Chapter 43

“Luca’s comment? What about it.” Christian chuckled.

“The comment about your dad and your uncle seemed to bother you.” I tried to clear up his mind. He went quiet for a few seconds before he finally started talking.

“There’s not much to say— grandpa was supposed to give the entire empire to my uncle, his oldest son—but instead gave it to my dad...it clearly hit a nerve with some of my cousins,” Christian explained. “How old were you when that happened?”

Christian had a bothered look on his face as if he was trying to get out of this conversation. “I was six so I can’t remember much— but I remember how everyone had changed when my grandpa retired.”

“How come?” I asked.

“People started to treat us different, we moved into a bigger house— started living more isolated...my dad had become a cold person,”

“And Luca?”

“Uncle Berto was supposed to take over my grandpa— and after that Johnny and Luca but when he retired at the last minute he had changed his mind...uncle Berto was not really a family guy and my grandpa would do anything for all of us,” Christian explained, and I couldn’t help but wonder. “Are you a family man?”

He chuckled and avoided my gaze. “I may not always show it, but unlike my brothers, I will walk through fire to safe my family.”

“So that’s why Lucio chose you...the same way your grandpa chose him.” I concluded and thought about Johnny who was actually suppose to be in his position— but for some reason seemed to have fewer issues with it than Luca.

“You know, my cousins call me a fake, all of us. They say we don’t belong there— and me especially because my dad followed in grandpa’s footsteps, he chose his youngest son instead, even my own brothers dislike me.” Christian sighed as if it didn’t affect him, but it clearly did.

“Johnny seems like a loyal friend and cousin.” I smiled, thinking about how he always stood by his side and not once had complained or given him any backhanded comments, if anything he was there for Christian.

“He is, he’s been more like a brother to me than my own brothers have— while if anything...he should be the one to holding a grudge against me.”

The way Christian praised Johnny had always amazed me. There was no doubt that despite everything he must’ve loved his brothers, but the way he spoke about Johnny was different.

“And Vincenzo?” I tried to throw in the subject. I had to bring it up one way or another, and now would be a good time. Although they did not talk to each other anymore— I was extremely curious about Vincenzo saying his dad’s relationship with the Lamberti’s was complicated.

“What about him?” Christian smiled. “We used to be best friends, ever since we were young. It had always been me, Vincenzo, and Isobel.”

I almost cringed upon hearing her name and even felt a bit jealous that she got to experience the young Christian. Her knowing him better than I did had hit a nerve. “Did you and Vincenzo stop being friends because of me?”

“No...a lot has happened, we were about to break ties at one point and I just happened to do it earlier than expected, business is business but apart from that it’s better like this,” Christian spoke, not getting too much into the subject. “How is his family? He had once told me that he was the oldest son.” I asked Christian, without spoiling the fact that he had recently told me that.

“That’s funny.” Christian chuckled. “Why?”

“That’s a lie, he has an older brother but...his dad disowned him.” He spoke. My thought immediately went to the look on Vincenzo’s face when he spoke about his dad and I figured that, that man must’ve fit the stereotype I read about on the internet— but as far as I was concerned, Vince and Luca were kindhearted.

“Listen, Serena, I don’t know if you guys were close or not and I don’t care— but trust me, it’s for the best to stay away from that family so I’m glad the two of you cut ties.” He told me, unaware that we had been hanging out.

His words were supposed to scare me, but they didn’t. I was sitting here at a table with Christian and crazy enough the two of them were not that much different, as were their families.

“How about you? Tell me about yourself,” Christian suddenly asked. It was strange to see that he was actually interested in my life— because he barely asked about me.

“As if you guys did not do a background check.” I chuckled, thinking about not only everything being on my files at the club, but also all the stuff I had told Lucio.

“I could, but I didn’t— because I respect you.” He spoke in a serious tone. Even though we were fine now, I couldn’t help but wonder where all that respect had been at the beginning.

“There’s not much to say, I was raised as an orphan and my birth parents abandoned me, went from group home to group home— dropped out of college, and here I am,” I told him my uninteresting story.

“How did you get your last name?”

