Santorini's only weakness

"Carlos!" My face remained stoic while looking at the twelve-year-old girl who just slid out of the luxury car while waving her hands wildly in my direction.

I took a deep breath and studied her silently while she was standing outside her father's bulletproof car with her bodyguard holding the car's door for her.

Do I need to babysit this little girl again?

I heard the soft chuckle of Gio who stood beside me. He was my friend and also acted as my bodyguard despite my protest. He swung his arm over my shoulder while looking at the princess of the Villante family.

"You're in for a wild ride again today.

"Shut up!" I hissed at my friend who grinned and waved back to the young girl completely ignoring me. "If you don't want me to break your neck right now.

He laughed again, sliding his gaze on me.

"Based on the wide grin on her face it seems that she still has a huge crush on you, Bro."

I couldn't help but groan. How could he remind me of that? I was aware of the teenage crush she had on me but I was hoping that it would be over by now. I felt uncomfortable with the idea because of our Nine-year age gap. I was already Twenty years old, by then for goodness' sake!

I felt that Gio elbowed me in the stomach. I threw a deathly glare in his direction.

"What?! Do you want to die?"

"You haven't greeted your princess yet." He nodded his head in the direction of the pretty girl who just arrived at our family's estate.

"Don't be so cold. She's waiting for your acknowledgement, see?"

I took a deep breath. What other choice do I have? I gave her a faint smile as my form of greeting. I heard Gio scoff beside me.

"That's so cruel of you, my Friend."

I watched the princess of the Villante family walk in our direction. Gio whispered something near my ear. "Look, at the deadly glare, her bodyguard is throwing in your direction. I think he feels that you are his competition for the lady's affection."

"Don't be absurd, " I replied dryly, looking at the man with a deadly gaze. He's barking at the wrong tree. Besides, I am a few years older than him and I have no interest in that girl.

"Should I put a bullet inside his head for you?" My annoying friend suggested darkly.

I frowned in his direction. "There's no need for that. I can handle him but his unjustified anger is not worth my time."

Gio whistled softly. "What should I expect from the future head of our Familia? The great Carlos Santorini."

Before I had the chance to answer my irritating friend, the young girl was already standing in front of us with a big bright smile in her clear blue eyes. "Hi, Carlos, I am excited to be here again," she set her gaze on the man next to me. "Hello, Gio,"

I only managed to give her a tight smile and from the corner of my eye, I saw how Gio stopped himself from laughing out loud.

"Nice to see you again, little one." Gio replied ruffling her brunette locks. "I hope you'll enjoy your visit again."

"I hope so."

My damned friend drifted his gaze on me with malicious intent. "You don't need to worry," he said jovially, placing his arm once again on my shoulder. "My friend here will make sure that you'll have a good time."

'Idiot,' I mouthed at him, making sure that this little girl would not hear the word I've been saying to my bastard friend. Gio merely raised an eyebrow in my direction looking very much amused due to my irritation.

I watched the only daughter of my father's business partner converse with Gio animatedly. She's so innocent however you look at her hard to believe that her father was one of the most notorious mafias in America and a very good friend of my father who dominates the underground business here in Italy.

Gio claimed that she's naive about her father's real business either that or her father just kept her in the dark about the true nature of his trade. Maybe she's still too young to understand why she needs to ride a bulletproof car when leaving her father's property or why there are always heavily armed men around her.

"Where do you want to go today?" I frowned.

The happy expression on her face was so obvious. She grinned at me through her braced teeth. "Can you show me , Sicily? I want to explore the city.

"Sure," I replied with a smile.

As I promised, I show her around Sicily with bodyguards discreetly following us, of course. And what do you expect of a middle school student? She was so delighted by the small things she saw in the streets of Sicily. Taking pictures of her scenery, ate a huge scoop of gelato, and asked me to take pictures of her with some famous landmarks as her backdrop.

Everything ran smoothly and I was on my guard always but in the blink of an eye, an SUV abruptly stopped where she was standing and forcibly tossed her inside the car.

