RAPHAEL’S VIEW POINT Waking up with Giovanna in my arms never felt different, yet the sensation never got old. Her body was always pressed against mine and our hearts would always beat in the same rhythm. Her hair always smelled like heaven, and her expression was always peaceful. What made me want to happily scream into a pillow was that she was much more relaxed than when she slept without me. I liked noticing the difference and knowing that only I could provide utmost comfort for her. I observed everything about her. From what her frantic blinks meant, to her breathing when we were alone, to how she thought; even most of her next moves. I could predict Giovanna to-the-tee. I knew that she was going to wake up soon and ask if staring at her was that interesting. I loved being confident that I knew everything about her that she had to say. “Is staring at me that interesting?” She mumbled, her eyes still closed. I smiled, reaching to take her lips. She grinned into t

RAPHAEL’S VIEW POINT. The dinner went smoothly after that, with a drunken Stella maintaining a tension free environment. I had moved to sit beside Giovanna to hold her hand reassuringly when Hellene had started talking about her achievements and how much better they were than Giovanna’s. It was true that my fiancée wasn’t interested in business or expanding her brand- which she had created for personal purposes, but it didn’t make her a lesser woman than her sister. What made her amazing was that she could do all these things and more if she wanted to. So, it irked her to see her sister working so hard to bring her down. Plus, Giovanna was intelligent. She had sealed several deals for me without having to break a nervous sweat. She had simply listened to my conversations with clients and had completely won them over on meeting them for the first time. I was still baffled by how she was able to convince a whole cooperation that my attack from the Russian mafia had been a fail

RAPHAEL’S VIEW POINT Stella and I made small talk as we strolled through the streets of Rome. She seemed to know where was going so I followed blindly, my main objective being to get on her good side. I brought up conversations that had depth, even inquiring about her dancing. As I had speculated, she had been in the ballet. She told me that was how she had met Sergio. She and her sister had been in a performance and Sergio had picked interest in them. He had been charming enough to agree to have the sisters go out with him simultaneously. He was wealthy, and his family had a good reputation. They had been presented as a true Italian mafia, who only helped the people of their community and secured business deals around the world. He was highly respected and had known how to spend equal time with both of them. The sisters had danced still, developed their own ballet school and performance hall, hosting shows every month. Sergio had funded it all and supported them selflessly.

RAPHAEL’S VIEW POINT After my parents’ dramatic display, they had seated with Pietro to discuss my engagement. I had attempted to be a part of the conversation, but they were more interested in knowing if Giovanna was an angel or miracle worker. I sat in silence, watching them interrogate Pietro about Giovanna while my sisters finally went through my phone on discovering the password, which was Giovanna’s birthday. Pietro had told them innocently, not knowing their intentions. I loved my sisters but they could be handfuls. Now, they were squealing at messages and reading them out in harmony. “We’re sorry for asking all these questions. We just never thought Raphael would find love. He was always so… hard hearted.” My mother explained, making Pietro’s brows rise in surprise. He probably couldn’t imagine me, the man that would do anything for Giovanna, being hard hearted. Mostly because I wasn’t. I just hadn’t had romantic interests growing up. “It’s not a problem at all. I’m glad I g

GIOVANNA’S VIEW POINTI adored the relationship between members of this family. There wasn’t a sense of professionalism as there was with mine. They were homely and nice, not even bickering for fun. They minded one another’s feelings and were so familiar with themselves that they had inside jokes with each person that others didn’t know. Ralph and Annie had the most, as they laughed so much together, that they were often out of breath. I had never seen my fiancé so at ease before. I could tell by the way he acted that he was in a room full of the people he loved the most. It melted my heart to see him so happy. I wished we could stay like this forever. It was a stark contrast to how he was around members of my family. He always seemed put together and guarded, like he was with some of his business partners. I was sure it was because they had made a terrible first impression with my fiancé. My mother had been completely embarrassed by her sisters, my father had attempted to make him a