Aria walked away and said:
"Sir. Will you please let me go? Thank you for picking me up and I’m sorry for falling on you. But I think I can get up on my own now." "Oh, sure." He said, helping her sit down. Aria took advantage of it while she was putting on her safety belt and took the opportunity to calm down. "Stay calm, Aria. You don’t know his true intentions. And besides, what would they think of you?" She looked away. Giovanni had already started the car. His gaze was as blank as ever outside. Aria would never understand the enigmatic, Giovanni Mancini. ------ Upon arriving in the boardroom, Aria nearly fainted. Both Lorenzo and Cassandra bled. "What happened? Did someone shoot you?" she screamed, worried. Giovanni didn’t know how someone with a cast could walk so fast. "Actually, that’s not my blood, Ari. It’s Lorenzo’s. He checked me out and ended up soiling my uniform." "And you? Why have you been fighting?" Aria scolded him. Lorenzo looked away, ashamed. "I’m sorry, but he was teasing Cassandra and talking mean about her. I couldn’t let him do that." Aria’s expression changed instantly. "Was I teasing Cass? Well, then okay. Very well boy." She smiled and made a jewel sign to Lorenzo, making him smile. "Hrum." Giovanni blew his head off. Both Aria and Lorenzo looked at him with fear. "Who was it?" he asked his son. "The Russian, my father." "So I don’t care." Giovanni shrugged. "Mister Mancini, Miss Ricci. You should scold him and not stroke his head." The director said with a sigh. "Anyway, you’ll be after school for a week, Mr Mancini." "And Leandro? No punishment for him?" Lorenzo asked, annoyed. "Of course I do, expulsion. I’ve endured this boy for a long time." The director looked at the 4 and then her gaze was on Giovanni."Mr. Mancini, I expect you at my party at the beginning of the month. No excuses. Now you can go. I’m busy, Lorenzo, your punishment begins tomorrow."
She said kicking them out of the room. ----- In the car, everyone was silent. Until Aria broke the ice and asked: "Is the feast of Mariani something recurring? " "Yes, she does something every year. And she doesn’t take no for an answer." "So, are you going?" Aria asked, curious. "No. We’re going." He smiled. "We? But" Aria didn’t finish the sentence because she almost fell out of the car. Giovanni had quickly deviated from something she could not see. "Sir, what’s going on?" she asked scared. "Don’t worry. We know how to fix this. Just get down." Aria heard shots and did as ordered. What the hell was going on? Were they robbers or kidnappers again? "Lorenzo" Giovanni warned. "I know, Dad," he said throwing himself at Cassandra and protecting her. "Don’t worry. It’s no big deal. We’ve been through situations like this." Lorenzo tried to reassure the ladies. "Don’t worry?" cried Aria, especially when she heard an unrecognizable noise. " Are those shots? What’s going on?" Giovanni was just focused on driving. Aria was sure they would flip or fall, but that never happened. The car would shake without stopping and dodge almost every shot. At least, it didn’t hit any of their heads. Giovanni stopped deflecting when three cars overtook the shooters and were close to theirs. "Don’t worry. It’s my people" Still, Aria couldn’t breathe quietly until she got out of that car. Giovanni sped up and now, they were well away from those who attacked them. But, Aria’s breathing was still accelerated. "Calm down, Miss Ricci. It’s over. Take a deep breath." "Sorry, sir, but I will only calm down when I put my feet on safe ground." Giovanni laughed and Aria checked the children. "Are you okay? Cass?" she looked at her worried sister.But Cassandra seemed fine.
The youngest waved in agreement and Aria felt more relieved.
Giovanni had taken a new path so that they would not be followed.
When they reached the mansion, Aria ran to the bathroom. Lorenzo took Cassandra inside and one of Giovanni’s men called him:
"Boss. One of them handed us something on the verge of death. It could be a bluff, sir. We’ve already started the investigation."
When Giovanni saw the red cloth written Rosso in gold letters, his blood froze. But he knew that ghosts could not come back to life.
3 years ago, something occurred that Giovanni would never forget. The day his wife looked at him with disdain, chained to a chair, he laughed and therefore shot her in the head.Rosso was a mysterious person who was frustrating his business. And everything that was stolen or destroyed was delivered to the Russian mafia.It took two years of investigation to find that name and months before they ran into the traitor.That day, he left home, his wife gave him a kiss and said good luck. He stroked the head of the children and left them sleeping.The operation was a careful operation that only a few trusted personnel knew. They needed a secret spy who was able to pass on the information at the last minute before he died.A recording that made Giovanni not believe his eyes. Until he saw for himself in the next operation, where Natasha spoke in Russian
Aria was tired of lying so long, so she decided to walk a little. Even if the crutches were her companions.Laura was asleep, but she wondered where Lorenzo and Cass were.However, her monologue was interrupted upon hearing the voice of the Roman Lord."Hey, Miss Ricci. Since you’re here, can you hand over some papers for Giovanni? Can you?" Mateo asked, he seemed eager."Of course, Mr. Romano, why not?" She replied, she really had nothing to do.She took the papers that would get a little dented, but since he was trusting her..."Thank you. If I don’t hurry. Alissa will run away from me again."He ran out while Aria knocked on the door."Mister Mancini, are you there? I brought some papers that Mister Romano asked me to.""Come in." She heard his ho
Screams.Smoke.Fire.Blood.Giovanni wiped the blood from his face and got into the car, as if he hadn't caused chaos behind him.He straightened his blue tie and answered the ringing phone. His secretary, Anne, was calling him at the worst possible time.“Mr. Mancini, I'm calling to inform you that the last nanny has quit. We're running out of options. I don't know who to hire if even the trained women in our midst aren't enough.”“I don't care, Anne. That's your job to sort out. The children have to accept someone. There's no time to deal with them.”“There is one last option, sir, but I think your children's wish is...”“Then bring that last option and don't disturb me any more for today.” He said, turning off his cell phone without even saying goodbye.As the car left its trail of destruction behind, someone woke up gasping in the cold of the night.The images were still fresh in his mind, screams, smoke, fire, blood, death.It all seemed so recent, as if 12 years had not passed.
