CHAPTER 44 - OLD FLAMES

Alina POV:

It's been a long day, Romeo took me shopping along with Mari, Jake, Issy and Luc, it really was fun. We all chose outfits for the night and got the royal treatment here in Italy, some press hounded us but nothing too overbearing. I managed to find a beautiful Dior dress, a gold beaded bust area and white silk fitted mermaid style dress, with a slit and matching Jimmy Choo gold sandals. It has a whole modern yet Grecian feeling to it, but I can honestly say I love shopping in Italy, its heaven.

I bought some more clothes but most importantly I stopped by Cartier, and got a gold necklace with a black diamond pendant and a matching bracelet with some chandelier drop earrings. It's perfect, so I'm going all gold. I refused Romeo's money and got some diamonds for myself and Mari, and something for Jake, since well he can't do diamonds like we can. We make it home just with enough time to get ready, the guests will be arriving in about two hours, and they are having the party at the villa. "Lina baby, I will leave you, the girls and Jake to get ready, text me when you are ready and I will escort you," Romeo says leaving our bedroom, all I can do is nod and smile.

Isabella, Mari, Kelsey and Jake are gathered and getting ready and Mari is finishing my hair. She has made some curls and put it up into a thin gold band that wraps around and is held in by pins, and leaves a few curls hanging framing my face. I have simple gold and bronze make up with mascara, eyeliner and a nude lip with gloss. Isabella looks amazing in her baby pink dress and long brown Hair. Mari is incredible in a black off the shoulder dress, while Jake has a light grey tux on with a matching grey bow tie and black shirt, Kelsey, so beautiful in her red floor length gown with her blonde locks on a ponytail.

I slip on my beautiful dress and sandals that twirl around my leg, and slip all my diamonds on, I turn to look in the mirror and I look like a Greek goddess, that's definitely the look I was going for. I hope Romeo will like it. No time like the present, let me text him.

Hey handsome,

I'm ready as I will ever be.

Mari and Jake make their way downstairs and I wait for Romeo making sure I look perfect. I'm about to meet his entire family and associates and have our engagement party all in one, to say I'm nervous is an understatement. I stand facing the floor length mirror fussing over every detail and I don't even hear him enter, "Wow, così bella," (so beautiful) Romeo says startling me and he wraps his arms around me, and we stare at each other in the mirror. "Pronto la mia bellissima dea?" Romeo asks and I nod.

(ready my beautiful goddess)

"Come mai, ora o mai più, andiamo bene," I answer letting out a long breath. Romeo looks absolutely handsome in his Tom Ford tux and black bow tie, he could be a model for sure.

(As I will ever be, it's now or never, let's go handsome)

"I will be with you the whole time si?" Romeo says, and I nod squeezing his hand a bit. We walk slowly through the house down to the marquee, between the dance floor and tables, there must be at least over one hundred people here possibly two hundred. We walk in and immediately we are photographed by a hired photographer and as we walk we are congratulated by people I don't know. Romeo starts introducing me to his aunts and uncles there are quite a few on his mother's side and his father's.

After about one hundred introductions later I finally get to spend some time with Mari, Jake, Kelsey and Isabella. "Kelsey, so you're the secret girlfriend of Dario?" I ask teasingly.

"That would be me, he definitely tries to keep me away from the life. I'm glad to finally be around all of you," Kelsey says with a warm smile, I like her already.

"Well, we are glad you are finally here with us, Dario is so mysterious, like a vault, can't get anything out of him. So what do you actually do?" I ask genuinely interested.

"Well I'm a nurse, it's how I met him, a while back there was a bad accident and I helped them sort of undercover when I found them in empty hospital room. I patched them up and gave them some supplies. Not the most romantic story but I guess it's life," Kelsey says and I do remember that awful incident. "He came back after he was well and asked me to dinner. He's not a man of many words but I guess I get to see another side of him," I nod and can't help but smile listening to her.

"I'm so glad you two found each other, it's not an easy life but he will keep you safe. He is almost as feared as Romeo," I say taking her hand and squeezing it. Jake and Mari are debating something or other and I look around but don't see my fiancé anywhere. "Kelsey, if you would excuse me, I need to find Romeo, please tell Mari and Jake when they are done arguing," She nods and smiles in acceptance and I walk off to find Romeo.

