Chapter 7

Zara’s POV

I opened my eyes this morning feeling light, and ready to start a fresh start. Today is my first day at my new campus in Italy.

The clock on the wall shows that it’s still early in the morning, but it’s a perfect time for me to do my routine.

I rolled out of bed, and went about my routine, taking my time. I’m not rushing, doing a little girl therapy as I get dressed. I played soft music and did my skin care routine.

After I finished dressing up, I headed downstairs to the kitchen to make my morning hot chocolate drink and have breakfast. But the sight in front of me made me stop on track.

Matteo sat at the dining table, already dressed in a tailored black suit, crisp and sharp, like he’d stepped straight out of a boardroom. His hair was slightly damp, slicked back neatly like a typical billionaire CEO.

He looked devastating attractive.

For a split second, I wondered if he had sensed my presence, so I turned and walked away. I don’t want to be in the same space as him right now.

Just as I turned to leave, his voice made me stop in my tracks. Again.

“Sit and eat.” His tone was emotionless in a dismissive way.

I flinched, he didn’t look at me, still focused on checking his phone. My feet moved before my mind caught up, and I found myself sliding into the chair beside him, hands folding tightly in my lap.

A plate was already set on the table; I picked up my fork.

I barely tasted anything, every bite felt mechanical; my ears perked at the sound of even the slightest move of his cutlery. The tensed silence that hangs in the air, and the unbearable effort it took not to look at him.

I was having an inward battle, fighting not letting the memories flood my head.

I kept my gaze on my plate, afraid that if I met his eyes, something fragile inside me would shatter. I didn’t want to have any small talk, but the silence was deafening.

Halfway through, he stood startling me. The chair scraped softly against the floor.

“The driver will take you to your college,” he said, already reaching for his briefcase. “He’ll wait and bring you back.”

That was it; he walked out without waiting for my response. I sighed and relieved. I forced myself to finish eating after a while, my appetite was gone but my resolve is still intact.

“This change nothing.” I told myself.

I picked up my shoulder back, holding a few books that I’d be needing and went outside; the driver was already waiting. As the car pulled away from the mansion, I pressed my forehead against the window and exhaled.

It’s my first day in another school and I don’t know what it might hold for, I had barely soaked in the warmth of the car when we pulled to a stop.

“Miss... we have arrived,” the driver said softly.

I clutched my bag exhaling softly as the door of the car was opened, I highlighted from the vehicle, and the sight of my new school was like a page torn out from a romantic novel.

As I walked through the college hall to look for the admin office, the building loomed with a quiet aura, its pale stone walls that draped in thick emerald vines that climbed like it had belonged here for centuries.

Finding the admin office was like finding a needle in a haystack, I walked to a group of girls with an awkward smile on my face, “excuse me...” they all turned to face me, but one of them, her faces quickly dropped to a weird frown.

“Umm... please can you direct me to the admin’s office?” I asked with a sheepish smile on my face.

“Just go down by the left, you can’t miss it,” one of them replied with a graceful smile, her teeth flashed white.

“Thank you...”

I turned to leave but my ears perked up the minute one of them dragged the nice girl by her hand, “per prima cosa, perche hai aiutato l’americano?”

“Lei ha solo chiesto indicazioni...”

Now I wished I took those Italian classes seriously, I followed the girl’s direction and found the admin office, but something bothered me more than the girls’ conversation, it was the fact that they were wearing uniforms, it looked classy but why the hell are college students wearing uniforms?

I let out a weary sigh, “rich people are weird,” I knocked softly at the admin office when I heard soft Italian words, I didn’t know if I should go in or not, I was about entering when the door opened and slightly hit me.

“Oh, I apologize,” the person who hit me bowed awkwardly and apologized, “I didn’t notice someone was there,” her voice was calm but filled with remorse.

“It’s fine...is this admin officer around?”

“Yes, she is,” and with that she left.

I walked into the admin office and met a woman probably in her mid-50s, carrying herself itself with quiet confidence of someone raised in comfort rather than chasing it.

“Good day ma, I am...”

“Zara James...the new exchange student I presume,” she said calmly, not raising her eyes from the tabloid she was scrolling on.

“Yes ma,” I handed over my documents to her, but she barely even looked at it when she opened her drawer and handed me some files.

“That contains everything you need for school,” she finally raised her head to get a proper look at me, her silver-streaked hair that was styled with effortless precision and her glasses that was endowed with pearls.

“And your uniform, make sure to get it from my secretary, I hope you enjoy your stay at the university,” she had a calm smile on her face, I nodded gently and turned to leave when I bumped into the same lady who had mistakenly nudged me earlier.

“Umm... I presume you are her secretary,” I said calmly.

She nodded gently and showed me where to get my uniform; I changed quickly and locked my stuff in the locker that I was given.

As I walked through the halls, I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching me constantly, but I shook off the feeling. This was a fresh start for me away from the mafia life and away from Mateo.