“There was this woman, she was like a mother to me and used to work at the place I was dropped off as a baby, I lived with her for a while but she passed away.” I smiled, thinking about Melanie Reyes, a woman who had taken me in and had truly treated me as her own. For that, I would always be grateful. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I shrugged my shoulders and tried to hide my feelings. “Speaking of women and grateful, where is Emmanuella?” I asked, noticing I had not seen a glimpse of her.

“She took this opportunity to go on a...date.” Christian chuckled while I cringed at his words. “Emmanuella on a date?”

“So you were a little rebel in school?” Christian asked me. “Yes, way different than I am now...I used to beat up a new person every week.”

Back in high school I was angry with the world and used to have quite a temper. After college, I had turned it down a notch and lost the confidence I once had. “I can’t imagine,” Christian spoke.

“I can still do it, it’s just that the pregnancy is holding me back,” I warned him while he looked at me in surprise. “Who would you beat up, my mom?”

I rolled my eyes at his dumb remark.

“What were you studying?” He had changed the subject to one I had been trying to avoid. He could ask me anything, but the one thing which had hit me the most would be my failed career path.

“Dance.”

“Dance? So you wanted to be a dancer?” He continued asking, and there was no way out.

“Yes, a choreographer or a backup dancer, maybe even open my own dance studio...but things don’t always go as expected.” I sighed as he nodded his head and took in my words. “You’re right, I agree with that.”

“What did you want to be when you were younger?” I asked him. It seemed as if he was speaking from experience.

“I did not really have that much of a choice so I never really thought about it.” He spoke with a smile on his face. Of course, he hadn’t, his future had been planned out for him for ages.

“What’s your connection to that necklace around your neck, how does it remind you of your childhood?” He asked, referring to the butterfly necklace around my neck. The butterfly Emilio had given me.

“My parents left me a butterfly necklace as a baby but when I got older I lost it,” I explained. “Your family friend’s gift...it was thoughtful. I would like to thank them personally.”

“Maybe one day, they’re busy people,” Christian told me. Of course, they were busy, they all were. “Do you miss them?”

Who?”

“Your uh...birth parents,” Christian spoke, unsure of how to address the situation. No one had ever asked me if I missed them and that gave me enough time to convince myself that I didn’t need them, but I was a jealous person and often felt the impact. “I don’t know them.”

“Right, I guess that makes it better.” He spoke in relief.

“No, it doesn’t. I have never admitted it but I miss them a lot.”

“I got used to growing up without parents, but it was difficult. I’ve never had the guts to look for them but I have so many questions.” I opened up for the first time. There was still so much I wanted to know.

“What kind of questions?” Christian wondered. “Just...I don’t know.”

“Why they left me if I was not good enough if they regretted their decision if they think about me the same way I think about them-“ I finally cracked at the last part, and tried to hide the tears which were threatening to spill from my eyes.

“Serena...” Christian sighed and stood up to pull me into a tight hug. “Come here.” He whispered and pulled me closer while I cried in his arms. It was difficult to not fall for him when he made me feel safe.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered and caressed my hair. “It isn’t your fault.” I wiped my tears. He had no reason to feel guilty, it was not like he could bring me to my parents.

“I’m so sorry.” He repeated. He held me close until I was finished crying and gave me enough time to calm down. “I usually don’t cry this easily,” I told him and avoided his gaze.

“Let’s go back.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. “So when will I see you cry?”

“Never.” He immediately spoke, barely letting me finish my sentence. “How about when the baby is born?” I giggled but he once again shook his head.

“We’ll see about that,” I told him as he rolled his eyes at me.

“Wait.” He stopped me before I could walk in. My eyes went to Johnny and Luna who were in the middle of a makeout session.

“They don’t match at all.” I sighed, thinking about Luna’s strong and outspoken personality while Johnny was a polite gentleman who did not wear anything other than suits. “But I can’t blame him, she’s beautiful.”

“So are you.” Christian suddenly spoke. I turned around and looked at him in shock. “What?”

“You heard me. I said so are you, you’re beautiful.” He repeated himself and squeezed my cheeks before he walked past me as he left me with a blush on my face.

Don’t tell me not to fall for you when you do stuff like this.