Chapter 16: A Big Favor (Part 1)

Julia's POV

Julia hugs Cecilia and stroke her hair, "why life doesn't fair?" Julia sat and leaned her on the wall. "I feel like everyone in this world looked at me as a disgusting person who needs pity. Do you feel pity on me, Julia? You came every single night!" Julia snatched her glass.

"You already drank too much," she help Cecilia stand up. Inside her heart, Julia wants to help her, but she doesn't know how to help her. Besides, she doesn't want to use her dirty money to helping Cecilia's surgery, and she hasn't met the right person to change Giusto dan Marcello's positions.

She lays Cecilia on the bed and sighed. She expects nothing about her relationship with Cecilia. Cecilia mumbles her parent's name. Julia stroke her hair slowly.

"It's already late. I should go home." She said. Cecilia holds her hand and embraces her.

"Why you did not kill him, Julia!? Why you did not kill him?" The alcohol effect makes every person who drank it blabbering. 'Every drunk person's words it's the truth,' but Julia belief that. She kissed Cecilia's forehead and smiled at her.

She's imagined what if she met Cecilia when her parents stills alive? Could be better? Will Rico interfere her when she wants a relationship with someone?

She's admiring her. She wants to be with her because she's an angel for someone like Julia, but will she love her back? Julia walked slowly and turned off the lamp. She stared at the sleeping Cecilia. "Good night and sweet dream," she said as she close the door.

She jolted because Cecilia's Nonno looks at her. "You about to leave?" Julia nod.

Julia approached him as she picked something inside her hoodie and gave him an envelope. "I found this at DiNozzo's office, and I think it's belong to you?" Nonno opened the envelope and he smiled.

Cecilia's Nonno put the envelope and crossed his leg. "Are you a smoker?" Julia nods.

Julia put her Zippos on the table. "I was, and now I'm not a smoker." She said.

Julia stood up, but Nonno held her waist. "Tomorrow, 5 AM, meet me in front of the building." Julia narrowed her eyes. When she was about to ask, he stopped her.

"No question, comprende?" She nods.

Julia walked outside, and she bumped into Rico. "Do you like her?" Julia guessed.

"How…." Julia stared at him and took a deep breath. "Bad person, huh? So what are you? Are you Rico? You, the reason Cecilia loses her parents! And you pretending to be her dad to get close to her!?" Julia exhales. She couldn't bear it. Every time Cecilia complains about life, she wants punched him. She wants to punch a person in front of her.

She wants to kill him, and again, she's a human. Julia wouldn't kill someone who doesn't have 'business' with. She already took Vito and Cecilia's revenge to DiNozzo family. For Vito, she killed the mastermind behind it, Rico's father. And second, Cecilia wants DiNozzo to feel likes her.

"How's about DiNozzo's assets in your company? Y-you still 'washing it,' right?" Julia shook her head.

"Your father already taken DiNozzo's assets last year." Rico pinned her. Julia's timid smile makes everyone shiver. "I can give you the copy of the contract tomorrow," she pushed him. Rico clenches his fist. He can't punch her. If he did, they will evict him.

"I want to go somewhere and don't forget to lock the front door." Julia patted to Rico's shoulder and walked away from there. "Buona Notte, mio amico!" She mocked Rico.

Rico lost his temper. He approached Julia and challenge her into a duel. He land first punched on Julia's face, Julia dodges Rico's punched. "Nonna said we shouldn't fight, right?" Rico ignores her and struck her again. Julia dodges every time he lands his punch. When he tripped, Julia took her opportunity to push Rico, and he fell.

"That's it? That was a quick one," she boasted. Rico takes out his knife and strikes her again. Julia kicked Rico's hand. A knife was falling into Rico's hand and she kicked him in his stomach. He kneels while he whining.

Maria, who witnessed Julia kicking Rico, approached them. "Are you remembering it's a neutral territory!? I'm 76 years old and both of you are young and healthy woman and man!" Julia took a deep breath.

She picked Rico's knife with her gloves and showed to Maria. "Are you recognizing this knife, Nonna? It isn't mine, right?" Maria nods. Julia returned the knife to Rico and helped her opponent to stand up.

"She mocked me!" She raised her eyebrow and took a deep breath.

"I said good night to him." Rico out of his words and bumped her.

Maria sighed. She can't let Rico and Julia disturbed another tenant, but rules are the rules. Maria gives Julia a sign to follow her.

Maria walked and followed by Julia to her basement. "Temperament is the thermometer of character." She said.

Julia took a deep breath. "Honoré de Balzac. Do you read his novel?" She took a glance at her.

"You know him?" She opened the door, and they walked in. Julia looking at Giusto's dead body. Julia looks at Maria and raised her eyebrow.

Maria shrugged her shoulders and left her.

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Julia wiped her sweat after she buried Giusto's dead body on the ground and stick the shovel in the dirt. Julia sat on the benches and closed her eyes. A foot step heard from behind her.

"I know your intention was good, but don't light a fire for another time." Maria said, as she gave Julia a slice of tiramisu cake and a cup of cappuccino.

She take a bite, "delisoza, Nonna!" Julia put her plate and took a deep breath. Julia stared at the night sky and smiled. "Don't hurt her, Julia." Julia looks at Maria.

She straightened her body and exhaled. "I tried, Nonna." Julia looks at the bracelet that Cecilia gave her and rubbed it. No one spake to each other, Julia takes a bite and sips her cappuccino. A silence breaks after Julia asking Cecilia's Nonno's condition.

"I saw him at the hospital today," Maria took a glance at her.

"Does he say anything to you?" Julia rubbed her chin.

"No," she said, "but he asked a favor to me." Maria sips her cappuccino as Julia tells her.

TBC