some even telling her stories about Wren to reminisce over. I could tell she just wanted to kill everyone and hide from the excessive attention she garnered. Alicio and Arabelle danced among other pairs in the middle of the room. The Passero sisters, Zaya and Zee stood beside me as my appointed guards.

          From Verona's letters, it didn't seem as though Alicio knew who Verona was and steered clear of her path when she attempted to escape. Zee couldn't be the traitor either. Her outburst at the funeral made it clear, but I thought Leo would've killed them considering the state he was in back then. How was he now? I didn't know. I hadn't seen or heard from him since, nor did I ask Mike about him. Was he even alive? I had no clue.

          Zee had apologized for her hostility toward me. I didn't blame her for it. She was in the grieving process and I was the woman who was once involved with her best friend's husband. I had gotten to know her over the last two months she had been with me. She was just as kind as Zaya. Both sisters accompanied me everywhere as my personal bodyguards and trained me every day to fight better.

          Zaya frowned watching Gus hit it off with the other girls. Zee was busy being swept off her own feet by Ray who was ignoring the advances made by other females. One could tell it wasn't just a fuck-buddy situation for them like it was for Zaya and Gus who had the rules straight, but unfortunately, Zaya had already put her heart in it.

          "Hey, just move on from him. You don't want to be with a fuckboy like him." I rubbed Zaya's shoulder, comforting her a little. "You two stay here. I'm just going to check on Renna right now."

          "We come along. Strict orders," Zaya rebelled.

          "This place is swarming with guards. Nothing will happen. You both need to enjoy the party too." I leaned in closer and whispered in Zaya's ear. "Many handsome men here. Take one for a ride."

          Zaya's eyes widened as I winked and walked away. I turned into the heavily guarded hall and opened the door to the room Renna was sleeping in. Panic shot through me when I didn't see the baby or Nora in the room who was supposed to be with her.

          "Don't fret." I turned around upon hearing the manly voice and saw Federigo sitting in the corner with Renna in his arms. The soft smile on the man's face was heartwarming. It was a rare sight after all.

"I'll give you some privacy. If you want to gu-gu-ga-ga with her, I won't tell anyone."

Federigo narrowed his eyes dangerously upon my silly suggestion then looked back at the baby with the same smile. "Don't tell anyone even if I cuddle her. She's my only granddaughter after all."

I laughed. "My lips are sealed." I began backing out of the room, closing the door as I did so, but suddenly backed into a sturdy chest. "I'm so—" My breath hitched along with my words as the familiar scent traveled up my nostrils. The same citrus and refreshing fragrance that warmed and clenched my insides at once. As if hit with a hundred degrees below zero temperature, I stood frozen in the same position, unable to even turn around and look at the man. Ironically, I was burning up inside at the same time. My erratically pounding heart only added to the heat.

"Hello, love." The warm breath from his mouth burnt the skin on the back of my neck, forcing every hair on my body to stand erect in his presence.

After a deep inhale, I stepped aside and turned my head to look at him. The blackness of his beard covered his face as if he had forsaken shaving for a month, but it was still well-maintained. It wasn't too long. Just enough to cover his entire face. Even the hair on his head grew out to the length he had when I had first met him. Perfect to rake your fingers through soothingly.

Stop it, Arie!

With a formal smile my way, Leo made his way inside the room without another word to me. I was too surprised by his appearance to even care. "Can I hold her now, father?" I heard him say and closed the door to give them privacy, but I stood right outside for a bit. Why? I wasn't sure. "Hello, sweetheart!" Leo's voice was soft like a tender caress. "I'm your zio."

Unconsciously, my lips stretched into a wide smile listening to him speak in such a manner. Loving and gentle. The Bonferroni men may be ruthless, but they all had a soft spot for children. Gus played with Renna all the time at my house, even Federigo, whose smile was a rare sight, put his pearly whites on display for the baby girl. And Leo... I never heard him talk like that and it only warmed me to the core.