I pass by Romeo's parents and Luc, and give them a polite smile, my brothers grab my attention and are all over me hugging me and fussing, my mother gives me a hug which is still slightly awkward, but I'm trying. I excuse myself and keep searching for Romeo, I make my way into the house which is quite empty since everyone is out at the marquee, I feel safe since I can see guards everywhere. I make my way to the study and see the door ajar and I hear Romeo's voice, and I go closer, just as I'm about to push the door open I him speak again. "Alessandra, you have to stop this I'm engaged now," I hear Romeo say sounding extremely exasperated. What the hell? "I don't even know what you are doing here, or who invited you," Romeo says again.

I hear her speak, "well the invite was to the family, don't you miss me Romeo? What we had? We were so strong together, remember that night years ago, and again just a year ago, you didn't protest," Alessandra says and my heart nearly stops, I can barely breathe.

"That was a long time ago, we were kids, and as for that night it was before Alina, I told you it was a mistake," Romeo says sounding angry.

"We can be good again, you said you loved me, you said we would be together. Now you're with her, I go away and come back and suddenly I'm replaced!" She shouts.

"Keep your fucking voice down, we were young when I told you I loved you, which was stupid and I was really naive, besides you were with that other man, the last time I saw you, it was a mistake. You left and went back to him, you played me, you only love power and money Alessandra, you never loved me, not really anyway, and I'm not a cheater and I wasn't about to play your stupid games. Just accept the fact that this is over and I found the love of my life, I'm getting married," Romeo says and I don't know if I'm intruding, but I have never heard of this woman.

I look through the crack of the door, and I see a beautiful woman, long auburn hair, big brown eyes, full lips, and a killer body in her figure hugging black dress. "Romeo, with my families power and yours, we would be untouchable, you know that, we were meant to be together," she replies sounding very sure of herself. I see her walk over to Romeo and she kisses him, he grabs her wrists and pushes her away.

"I can't do this Alessandra," Romeo says taking a few steps back, she takes a few forward and runs her hands up his chest grabbing the lapels of his jacket.

"If you marry her, you can still have me, that's just a piece of paper. Romeo you know you need me, men have their wives and mistresses, I can be yours, you still love me I can see it, this would have been us Romeo and you know it," Alessandra says, my heart beats so fast I feel like I'm about to pass out, I knock over a vase of flowers by the door and it shatters loudly in the quiet house. Romeo walks to the door and pulls it open before I can run.

"Alina?" Romeo says in utter shock, and he reaches for me and I step back, Alessandra looks at me with a smirk on her face and gives me a wink. I finally feel my legs and turn and run to the indoor pool on the other side of the house. Breathing heavily, I stand in shock, what the hell did I just witness? Mistress? What the actual fuck!

"Alina, baby it's not what you think," Romeo says walking into the pool hall.  I don't say anything, I'm not sure what to think. "Speak to me bella," Romeo says begging.

"What do I say, I witnessed something I was never supposed to see, I have never heard of this woman before and she's proposing to be your mistress! What the fuck Romeo!" I say loudly almost screaming the last part.

"I would never do that to you, Alessandra is an ex girlfriend, she is still in love with me. I don't even know what she's doing here. We had something before I met you after not seeing each other for a while. I don't love her, I love you," Romeo says shaking his head and running his hands down his face. "You weren't intruding, if that's what you think, she feels like she has a claim on me, it's all in her head. I never told you about her because it never seemed important, she was gone anyway, last I heard she had some other man in another country, it's not like I kept tabs on her, she's irrelevant," Romeo says slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Alina, I just spoke to her in there because I didn't want a scene and to ruined the party. I have to say after everything we have been through, if you can't trust me and be with me without thinking that I'm purposely trying to hurt you or cheat on you," he takes a breath "I know I done some stupid shit in the past but I wouldn't ask you to marry me if I wanted some other woman or mistress, I would just stay single. I would have told you later, like I do with everything. If you can't trust me, then I don't think we should go through with this. I can't keep going back and forth, I love you but you need to make sure you love me enough to spend your life with me, because I sure as hell know it's what I want, but do you really?" Romeo says turning around and walking out. He turns one more time, "let's get through this party and then you need time to think," and Romeo disappears.

I stand stunned, I can't say anything, I sit down on the lounger and my tears fall. I'm ruining our relationship. I go to the bathroom to compose myself and fix my make up best I can. I take several breaths and try to leave when Alessandra is waiting outside across the hall. "Well looks like you don't deserve him after all," is all she says and walks away. This is supposed to be one of the best nights to the rest of our lives and I'm ruining it. Maybe I don't deserve him, maybe I never did, all I do is drag him down.

Instead of going back to the party I make my way to the bedroom and start packing. I pick up my cell phone, and call one person I know would help me disappear.

"Valencia, I need your help...."