Heirs Of Passion

SABINA, 5 YEARS OLD, TESTACCIO.

I wanted to cry again but I knew how Matertera didn't like that. I miss mamma and pappa. I haven't seen them since a few nights ago. After I yelled and told mamma I hated Matertera's house. Her house always made me feel like I was being held in place by something and I didn't like it.

Mamma didn't like it either but she told me to be a good girl and they'd be back to get me in less than two days. But it's been ten days. And Matertera has been mean to me. She doesn't call me to eat and by the fourth night of going to bed hungry, I figured she wasn't going to bother calling at all like mamma did.

On day eleven, there were at least a hundred people in her house. It made the place feel smaller than it already was. I was told to stay in the little room matertera had put me in. But then after I had counted to one hundred like she'd told me to, I went downstairs. That was when I saw the people. There were so many, I couldn't count them with my fingers. The chairs and tables-mamma had taught me they were called furniture, fur-nih-ture-were pushed against the walls in the house and the people were all dressed in black and white.

Mamma had once shown me a picture of her mamma's funeral where everyone was dressed just the same. It made me want to go back upstairs but I know matertera wouldn't be happy if she didn't see me soon.

So I walk as fast as I can when I spot her in the kitchen, hoping I find a way I can help her so she wouldn't get angry at me for being inutilis et ignavus like she always said. I shake my head as if that would make the thought go away but I try because I know mamma and pappa will be here soon to take me home and mamma had made me promise to be a good girl. |Useless and lazy.|

"Puer inutilis! Veni huc." Matertera calls from her seat in the kitchen, causing me to flinch at the tone she used, as she wildly gestures with her hands to me. Mamma never spoke to me like that. |Useless child! Come here.|

The people I pass by in hurried steps look at me, making me uncomfortable. Adult stuff has never been something I liked, especially when my tummy starts feeling funny like it is right now.

When I make it to her, she drags me by my arm turning me to face an old man that was already bending over by how old I'm sure he is.

"She's the one, pappa." Matertera says, her voice low as she pushes me over to the man who had his hands at his back, refusing to catch me as I fall to the ground.

I was wearing a black dress so I knew the dirt wouldn't show but I knew if mamma saw me like this she'd be angry, so I begin to stand, to dust myself but a leg kicks me back down, the leg putting too much weight on my back so I can't stand again. From the black polished shoes in front of my face, I know it's the man.

"What is your name?" A weird male voice asks me. I can't remember what that book called this one. Ra-something, if mamma was here, she'd tell me.

She knew everything.

Extra pressure in my back makes me let out a pained cry for the first time this week. I had made sure not to say a word because matertera had said my voice was unpleasant to her.

"Speak, child." The voice calls again.

"Sabina." I gasp out, my back was starting to hurt.

A sound came from him that let me know he was pleased. I know for sure, he's happy with me when I feel the weight lift and I can slowly get up.

I look at matertera when I'm on my feet again and I see she's looking at someone else, talking with them. "Thank you. We weren't expecting things to have turned out this way."

"I understand. Death has never been planned, Claudia." A woman said, her voice sounded kind but the way she looked at me made me feel like she wasn't

"Let's hope it isn't, Flavia." Matertera said, throwing a look at me that said she was thinking something else.

"Her parents didn't deserve that kind of death, Claudia. Whatever else it is you want to do, we'll be here to take care of it before she tries again." The woman whispered but it was still very loud. She didn't know how to whisper, mamma had taught me. But it wasn't me they were talking about, right?

Matertera nods as she stands. "I don't suppose you can stay overnight, no?"

"No, that's right. We won't be able to. We'll be here tomorrow." The woman smiles this time, her smile reminding me of the witch from Snow White, making me suddenly feel cold. I did not like her at all.

It takes only a moment for matertera to stand up to take the woman and the old man to the door. A few more people follow them out and I realize there weren't that many people here after all.

