Ursula woke up feeling determined. She was not just hell-bent on successfully executing her plans but also doing it with little or no resistance. So she prayed. She prayed that Maria would wake up in a good mood. That she would not resist when it was time to carry out these plans, which she believed with her whole heart was necessary for the battle ahead.She ended her prayer with a promise to donate a mouth-watering amount to the church if her prayers were answered. Finally, she was done. She stood up from the bed and proceeded to the large mirror in her room. There was no doubting Maria's generosity as a host. She had given Ursula the go-ahead to design the room to her taste and trusted Ursula not to fail.She chuckled at the worried expression that stared back at her. Growing up, people would whisper about the German princess with spineless blood. She was not as strong as everyone else, and neither was she interested in the things they liked.She was the awkward, shy nerd with an

Maria's POVMy eyes landed on Vincenzo, and my heart skipped a beat. He was a thousand times better looking than any image my treacherous mind conjured. Not only did he tower above every other person in the room, but his body build was also something hard to miss. His aura screamed, proud and cocky.I watched him stare at me in shock as he whispered my name. Good, this was precisely the spot I needed him to be. I needed to have the advantage of appearing nonchalant. I noticed conversations had resumed in the crowd shortly after the silence of awe that followed my appearance.However, it wasn't difficult to conclude that I was the center of said conversations. My eyes traveled from Vincenzo to the guy standing next to him. He was unnerved while taking shots after shots. He was the only person immune to my entrance.'Matteo!' Sidekick to the mighty Vincenzo. Aside from the fact I had looked him up, seeing him in person confirmed my research. He was a ride or die to Vincenzo. He looked

Maria's POVFor the first time in a very long time, I slept peacefully. I didn't wake up before or by the sound of my alarm. I dreamt, but it wasn't a nightmare. It was about an alternate universe where I was thrilled. My family was alive and healthy, and I was in love. I woke up every day with cuddles, kisses, and breakfast.It was beautiful and peaceful. The face of the man that made all these possible was unclear, but his scent stuck even after I awoke. He smelled of hope and serenity mixed with fire and wicked passion.I couldn't recall where I perceived that smell before. It didn't need to, though. I was just glad I had that dream. I got up from my bed and checked the time, ten o'clock.I had slept. I proceeded to the bathroom to brush and take a bath. My mind kept on trying to make me remember something. I fought back, trying to enjoy this peace. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this peaceful, and I don't know why. I raised my head and caught my reflection in the mirror.

Matteo couldn't believe his eyes when he turned around. When Vincenzo had ordered him to pursue and seduce a German princess and best friend of Maria's called Ursula, he had imagined some plain Jane who had nothing exciting going on in her life, so decided to follow her best friend to another country.When he had entered the boutique and sighted her from afar, his thoughts changed a little as he watched her change from one dress to the other. But seeing her up close and personal now, she took his breath away. She was stunning."I did not ask you to pay for my dress," Ursula said, finally finding her speech again.In an alternate universe where nothing was a threat to Maria's life, and everything was all good and friendly, she would have ditched the sweet Zia and taken the chance of a one-night stand with this stranger.Yes, he was that sexy. She felt like all Italian men were made on the Lord's favorite day. However, she lived in a real world where a stranger stalking and paying for h

MARIA'S POV"You could maybe repaint the walls since you're looking for a total renovation," Ursula said. We were currently drawing plans to renovate my father's home office. I couldn't bring myself to do it all this time till now. Every time I thought of renovating it, I broke down in tears. Coming back to Italy was like opening afresh an injury that was in the process of healing. It was a month already, and things were still a bit shaky. I finally gathered enough courage to do it. I was going to make it to my office now. However, I wouldn't rid it of my parent's presence.It was only a matter of time before I began to think of ways to revive the legacy that is my father's company. If there's anything I am grateful for the duchess for, it is the way she drilled business sense in me. She managed to maneuver over five companies, and they were all successful.I'm not trying to brag, but I've preserved her legacy. I was going to do the same for my parents."I was thinking black," I sa