For those of you who don't know this, I have decided to change Evelina's cast from Hailee Steinfeld to Crystal Reed. But you're welcome to envision anyone you like.

Point out my errors. Vote, comment, and enjoy!

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          "Beautiful." Verona's thick Italian accent tickled my ears with sharp claws as she stepped forward and eyed the locket around my neck. Her fingers began exploring the ornament themselves, rubbing over the intricate cuts and lining out my name engraved into it. "Rhodium is a rare metal." She weighed the locket on the tip of her fingers while I stared at her rather astounded. "Every little detail must have been etched by hand. This is definitely close to sixty thousand dollars, no?" A soft giggle left her lips, her blue eyes looking at me with a bright smile. "Whoever made it for you must love you very much."

"Certainly," Athena added to her statement with a smug smirk plastered on her face. "Verona has a good eye for jewelry," she praised the woman who was supposed to be dead, but was very much alive and vibrant as ever.

"Sì," Verona flashed a sweet smile. "My mother was a jeweler. So, I think I get it from her."

My throat was parched with betrayal that clawed my insides brutally, making my heart bleed. That's all I could feel raging at the pit of my stomach. All the memories, all the promises he made to me. The promise to marry me. All lies. Nothing but filthy lies. He lied...

Finding my voice in the fiery ashes of my broken heart, I cleared my jammed throat. "Excuse me. I have to use the ladies' room." I turned on my heel and paced out of the ballroom that was suffocating me by spinning. The bright lights constricting and expanding right before my eyes. Blinding like the bright flashes of large cameras.

Entering a wide, empty hallway, I wrestled with my tears, trying to push them back. I couldn't cry. Not over a deceitful bastard who sang those lies so beautifully that I couldn't help but fall hard for him. It meant nothing to him. Nothing at all.

"Is something wrong, Arie?" The fake innocence in Athena's voice rattled my anger even more as my fists clenched.

Turning around, I glared at her, fuming. "You planned all this. To rub Verona in my fucking face?"

"Considering your anger, I believe Leo told you about Verona before Astor fed us lies." She crossed her arms below her breasts, nonchalantly sauntering closer. "Leo never talked about Verona and he opened up to you regarding her. You think a man like him would make up such a lie and shove it in your face?"

"I don't even know what to believe anymore," I snapped. "Every one of you is a liar."

"What the hell is going on?" Ashton stomped into the hallway, and caught up next to Athena. "Arie?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, still shoving daggers into Athena's chest. "She's jealous that Leo moved on from her."

"Jealous?" I screamed, stepping forward. "All the while he was married, I was just an easy fuck for him on the side."

"What?" Ashton yelled.

"Look at you," she snorted, a smirk forming on her red plump lips. "You pushed him away, and now you're crying because he got over you."

"You know that's not what this is about," I squared up, stepping forward. "I don't love Leo. He's in the past for a reason."

"Oh, sweetheart," she smiled like a vixen as her fingers brushed my jaw. "Is that why you're wearing his locket?" Grabbing her wrist in a tight hold, I violently jerked it away from my face as a nasty bark of laughter left her mouth. "What will Verona say when she realizes that the man who made that piece of jewelry for you is her own husband? I can only imagine the possibilities."

"Stop it," I warned, my fists itching to pound her face. "Just shut up."

"Leo adores her. I mean how can you not?" She chuckled. "She's the sweetest thing ever. Always so passive." She leaned forward and whispered, "I bet if you stole her man, she'd let it happen silently."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I pushed her back and raised my hand to slap her, but another hand around my wrist halted my action.

I whipped my head and looked at the girl who had the biggest smile plastered on her face. "And here I thought Athena wouldn't be able to pull it off, but I shouldn't doubt her," the girl smiled even wider before pulling me into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you again."

          Frozen like a statue, still a bit confused as to who she was, I awkwardly patted her back with uncertainty clinging onto my brows. "Damn, Arie. It hasn't been that long for you to forget me," she laughed, looking away and throwing her loose strands back in smugness. "Puberty hit me like a truck, didn't it?"

          "Lina?"

"Bingo!" She winked and locked eyes with my brother. "Hi! I'm Evelina Bonferroni."

"Hey!" Ashton shook her hand. "I'm Ash..."

"I know exactly who you are," she cut him off and picked an invisible lint from the lapel of his suit. "What the media writes about you, is it true?"

I stared wide-eyed at the close proximity between the two while Athena was just as amazed as me with a quirked brow. "The press loves a show," Ashton spoke, smirking flirtatiously. "So I make sure to give them one every time they're around."