"Carlos" The blood-curdling sound of her voice calling my name desperately as those masked men took her inside the SUV was enough to have my blood run cold.

Our bodyguards were quick to jump into the action and open fire on the escaping vehicle

but it was futile when it was also impenetrable. I watched it helplessly speed away...

I sat up on the bed gasping for air, beads of sweat were now forming on my forehead. It's been years since the last time I had that nightmare. I looked around at the familiar room and sighed deeply. I wiped my face with my palms trying to control my raging heart.

Then I realized that the telephone beside the side table kept on ringing in the silent room.

Only a few people knew the direct number of this phone inside my room. This must be something important, I picked up the receiver to answer.

"I need to remind you about your scheduled flight in Los Angeles today," Gio, my right-hand man reminded me over the phone.

I closed my eyes and exhaled a heavy breath. I have some idea why my nightmare was recurring lately because of my scheduled flight to the US today to fetch my new ward.

Ward. That simple word feels like an icepack poking my mind since I heard from Michael Villante's solicitor that he named me as the legal guardian of his daughter and the properties she's about to inherit until she turns at the age of twenty-five

How could that man trust me with his daughter after what happened in the past? Hasn't he learned a thing from the incident?

"Carlos? Are you still there?"

I let out an angry sigh. I still don't know if I want to fulfill this obligation my father's business partner dropped on my lap after his untimely death a few weeks ago. "Yes, I'm still here listening to you.

"Well, you have to move and get ready," Gio replied dryly. "Your plane is already waiting for you at the tarmac and I should add that it's now starting to cause traffic for the next plane that is also scheduled to leave Italy today."

My eyebrows drew together. "If I remember correctly that damned plane is at the private tarmac."

"And if I remember correctly," my friend answered back on the other line. "You're not the only one who has access to the private tarmac here in Italy. There were other rich people here in our hometown who also have private planes."

"Let them wait!" I informed him heatedly. "I will leave Italy when I am ready."

I heard him groan. "Oh, please. Stop being an ass, will you? Don't make my job more difficult than already is. If you delayed your plane at the tarmac more I need to apologize to other people for the inconvenience and I hate apologizing you are aware of it."

"Don't apologize then," I told him before rudely disconnecting the phone call. I rubbed my palms again on my face to ease my frustration. Taking care of her was the last thing I wanted to do. Besides, she has no place in this chaotic world I live in... I was interrupted by my trail of thoughts when the telephone sounded again. Thinking that it was Gio

What?!

"Carlos," a female voice on the other line chirped. I knew that instant that it was not Gio but my dear grandmother from Rome.

"I'm glad you picked up, figlio!" nonna exclaimed on the other side of the phone. I sighed and force a smile.

"I just spoke to you a few days ago, nonna," I replied nonchalantly.

"So, have you found any girl yet, figlio?" nonna asked on the phone and paused waiting intently for my reply.

God, when is this going to end?

I sighed at nonna stifling the urge to snap at her. I love her, but her tenacity was too unbearable.

"If you mean my mistresses, I have a lot of them, nonna "I quipped stifling the urge to roll my eyes"

"I didn't mean your- mistresses, figlio." she retorted tersely.

I haven't heard my nonna getting mad before, until today.

I heaved a deep sigh on the phone at her.

"You're 30 Carlos. At that age, you should have at least three kids roaming around your house." Nonna lectured.

Not again! I groaned inwardly.

"If you only need an heir, then I will give it to you nonna, but I'm not going to get married," I replied blatantly.

My lips pursed in annoyance, with my anger rises simultaneously. Then I grab the phone gripping it tightly in an iron grip.

"And, how will you give us an heir if you don't marry? Just impregnated one of your bimbos and then boom. Done. That is how you come up with the solution?" Nonna asked coldly.

I wanted to say yes, but it would only ignite her temper.

"I'm not going to marry nonna and that's final." I declared icily with finality in my tone, dripping with bitterness.

I will never fall for their bait. Not ever.

"You need an heir, right?" I asked trying to get her in a good sweet talk. I need to try other tactics.

