Chapter 17: Your Secrets

Have you ever experienced that feeling of floating in the ocean peacefully and the next thing you know you were drowning, the water was so overwhelming that you could not save yourself even if you knew how to swim? That feeling of not knowing was eating your consciousness and you tried to grab hold of anyone or anything to keep you alive, have you experienced that before?

Well, no. I don't know how that feels and I would not want to experience it too.

I usually lay awake in the middle of the night gasping for air and trying to remember details of my fuzzy and weird dream. I tried to control my breathing each time so I would not succumb to panic. 

But tonight, a distressing dream took me by surprise. 

Pitch black, my hands were bound and I was placed in an isolated warehouse, I was barefoot since I could feel the cold surface beneath me. I was there alone and hopeless, I could feel I was badly beaten and this time I had no way out. 

I could not scream or cry out for help since my mouth was covered by something gross. The dream was so lucid that I could not separate the dream from reality. Gasping for air, I helplessly clawed my way to get through the bounds, but it was all in vain. The dream felt so vivid and I was heaving like a madman until, 

*pak

That was a slap. A hard slap, then another before I squirmed, and this time I groaned from my reddening face. I slowly opened my eyes and the woman beside me was shocked, 

"You're not Isabelle."

"Glad you recognize your own flesh and blood."

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Extorting money, of course," Emily answered as she continued to leer off on the snacks I bought for Isabelle.

"Can you stop eating every food in this house?"

"Can you leave my best friend's house, mafia?"

I heard Isabelle give out a heavy sigh as she entered the room, it had been weeks since I came back to Porta Sole. I usually worked remotely so my presence in the company was not needed. The problem was, that I had been rejecting all calls from the Rossi mansion. 

Emily looked at me full of hate, regret, and disappointment. She kept on repeating how she disapproves of my relationship with Isabelle and how Isabelle downgraded from a police lieutenant to a sicko mafia. 

Isabelle stood at the bedside, she was wearing her usual PJs and not her scrubs which was weird. I did not entertain the idea until it dawned on me that she was not in her usual busy self for a week. I get that I could be a handful in the house as I did not do any household chores unless it was cooking - I learned how [don't ask why] 

I leaned on the kitchen island as I looked at the living, my assistant, Richard, glued to his laptop as he was busy making reports, Isabelle and Emily were chatting in front of the television while Code was diligently peeling oranges for Emily. 

I stopped and realized there was something wrong with this setup. Just when I was about to give up looking for the disconnect in this view, I realized our current setup was unhinged. I am the Great Shadow, Dominic damn Rossi! Rich, smart, and one of the most powerful bosses in all of Porta Sole but why did I end up cooking for these people?! I was even preparing to-go boxes for Isabelle's security detail!

"Boss," Richard called as my brows started to converge. "Is there something wrong?"

This time Isabelle stood from the sofa and went to the kitchen, her arms snaked around my waist, and gave a kiss on my back before asking what was wrong. 

I gave her a "mmm" and this time she let go of my waist and leaned next to me. 

"Are you contemplating whether you cut the carrots right?"

"No, I was just looking at you guys and got literally pissed." 

"How so?"

"I am the boss here, I am rich, and I am Dominic damn Rossi, why am I cooking for them too?!"

Isabelle chuckled and her hazel eyes sparkled as she munched the raw carrots from the chopping board, 

"You are cooking because you liked me so much that you are even doing everybody's portion, isn't that right?" She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and said, "Don't pout too much, you'll have wrinkles. I don't old guys."

She waltzed back into the living room and this time Emily wiped her lips with a tissue and whispered something to Isabelle which made her giggle. 

Cooking for Isabelle was a pleasure thing to do but to slave away because my cousin was throwing tantrums definitely did not top my to-do list today. When Code volunteered to do the dishes, I went straight to the office for a weekly meeting. 

"Why I haven't read any of your reports about Isabelle?"

"Pardon, boss?"

"You usually send those reports printed on my desk, I thought you'd be sending the PDF version in the morning but it has been weeks since I read the last report."

"Sir,"

"I know I live with her but her office life must be monitored daily, isn't that right?"