"Ah," Lina's brows rose in amusement, a smile feathering her lips. "I like that." She turned to me with the same smile. "I've honestly missed you though. How've you been doing?"

"Good until I got here actually," I tightened my arms across my chest and looked between the two ladies standing next to Ashton.

"C'mon, Arie," Lina rolled her eyes. "You haven't missed us at all? Any of us? Leo?"

"No," I stressed.

"You know," she stepped closer to me and continued, "I should be mad at you for breaking my brother's heart, but I like you too much. You were a witness through the worst time of my life and I considered you family." Letting out a breath, she smiled up at Ashton. "Could you excuse us three for a moment?"

          "Well, I'm not leaving my sister here," he retorted, crossing his arms.

          "Stand at a distance then," Athena motioned to him with a nod of her head. "Out of earshot."

          He silently asked for my approval which I gave. "Fine." He walked back and stood by the entrance of the hallway, watching every single move any of us made.

          "Why am I here?" I questioned right away.

          "Because it's your best friend's wedding," Lina shrugged.

          "Whom I haven't seen in more than four years."

          "We thought it would be the perfect time for us all to reunite over a happy occasion, don't you think?" Athena smirked.

"I don't believe you," I snarled.

"Good," she tipped her head to the side and let out a breath. "You're here because of Leo."

"I don't want anything to do with him," I stated and started to walk around her when she grabbed my forearm and slammed me to the wall beside us.

"You're not leaving so fast," she spat and dragged me through a door and into the bathroom. "Lina, keep Ashton company." Lina nodded and shut the door behind her.

"Don't fucking touch me." I shoved my nails into Athena's hand that held me and yanked it away.

Her jaw twitched as her hazel eyes raked over the blood that was surfacing on her wrist. She glared at me before locking the door to the fancy ladies' room. She walked over to the sink and grabbed a tissue to clean the blood.

          "I'm so tempted to kill you right now," she looked at me through the mirror as she started rinsing her wrist. "Don't even think about making a run for it. Lina is with your brother right now. You can't even begin to imagine the things she can do now."

          "Just let me go," I stared back at her reflection. "Please."

          "I need something from you and then you're free."

          "And what might that be?" I sauntered over to the cushioned couch pinned against the wall next to the door.

          "Glad you made yourself comfortable for this," she commented and turned around, picking up another piece of tissue. "It's about Leo."

          "What about him?"

          "He's dying," she whispered, I heard my heart drop at that very moment. "Don't fret. He doesn't have cancer or anything."

          "Then what?" I asked desperately.

          "He's dying under the pressure of work and empire." A saddened look engulfed her face. "He's literally killing himself with the constant travel and handling deals himself that he doesn't need to." She discarded the tissues in the bin and turned her attention to me. "He has been miserable. The worst I've ever seen him."

          "And what am I supposed to do? Play game of thrones with you all?"

          She laughed, shaking her head and striding over to me. "I can't wait till you get to Italy. You won't be calling it a game."

          "You're a funny one to assume that I'm coming to Italy."

          "How about you hear me out first?" She settled down next to me on the sofa and placed her right leg over her left knee. "You broke him, Arie. The return of Verona helped him a bit but not enough."

"Her return?"

"Her story isn't mine to tell," she brushed me off. "He's stressed and everyone is worried, so I want you to talk to him."

"How will that help him?"

"He wanted to make you the queen," she scoffed. "He was the happiest with you, so I believe seeing you for once and talking might help him." A tired sigh passed through her lips as she leaned back and looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "Do anything to help him. Sleep with him if you have to, but please help him because if he keeps drowning himself in the empire like this then he'll surely die and I can't let that happen."

"I'm not sleeping with him," I spat and rose from my seat, walking towards the door. "He has a wife. He can go have sex with her."

"I'll find everyone you love and kill them one by one," she warned and nodded to the couch. "Sit back down, Arie. Don't force me to do something that you might regret."

I fumed, but obliged unwillingly. I couldn't have her searching up the people in my life. Not Lucian, and especially not Ana. They would definitely rip her away from me and that would be my death.

"He'll be at the wedding. It's just one day, Arie," she emphasized, watching my moves very carefully as I made my way back to her side. "Talk to him. Tell him what he needs to hear. If he needs you to say that you love him, then say it. If hate, then tell him that you loathe him. Give him a reason to move on from you."

          "How can I say that when I don't feel either of those things for him?"

