~Kai~I watched Benny skimming her fingers through the edge of the quartz countertop, taking in the minimalist design of the kitchen.We just finished the house tour. Annabelle, the agent, allowed us some alone time to get a feel of the house. This was the third on our list, and for me, this townhouse best suited my ideal home.The two-story townhouse is a twenty minute drive away from the city. It had a terrace slash garden, and since it was spring, the flowers were already blooming. The living room has a fireplace, an idea of cozy winter nights with Benny while we drink wine and cuddle in front of the fire, her feminine scent mingling with the burning wood slithered in front of my thoughts. It opens to a dining terrace connected to the kitchen where we are right now. I pictured us making breakfast, flirting, making out on this very island, and in the evening, I’d make dinner for Benny before she came home from work. There is a basement we could turn into a game room and home cinema.

~Benny~Rylee and Markus acted as if they knew nothing about why I appeared in the mansion’s doorway in the middle of the night, with puffy eyes and a wreck, no less. They acted casually around me, and so did Ro and Hunter, who’d been assigned by Klaus to watch over his family.Klaus was a security freak. This place was a fortress, but I got it. They doubled the security for everyone after Melanie.It had been a week since I arrived in Sicily. Kai’s voicemails and messages remained unopened on my phone. Apart from having no heart to listen to his voice or read his messages, I was too ashamed of what I’d done... for running away. I’m so fucked up in the head.Coward, that’s what I am. A big fucking coward.I’d been restless, unable to sleep, moving on autopilot but feeling empty inside. I mapped the trails around the estate morning and afternoon. At midday, I helped around the house, doing chores. Jimmy, the butler, scolded me twice, then gave up telling me not to do house chores. And

Oh, I forgot to add this in the previous chapter. I will be joining an outreach program tomorrow, so my next update will be on the 27th, GMT+8.If my calculation is correct, there are only 8 chapters left in this book, 10 tops. And again, I will never tire of saying thank you for your comments, gems and reviews. This had been a bumpy journey, but here we are. I hope you’ll have a nice weekend with your families and loved ones.2.25.23x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

~Benny~This year, Markus decided to celebrate his birthday. It was a surprise since he shied away from huge gatherings, always sending Klaus in his stead. And for the last two years, he was content with family dinners, a simple celebration to mark his age.Soft jazz music spills through the hallway of the Amara Hotel in Ragusa, a hotel named after Klaus’ mother. Black and gold streamers and balloons adorned the function halls. A huge ‘happy 68th birthday’ was written on the stage across the entry. Guests in thousand-dollar suits and signature gowns huddle at each table covered with linens matching the gold and black theme.I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. This was my first event as Berenice Martinelli. It was inevitable that I’d be introduced as a Martinelli among my family’s friends and associates. Knowing that doesn’t take away the uneasiness and overwhelming balloon swelling in my chest, though.I was dressed right for the occasion. Rylee helped me pick this black spaghet

~Benny~“He asked me out on a date!”Without even a hello, I dropped breathlessly into the couch of Tracy’s office.She smiled at me, her inquisitive brown eyes roaming over my face. From the floor-to-ceiling glass window where she stood, her heels tapped against the sandstone floor as she strutted towards the couch opposing mine.Tracy was in her late thirties, her doll-like face made her look younger than her age. “Did you say yes?” she asked encouragingly.I sank further into the couch, tipping my head back onto the backrest. “I haven’t given him an answer.”It had been a week since Markus’ birthday. Since then, Kai and I have been talking every night, shooting messages back and forth during the day. Our late-night conversation had been the most anticipated part of my day. I waited for his messages and calls like a love-sick puppy.“Is something holding you back?” A slight frown creased Tracy’s forehead. “You’ve been waiting for him to ask you out.”Sitting up straight, I mulled ov