"Yes," Nonna replied briefly. "But we don't want just any heir, coming from one of your bimbos," she added with acid in her tone.

"I will make sure my son does not come from any of my mistresses. And surely, it comes from a decent girl." I replied with reassurance as a ghost of a smile crept over the corner of my lips.

She disconnected the phone call and left me speechless by her crude behavior.

I took a quick shower and dressed before heading to the tarmac where my plane was waiting.

I sighed deeply and looked out of the plane window since it will be a long ride to California. My mind was filled with the image of a doe-eyed brunette girl with braces smiling happily at me but soon the images were filled with my nightmare of her asking for my help as they abducted her right in front of me.

I shifted my position trying to banish those images in my mind and hardening my heart in the process. I refused to think about that fateful day ever since.

"Vuoi vedermi di novo, Angel?" I muttered under my breath almost absently.

"...okay class that would be all."

I have never been so happy to hear those words from my professor because that means that summer break would be officially starting right this minute.

I immediately gathered my things from my desk and I couldn't wait to pack my things and start my summer adventure. Since unexpectedly losing Dad a few months ago I couldn't wait for the semester's break so I could get away and unwind. My friend, Jaren, was asking me to spend the summer with him and his family in their town in Michigan. I haven't given him an answer yet but I think it's a good idea since I don't want to stay at home only to be reminded that Dad is not here anymore.

I walked briskly in the parking lot where other students gathered around celebrating the last day at the university making plans with their friends. I gave a short nod with a smile to my classmate on some subject as I passed them by. They were inviting me to this house party but I politely declined them since I am not in the mood to party right now.

I was still debating if I should tag along with Jalen in his hometown in Michigan or if I'd go backpacking in Asia or Western Europe for the summer since I already saved enough money for this summer trip. An adventure I had never done before because my dad was so overprotective of my safety, never allowing me to go out without a bodyguard or even letting me leave the country without someone he trusted to babysit me on my trip. He'd been like that since the kidnapping incident when I was twelve.

Seriously, I think he was just being paranoid because I barely remember that thing and all I just remember was waking up at the hospital with no recollection of that event.

Now that I am already twenty-one, I want to explore the world on my own. This would be my first taste of freedom after being under the watchful eyes of someone.

It felt so good that no one was following me around like a shadow and other students stopped giving me weird looks because I went to university with bodyguards as if I was some sort of a wealthy heiress when the truth was, my dad was only a minimum wage earner or so I thought.

I unlocked the driver's side of my car and tossed my things on the shotgun seat. I was about to slide inside my car when I felt a presence behind my back. I immediately turned around to see a tall, handsome-looking stranger wearing an expensive suit standing next to me.

I tried not to be cowed by his presence as I arched my eyebrow in his direction giving him a condescending look. "Yes?"

"Angel Villante?" He said, his accented tone not asking me to confirm but rather reminding me that I was the person that he was looking for.

I slid my gaze onto the parking lot and I saw a shiny black Range Rover-not your typical school ride that car belongs to this stranger.

Who was this stranger? Don't tell me Dad still has unpaid loans from this guy and now he wants me to pay the rest. If that's the case then my summer plans are in jeopardy.

"What do you want?"

"You need to come with us." The handsome stranger said without a hint of emotion in his eyes.

"Why?" I asked, crossing my arms in the middle of my chest trying to look brave but deep inside I was already feeling anxious about his presence.

He wouldn't kidnap me in broad daylight, right? There are so many students in the parking lot they witness it if that happens.

"Why will I come with you when I don't even know you?"

He took a deep breath and glanced worriedly back to the expensive Range Rover nearby.

"Look, I am not in the position to explain things to you if you'll just come with us and our boss will explain everything.

"Your boss?" I echoed with a frown on my forehead.

"Yes." He nodded, sparing the Range Rover another glance before smiling friendly in my direction. Don't tell me his boss was in that car.

I gave him a big fake smile. "I don't think so.