"Sir, Ms. Harper has been off duty since last week, she is on mandatory leave without pay."

"Excuse me?"

Spying on my girlfriend's work life was not on my list and would never be but this was out of the ordinary. 

"Find out what happened and I want an explanation from the CEO!"

My day went by with meeting after meeting and boy that drained the energy out of me. I had the last meeting with Code but I canceled that after receiving the detailed reason why Isabelle was on mandatory leave. 

"A patient was administered in the ER, Isabelle the nurse in charge skipped over details of the patient and caused more damage to the patient. Her supervisor had placed her on mandatory leave until further notice."

"Call President Garner, I need to know."

"Sir, I would not suggest you do that."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sir Anthony came to visit President Garner two weeks ago."

I halted as Richard followed closely from behind, I guess this was what the nightmares meant. The bounds and the covers in my nightmare were not only for a show but they meant something. 

The family code and my father. Taking a sharp breath in and punched the wall near me. 

"Fuck!" 

Everyone in the hallway ceased to move or breathe, the aura changed immediately and I knew everyone was watching me burst into the office. My temper and real side had never resurfaced before, not like this... No one in the office had witnessed me pissed thus making my outburst a first. 

"Sir, the CCTVs are on," Richard whispered and made me look back at him and now my expression had changed. 

"Never remind me of the obvious, take me to the hospital now!" 

Richard personally drove the car, he did not bring the driver with us to avoid causing too much scene of what was about to happen. The traffic slowly enveloped my anger and as I paced my breathing once again, Richard's eyes were on me as I peered in the rearview mirror, 

"I won't hurt him, relax will you?"

"Ms. Harper requested this issue be kept a secret,"

"What do you mean?"

"She requested that I should cover for her and withhold the information until she receives a formal decision from the hospital."

"She's being removed from the job she loves, how can she keep quiet all this time?!"

"Sir, I think your father knows about your relationship."

"My dad stepped down as the head of the Rossi but he never let go of the power he holds in the family. If we want to survive we must act now."

"Yes sir."

A ticket to leave the family was an expensive price to pay, and letting go of the name "heir" to Rossi Enterprise comes with both benefits and downsides thus breaking free from the Rossi Family was an implausible dream. My name was etched on the family tree, all dirty secrets and conspiracies were written in my name. 

I arrived in the hospital at 7 PM, President Garner was in his office tied up with work. As I came to the lobby I could feel eyes staring at me, all were judging me and all were surprised that I was in the hospital with just my assistant.

"President Garner is still in the office, sir."

"I know." 

"Do you want me —"

"Don't, but please do page Isabelle's immediate supervisor." 

Walking up to the elevator, Richard was quick to his job, and as soon as I opened the office door with a welcome tea on the CEO's coffee table, 

"Welcome back, Mr. Rossi."

"Mmm…"

"This is a surprise, after the turnover you just send your liaison officer to discuss a few things with the company. You don't need to come down here and-"

"Did my father pay you a visit?"

President Garner just brushed off the question with his bespectacled look and took a long sip of his tea, 

"Tell me, why did you never mention this to the liaison officer?"

"Your father mentioned never to speak a word of his visit to my office, I am wondering who slipped the information."

"I bought the hospital with my money, and not with the funding from the Rossi's Holdings much less to the enterprise, rest assured you are far from the danger zone if any crossfire between my father and me."

"Your family is dangerous, Mr. Rossi, I am going to risk my safety or my children's safety because of the game your family is playing."

"Whatever my father has requested you can forget about it, I own the hospital, and I don't want to hear anything ridiculous again. I'll send my team over we will be monitoring the hospital from now on."

After reaching an impasse with the paranoid Garner, Richard drove me home after stopping by at a local restaurant where Isabelle loved the Caesar salad they served and the brownies. It was late and I was sure Emily and Code were still in the apartment, thrashing the whole place. Richard did not stay for too long and decided to go back to the office to do more work. 

The lights in the building were on and the security system was up, it was a fairly safe area, and ever since I bought the building other establishments decided to renovate theirs, and once the peaceful village had become livelier - just like how Isabelle imagined it. 

I punched in the security code and the moment I entered the apartment, there was silence. I unconsciously reached out for my gun stashed on the left side and slowly went inside the room while being vigilant. 

