Chapter 7 : Antiquities and Anxiety

*Sophie’s POV*

Luca and I barely got six hours of sleep before we had to be back at the villa. Mr. Rossi's late wife had been an avid collector of all art mediums. We were walking to a storage building on the property where he held most of her collection, and Luca was blabbering on about the bedroom he slept in being haunted.

"I don't think that's possible," I said, trying to stifle a laugh. "Ghosts aren't real, Luca."

He scoffed, "You don't know that."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, Luca. Keep telling yourself that."

"You may not be a believer, but I am. I woke up three times to a woman's voice saying my name. The third time, I swear I felt someone breathing on my neck. How am I going to get anything done when ghosts are keeping me up all night?" he dramatically pretended to fall over from exhaustion.

I rolled my eyes and listened to my work boots crunch against the gravel beneath my feet, "Stop. You're going to give me nightmares. If that happens, I'll kick your ass," I warned.

We arrived at the storage building and were met by Mr. Rossi, who was waiting outside.

"Hello. I hope you both slept well," he greeted us.

I shot Luca a look, warning him not to ramble about ghosts, "It was lovely, thank you."

"Shall we get started? I don't want you to feel overwhelmed, but there's a ton of pieces in here. I'll leave it up to your discretion to catalogue what needs restored."

I nodded, and started walking towards the entrance. I noticed Mr. Rossi kept his gaze on the building for a few moments before finally following us inside.

The storage building was filled with all manner of artwork; paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media, and so much more. The pieces were organized in neat rows and cabinets as if they'd been placed by an expert curator rather than a grieving husband who had to suddenly take custody of his wife's collection after her death. I was amazed at how meticulously he had arranged everything. It was like stepping into a museum.

Mr. Rossi seemed to sense my awe and smiled sadly at me when our eyes met. He cleared his throat and said, "It's quite a collection here isn't it? Giulia loved art - she dedicated most of her life to collecting pieces from all over the world. I hired someone to make sure nothing was damaged in storage, but it's been years. I know there are things in here that need to be fixed before they're displayed again."

I nodded and grabbed the notebook I brought with me so we could begin our assessment. Every step further I walked into the building increased my appreciation for Mrs. Rossi. She has pieces from every corner of the globe, African masks made of wood, intricate Chinese calligraphy scrolls, stunning Italian Renaissance sculptures. And my God, the number of paintings was remarkable.

"It's going to take hours just to look through everything," Luca noted.

"You're right. We better get started," I agreed as we began our lists.

As we made our way through the rows of artwork, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. This was a dream job for any art restorer, and I felt grateful for the opportunity to work on such a diverse collection.

I started making my way down the first aisle and was stopped in my tracks by a stunning oil painting. The colors were vibrant, and the brushstrokes were thick and impressionistic in style. I could tell that this piece had been well-loved, but there were some small chips in the paint that needed to be restored.

I pulled out my magnifying glass to get a closer look at the damage and was surprised to find a small piece of paper stuck to the back of the frame. I carefully removed it, revealing a handwritten note.

"To my dearest Giulia, I hope this painting brings you as much joy as it did me. Forever yours, Alessandro."

I couldn't help but smile at the romantic gesture. It was clear that this Mr. Rossi had loved Giulia deeply and had given her a piece of himself through this painting. I made a mental note to restore it with extra care and attention to detail.

Two hours later, Mr. Rossi strolled in to check on us, "Are we making progress?"

I put away one of the canvases I was holding and said. "Yes. We've managed to make note of all of the big pieces. You're lucky, most of them have held out remarkably well. We're almost done with the paintings now. That's where the majority of the work is going to be done."

I spread out a few of the pieces that were damaged on a nearby desk and pointed them out. He took his glasses off and leaned in, peering at the fractures and scratches with a frown. He ran his finger gently along the edges, shaking his head in dismay before announcing that they would need to be restored before being put on display.

"Well, let's walk over to the villa so we can discuss what work needs to be started first," he suggested.

Luca and I carefully packed away the delicate art we'd been inspecting and followed Mr. Rossi out of the building. We walked into the cool morning air, and walked in silence behind the older man.

The fact that we had the mansion, the storage building, our guest houses and the villa, all inside the incredibly vast territory of Alessandro Rossi, was another wonder. With ease, I would love to walk these paths every day without feeling bored.

I gasped when we reached the gate of the villa, "You don't waste any time, do you?" I asked Alessandro.

"Ms. Anderson, I'm a man of action," he assured me as I stared around at the landscapers taking care of the property.

Vines were being chopped away from the intricate carvings in the walls and waist-high grass was being mowed down. The gardeners were pulling out weeds and tidying up the flower beds. It was amazing how different it looked already, the lawn care making the villa seem newer and more alive.

"Now, tell me. What do you need to begin tackling the villa? It's the biggest portion of the project, and I'd like to get started as soon as possible. How can I help and what's your estimate for cost?" Mr. Rossi asked.