Do you think I am stupid to follow a mere stranger just because he said so? You are wasting my time here and I'd better go. Excuse me"

I was about to slide inside my car when this stranger slammed the driver's door. I glowered at him but he didn't mind a bit. "You can't leave yet, Miss Villante."

"You son of a-"

"Enough of that chitchat, let's go." Another deep voice joined the conversation. This stranger and I both looked in the direction of that Range Rover. My eyes slightly widened when I saw a far more handsome man who had just gotten out of the car.

He could probably easily be mistaken for a billboard model with that chiseled jaw, straight as-arrow nose, high cheekbones, red lips, thick eyebrows, and cold eyes of his no wonder female eyes on the parking lot glued their eyes on him.

I raised an eyebrow in his direction as he approached us. I hate that I find him attractive when my mind keeps on telling me that he's a walking danger. "And you are...?"

"Carlos Santorini." He supplied indifferently, buttoning his suit jacket while looking at me with icy eyes. "Your guardian."

I blinked at him, unable to believe the words that came out of his mouth. "My what? Care to repeat that one? I think I misheard you."

He took a deep breath while looking at me with annoyance on his face. Seriously? What's wrong with this guy? Was he mad at me or something? What's the deal with the way he's looking at me? "I am your legal guardian."

Okay, there's something wrong with these guys. I think they got the wrong woman and I happened to share a name with the woman they're looking for. I shook my head regretfully. "I'm sorry to tell you this but I think you got the wrong woman, gentleman. I am not the woman you are looking for."

I was about to open my car's door when Carlos Santorini's hand shot to my wrist striking fast. I abruptly remove my hand from his grip because it feels like I've been struck by lightning from his touch. "I don't have time to play your games, little one."

"So do I," I replied with the same cold tone he used earlier giving him a haughty look. "Let go of me before I call the university security for harassing me."

Carlos permitted himself to smile slightly flashing his perfect white teeth. "You think I would be scared by those guys?" He looked at the man who first approached me and gestured his head on their vehicle. "Wait for us in the car, Gio I will take care of this."

The man named Gio reluctantly did what he told him, looking at me and then at his boss before walking away from us. "Now listen to me." I started.

"No. You listen to me so it will save us so much time." He cut me off with a firm tone.

"You are Angel Villante, the only daughter of Michael Villante. He was my father's good friend and he was my mentor. In his last will he named me as your legal guardian until you turn twenty-five."

"That's ridiculous!" I exploded angrily. "What kind of nonsense is this? I don't even know you or your father. How come Dad will put me in your care."

"I don't know either." He shrugged unapologetically. "How I wish that he was still here with us to answer all your questions but sadly that's impossible now."

I instantly realized that I don't like this stranger and I don't wish to associate myself with the likes of him. I am sure that there was some misunderstanding here. My Dad would never leave me in the care of this dangerous-looking man. "I don't have time with your bullshit, Mister. You got it wrong. I am not the woman you are looking for. Goodbye."

"Very well," he breathed deeply, and he raked me with his gaze once over. "You leave me no choice but to do this." Before I had the chance to say what he meant by that, he swung me over his shoulder and started to walk back to his Range Rover.

"Put me down!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs while slamming my fist on his back when my hand got in contact with something hard in his waist. I froze for a moment. Is that a gun? "This is kidnapping, do you know that?!"

"Keep still," he said casually. "Open the door," he instructed the men who went out of the

SUV and tossed me inside the luxury interior of the car rudely like I was so dirty laundry.

"Help me! Help me! Someone please..." I called the other students in the parking lot looking at us curiously. Some of them started filming the whole thing with their smartphones but Carlos Santorini's men took the matters and probably threatened anyone who videoed their abduction of me.

Carlos Santorini sat beside me at the back of the car, closing the door firmly beside him.

"We'll talk somewhere private. I hate noisy surroundings, especially a place filled with a bunch of college students."

"Stop this car," I said half-pleading, half-demanding. "I don't know you and I am sure that my dad wasn't the one you are talking about. He was just a minimum-wage earner.

He couldn't possibly be associated with the likes of you."

He laughed humorlessly, refusing to look at me. His gaze was fixed on the street outside.