It doesn't take long for the house to become empty, leaving me alone in the dark. Someone must have turned off the light forgetting I was still inside and I feel another squeeze in my chest. I'm scared. I miss pappa. He would fight all the monsters in the dark and keep me safe.

Where are they? They've never been this late when they made a promise.

I try to shake the fear, mamma would've been sad if she found out I was scared. She never liked that.

I make my way out the back door in the kitchen. There's a small pathway through the bushes that leads to a bridge that has become a place for me to get air away from matertera's house. I always felt like I couldn't breathe there.

My walk to the bridge is slow, the thoughts that come into my mind makes me feel as though I'm an old woman instead of an almost six-year old. Mamma always used to say I was too smart for my age. I could articulate better than other almost six-year olds, that's what she said but I still didn't know what articulate means. But it's pronounced as ar-ti-cyu-laite. Mamma said it was easier to know a word if you knew how to pronounce it well first.

When I finally hear the sound of the flowing stream as I get closer to the bridge, I let out the breath I was holding in.

I allow the sounds of the stream to take away the feeling of fear that I might never see mamma and pappa again.

As I get to the spot that has become a familiar space to me in the past few weeks and sit. It's at the highest point of the bridge, overlooking the stream with my legs dangling off the side, in between the support beams.

I feel fifty years old instead of five years, ten months and three days old. Mamma would've just told me everything was in my head because everything was fine. But with the way matertera had spoken about me earlier made me feel like there was definitely something.

That thought makes me remember the day I overheard matertera on the phone with someone. She had been crying like a baby. She said she did it-over and over again-and I felt shivers, wanting to cry from the fear I felt then too but I bit my lips and held my breath so I wouldn't.

There's some shuffling by my right and I become frozen like a popsicle. Afraid that whoever's sitting beside me would get offended if I made the slightest movement. I even hold my breath until I see little blue sneakers on a kid's feet settle beside mine. It's a kid.

It's a kid! With that thought, I turn to look at the boy beside me in excitement.

"Hey! I'm Sabina!" I say, my voice loud because of how excited I am. It's been forever since I got to talk to kids around my age.

The boy looks confused for a moment before a grin mirroring mine takes up half his chubby face. "Sabina's such a cute name. My mamma said cute girls have the cutest names."

"Am I cute?" I ask, my smile coming down in confusion.

He nods excitedly, swinging his legs. We just smile at each other for a moment before he frowns once again in confusion. "Why're you here alone at night?"

I sigh, my smile dropping too. "I think I'm old."

He giggles at that and I smile a little too. "Old? How old are you?"

"I'm five years," Counting them off on my fingers like I always did with mamma. " Ten months and three days old. I'm almost six."

He just stares at me for a second before bursting out in giggles. Giggles that made me giggle too.

"How old are you?" I ask once we've calmed down.

"I'm already eight!" He says with a smile, holding up eight fingers, I couldn't help but smile too.

We talked for forever that night, promising to meet there again the next night but things didn't work out the way we hoped.

GINEVRA, 25 YEARS OLD, MILAN.

"Hello, Ginevra." Livia-my personal assistant as well as one of my closest friends-pops into my office not long after I've come in. "The executive meeting with the board of directors is about to start."

And I nod, acknowledging her announcement and she leaves. I take a moment to breathe in and ground myself in the present. It's my first day in this office, taking over the space and the office my adoptive father had called his. Taking the role as the CEO of Alvera Corporations was the moment I had been preparing most of my life for.

I look around the wide space with a large dark brown–almost black–mahogany desk and a black leather chair gobsmack in the center of the room, close to the large windows that overlook the busy city of Milan. There was a black sofa that fit the aesthetic of the office-my office. The space was mostly professional, no personal touches except for a huge canvas above the sofa that my adoptive mother had painted when she was younger and more into painting. The painting was of a colorful sunset that overlooked the horizon of the ocean reflecting the blur of colors in its waves.