But I did not see anyone in it, the security was up so if there were any intruders the alarm would go off without stopping. I placed my gun down and went to the living room and saw Isabelle sleeping on the couch.

Finally, I guess tonight I could sleep without my one eye open, Emily left the building. I scanned the whole room and saw the candle-lit dinner she prepared, did I miss anything? Did Isabelle call this afternoon and I forget about it? 

I stroked her soft face and she squirmed close to me, her eyes were closed but her nose kept on sniffing until she rested on my embrace, I poised myself close to her on the couch and finally settled beside her in the couch, 

"Do you want to go to bed?"

She shook her head and, "No, we can snuggle here."

"Do you love your job?"

"I like you more."

"That's different though."

"I saw your dad in President Garner's office that day before they asked me for a mandatory leave, you know."

"And you did not mention this because you did not want to cause me trouble?"

"I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me, Dom. Especially your relationship with your father."

This time she touched my face and snuggled closer, 

"I am an orphan, I don't have memories of my mother or father. I was adopted by my foster family until they left me here in Porta Sole, I was lucky that your mom's foundation picked me and provided all the needs I needed."

"My life was tough from the very beginning and now I become a nurse to help anyone in need, I don't have a lot in my name but I know I like being here in your arms. So, if I can sacrifice one or two things for you then I will." 

I listened to her speak while her eyes closed, I could feel her heartbeat as it synced mine. I gently caressed her hair and hugged her closer. 

"This relationship is a first for me and I may have my own lapses, I will disappoint you in the future because of my choices, I may even break one or two promises or even place you in danger, being with me is a challenge not because I don't love you but because of my family. That's why I only ask one thing from you Isabelle, whenever things like that happen again be sure to let me know because I will protect you no matter what." she nodded in my embrace.

After a little while, I started to play with her hair just like how I usually do with my mom when she was still alive. I had fond memories with my mom when I was a kid and now I wanted Isabelle to meet her, someday soon I would bring her to mom. 

"What's your childhood like?" She asked. 

I smiled at her and told her stories about my mom and even my dad before my mother passed. We were like the usual happy family, my parents liked to go out on picnics, hiking, and even the beach. I grew up in a place where love and acceptance were abundant. My grandfather doted on me because I looked just like him when he was a child. 

My father would bring me to the office and show me how he worked but all these happy memories stopped when the Ivanovs launched their first attack. My parents' relationship began to go sour and they were constantly at each other's throats in private, they would talk in hush tones as if I would not hear them but I did. 

My father overworked himself and my mom spent her time with Aunt Erin and their charities, they would set up a day or week to take me out and they would pretend to love each other until I was 11. 

There were different reasons why their relationship turned sour, all I knew was my mother was obsessed with my father's affair with his secretary and my father lost interest in appeasing her until her death. But all I knew was my father would still cry for my mother from time to time in his study room. 

 Isabelle was listening to me intently so before I colored our evening with dark grey and depression, I swiftly changed the topic as I saw the table with our supposed dinner, 

"Did you cook?"

"I did!" 

"Did Emily know?"

"I kicked them out before I decided to cook us dinner, they've been here all week and to be honest, I just want to be with you right now and listen to your stories."

"You won't fool me with that look, so what do you want to know? I told you everything."

"C'mon, I want to know my Dominic Rossi more."

'Her Dominic Rossi?' I gazed into her hazel eyes and surrendered "Fine,"

I kissed her forehead and said, 

"I'll tell you more after dinner."

My phone vibrated in my pocket as she stood to reheat the dishes, my eyes followed her figure as she ran towards the kitchen. I did not check who was calling so I unconsciously swiped right to answer the call when I heard my father's threatening voice on the other line, 

[Get your ass here right now or else I will slaughter her myself.]

"Hello to you too, father."

[Go home.]

My eyes showed no emotion as it glanced towards the kitchen and she clumsily prepared the food for us, she would occasionally smile at me and I would reply with a reassuring smile. 

I put the phone down when Antonio sent a text message with a photo I kept from Solar City, 

[Watch your 6, couz. Your secret is out.]

Fuck.