"Is that what he tells you about his job? A minimum wage earner? I don't believe you."

"I don't care if you don't believe me," I exclaimed, trying to open the car door on my side but it was locked by the driver's control.

"I just want to go home and what about my car."

"Don't worry, I will have someone get your car back at the university if that's what you are worrying about, Angel."

"Don't call me by my given name as if you're familiar with me," I said distrustfully. "I assure you that I haven't laid eyes on you before this day.

He glanced at me for a moment, something flashed in his eyes before blinking them away and having this distant and cold look once again. "I apologized, Signorina."

I searched for my phone in the pocket of my jeans and hoodie. shit. I think I put it in my bag and my bag was inside my car right now!

I gave Carlos a surprised look when he presented me with his mobile phone. He cocked a brow, giving me a cynical look. "You want to use mine?"

''Yes!" I replied acidly, snatching the phone in his hand. "I will call 911 and report this kidnapping incident."

He smirked darkly in my direction; his dark eyes were challenging me. "Go ahead and call the cops. I'm sure they will be on my side because I am your legal guardian. I have papers to prove it, Signorina."

"You keep on saying that but you don't even show me the proof of your claims, Mister. For all I know, you are just lying." I hissed at him angrily.

He regarded me with a sharp look. From the look on his face, he doesn't want to be my legal guardian so I wonder why he's still doing this. Just because a piece of a document says so? He took a deep breath.

"I will show you the copy of your father's last will once we arrive at my house."

I laughed sarcastically, shaking my head in disbelief. "How come my father will leave last will? Does he have assets to pass on to me except his probably unpaid debt?"

Mr. Santorini looked at me for a long moment. He was probably decrypting what was going on inside my head. I nearly squirmed in my seat because I didn't think I liked the intensity of his gaze on me. It feels like he's trying to pierce his gaze deep into my soul.

"What?" I asked warily.

He averted his eyes and gazed back to his window. "I guess your father kept you in the dark about his business. I thought you were already aware of it."

My eyebrows drew together. He's not making any sense besides he's being creepy and ambiguous. "Aware of what?"

"Nothing."

I looked at him with impatience. I was already irritated enough that I was stuck inside his car taking me somewhere against my will and now he was talking as if he knew my dad very well and I did not. "Well. It's hardly my fault that I barely remember my childhood, doesn't it?"

"What?" For the first time, an emotion showed his eyes. "What did you say?"

I gave him a sugary smile. "Nothing."

The sooner I get away from his presence the better. Because I may have lost some of my memories from my childhood but not my instinct. And my intuition tells me that I need to stay away from him.

Temporary Amnesia.

According to the information, Gio gathered Angel suffered from selective amnesia. Her brain blocked a certain part of her memories caused by trauma and I was part of those memories she forgot.

I didn't know if that was a good thing or not that she didn't remember me since I played a vital role in why she'd been kidnapped in the past. I was her guard that day and I wasn't paying attention to looking after her. That's why she'd been taken away right before my eyes.

I balled my hands into fists on my side. I swore to myself that I would never bother her again after that incident and now fate has other plans...

I heard Gio clear his throat behind me. I turned around to face him. He was looking at me with an amused face. "What?" I asked defensively.

"What do you plan to do with your ward?" He raised his head with a knowing smile playing on his damn mouth.

I took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose remembering how difficult she was to deal with. When we arrived at my house she was screaming and kicking while I had to get her out of the car. "How is she?"

"What do you expect after you lock her in the guest bedroom? Do you think she will take it lightly?" Gio countered dryly. He allowed himself to smile slightly, probably remembering that maddening moment a while ago. "Oh, by the way, allow me to tell you that she just broke the expensive vase you just bought last month. She threw it against the wall."

"I'm starting to have a headache," I confessed, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the glass wall of my study room.

My friend and also my right-hand man laughed at my misery. "How does it feel to have such a feisty ward, boss? You will have so much on your plate from now on. Do you think you can bring her to Italy without trouble?"