The painting helps me to steady myself, knowing it would be difficult to win the boards' support but I was going to get it no matter what. With that determination settling in my gut, I take another moment look through the reports since the transfer of power-it has only been a week, today being the official takeover-and although I was expected to feel overwhelmed and nervous about officially addressing members of the board without my father to accompany or give me any form of support, I felt extremely calm.

It was a comfort, knowing I would be going into the den of lions with a calm heart. A heart that wouldn't stutter, making me regret my life's dedication.

I had gone through the different branches and departments in the company while preparing to take over so I'm confident in my ability to steer the company in the direction that will enable us to be the wave the fashion industry would follow.

I walk out to the elevator, Livia on my heels. I had set my mind on utter success and confidence, nothing would change.

When I finally make it into the conference room on the floor below my office, they all rise to greet me and I feel a little worry lift off my chest. They weren't going to blatantly disrespect me, that was good.

Most of the board directors are older members, who have been in the company for at least ten years. When I sit in the chair at the head of the large oval table, I scan the room, making sure to take note of the expression on their faces. I have learnt to read the people around me, feel them out just from the look on their faces. I see a mix of those who are outrightly throwing me disdainful glares, a few who seem more resigned than satisfied at my new position, while a few others look more discreet in their disdain.

When I'm satisfied, I ask them to have their seats as I gesture for Livia to distribute the documents we prepared earlier.

The confusion in the air is palpable, making me feel calmer. I knew they were curious now, curiosity was something I had learnt to manipulate. Manipulate their curiosity to gain their trust, to convince them you're the best. And I do just that.

I explain the plans I have for the company, the vision that worked hand-in-hand with my mission. I explain to them what we will be doing and not what we might. Confidence was important when dealing with the wolves. Make them know-think-you know what you are doing. So after about two unending hours of questions and more questions that I managed to answer, they seemed to have their doubts pushed aside for now. I knew they would never fully accept a twenty-five year old woman as the CEO of the Alvera Corporation.

I give them another moment in silence, allowing them to contemplate their limited choice-either they accept the new change or challenge a massive asset-before I stand, dismissing them without saying another word, and I walk out, Livia on my heels once again.

Now that the meeting is over, I feel more at ease, the tension holding my neck taut easing out slowly as I make my way to the elevator. Even Livia is more free because the moment the doors of the lift slide shut she breaks the silence.

"Damn, Ginne, that was beautiful." She sighed, making me smile at her sudden dramatics.

"A beautiful warrior princess going to battle the crazy power-hungry wolves only to come out unscathed."

"Really?" I laugh, the rest of my unease leaving me with that breath.

"Hell yeah. It's poetically riveting."

"Poetically riveting?" I repeat incredulously, stifling a smile as I glance at her right before the doors of the elevator slide open to the top floor. The floor at the very top of the Alvera Corporation tower that has my new office.

We make our way to my office in silence, a complete contrast to the dam of words behind Livia's sealed lips.

She has always been the person that made me laugh in situations like these. The little sunshine she is with her beautiful brown hair she always had up in a cute bun at the top of her head. Her brightly colored and fashionable clothes she always had on that brightened every room she walked into along with her blinding aura.

Livia is someone I'm glad I have in my corner.

The large wooden door of papà's office-my office-shuts behind us and I take a seat behind my desk while Livia sits in one of the two smaller black leather chairs in front of my table.

"You rocked their worlds today, Ginne." She says, crossing her legs. "They would never be able to bounce back from that explosion."

"You're just being dramatic, Liv." I state off-handedly, turning on my computer so I could look through the rest of the documents regarding the teams and work being handled.

There's a beat of silence that makes me turn my full attention back to Livia. She was never so quiet so suddenly. And I knew it wasn't because I said she was being dramatic.

"Something wrong, Liv?" I hesitate. It wasn't that I didn't want to know, it was more like I didn't know if I could help if I succeeded in getting her to tell me.