"Before we start talking money, I just want to note that this is going to be extensive and expensive. I'm not even sure you'd be able to recoup the costs if you decide to sell..." I began, but Mr. Rossi interrupted me.

"Don't worry about all of that, Sophia. Just give me the estimate and let me know how we can break ground tomorrow," he waved my concerns off.

Luca spoke up then, "Here are the estimates for the outdoor villa projects. We stayed up late last night working through everything, but you can go ahead and cut the cost for the landscaping, as you've already started that."

Mr. Rossi took the papers from his hands, and as he read, I said, "If we're going to get started tomorrow, I'm going to need a team of men. I need to move everything out of the property, and it needs to be stored properly so it isn't damaged. I'd like to use as many of the original furniture pieces as possible."

Mr. Rossi nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to be deep in thought, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was planning. I couldn't put my thumb on it just yet, but it almost felt like he was hiding something. I just hoped that whatever it was he had in mind wouldn't delay the progress of the restoration project too much.

"The men will be here tomorrow, and they'll do what you tell them. As far as the money goes, just let me know what you need. I'll handle payments as long as you handle communication and getting everything done," he said as he gave Luca and I an odd smile.

"Okay then, let's get started. I'll make sure everything is organized and ready for tomorrow," I said as I gathered my notes and began to pack up my things.

"I'd like to invite the two of you for dinner this evening. It'll be the last calm night we have for quite some time, and it would allow us to get to know each other a bit," Alessandro offered.

I smiled and nodded in agreement. "That sounds lovely, Mr. Rossi. What time should we be there?"

"Please, call me Alessandro," he said with a warm smile. "Dinner will be at 7 p.m. I'll have my chef prepare something special for us."

We watched him walk away, and Luca said, "He's an odd duck. I can't tell if he's a nice guy or an asshole."

I laughed, "I think he's both depending on who he's talking to. Let's remember not to piss him off, okay?"

"Got it. Now let's head back and get ready for dinner," Luca said as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Did you even bring anything worth wearing to a fancy mansion dinner party? I sure didn't."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I did. I always come prepared. And it's not a party, it's just dinner," I said as we made our way back to our car.

"Right, just dinner with a mysterious millionaire who owns a huge mansion and may or may not be hiding something," Luca said with a smirk.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You make it sound so romantic. Don't get your hopes up too high, Luca. He's just a bereaved old man."

No sooner had I spoken than I realized my words were untrue. Alessandro Rossi was certainly not an elderly person in mourning. He was a powerful, mysterious, and intriguing man who had piqued my interest from the moment I met him. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was about him that drew me in, but I knew that I wanted to know more.

“Right, and I’m just Ryan Reynolds,” Luca sarcastically quipped.

I elbowed him, “In your dreams.”

We laughed as we made our way back to the small cottage we were staying in, getting lost in conversation and speculating about Alessandro Rossi.

Once we arrived back, I stepped into a steaming hot shower and scrubbed off the dust and grime from the day. Once I was toweled off, I changed into a navy blue dress with delicate lace sleeves that hugged my curves perfectly. I pulled out a curling iron from my suitcase and added loose waves to tame my wild hair. As I was adding the finishing touches to my makeup, there was a gentle knock on my door just as I finished up.

Luca stood before me in a crisp black suit, looking handsome as ever.

"Where the hell did you get a suit? I thought you said you didn't bring anything nice," I inquired.

"I lied. I always pack a suit, you know this," Luca answered.

I shook my head with a smile. "You're hopeless, Luca."

I grabbed my clutch and we made our way to the mansion. As we approached, I couldn't help but admire its grandeur. The large stone walls stretched towards the sky. The windows glowed with warm light from within, creating an inviting atmosphere despite the darkness of evening. A massive garden surrounded the house, filled with lush greenery and vibrant flowers of every color imaginable.

Luca whistled low in appreciation as he took it all in. "Man, this place is amazing," he muttered under his breath before ringing the doorbell.

A few moments later, Alessandro Rossi opened up and greeted us, "Please, come in."

He led us through the hallway and into a large dining room. There was an exquisite mahogany table in the center, surrounded by beautiful, intricately carved chairs. The walls were adorned with stunning works of art, and candles flickered around the room for a gentle, romantic ambiance.

Silver platters of succulent dishes graced the table - from roasted pork with rosemary to homemade ravioli with spinach and ricotta to grilled vegetables.

Luca kept us entertained with his ridiculous stories for most of the evening, and I realized with a yawn that it had gotten quite late.

"Wow, time flies when you're having fun, I guess," I said while I covered my mouth.

"The two of you have made me feel thirty years younger," Mr. Rossi joked, "Thanks for keeping me company. It was nice getting to know you both."

He stood and gestured towards the door. We thanked him for the wonderful dinner, and Mr. Rossi walked us to the front door. I felt a twinge of regret that Jacopo didn't join us for dinner, though I had no way of knowing at the time just how much trouble he'd bring in the coming days.