          After another minute, I forced myself back into the noisy ballroom and dragged my body to a table to just sit back and watch everyone enjoy themselves. It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying myself. I just had my mind on someone else now and couldn't think about anything but him.

          A while later, I witnessed Leo entering the decorated hall with his father and immersing into the crowd, shaking hands and talking business with the other elites. I tried not to stare at him, but I couldn't tear my pathetic eyes away. The pain that I had left him in, I couldn't see it on his face anymore. Everyone was trained to have a poker face when it came to emotions. Was he really in a better place or was it all an act for everyone in here? I hoped for the former.

          Off to the side, away from the public eye, Lucian sprinted upon seeing his daddy and embraced the man tightly, almost bursting into tears from sheer joy. I didn't know Lucian had gotten so close to Leo over the span of a week in Italy all those months ago, although he did want to see his father on his birthday; a wish I couldn't fulfill for him. I was helpless in that matter. The loss was too recent prior to the birthday, and I couldn't expect the man to show up.

          Leo hadn't looked at me once throughout the party. I could say I didn't care, but that'd be a lie. Only a hello and nothing more. I didn't crave his attention necessarily, but his words. How was he? Was he okay? Anything at all. I wanted to say something myself and then I couldn't. I was frightened to even approach the man. All I could do was watch him dance with multiple ladies in the room while I danced with other men who approached me. We didn't cross paths again or exchange words. Not even a bye upon leaving the party. We were both quiet and distant.

          Ashton and I waited by the car while Lucian said goodbye to his father and the rest of his biological family at the party. Mike brought the kids out with Ana asleep on his shoulder. I strapped them into the car and drove us all home with Zaya, Zee, and other bodyguards in cars in front and behind us. I had gotten used to the idea of highly trained individuals keeping an eye on us from places we couldn't see them, so we had our privacy without the feeling of suffocation. Only Zaya and Zee stayed close and had become a part of the family. They surely relieved a lot of my stress. Soph was staying with her parents along with Renna as per her father's wishes and would come live with me again a month later. Her home was with me now, and we had built our lives around each other.

          When we got home, Ashton passed out cold as soon as he hit his bed along with the kids. Even Zaya and Zee dozed off immediately, whereas I was still wide awake thinking about Leo. Not a second passed by in the last six months when I didn't have him on my mind with the desire to see him one more time. Running into him today only left me in a state of despair.

          I tried distracting myself with TV in the living room, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and booty shorts. I had to be comfortable to sulk. What the fuck was I even sulking for? Fuck!

          Suddenly, the doorbell rang and forced me to my feet. There was always a lingering fear within me and it would remain forever considering I was involved with the bad guys now. Well, one could never really escape them. Although I knew the assassins keeping an eye on my house wouldn't let anyone suspicious enter my property, I still retrieved a gun strapped under the coffee table and approached the door cautiously. The moment I squinted my eye through the peephole, my heart dropped to the bottom of my chest.

          Leo...

          I immediately secured the gun in its place and combed my hair with my fingers. The chills on my body had my hair erect along with my nipples too. Perfect! My hands desperately tried to smooth the little suckers out and flatten them, but my attempts were utterly pathetic. All I could do now was hide my breasts with my upper limbs and that's what I did. I crossed my arms across my chest and opened the door.

          "Hi," I muttered, my voice coming out like a mouse's.

          "Hello, love." His smile made me melt to the core within a second. Standing there leisurely in a crisp suit that he had worn to the party, I couldn't stop myself from gawking at the man like an idiot. "I can stand and talk out here all night if that's what you want."

          "Oh, I'm sorry. Come in." I shook my head to rid myself of the Leo daze and stepped aside to let the man in. "I'm surprised you decided to show up here," I taunted whilst closing the door and covering my chest again.

          "My apologies, madame," he joked, strolling further into the room and scraping his fingers across the round wooden table that was placed between the double staircase. "I was there for Renna's celebration, and it wasn't the best place for me to speak with you, wouldn't you agree?"