"She doesn't have a choice," I answered with a firm tone. "She'll come with us willingly or not." Although I'll allow her go to her house later today so she can get her stuff before we leave for Sicily,

"From what I can see from her she'll fight you tooth and nail.

You can't just drag her wherever you want. She's something since she's the daughter of a well-known underground boss."

I tucked my hands in each pocket of my pants. "That's the thing, it seems she doesn't even know how rich her father was. She claimed that her dad was only an average man with a minimum salary."

"Do you think Michael deliberately lied to her about his work and how wealthy he was after that incident-?"

Gio cut off his words when I threw a deathly glare in his direction. He knew very well that I don't like to be reminded of that kidnapping incident in the past. "It doesn't matter now what Michael had been thinking, what bothers me is the fact that he named me as the legal guardian of his daughter and the legal custodian of his properties until his daughter turns twenty-five.

My friend patted my shoulder kindly. "Well, cheer up, boss. Four years will pass in a blink of an eye. You can survive the next few years with your temperamental charge."

"Are you being optimistic or sarcastic?" I inquired matter-of-factly.

He gave a short laugh shaking his head slightly. "Both. If you're worried about it so much, why don't you just leave Angel here and hire someone to look after her while you go back to Sicily and resume your normal life?"

"That's highly impossible," I informed him. "I couldn't possibly leave her in the care of other people when her father entrusted me with his daughter which I still don't understand after what happened in the past."

"Maybe you're the only person Michael trusts with regards to his daughter. But you also need to take into consideration that your ward is no longer a minor; she's already at the right age and let me remind you that a man and a woman living under the same roof could prove to be problematic in the future."

My eyebrows drew together while looking at him questioningly. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. I just want to remind you that your twenty-one-year-old ward is a beautiful woman-

"Hey, watch your mouth, you fucker!"

I glowered at him darkly. "Are you forgetting that's Michael's daughter you are talking about?

I don't want to hear this bullshit from you ever again, Gio. I'm warning you."

My friend raised his hands upward in silent surrender. "All right. But I am just telling you about the possibility of living under the same roof with a woman near your age."

"I'm nine years older than her." I retorted back hotly, giving him a deathly look. I sorely want to put a bullet hole in his head at the moment.

"For me, she's still the little girl I used to know in the past, and that will never change."

He shrugged again as if not believing the word I had been saying. Oh, how I want to toss him outside the balcony. "If you say so, boss.

I pointedly ignored Gio's teasing and went to my desk to get the file I was looking for. I don't have time for Angel's tantrums and the sooner she accepts her new fate the better since I need to go back to Italy as soon as possible and I only squeeze this trip to fetch her into my already tight schedule.

My friend gave me an interesting look. "Oh, you're going to talk to her?"

"Yes," I breathed out, taking the file with me.

"I need to sort this mess out as soon as possible.

We need to fly to Italy later this week."

He whistled softly, smirking in my direction.

"This is going to be interesting. The little wildcat will be mad again if she learns that you're going to drag her to Italy. I heard that she already has plans for her summer break and now you're here to ruin it.

"It doesn't matter what her plans are. Her father left her in my care and as much as that's so troublesome for me I would take care of her even if that means she needs to stay wherever I am at the moment."

Gio chortled, shaking his head at the thought. "That sounds so possessive in my ears, Carlos. I am having chills just hearing about it."

I sent him a deathly glare that often made my enemies shake with fear. And my bastard friend knew that he had already reached the limit of my patience with his jesting.

"All right, fine..." He said holding his hand upward for a surrender. "I will not tease you anymore about this. Should I instruct your pilot to have your plane ready?"

"Yes. This conversation with that little girl will not take long." With that, I left Gio in my study and went in the direction of the guest room where I locked my ward. "Open it," I instructed the man who was guarding the door outside.

As soon as I entered the room, I ducked instantly when my instinct told me because there was a flying object that went straight in my direction.

"What the hell...!" I demanded looking at the maddening woman across the room. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?!" She echoed in disbelief, her eyes snapping with fire. I never knew someone who would boldly oppose me like her. "You're honestly asking me that, you bastard?! After you lock me here like a prisoner? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Don't curse on me, woman," I stated coldly.