          "I saw the hurt in your eyes when Verona introduced herself, so lie all you want." She mounted from her seat and flattened out her luxurious dress. "Enjoy your time in Italy with your best friend and support her. When the wedding day comes, Leo will arrive too, and then you do your job and set him free. Talk some sense into him."

"And watch a living, breathing Verona dance around? I don't have the heart to watch that."

"You'll grow to like her." Her firm, yet reassuring voice filtered my ears. "Refuse this and I'll make sure Ashton's body is never found."

          Rage bubbled through my chest before I rose from my seat and neared her. "Lay a harmful finger on him and I will kill everyone here."

          "Then don't test my patience, Arie," she smiled. "You'll come to Italy or else..."

          "Fine!" I gritted my teeth together, and bumped her shoulder on my way to the door.

          "Leo and Mike lost the women they loved on the same day," she halted my ragged footsteps as my heart skipped a beat. "I can't get Wendy back and give Mike his life back, but with Leo I can try. I can't see them dying everyday."

          Without a word, I opened the door and stomped out, letting a lone tear loose. Every part of me knew that I was responsible for their suffering. Every guilty cell in me screamed the truth in my face, but what I did all those years ago was necessary. However, that's what I keep telling myself.

"Arie," Ashton sighed in relief as he pulled himself away from the chat he was having with Lina.

Smiling meekly, I looked between the two. "Let's go home."

"Are you coming to Italy?" Lina queried with a glint Of hope glimmering in her brown eyes.

I nodded reluctantly. "Athena was very convincing."

"Yes!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around me. "Best news I've heard all day. We're going to have a blast in Italy." Pulling away, she turned to Ashton. "I assume you'll be joining us too."

"I guess?" He looked at me in sheer confusion before Lina placed a kiss on his cheek and gained his full attention.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she winked at him before strutting away.

"Damn," he watched her walk out of our sight before diverting his eyes back to me. "She's something."

"Stay away from her," I advised with a hard expression and started pacing back into the ballroom to say goodbye to Sophie.

Spotting her having a chat with Verona, I almost wanted to turn on my heel and run away, but I couldn't avoid her forever, so I decided to approach them nevertheless. "Hey," I tapped on Soph's shoulder.

          "Hey!" She chirped up and looked to Verona. "This is my fiancé's sister-in-law. His older brother's wife, Verona."

          "We met," Verona interrupted with a wide smile. "You left in a hurry earlier. Are you alright?"

          "Yes," I nodded with a tight lipped smile. "Just had to use the restroom."

          "Sophie was telling me that you are coming to Italy with us tomorrow, yes?"

          "Her maid of honor position is reserved for me, so I have to show up," I chuckled, earning a little snicker from all except Ashton, who I knew had questions running through his mind. "Could I borrow her for a moment?"

"Of course," Verona flashed her perfect teeth before disappearing into the crowd.

          "What's up?" She immediately asked.

          "Ashton, why don't you ask the valet to get the car?"

          "Goodnight, Soph," Ashton gave her a quick hug and pecked her cheek before hesitantly walking towards the exit.

          "Leaving so soon?"

          I pulled her away from the crowd and stepped into a secluded corner behind a decorated pillar. "Have you told anyone about my kids?"

          "No, why?"

          Relief surged through me as my eyes closed momentarily to catch a breath. "Don't tell anyone about them, okay?"

"My lips are sealed," she zipped her lips and threw the keys away.

I chuckled before asking the question that had been bothering me the entire night. "Do you remember my date from your first wedding?"

          "Not really," she shrugged. "Why? Is he the baby daddy?"

"Oh God, no," I shook my head. "I was just wondering." Well, this probably explains why she didn't connect Wren's older brother and my date to be the same person. "I'm going to call it a night."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," I pulled her into my chest, but she held on tight.

"You have no idea how happy I am to have you here, bitch!"

Squeezing her tiny frame tighter, I bid farewell and headed for the exit where Ashton waited in the passenger seat of the car. I slipped behind the wheel of his Aston Martin and revved the expensive engine to life before driving away into the heavy traffic even at this late hour.

"Start talking now and explain what the fuck is going on." I could sense his scrutinizing gaze burn holes into my skull which prompted me to speak.

"Soph's fiancé is Leo's younger brother."

"Is that why you ran when you saw him?"

"Yes," I swallowed and stopped at a red light.

"And the Verona chick?"

"That's Leo's wife."

"And he was married when he was with you?" The alcohol he had consumed seemed to be accentuating his anger.

"Apparently," I gripped the steering wheel tighter with my sweaty palms.

"That motherfucker," Ashton fumed. "What was that girl talking about you breaking his heart? You told me that he's the one who left you."