          "I guess." Sauntering over to one set of stairs, I leaned against the railing and met his sparkling blue eyes. "How are you?"

          "You owe me a dance first."

          "A dance?"

          "Yes!" He focused his attention on his phone and turned it back to me once the music started. "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra began to play, forcing a chuckle out of my mouth instantly. "Going old school. Come dance with me, love."

          I rolled my eyes, laughing until he came to fetch me himself. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me to his chest, his one hand snaking around my waist and the fingers of the other interlacing with mine while I instinctively placed my free hand on his strong shoulder.

          We moved to the music and snickered like children, twirling under the chandelier. "Six months." I breathed out slowly. "Tell me. How have you been?"

          Leo nodded slowly, looking away a little as he pondered. "Well, it started out awful. Not every man gets to be a widower of the same woman twice," he snorted. "But I wanted to do it the right way this time."

          "And did you?"

          I searched his wandering eyes for the truth and could see nothing but sincerity as he spoke. "It still hurts, Arie. It always will hurt deep inside with the way she left, but living was much painful for her so it was her way out. Crooked way, indeed. I was too busy saving her from everyone that I didn't think of saving her from herself. I just hope she has found her peace now."

          My hand squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "I do, too."

          "And about doing it right, well, sleeping with women helped ease the pain a lot."

          Narrowing my eyes at the man, I scrunched my nostrils upon seeing the cheeky smirk on his face. "Ha-ha, asshole."

I missed seeing him like this, smiling and joking around like before. Even I fell into a loop with him so effortlessly that it scared me a little, but I enjoyed every second I was sharing with him. We were comfortable around each other. There was no hostility, no ill-will, no awkwardness like before. It felt as though two best friends had come together after a long, hard time, chatting and dancing without a care in the world. It felt so easy. The worry lines he used to have, even they faded away. Whatever he did, one could tell he was in a much better place now which made me happy beyond any words that could describe it.

"On a serious note, I just took some time off from work to grieve everyone that I've lost. Two weeks to be exact, which isn't a lot, but it's plenty for someone in my position. I never thought I could ever get a break from it, but Gus stepped up and so did my father and cousins on the Bonferroni side while I took my time just thinking about it all and getting my head in the right place. After that, I just focused on the business. And as much I want to kill Alicio, he isn't the traitor and neither is Zee."

"I thought so."

"I just need to get my hands on Pavlov now, but he is just as strong. He's playing a good game."

Hearing that man's name boiled my blood instantly. "When you do get your hands on him, let me know. I have revenge to exact too."

"We'll decide when the time comes who gets to take the first swing at him." Spinning me on my feet, he pulled me much closer to his chest and hummed along to the song. "It's your turn now."

"Well, I miss them a lot. There's so much Fred did that I felt so lost at first, but I'm good now. And Alon..." I exhaled trying to relieve the pressure on my eyes that were tearing up upon the thought of my lost son. "Some days I just find myself crying thinking about them, but most of the time, they're happy tears. I just reminisce over the great memories we shared. It does hurt losing them, but they'll always be alive in my heart."

Leo's smile was warm and understanding. "I'm truly glad to hear that."

"It hasn't been easy." My heart started to patter and sink as I rested my head on his chest, slowing down our dance even more. A tear crawled down my cheek painfully and soaked into the lapel of his suit jacket. "I had an abortion."

He was silent and so was I. I didn't expect him to say anything. It was a choice I made after everything had happened.

"Freddie?"

I nodded. "When I was hospitalized in Italy, I missed my birth control pills and then Fred came there." My feet halted, my arms wrapping around his torso slowly. "I found out when we got back from Verona's funeral. I couldn't do it, especially with the father being dead." Nuzzling my face into Leo's chest, I released a heartbreaking sob. "I can't bring another child into this cruel world and lose them all over again." His breath was hot on the top of my head as he smoothed out my hair in a consoling manner. "I knew Alon was not going to live long and that fact killed me every single day. I can't live like that forever even if the next child doesn't have an illness. We'll always be targets for the next enemy that comes along."

