Romane von love.always.13

________...”What do you mean?” Dominic asked his Mom. “What is there to think about for my future?” It was a Friday evening, and his mother had called him over to the Grant mansion citing something urgent to discuss. Melanie stared back at him with the same confusion etched on her face. “Everything, Dom. I know it has been really hard on you. It has been hard on all of us. But, it is time we all moved on.” Dominic nodded, trying to comprehend what his Mom was getting at. “I know you and your father had it the hardest.” She sighed. “Maybe that is why I have to take the first step.” He was at a loss again. “Mom, can you be more specific?” “Your divorce, son.” Dominic choked on his coffee. “Excuse me?” He had let all the differences and squabbles of the past months go in the face of the loss that their family faced. Not to forget how nice Melanie had been towards Nicola and their unborn child. But their arguments came rushing back at her words. “We all know you married Ni

_____...The only certainty in life is death. It is kind of ironic, but it must also be the one truth that is undisputed. It is also true that a person is valued most after their demise.But not Maverick Grant. He was a good man. And he was valued all his life, by everyone who took the trouble to get to know him.Maybe that was the cause for all the more heartbreak when he left the world.Benjamin Grant, the only son to the man, stood in front of the morgue with his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his face devoid of any emotion but the cords in his neck taut with his effort to stay strong. "Melanie, Benjamin." Nicola approached, her hand firmly fastened around her husband's bicep as she dragged his dead weight towards his family. Melanie had told Benjamin to not inform their son of the truth until he got there but he had gone and done it anyway. Dominic had held onto his emotions long enough to get the car safely parked and then he had just slumped in his seat. Nicola

Nicola stared at her screen, her face scrunched up, her head propped on her elbow, as she read through an article about first-time motherhood.Blair walked in with a fruit salad to find George on the other side of the Boss' desk, mirroring her expression and posture. "What's going on?" The PA asked as she placed the bowl in front of Nicola and sat down on the chair next to George."There is something very wrong with our Boss." George shrugged.Blair raised a brow and looked over at the woman in question, who was so engrossed in the article that she had not heard her graphic designer."What's wrong?" Blair asked, more to Nicola than to the dumbass."She went on a date with her husband and returned as a completely different person." George answered."Shut up." Nicola looked over at him.George pointed an accusing finger at her. "I knew you were simply ignoring me and Dominic Grant had not altered your brain chemistry."Nicola's eye twitched.Oh, how on earth was she supposed to

____..."I liked you. A decade ago, I liked you. A lot. You could say that I loved you."Nicola stared at him for a moment and took three steps back, her eyes wide. "Excuse me?"Dominic rubbed his palm over his face and turned to the waves, taking deep breaths."I know what you are thinking-""You are a pedo?"Dominic flinched and turned back to her, looking as if he had swallowed nails. "No, I am not. I had no... I did not have that kind of feelings. I had a crush on you, the platonic kind. You made my day. I loved spending time with you. I don't know how to explain it. I wished you were older. I wished you were the older sister. But I did not think of you... in that way. I did not think of, you know what I mean.""That is still inappropriate." Nicola took another step back.He made no move to close the distance this time."You think I don't know that? I wanted to get as far away from you as possible, because I felt like a freaking predator especially when I realized that you did

"Why are you doing this, Dominic Grant?""Because I love you, Nicola Montgomery.""Huh." Nicola took a step back.Dominic did not make any sudden movements. He knew that this could go wrong if he startled her, more than he believed he already did."I know this is sudden." He said but then tilted his head and added matter-of-factly, "Well, not that sudden but still...""Very sudden." Nicola said flatly. "Completely out of the blue. It has only been a month and a week since what happened at the party. Only a month and a week since you announced Natasha as your wife. Only a month and a week since you admitted that you would have rather married Natasha than me. A month and a week does not seem like enough time for you to completely replace the woman of your dreams with me. Which brings me to the conclusion that-""Hear me out before you come to any conclusions." He cut her off.For someone who loved to cut people off when she was miffed, Nicola did not like it one bit when she was

"Stop being dramatic." Nicola kicked George in his shin but the idiot refused to pull away. "George, you clingy ass, get off of her!" Blair rolled her eyes as she got the last of the paperwork for the day signed by the Boss while the graphic designer kept his arms around her like he had been for who knows how long. "You are so strong." He mumbled, rubbing her back. "It must have been tough sharing all that past sadness with someone as undeserving as your sister." Nicola sighed. "At the end of the day, she is my sister, George. I love her." "Just not as much as you love me." He nodded to himself as he hugged her tighter, making Blair and Nicola roll their eyes at each other before the PA decided it was time she came to her Boss' rescue and pulled him away by the ear. "George Campbell, you are probably the most dramatic person we have met in our lives!" Blair said. "Please, that crown goes to Boss." George scoffed, smacking away her hand and fixing his shirt. "How about din

