All Chapters of Be Careful With My Heart : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

(Pamela)..“You're everywhere,” Bonnie shrieks, shoving her phone in my face for the tenth time.I've already seen the headlines a thousand times that morning. And right next to it is the photo of Massimo and I kissing back at the restaurant, which had been the highlight of the evening.“Everybody's talking about it,” Bonnie continues. “I can't believe my best friend is the talk of the town. You're almost like a celebrity.”Celebrity seems like a long stretch. And the only reason people are talking is because I agreed to fake a relationship with Massimo in front of the cameras.“Oh, come off it, Bonnie. You know that's not true,” I counter.“Of course it's true. I checked your social media and your followers have tripled overnight. A lot of people are interested in you now.”Well, while that might be the case, it also didn't mean I wasn't getting a lot of hate either. I can recall seeing a post about Massimo and I and the comments had been ruthless. Every single person had thought

(Massimo)..MY COMPANY BUILDING is quiet when I walk in.My assistant, Theo, is already on his feet, following me down the hall leading to my office with a tablet in his hand."You have three meetings this morning, Sir. The board is still pushing for the Vegas deal. And your mother called again.”I grunt. “Tell her I’m busy.”“She also said to remind you that you should come back to Italy for the celebrations. Also, she wants to meet with Pamela. She doesn't like that you're keeping things from the family.”I pause for a second, then keep walking. “Noted.”Inside my office, the view of the city greets me like always. The tall buildings, the traffic below, the endless movements of potential clients and workers. There's no room for stillness or any form of quiet. It used to feel powerful. Now it just feels... empty.Theo rattles off the rest of my schedule."Also, Pamela’s card has been sent out. The driver will deliver it by 9pm this evening. Should I confirm when she gets it?"“No ne

(Pamela)..JUST AS I CHOP UP the veggies for dinner, my phone dings with a message from none other than Massimo.“Will It Be Okay If I Come Over To Your Place Tonight? We Need To Talk’At first, I was shocked at his text message and then a bit scared. Why did he want to come over? Did something happen?He’s never come over except for that one time he came over with his publicist. Finally, I type: YesHe replies shortly after: Expect Me Around 6I look at the time and a slight panic flows through me. I have approximately an hour before he arrives, and I am still in my bathing rope, having just showered moments earlier. I put the pot on the stove on low heat and then I dash to the bedroom to change into something more appropriate.I may or may not have touched up my face a little bit. But by the time I’m done and look in the mirror, I’m surprised at myself for trying to look pretty for Massimo of all people. I mean, how could I? I hated him! And yet, I wanted to look good when he arr

(Pamela)..THE PRIVATE JET SOARS across the sky and farway from New York CityI look out the window only to be greeted by the soft whirls of the clouds. I’m tempted to reach out to touch them but Erik is curled in my arms, sucking gently on his bottle while his tiny fingers tug at my shirt. This was my first time in a private airplane and I felt so jittery inside. Not only that, I was leaving NYC. And to Italy! Massimo is sitting opposite me, his legs outstretched in the little booth. He’s talking to someone on the phone, but it’s hard for me to make out what language he’s speaking. Spanish? Italian? French?Imagine my surprise when I found out that he wasn’t even American, but he’d been born and brought up in Italy. I’d been so caught up with things to actually do a proper Google research on him. After that night in the bathroom of my apartment, I’d taken out my phone and typed into the search bar; Massimo D’Amato.The sight that greeted me was shocking, to say the least. Images o

(Pamela)..I STAND AWKWARDLY, not knowing what to say or do next. Somehow, I manage to keep my smile from slipping, even though it's so obvious that Massimo’s mother doesn’t like me. Sofia, on the other hand, seems to be a bit warmer than her mother. She steps forward, her arms outstretched and before I can understand what’s happening, I’m already wrapped up in her arms. She smells of flowery fragrances that reminds me of a late spring morning.“It’s good to finally have you here,” Sofia says, pulling away just enough to study my face. Up close, she is so pretty, like genuinely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I might not like Massimo all that much, but I can’t deny the fact that good looks do run in the family. “We’ve all been curious to meet the woman who brought my almighty brother to his knees.”Even though she doesn’t say it, the rest of her words hang in the air: No one has ever, in the history of this family, tried to go up against Massimo, of all people. But you hav