Ivyrose's POV Daddy told his secretary to assign a lot of bodyguards around the four of us for the rest of the week to keep the press and paparazzi away. I told him I wanted Chris and mine to be invisible and he agreed. Christopher and dad put so much on my plate once we sat down to eat breakfast and my mom just laughed at them. For the first time in my life after what happened in the past, I finally felt truly happy again. Everything was finally perfect. I held Christopher's hand and squeezed it. He smiled back at me before putting a spoon full of chocolate pudding in his mouth. "It always amuses me how you're such a sweet tooth, Chris." my mom said and we chuckled. He smiled sweetly at me and swallowed before speaking. "I believe that's the orphan in me. When we were kids we didn't get any deserts. We only ate sweets on Christmas day if some people donated cakes and stuff." "Awww that's so sad. Rex we have to do something about this. How many orphanages are here in New York?"

Ivyrose’s POVI couldn’t take it. I rudely ran out of Doctor Keller’s clinic, leaving Christopher who I thought would follow me. I stopped right outside and leaned on the door. My chest hurt so much I winced and hit it with my fist, forcing it to stop constricting. The doctor’s secretary ran toward me and handed me a tissue. I told her to tell Chris I wanted to be alone for now and she went in. Not enough blood was flowing to my brain, making me dizzy as I ran past my bodyguard who tried to sit inconspicuously at the waiting area. He stood up and followed me. I stopped running when I reached the elevator and when I got to the lobby, I saw the hospital’s huge gift shop and had an idea; I was going to go away for a week. I was going to escape reality and just relax. My bodyguard, who took the stairs and had caught up with me, was about to follow me inside the shop so I told him to wait right outside. I chose the first sunglasses I could get my shaking hands on. It was a good thing the

Ivyrose’s POVI took a bite of my steak au poivre and remembered how much I love French food. Ricardo kept staring at me while he waited for his order while Hailey’s eyes were fixed on him as she chewed her food. My mind was going crazy. I didn’t understand why I wanted him to be with us. All I knew was that he felt familiar to me and I felt comfortable with him for some reason after telling him about Amadeus’ death. Then I thought of what Christopher would think if he saw me eating lunch with another man when I told him I wanted to be alone and I felt sick with guilt. He’s not Garreth. He’s not supposed to be familiar. Ask him to leave. Tell him you’re uncomfortable with him staring at you. I kept repeating these words in my mind but the truth was, I felt some strange pull towards him and I loved the way he was staring at me. The waiter finally brought him his lunch and the three of us ate in silence until Hailey finished first and started entertaining us with her expectations of Par

Ivyrose’s POV "This is heavenly." I said through a mouthful of pizza. Ricardo chuckled before taking a big bite of his first slice. "I know," he said, chewing loudly, making me laugh. "Remember this place when you and Christopher come back here." "Definitely." I said, feeling guilty because halfway across the world my fiance had no idea where I was or who I was with yet here I was enjoying another man’s company. I took a long sip of my iced tea. “Can I ask you something?” “Shoot.” Ricardo said, taking another bite. “I…Uhm…Can you please not mention Christopher or my dad or anything about New York anymore?” “Can I ask why?” “No.” “Hmm, okay then. I promise.” “Thanks.” I said, smiling at him, glad he didn’t insist on knowing my reasons. We ate in silence for a moment before I decided to talk first. “So how many boxes of this pizza can you eat all on your own. Be honest. Be honest.” Ricardo laughed and shrugged before answering. “The most was… I think five boxes. But don’

Milan, Italy Ricardo’s POV I looked into the man’s eyes. His dilated pupils told me he was afraid despite the words he was shouting— “Fuck you, Ricardo! I’m not afraid to die! My brother will avenge me. He will blow your brains out, you filthy—.” I would never know what kind of filth I was because the man’s mouth blew up in his face the moment I pulled the trigger of my .357 Magnum, the adrenaline rush from taking someone worthless asholes life making me feel alive. Seb, my right hand man wiped the splattered blood on his cheek. “Clean this up and make sure to burn every inch of him.” he said to the four men who stood behind us. “Yes, boss.” They chorused. I looked at Seb and chuckled. “I still think this is a mistake Ricardo. You’re just asking for war.” Seb said. I scoffed at him and walked out of the mansion’s murder room, Seb right behind me. “But you love wars, Seb. Didn’t you say the other day you miss killing your enemies? And called me a lovesick lunatic for going to