"I will not take it lightly if you repeat that in the future."

"I don't give a monkey's ass." She replied angrily, tucking her hands in the middle of her chest. "You can't tell me what to do.

You're nothing to me! Do you hear that?"

I locked the door firmly behind me because the men I installed as guards in this room couldn't help but look at us curiously. Of course, who could resist some drama? "I told you before that I am your legal guardian."

"And I told you countless times before that I don't want to be in your care. Can't you understand that, thickhead?"

"Watch your mouth, young lady," I told her frostily, giving her a warning look. I don't know what makes my head throbbed even more, her stubborn attitude or that bright color hair of hers. "I won't tolerate insults."

She has the nerve to scoff in my face. "You can't lock me up here, I want to go home now.

I don't have time for your games, Mr. Santorini

I started to advance in her direction and she consciously took a step backward. "I'm afraid that's highly impossible from now on."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"I need you to come with me to Italy," I announced with a firm tone. I don't want to waste my time here in California when I should be in Italy right now taking care of our family business. There's so much that needs to be done back at home.

"Are you out of your mind, Mister?!" She asked indecorously. "What makes you think that I'll come with you to Italy?"

"As I said numerous times already, I am now your legal guardian and I must look after you

as per your father's last request."

"That's bullshit." She opposed it fiercely. "I'm sure my dad will not request such a ridiculous thing from you. You seem like a shady person to me."

I chuckled, staring straight into her eyes with amusement. I would ignore her insults for now and just focus on the main issue. I pushed the folder in her hands. "Here is the copy of your father's last will I'm sure after you read it, you'll be convinced that what I am saying is completely true."

She reluctantly opens the folder and reads it in silence while she's so occupied with the file in her hand that I take the opportunity to study her discreetly. It's been almost a decade since the last time I laid my eyes on her.

From what I could see she barely resembled the twelve-year-old girl who had a bright smile on her face whenever she came to visit us in Sicily with her father.

Maybe because her changes have something to do with the fact that she's no longer in her preteens and has now grown into a young woman...

Bastard, where do you think your thoughts are leading you?

I shook my head, this was all Gio's fault because of his nonsense a while ago it made me unconsciously examine her appearance.

Don't be ridiculous, she's the same child who used to tag along with me and Gio years ago I reminded myself. For me, she would always be that little girl even if years had gone by.

"I can't believe this," she said, dragging me out of my not-so-pleasant thoughts. I glanced at her making sure she didn't have any idea what kind of thoughts I was having with her.

"Are you sure this is Daddy's last will? How come I didn't even know that he was this wealthy?"

"I'm not sure but I think he did that to protect you

"Protect me?" She repeated with a frown.

"Protect from what?"

I didn't wish to remind her about the kidnapping incident and who was responsible for why she was taken away that fateful day.

"I am not sure." I lied smoothly.

She closed the file in her hand and handed it over to me. "It doesn't matter, I am sure we can talk about our set-up. You can look after my well-being and finances while I am living here in Los Angeles and you go back to Italy."

"That's impossible," I told her harshly, crushing all the hopes she had about me leaving her alone. "There's no way I would settle in that kind of set-up. I need to keep an eye on you so you'll spend your summer in Italy with me. Danger can be everywhere."

"My God! Do you hear yourself, Mr. Santorini?" She gestured herself from head to toe. "Look at me. I am already a full-grown woman who can take care of herself. I am not a child anymore and I do not need some guardian to look after me."

I raked my gaze off her with a mocking smile.

"A lady, yes, But for me, you're still a child." I almost laughed at the disbelief expression on her face. I gazed at my wristwatch.

"We'll be leaving in two days. Be ready."

"You can't possibly be serious! I will not come with you willingly unless you will drag me to Italy."

I permitted myself to smirk in her direction.

"Thanks for the idea. I will keep that in mind, princess."

I walked out of the guest room with a smile still fixed on my face. This was going to be a long four years ahead of us. There's no doubt about it.