When Aria arrived at the Mancini house, she was surprised by the amount of security. Well, if I were her, I’d like to keep your kids safe, too. The housekeeper Giulia answered and Aria thanked her for the education. She presented the whole house and the functioning of things there. "Children can be a little difficult. Many have already said goodbye. But I ask you to understand. They suffer greatly from the absence of their father." Aria stated. She somehow understood these children. Being without her parents was difficult. She smiled when she saw a 5-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. They both looked at her angrily. "This is Laura and Giovanni, Aria."- Giulia introduced them. "Children, this is Miss Ricci.""Pleasure, I will take care of you from today. I hope we got along." Laura just showed her tongue and cried out:"We don’t want you here." The child ran into the room and locked himself in. Lorenzo also did not address her. He did a quick research on her life and found no
Giovanni wouldn’t want to be here today, especially when that random woman left his mind full of distractions. The man in front of him was terrified, fear could be seen in his eyes, but there was no forgiveness for traitors. Especially those who used their power to abuse children. "Please, please, boss, it’s a lie. I swear I didn’t do anything. I would never touch a child." he said tied to his chair. Giovanni did not answer, he just focused on hitting the man, discounting all of his anger, while that woman’s words came into his mind. It wasn’t his fault, it was that damn woman who took him away from his kids years ago. Doubt would never leave his mind or the hatred he felt for his children. Who was that nanny to say what she didn’t know? Did she know who he was? Who was she talking to? The abuser was tired of trying to fight, but the worst would come. At that moment, Giovanni already had his face and shirt full of blood. How dare that girl? If that son of a bitch, in front of h
The next day was a mess for Aria. She got up early, making sure she was well dressed this time and would not be embarrassed if her boss was still at home. Aria came down the stairs and called her sister. "I know, Cass. But, Mr. Mancini said there will be no problem, don’t worry, all right? I’ll be there soon to help you prepare everything." "Is your sister worried?" Aria leapt at Giovanni’s voice. The man was really, really sneaky. "Good morning, sir." she said, nervous. " Yeah, she’s a little worried about being a nuisance." "She won’t be. I promise and I keep my word." Giovanni said, approaching her, staring at her with his cold eyes and making her shudder. "Daddy. You’re home." Laura screamed, running up to him. Giovanni gave a smile. Not even he could resist such cuteness. "Good morning, dear," he said hugging her. Aria smiled at the scene. Was she wrong about him? Curiosity made her look at Lorenzo, who did not seem to have the same impression of her. Perhaps she was r
Today was a complicated day for Aria. It was the first official day she would go out with Laura and also the first day of Cassandra’s new high school. But she didn’t seem to be worried about it. Cassandra got up and said good morning to everyone. She walked slowly through the place until she accidentally ran into a vase and almost broke it. Cassandra did not hear anything falling, but she herself slipped, but was caught by someone. "Phew, I caught you in time." Lorenzo said, relieved. "I’m sorry, Lorenzo. I ended up being a nuisance to you." "It was nothing. It’s not your fault. Come on, let’s have breakfast." He took her hand and she allowed it. Lorenzo smiled, happy. ------ After breakfast, everyone got in the car and Alissa took them to their destinations. Houen College was the first, the most prestigious college in Italy and in which only children of billionaires studied. At least that’s what Aria knew about him. In fact, it was one of the colleges, from a network all ove
Aria woke up sleepily. She noticed that she couldn’t move, something was holding her hands. A rope probably. The place where she was was was dark and bleak. However, she could notice several armed men leaning against the walls. And a red-haired man pointed his gun at her. His shirt was open and he was wearing sunglasses. "Look at Mancini’s new whore. What a cutie. Finally, one decided to stay with him. Even in the same house is living." He said, approaching and squeezing her face."What do you want? Where is Laura?" she asked, even afraid, ignoring him. "Bring the mouse." He ordered.Laura had her mouth gagged with duct tape. The child cried and ran to Aria when she saw her."How dare you do that to a child?" Aria screamed."Who cares?" The man laughed. " The Mancini have been screwing up my company for a long time. There’s nothing fairer than me being rewarded, is there?Laura looked at Aria scared. She had prepared for moments like that. But her childish mind still couldn’t proce