I knew it was going to come up, so I breathed and answered. "I lied."

"Of course!" His voice bellowed as he slammed the dashboard with his fist, not hard enough to break it. "How many times have you lied to me?"

          "More than I can count," I laughed awkwardly.

          "It's not funny," he hissed, pouting like a child and looking out of the window at the blurred buildings. "Why are we going to Italy then?"

          "For Sophie," I sighed. "Leo isn't going to show up until the wedding day."

          "And Mike?"

          Releasing a shaky breath, I loosened my fingers on the steering wheel for a second. "Same as Leo."

          "So, Ana's dad is married," he stated followed by a groan. "What are we going to tell her?"

"She doesn't need to know that her dad is married to someone else and not her mother."

"And what about her dad?" He questioned as he usually did whenever we talked about this. The same old over and over again. "Doesn't he deserve to know that he has a daughter?"

          "It's not the right time and you know it," I showered him with the same excuse.

          "You and I both know that the right time may never come, yet you're so stubborn."

          "I have hope and don't come here bursting that," I shot him a quick glare before looking back at the road. "I'm not giving up on the hope where everything will be alright. Where Ana will have her mom and dad."

          "You're just stubborn," he snorted. "You need to come to terms with the fact that it won't ever be the same."

          "I'm not giving up. I'll wait for that right moment. No matter how many years it may take."

***

          "Lucian," I called for him and within a minute he came running with his little Superman suitcase to the front door. "Where's Ana?"

          "She's slow." He giggled before running into Harry's arms who squeezed him tight.

          "Luci," she kissed his forehead and released him to embrace Ana who came running with her little Wonder Woman suitcase. "Ana banana."

          "Aunty. Aunty. Aunty," Ana chanted and peppered Harry's face with multiple kisses, a big one on the tip of her nose.

Getting down to my knees, I opened my arms for Lucian who quickly embraced me. "Be a good boy, okay?"

"I always am, mamma."

"I know you are, but I mean at school too. No fighting."

"Promise," he grinned, flashing his front teeth that were on the verge of breaking. "No fighting."

          He stepped aside to let Ana tackle me to the floor. "You're getting stronger," I laughed with her on top of me, kissing the tip of my nose repeatedly. It was how she expressed her love for someone in her own unique little way which always warmed my heart.

          "I'm going to eat so much at Nani's house," she giggled and started running in circles around Harry who chuckled at the silly girl as I got off the floor.

          "No goodbye for Uncle Ashton?" The idiot skipped down the stairs and was met with Lucian's hug to his legs. "Luci, my man." The hug was dropped and Ashton's legs were soon lathered with kicks from the little boy. "Okay, sorry. Damn!" He lifted Lucian above his head and placed him by the entrance next to Harry before kissing her cheek. "Smelling good as always."

          "I know," Harry shrugged leisurely, a smirk dancing on her plump lips.

          Laughing, he scooped Ana up in his arms. "Goodbye time." She kissed his cheek. "No kiss on the nose?" Ashton pouted like a child. "Ana didn't kiss my nose. I'm going to cry," he faked a cry before Ana kissed his nose and wiggled out of his arms, giggling louder.

          Ashton then took the kids out to Harry's car to get them all buckled in while I chatted with her. "I know I'm asking for a lot. Thank you so much."

          "I don't mind doing this for my niece and nephew," she squeezed my hands. "Don't worry. They're in good hands. They'll get to school and daycare on time too."

"Could you also take Ana to the hospital everyday?" I asked. "She'll just sit there sometimes and stare, and sometimes she'll talk a lot. Just be patient with her."

"Arie, I know," she laughed. "I'll sit with her when we visit the hospital. Just enjoy yourself in Italy."

"How can I when Leo and Mike..."

"You said they won't show up until the wedding day, so don't worry and enjoy yourself till then. Keep updating me on whatever happens there." She quickly hugged me before sauntering out and down the steps, driving away as Ashton and I waved them goodbye.

***

"Do you mind if I see the kids while you're in Italy?" Freddie asked as he slipped into my room.

          "Hey," I tiredly greeted him and shoved the last of my essentials into a carry bag. "Of course. They adore you. And I thought you were leaving for New York anyways."

          "Came to say bye," he sauntered further towards me. "We both have flights to catch."

          "True," I smiled, propping the bag over my shoulder while Fred wheeled out my large suitcases. We shoved them into the trunk of my car while Ashton threw this luggage in the backseat to make room. I slowly turned to Fred who had a meek smile on his face. "I guess I'll see you when I get back then."