"Your mother wants you back at the mansion for dinner." Sasha informed Natalia as the two of them stepped out into the afternoon sun."Am I invited?" Alessio asked."Mom does not invite outsiders to the mansion. Says it's her sacred space." Natalia recited the age-old excuse.Alessio wanted to snort. He wondered what a woman like Aria Wellington could hold sacred. She definitely did not hold the institution of marriage sacred. And it was starting to look like nor did she hold any importance for a relationship as pure and sacred as that of a mother and a child."Alright then." He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, looking up with a twinkle in his eyes. "I hope to see you very soon, Miss Natalia Wellington."Natalia bit her lips to suppress a smile as she rolled her eyes. "I am busy till next weekend." She said.He nodded. "Guess I am lucky I have work to keep me company till then." "Alessio Gretto is the ultimate charmer!" Sasha squealed that evening as she

"Who the hell is he?" Aria turned around to glare at her daughter as soon as Natalia closed the door behind her.Natalia rolled her eyes. "That's your future son-in-law, remember?""In those clothes?" Aria snarled, looking like she'd just chewed on a mouthful of sour grapes.Natalia shrugged, loving the distress the situation was causing her mother. "I don't know, Mom. I only followed your orders. I have no idea what is going on here either."Aria took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Fine. But you better get back in there and charm him like your life depends on it.""I thought you were here to charm him." Natalia rolled her eyes, gesturing to the ridiculous outfit her mother had on, an outfit that made her reluctant to call her mother."I've got a meeting with the mayor," Aria replied, her voice as cold as the champagne Natalia had been sipping on. "But I expect you to do your part."Natalia's eyes bulged out of her eyes. "You are going to meet the freaking mayor d

"Whoa, are we even allowed here?" Alessio looked around like a peasant who had never seen such grandeur.Natalia shrugged as she waved at the receptionist. "You wouldn't be allowed if you came in alone looking like that. But that's alright since I am here with you.""I never understood why people cared so much about appearance." Alessio tried to bait her. "Isn't what's on the inside that counts, right?"She turned to face him, gave him a long look and then sighed. "Now that doesn't work in the world where we live, does it? I have reserved a private room. Let's go."Alessio nodded and followed her to the second floor where an attendant opened the double doors to a grand minimalist private dining room with a seating capacity for six."Why all the grandeur?" Alessio asked. "We could have eaten down at the restaurant.""It's not about grandeur. It's just a matter of privacy." Natalia shrugged as she sat down and picked up the glass of champagne waiting for her.Alessio nodded and

"Oh my god, he is freaking Italian?" Andria screamed from the other side of the phone. "So does he have a sexy accent?"Natalia rolled her eyes. Give it to her hopeless romantic of a friend to completely miss everything else she had said and only fixate on what she wanted to hear."I don't know, Andria." She said as she looked over at the arrival section of the airport. "I have not met or talked to him yet.""And yet, you are expected to pick him up from the airport?""Now you are catching on." Natalia rolled her eyes again."Your mom is playing you, Natalia!" Andria's voice was filled with drama, "You are going to get all sweaty and nervous, and he's going to be some kind of Adonis that makes your knees wobble.""Whose best friend are you again?" Natalia huffed.She did not even know why she was waiting there. The man was coming from Italy. If he was as rich as her mother made him out to be, then he should have a private jet and a chauffeur waiting at the tarmac. What the he

"Get married?" Natalia gawked at her bored mother. "Why would you bring marriage up all of a sudden?"Her mother, Aria, sipped her wine, an amused smirk playing on her lips. "It's not just any marriage, Natalia. It's an opportunity for our family to ally with the most powerful and dangerous family in the city. - The Grettos.""Exactly, mother. Don't you hear the keyword? 'Dangerous'. They could be the freaking mafia, for all we know. How can you promise them your only child in marriage? Are you nuts, woman?" Natalia screamed at her mother."Nuts? Perhaps. But it's a calculated risk, Natalia. Think about it," Aria's eyes glinted with the shrewdness of a seasoned poker player, "The Grettos are more than just a crime family. They're a dynasty. And their son, Alessio, is... well, he's quite the catch."Natalia rolled her eyes. Her mother was indeed nuts if she even for a moment thought that Natalia would agree to this shit show."Look at me, Mom," Natalia said, her voice as cold