CHAPTER 18 (ALIYANA)
He has never mentioned it, but why would he? Seeing her even from the screen makes her more than just a dream, and it calms my raging heart that she has at least one parent like me still there. My father is truly something.
“Guilia, Aliyana it’s freezing outside, get in.” Filippo shouts from the door and I hand my sister back her phone, feeling like my entire world has just twisted on its axis.
“Let’s enjoy our evening.” I whisper as my sister holds me and we walk back together. These two days with Guilia has really shown me that I can trust her, and that she isn’t at all what I thought she was, there is more to her than just my father’s daughter and Leonardo’s words about her fire comes to light and so does the reason I spent an hour doing my hair this morning.
We are all sitting around talking about Leonardo and Guilia, Filippo is exchanging embarrassing stories with Marco and Deno about the two. Camilla laughs carefree next to Marco, who has his hand on his own leg and hers on his. He hasn’t acknowledged me once, and in a way, I am glad, because I don’t think I can take it if he did.
Marco’s phone rings and he is still mid conversation when he picks it up,
“Xander, is everything alright with Mischa?” I gather it is when Marco smiles looking relieved. I am sure in his line of work, which I’m not too sure of exactly what that is, but it is probably gruesome, he has many sleepless nights worrying about his daughter.
“What the fuck?” Whatever Xander is saying over the phone has all the men on alert and even Camilla looking worried.
Guilia and I share confused looks, when Marco gets up and leaves the room. I take that moment to signal Guilia to follow me.
Marco’s shouts are heard from the kitchen side, yelling at Xander as my sister and I steer ourselves to the library.
We get inside, “Shut the door for minute I want to see something.” I pull my phone up and look at googles, how to section I saved earlier that day on my browser. I go to the desk and feel around it for something that screams hidden compartment.
“What are you doing?” Guilia questions looking nervous.
“I’m exploring. Elladio had a journal, it is believed to be in this desk hidden. And I want to read it.”
“Aliyana, that is stealing.” She whisper yells and I smile, opening the draw.
“It is borrowing, I intend to put it back.” I search for something and I find it at the back, a small block piece. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .
“When? We’re leaving tomorrow.”
“In the afternoon, I read fast.” I pull it a bit and the front top part of the desk opens and in it like a beacon is the journal. Brown leather wrapped around secrets, at just the thought of what is inside, my body comes alive.
“We are going to get into so much trouble for this.”
“No, we are not.” I walk closer to her and look for a hiding spot.
“What are you doing now?” She asks me, still standing by the door.
“Looking for a hiding spot.”
A knock on the door sounds us both into a fright and Guilia points to the coat rack, “Under there.”
I run as she yells, “Coming.”
“What are you girls up to?” I almost sigh in relief as I slip the book in time under the coat rack, and Guilia opens the door.
“Nothing, Aliyana wanted to put her bra right,” My sister is terrible at this but I move my cup a bit, showing Deno that is exactly what I was doing.
“Uhm, whatever you were doing, just make sure Marco doesn’t find out, because he is in a foul mood.” Deno walks in, his denim pants and t-shirt is one thing I always liked about our Underboss. His lay-low attire, when he isn’t around his father. Which I notice is more often recently.
“Guilia can I talk to you?” Leonardo stands by the door looking equal parts serious and anxious.
“Yes, of course.” She widens her eyes at me as she moves her jumpsuit-covered body across the room.
“So, what were you really doing?” Deno asks with a small smile as he walks closer into the room.
“Snooping.” I wink, as a blush creeps up my cheeks at how true that statement actually is.
“You don’t happen to know why Mero and Michel didn’t show up today would you?”
“No, why would I?”
“Because Marco asked you to kidnap Mero.” He gives me a knowing smirk.
“I don’t blame you if you did. I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes.” He circles around me, but I remain calm.
“And that is?”
“Warn your friend to get the fuck out of dodge.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I remain calm as he stops in front of me, “Tsk, tsk, Aliyana, I thought we were friends, and now you lie to me?”
“We are friends, but so is Mero.” He purses his lips, “Ren wouldn’t have believed Mero is guilty either, he’d do whatever it takes to keep him from Marco.”
“Yes, he is innocent Deno, I know what Marco saw on that footage, I saw it too, but Mero would never kill Ren. He would die before he ever betrayed his friend.”
He looks conflicted, but whatever holds him in indecisiveness he snaps out of it.
“Do what you have to, and keep him safe, but I want to know what he knows. It’s almost a year Aliyana.”
I nod, my heart feels the loss of Ren, but it also knows the innocence of Mero. If it was Michel or Gabriel, I’m not so sure I would be so eager to protect them, but Mero is loyal. I know it.