I was going to update directly at midnight but then I just felt like giving one extra update so you y'all better fill this chapter with lots of comments.

LILITH
(Age Eighteen)

Mom wasn't feeling well so I told her that I can make lunch today after all she has taught me all her recipes and it turns out that I love to cook just as much.

But while she is content cooking in this house for the rest of her life, I would like to open my own restaurant one day for which I want to study business so that I could manage everything better.

I tossed the boiled pasta into the red sauce I made and garnished it with grated cheese and the lunch was done.

As I was done washing my hands, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and I was pulled back against a chest.

And that familiar voice, which I missed so damn much every day, murmured against my ear, "Hello, mia luna."

All the tension melted away from my body and I leaned back into his chest. "I'm sorry, who is this?" I teased.

He pinched my waist. "Your favourite person."

"Oh...Marcelo?"

He pinched me so hard that I yelped loudly and elbowed him in his chest. "Asshole."

He stepped back giving me some space to turn around and I slapped his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here when I called you yesterday?"

He simply rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up to his elbows and gave me a half-shrug.

I think he wanted to surprise me but then I remembered that it is quite obvious that he would be here considering tomorrow evening Alessandro is officially handing over the leadership to Marcelo and a party is being held for that. The day after tomorrow, Alessandro and his wife will move out of this mansion.

I think I am just stupid to not have used my brain to figure out the reason for his presence.

This is just the second time he is visiting. He visited before when he completed the first year of University and came here for the break and now that I think, his second year also ended a couple of days back which means he will be here for some time.

I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest, breathing in his comforting smell.

He just rested his arm on my lower back and I heard him sniff my hair. "You smell."

Ugh. I pulled back, grabbed the spatula from the countertop, and raised it to hit him, but he stepped out of the way.

"I am never ever hugging you again, asshole!" I tried to hit him again but he started to run away.

So I chased him around the kitchen with that spatula in my hand and he let out a rough, hearty chuckle which caressed my heart.

But that didn't save him as I continued to chase him and he eventually ran out to the living room where Cyrus, Marcelo and Ezekiel were present.

They all were sitting on the couch and I chased Silvio around it and finally, I threw the spatula towards him and it hit him on his back.

With all the muscles he has I know it wouldn't have hurt him plus I didn't throw it with much force but it did make him pause and the spatula fell on the floor.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Cyrus recording a video of and talking to Marcelo and Ezekiel, saying something like, "...play at the wedding."

But I ignored that because Silvio turned to face me and then very slowly, he cocked his head.

Uh-oh.

A shriek left my mouth as this time, he started to chase me.

My legs automatically took me out to the garden and I knew he would catch me eventually but I just loved how all this gave me a different type of thrill.

Just as I reached the bench where we used to sit always, I whirled around to see where he was because I couldn't hear his footsteps.

But I should have known better cause with all that training, he can run as silently as a predator and he was right behind me.

Before I could run away, he reached out to grab the front of my t-shirt and as he pulled me with that, it got ripped from the middle, right down to my stomach, exposing my bra.

Time paused, and we both stared at each other in shock, more like I stared at him while he kept staring at the piece of cloth in his hand.

His eyes slowly travelled up to my chest and stayed there.

"What the fuck did you do?" I yelled, covering my front with my arms.

He scratched his beard in confusion as if he couldn't believe it himself.

I pouted. "Silvio! How am I supposed to go inside like this? Everyone's there." And there is no way to go to my room from the garden without passing through the main house.

The moment I mentioned 'everyone', his eyes narrowed at me and he started to unbutton his shirt.

"W-what are you doing?" I glanced around, hoping no one saw us.

He continued to unbutton his shirt and when he was done, he shrugged out of it and then he made me hold it and started to remove the remaining pieces of my t-shirt from my body.

"Hey!" I tried to remove his hand but he didn't bulge and now I was standing in front of him, half-naked.

I blushed hard as his eyes roamed over my chest but his face remained blank.

He took his shirt and dressed me in it, buttoning it up. I was already wearing shorts and his shirt was long enough to cover them so now it looked like I was just wearing his shirt and nothing underneath it.

Somehow, it felt so intimate.

He seemed to be in some kind of a daze as he gaped at me, his head tilted.

"Open your hair." He ordered gruffly.

"Huh?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Open your hair, Lilith." The sternness in his tone made me gulp.

Unsure what he was trying to do, I opened my hair as it was tied in a low bun and ran my fingers through it to adjust it a bit.

He pulled out his phone and stepping back, pointed the camera at me. "Smile, mia luna."

I just couldn't say no to him so I smiled softly and he took my picture and then stared at it, humming in satisfaction.

I don't think so I am looking good in his shirt and that's why he took the picture. Sometimes he does a few things that make absolutely no sense.

After putting away his phone, he held out his hand for me to hold which I did and he led me inside.

Everyone was still present in the living room and their heads snapped to us, Silvio who was shirtless and me who was wearing his shirt.

"That was fast," Cyrus commented, wiggling his eyebrows at us. "According to my calculation, you only lasted two minutes. That disappoints me, Sil."

"What does he mean by that?" I whispered to Silvio.

He didn't answer me and just flipped Cyrus off and led me in the direction of my room.

Stopping outside it, I told him, "Wait here, I will change out of it and give it back to you."

"Keep it. Looks better on you."

.
.
.

I was going to surprise him in a few days but since he was already here, why not do it now? Besides he might be busy tomorrow with the party going on.

We both were reading a psychological thriller book together on the bench out in the garden.

When we finished reading the fifth chapter, I slowly closed the book after memorising the page number. "I have to tell you something."

"I applied to a few universities and I got selected," I told him.

"Which one?" That was all he asked.

I opened the acceptance letter on my phone and showed it to him.

When he read the university's name,  a small smile touched his lips.

I was okay with studying almost anywhere but I wanted to be with Silvio so I worked really hard and I wasn't sure if I would be accepted or not but in the end, I got selected at Cornell.

He handed the phone back to me. "I was living there peacefully. Must you ruin it by getting admission there?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's why I want to go there, to destroy your peace. Now congratulate me."

He didn't.

Maybe he actually doesn't want me to go there, maybe he was actually enjoying himself without me.

That saddened me and I got up to leave but he caught my wrist and tugged me back.

I fell down in his lap, sitting sideways and when I attempted to get up, he tightened his hold around me.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then trailed that finger down my jaw and lifted my chin with it. "I am fucking proud of you, Lili."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Very. But you never told me you applied for it."

"I wasn't sure if I would get accepted or not but I wanted to try. I am glad that I did."

"I really worked hard for it. I didn't want to give up just because I thought I wouldn't be able to get in." I added.

He brushed his lips against my cheek in a feathery kiss. "That's my girl."

And I think my heart just melted.