"I understand," he murmured, kissing the side of my head. "It's okay, love."

"I can only focus on the kids I already have. They're enough."

"And as I promised, they will be the safest as they have been these past few months," he vowed.

We stayed still in the warmth of the embrace, basking in each other's presence as much as we could. The sadness in me was fading away slowly but surely. No matter how we were just a few months back, I knew I could always trust this man with my life itself. Telling him about the abortion came so easily. Confiding in him always lifted boulders from my chest, and today was no different. My heart and soul both felt lighter. In all honesty, they were smiling through my lips.

Different songs came on and we continued talking and laughing. Genuine laughter that put my mouth in a constant stretch which also started to make my cheeks ache. Everything I was ever worried about, those miserable thoughts flew out the window in his company. Oh, he was just making me inch closer toward that forbidden well of love that we had walked away from, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to survive once I fell deeper into it this time.

"You missed Lucian's birthday. Ana's too," I complained.

"Not necessarily."

My brows pulled together. "What do you mean?"

"You sent Lucian out with Gus for that day, but he was actually with me."

"Oh, but you didn't attend the gathering that evening."

He shrugged, rolling me away from his body and then back to him. "I wasn't ready to face you."

"Honestly, neither was I."

He nodded, his enigmatic yet entrancing eyes studying me attentively."How about we start over, yeah?"

I chuckled. "Okay?"

Stepping back, he held his hand out with a playful smile. "Hello. I'm Easton Smith." His full British accent came to life.

"Oh, fuck!" I laughed out loud. "And here I was ready to pull out my good ol' Aquarius Pepperoni card."

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch your name." He stayed true to his persona with that English accent.

I rolled my eyes then shook his hand. "Arie Noelle."

"Lovely meeting you, Ms. Noelle." He kissed the back of my hand like a gentleman with a cheeky smirk. "I would love to stay and get to know you, but I have some business to tend to early morning, so I have to take your leave now."

"For real?"

"Unfortunately." He fixed his suit jacket, buttoned it up, and started walking toward the door.

I opened it up for him and blurted, "Before I forget, happy birthday."

"Thank you for not gifting me slaps this time." His eyes were wide as he rubbed his cheek, teasing me for the time I smacked him twice on his birthday five years ago. "A belated one to you as well."

"Eh," I scoffed, watching him head toward his fancy Audi. The fear in my heart started to come back. I wasn't sure how long it'd be before I saw him again. Another six months? Six years? Fuck!

"Hey!" I called him out and caught his attention. "By the way, I don't want Easton. I want my Leo."

I knew soft dimples carved into his cheeks under his beard due to the breathtaking smile he fostered. That small gesture spoke louder than the words he didn't say, and it was enough.

He opened the door to his car and put a leg in then suddenly stopped to look at me. "And Arie, if you don't have the money to buy a bra, I can lend you some."

In sheer horror, I peered down at my hardened nipples that poked through the t-shirt and immediately cupped them with my hands. "Don't worry, pepperoni. I'm just trying out the Free The Nipple movement."

He winked. "I love that movement."

I faked a laugh and flipped him off. "Asshole!"

And then he drove into the night, leaving us both unsure of what our future held, but there was that feeling in me once again. That happiness. That reigniting love.

I'm so fucked.

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Yay or nay?

Sorry, I played you guys with the 5-10 year gap 😂 I had to do it!

Who's excited for what's to come?

What do you guys think of Zaya and Gus? Will it ever progress into something more than just friends with benefits?

What about Sophie?

Do you think Vince really likes Lina?

Did Leo make the right decision by letting Alicio and Zee go?

Can Zee be trusted?

How do you guys feel now?

Thoughts on Leo?

Or Arie?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

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Much love ❤️
~Reet