"Nothing really." She says but I wait for her to talk about what's bothering her. She was like this at times. She didn't like to be a burden and we got through to her to talk to us whenever something was bothering her.

"It's two things actually, Ginne. The first is that Elle is in town." Her voice is dull compared to earlier. I'm glad Elettra-my best friend-is back in town after such a long time but at the moment, I'm more concerned about what was up with Liv. "The second is, uh, well,"

She finally looks at me and for the first time today, I see the tiredness. She looks exhausted, drained even and I begin to wonder what might have caused it.

"Talk to me, Livia." I say, trying to keep my overactive mind from thinking the worst.

"I need a few days off before we start off with your plans for the company." She says after a deep breath. "I know it's your first day and everything. I know it's so selfish that I'm asking this of you so soon and I'm basically asking you to do things alone but-" She takes another deep breath since she was talking really fast. "I just need a few days off so I can deal with some things at home."

"How long do you need and from when?" I ask, ensuring to maintain my calmness to make her relax a bit and it works.

"From next Monday, for three days." She says, the certainty in her tone makes her voice come out firmer than it had before. She was more at ease because I was showing my internal reaction to her request.

"Alright. We can arrange that with HR." I nod with a small smile.

"Oh my, Ginne, gratias maximas tibi ago." Her smile is wide with relief as she stands. And on her way out, she blows me a kiss and it makes me smile a bit. |Thank you very much.|

When Liv is out and the door shuts completely behind her, I sigh rubbing my hands over my makeup free face.

If I began to think about how the next week would go, without Livia to support me, I would most likely not get any work done today. Livia has been in this company for as long as I have been interning to learn all the dynamics of the company's operations. Having her leave-even for just a day or three-left like I would be useless alone and I didn't like it one bit.

Perhaps I should hire someone to fill the space, so things can be less strenuous for Livia especially.

Yes, just for Livia and not because you'd feel as lonely as you are if you didn't have anyone in that chair outside.

The voice at the back of my mind echos for a moment and I continue my denial because I was doing this for Liv.

"Five weeks, Ginevra Alvera. Five! And not one text." Her voice disrupts my focus on the document I was reading.

I watch as Elettra Marchetti-my best friend of ten years-makes her way over to the sofa under the painting she has made into her personal spot over the years of visiting my father in his office whenever I was around.

We both basically grew up in this office, working on ourselves, keeping our personal dreams as just that-dreams.

As the girl that had turned into the beautiful woman in front of me stares me down, I feel my lips lift into a wide grin. I hadn't been able to smile much until she came into my life.

"Elle." I say as a greeting.

Her face mirrors mine, but she refuses to stand and come over to me so I just sit back in slight confusion.

There's a pause as she regards me, that smile never leaving her red-tinted lips and I hold my breath.

"That chair suits you so damn well, amore mio." There was a glint akin to pride in her eyes and I almost felt like crying at that. |My love.|

Almost. Instead I roll my eyes and stand, taking my time to walk over to her, the click-clack of my black heels on the white tiles filling the silence as she just watches me with that same look on her face.

She was proud of me. And as much as I'd love to say I didn't need that kind of validation, her pride in me makes me want to cry like a baby.

So the moment I get to her, I pull her up by her arm and she lets me, she lets me hug her because dammit I've missed my best friend so much.

As if hearing my thoughts, she says, "Yes, yes. I missed you too."

We stay like that for a while, both of us just enjoying the other's embrace while I allow myself to think for the first time in weeks. To think of my inadequacies and allow them to get off my chest. Just a few seconds is all it takes for this woman to make me feel like the child in me finally got the love she lost too early.

When we let go of each other, Elle takes one good look at me with her beautiful light brown eyes and it's like she understands. It was always like that with us. She could just tell when it came to me. Ever since I was fourteen years old at a charity event we both found excruciatingly boring. She just had a better way of hiding it than I did at the time.