          "Yup," he pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head. "I'll miss you, precious."

          "I'll miss you too," I breathed in his sweet scent and held onto him for a minute too long before finally pulling away and pecking his cheek softly.

          Hesitantly, he backed away towards his Audi. "Don't fall for an Italian dude," he yelled with a laugh.

          "I won't," I waved before he slid into his car and drove away as we did the same.

          Half an hour or so later, we arrived at the private airport. After security paraded us, not allowing us to enter, one of the men called Wren and then finally let us through. A jet whooshed over the car and landed on the runway as Ashton drove further into the large airport until we spotted Sophie exiting a car.

          We hopped out and allowed men to retrieve our luggage and park the car safely. Slowly, we neared the entities that were standing by the massive plane that we were possibly going to board while they looked at the jet that had just landed. Valentina was in her own world as Verona glanced over to me and waved which I returned with a smile not as bright as hers.

          "What is this?" He referred to the abundance of bodyguards hovering around. "The shooting for men in black?"

          "You made it." Soph walked over to us with Lina who had a massive grin on her face. "I was getting anxious."

          "Well, I didn't have a choice," I smiled and hugged Sophie before moving on to Lina.

Everyone was beginning to show up, including Zachariah, Nora, Vince, and Wren who had a phone stuck to his ear. Athena and Eros soon exited the Lamborghini that pulled up and I guess everyone arrived. Ashton busied himself by mingling with the mafia elites while I kept a safe distance from Verona who inched her way to me, but stopped when the jet finally opened to reveal... Leo.

(There he is! 😍😍😍 Your wait is over.)

My heart didn't just drop but stopped altogether with my breath as I watched him slowly descend the short flight of steps with a look of unimaginable weary clinging onto all his features. Even through it all he looked beautiful as ever with a tailored suit hugging his muscles, a dust of facial hair embellishing his jaw, but Athena was right. He was tiring himself out and it was quite evident on his face. But that bitch also...

"Oops," she came up next to me with a pout. "I guess I lied."

Before I could cuss her out for tricking me, I couldn't help my eyes that turned back to Leo who removed his suit jacket and discarded it to the ground. The emotions and love associated with him were all rushing back violently. They flooded my mind brutally with beautiful memories of us together, but they started to burn in the fiery pit of my own mental hell when I saw Verona slowly stride towards her... husband.

Considering I was standing behind multiple people, Leo still hadn't noticed me and I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole because I was sure as hell going to die soon.

A meek smile brushed Leo's mouth as he noticed his wife walking towards him. The lips that used to kiss me once kissed Verona's softly and I almost wanted to roll over and die. I didn't realize how much I missed him until now. His beautiful smile, his dense hair, his gorgeous face that I loved slapping. Involuntary, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes to watch them hug and soak in each other's warmth. I told myself I wouldn't feel anything for him, but the burning sensation scorching my chest was an indication that I was jealous. However, the hurt was stronger.

My eyes couldn't watch the lover that I left behind kiss and hold another woman, so I forced them away to blink away the tears. Letting out a shaky breath, I looked to the next man exiting the jet as Ashton reassuringly wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

Gus stretched and yawned. "Who's ready to party?" He screamed and pumped his fist in the air as the rest of his family started to inch closer to greet the men.

Ashton and I stood back as my stupid eyes wandered back to Leo who was now planting a kiss on Lina's forehead when suddenly Gus yelled. "Sirena?"

I froze. Unable to move a single muscle in my body as my heart kept dropping and dropping until it was engulfed by the ground when Leo's oceanic eyes fell on me. My nails dug into Ashton's arm as I held the man's strong gaze while emotions coursed through me. They were all piling up and I didn't know which one to act on. Sadness, happiness, excitement, love... hate? His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed and his lips parted ever so slightly.

Everything and everyone seemed to stop. The hustling wind ceased, the breathing humans around us froze like statues. The clouds nothing but shading us from the piercing sun whose heat my skin couldn't feel.

The only thing that seemed to be breathing was him. The conflict and distress in his eyes ripped my heart out and my knees wanted to buckle and give up, but I also wanted to run and hug the man I left behind. I couldn't decide if I wanted to die right now because I definitely was withering away slowly and... so was he.

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Yay or nay?

The king is finally back. Who's excited?

What do you guys think will happen now? Should Arie just go back home or to Italy?

What do you guys think about Athena lying and her plan?

What do you guys think Arie is waiting for before she can tell the truth to Ana's Dad?

Much love ❤
~Reet