Chapter 4 CH-4

GIA'S POV

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I let out a long, sleepy yawn while staring at the stack of photographs resting in my hands. The pile felt endless, each glossy picture representing yet another "perfect" man chosen carefully from different packs around the world.

Handsome faces.

Perfect physiques.

Charming smiles.

Every single one of them looked like someone women would easily fall for.

But strangely... my eyes refused to linger on any of them.

With little interest, I kept flipping through the photos one after another, the glossy paper sliding between my fingers as if they meant nothing at all. My eyelids felt heavy, and another tired yawn escaped my lips. My eyes watered slightly from the exhaustion that still clung to my body.

I had returned from my world tour only last night, and the fatigue of traveling from one city to another had finally caught up with me.

All I wanted right now was sleep.

Deep, peaceful sleep.

"Just a few more..." I muttered softly to myself as I hurried through the remaining photographs.

The faces blurred together.

None of them stirred anything inside my heart.

Speeding up, I tossed most of the pictures aside carelessly and walked toward my favorite place in the world-my large, comfy, fluffy bed. The soft mattress practically called out to my tired body.

Without hesitation, I jumped onto it, landing on my stomach as the mattress dipped slightly under my weight.

A soft sigh escaped my lips as I hugged the pillow beneath me. In my hand, I still held a few remaining photographs of these so-called heartthrobs that my father had carefully selected for me.

My eyes lazily skimmed through them.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then suddenly-

My hand froze.

My eyes had already moved to the next picture when something inside me stirred, making me pause. A strange feeling tugged at my chest, forcing me to go back.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, I reached out and picked up the picture I had just skipped.

I placed the others aside and brought the photograph closer to my face.

For a moment... everything around me felt still.

It felt like he was staring directly into my soul.

My breath caught in my throat.

A strange sensation washed over me, as if someone had suddenly reached into my chest and stolen the air from my lungs.

There was nothing extraordinary about the picture itself. No dramatic pose. No forced smile.

But his eyes...

Those eyes held something I had never seen before.

They carried a depth of emotions that words could never explain.

Longing.

Loneliness.

Pain.

And something else... something I could not quite name.

They looked like the eyes of someone who had seen too much of the world but had never spoken about it.

My fingers tightened slightly around the photograph.

Why was I feeling this?

Why did this stranger's eyes make my heart react this way?

I had seen countless men throughout my life-handsome Alphas, charming princes, powerful warriors.

Many had approached me.

Many had tried to win my attention.

But none of them had ever managed to make my heart react the way this simple photograph just did.

Not once.

I have never entered a relationship before.

Not because I disliked the idea of love... but because I had never truly felt connected to anyone.

Something had always been missing.

But today...

Today something felt different.

For the very first time, my heart whispered a possibility.

Maybe... just maybe... it had found the person those longing eyes were searching for.

"If he is meant for me," I murmured softly, tracing the edge of the photograph with my finger, "then God will guide me to him."

And strangely enough...

I believed it.

A small smirk slowly formed on my lips as I continued staring at his handsome face.

"Will you be my man?" I whispered playfully.

The one I want to touch.

The one whose touch I want to feel.

The one whose eyes I want to understand.

Without another thought, I tossed the remaining pictures onto my side table.

They no longer mattered.

Only one picture remained in my hand.

His.

Leaning back against the headboard, I rested my head on the pillow behind me while continuing to gaze at his face.

My eyes slowly began to grow heavier.

The exhaustion I had been fighting all morning finally began to win.

I do not even remember when my eyes closed.

The last thing I remember seeing...

Was his face.

And then I drifted quietly into dreamland.

________________________________________

"Gia."

A distant voice slowly reached my ears through the fog of sleep.

I stirred slightly under my blanket.

"Gia, sweetheart."

My father's gentle voice pulled me further out of my dream.

"Papa..." I mumbled drowsily, my voice barely audible. "Let me sleep a little longer."

A soft chuckle escaped him.

"Darling, look at the time. It is already two in the afternoon."

His warm hand gently stroked my hair, a familiar gesture that had comforted me since childhood.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was my father's loving gaze.

"Good morning," I said lazily, smiling at him.

My father.

Otello Bianchi.

The Alpha of our pack.

Our pack is known as one of the strongest in the world, and my father is respected not only as a powerful leader but also as one of the kindest Alphas anyone could ever meet.