"I know you haven't eaten. We're going to have lunch now." She states, her hands leaving me to get her bag.

Before I know it, she has both our bags in her hands, basically dragging me to her car and I let her because it's Elettra Marchetti. How dare I not?

._._._.

"Liv told me that you showed them." Elle mutters as she settles into her seat opposite me in a restaurant called Il Ristorante-in the Bulgari hotel upside town. A waiter silently placed menus in front of each of us.

The ambiance of the place is luxurious yet understated, with a blend of contemporary elegance and intimate sophistication as if Elle had intended to take me for a romantic dinner but reconsidered and went for a romantic lunch instead. The sleek design was complemented by warm lighting and refined dècor, creating a serene atmosphere perfect for the romance I'm sure Elle wanted to spoil me with today.

"Showed them?" I laugh. "I told them." I correct.

Elle stares at me with that 'don't-shit-with-me' look. She gets the joke, it's a lame one, but she gets it.

"Don't shit with me, Ginne." She sighs. I was right and that makes me laugh even harder.

When we've both calmed down from the laughter-she had joined in at a point-she speaks again. "Liv had also said you'll most likely be needing a new assistant since she won't be available next week."

I nod, just a waiter brings over cups of water for us. "Yes, I only managed to get through to HR a few minutes after she told me." I pause. "I'm still new on the job, you know? I don't want to be overwhelmed with having to deal with that massive vacancy Liv will leave, it'll also give her a chance to show whoever is hired the way things work."

"True, true. I understand that. Would you like some temporary help rather than having to hire someone and go through all that paperwork for just a few days?" She asks, her left eyebrow lifting at the end of the question.

"I see where you're coming with that, yeah? But I think it will reduce the stress I just know Liv will have to go through once things are fully in motion. Plus I want to have more than one person entirely in my corner." I explain.

"Have you decided on what you would like to order?" The same waiter that has been attending to us since we walked in asks as he walks up to our table.

Elle smiles her dazzling smile at him and I see him instantly blush. I mean I wasn't even on the receiving end of that smile and I felt heat warming my cheeks. She's a very charming woman.

"We'll just go with the chef's special." She responds, picking up both our menus and handing them over to the flushed waiter.

._._._.

"You, Elettra Marchetti, are the ultimate charmer." I laugh as we make our way out of the restaurant.

Elle had gotten the number of that poor waiter that I'm sure was at least three years younger than her. She wasn't going to do anything with the number, like the other five hundred she had received over the years, but it was fun-according to her-to try her charm on them and see if she still got it. I'd like to say, Elle still got it.

That thought has me throwing my head back in laughter as we get to the entrance of the restaurant. Elle is laughing as well and it's another nice moment where we just forget our problems and laugh together, make fools of ourselves.

"E-excuse me." A voice calls out to us once we exit the restaurant as we wait for a valet to bring around Elle's car.

We both sober up quickly when we turn around and see the cutest man standing right behind us with one of his hands on the back of his neck, rubbing it in a way I had a feeling immediately that he was nervous.

"Yes?" Elle answers, she never really found it nice when people interrupted moments like these.

He looks at me, his dark eyes meeting mine and for a moment my breath leaves my lungs.

I had an irrational attraction to people's eyes, this man, his eyes were so dark they looked black from a distance. His face was as expressive as they came but his eyes. God, his eyes. They were like black bottomless pits into his soul and I couldn't read a thing.

"Could I speak to you for a moment?" He asks, his mannerisms showing he was nervous-hesitant even-but his eyes didn't shift. It was odd.

And for a woman who was called smart, I didn't think I was in that moment because before I can think things through well enough, I'm nodding.

"I'll be over there." Elle vaguely gestures to another direction but I'm not paying attention to her. Just the man across from me.

His black eyes never shift as he smiles at me while waiting for me patiently.

I might just be a fool because I walk towards him.