And me?

I am Gia Bianchi.

His daughter.

His entire world.

"Do not look at me like that," I said softly when I noticed the faint sadness hiding behind his eyes.

I knew that look very well.

He must be thinking that I had rejected all the boys again.

But this time...

Things were different.

My father raised me single-handedly.

My mother passed away while giving birth to me, and since that day, it had always been just the two of us against the world.

My grandparents believed I was a bad omen for the family.

They blamed me for my mother's death.

But my father never once believed that.

To him, I was not a curse.

I was his miracle.

His blessing from heaven.

"You like him?" Papa suddenly asked.

His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he noticed the photograph lying on my bed.

I followed his gaze.

The same picture was still resting beside me.

I nodded slowly, a playful smirk appearing on my lips.

"Now would you like to tell me who he is?" I asked, leaning comfortably against the headboard.

My father glanced at the photograph again before answering.

"He is Vincenzo Accardi," he said calmly. "Brother of King Lorenzo Accardi."

I nodded thoughtfully.

But then I noticed his smile fading slightly.

Lorenzo Accardi was not a stranger to our world.

He was the Alpha of the Red Moon pack and one of the most respected leaders across the werewolf world.

Everyone admired him.

Being part of royal bloodlines, I had met him a few times during gatherings and ceremonies.

We were not close, but I knew enough to understand that their family valued privacy more than anything.

My father was a werewolf.

But my mother had been human.

Which meant...

I was human too.

At least mostly.

I had inherited a few werewolf traits, but when I failed to shift on my eighteenth birthday, it confirmed what everyone had already suspected.

I would never have a wolf.

I remember seeing the brief disappointment in my father's eyes that day.

But it lasted only a moment.

Soon after, he hugged me and told me he was relieved.

Relieved that I could live a peaceful human life away from pack politics.

My father always found light in every situation.

He was the most positive person I had ever known.

"What?" I asked when I noticed his serious expression.

"Sweetheart," he said gently, "there is something you should know before we proceed with this alliance."

I nodded for him to continue.

"He is Lorenzo's brother... but not from the same mother."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"He is his stepbrother."

I remained silent, waiting.

"He lives in Frankfurt," Papa explained. "And he does not like royal life at all."

His voice softened slightly.

"And... he did not have an easy childhood."

Something tightened inside my chest.

"We do not know the entire story," my father continued. "Their family protects their privacy very carefully. But from what little we know... it was not easy for him."

Hearing that made my heart ache unexpectedly.

What had he gone through?

Why did life treat him that way?

"Lorenzo and Vincenzo share a good relationship," Papa added thoughtfully. "At least... I believe they do."

"But Papa," I said gently, "why does that matter? I am marrying him, not anyone else."

He smiled faintly.

"What I mean is," he explained, "most girls dream of marrying an Alpha or a prince... living a royal life filled with luxury and power."

He looked at me warmly.

"I have never forced you into anything, Gia. I just want you to think carefully."

And in that moment...

I understood him.

This man sitting in front of me had given his entire life for me.

He had been both my mother and my father.

There were moments when I needed a mother.

Like the day I got my first period.

I had run to him in panic, thinking something was terribly wrong.

But he had not panicked.

Instead, he sat beside me calmly and explained everything with patience and care.

He even taught me how to use sanitary pads.

He had done everything for me.

Everything.

I might not be fully ready for marriage yet...

But I knew one thing for sure.

It was my father's dream to see me settled.

And I would do anything to make him smile.

"Papa," I said softly, meeting his eyes, "you know me. I never cared about royal life."

He listened quietly.

"I have always fulfilled my responsibilities, but if I ever get the chance... I would prefer a peaceful life away from all the politics."

I glanced down at the photograph again.

"I want to meet him."

A warm smile slowly spread across my father's face.

"I like him very much," Papa admitted. "He is hardworking and respected. He built his own reputation."

His eyes softened.

"I would be proud to see you two married."

"Then arrange the meeting," I said with a grin before he could continue giving a long lecture.

He laughed softly and stood up.

"Freshen up and come downstairs," he said. "Let us have lunch together. Meanwhile, I will speak with the Alpha."

As he left the room, I leaned back against the pillow and picked up the photograph again.

My eyes slowly traced his face.

"Let's see, Vincenzo Accardi..."

A small smile curved my lips.

"What destiny has planned for us."

**