Chapter2

#Chapter2

Valentina Point of View

/"Yes, yes, my sweet peach, remember him? This is your sheep in lion’s clothing uncle; Uncle Leo./" I told my almost year and half son showing his devil uncle.

Although the flight to New York was long and tiring, the joy seeing my brother, thankfully in one piece, is a delight. Leonardo Bianchi is many things, mostly bad, but he is a great brother, nonetheless.

Even he had to struggle to look after me after our parents’ death, he never complained about it nor did he ever mistreat me come what may. Leo is only five years older to me but I always admired him for being a good brother.

He is a devil, a good for nothing scum, an arrogant prick, a Bianchi’s trash bin; still, he is my only and lovely brother.

He was always there for me through thick and thin and for that, I can gladly keep up with his nonsense.

/"You are manipulating my image in my nephew’s eyes. How can you do that, sister dear?/" Leo whined, thankfully not to me but to my son.

Agustin laughed and jumped actively in my arms at the sight of his silly uncle who was being a child with him. Handing over him to Leo, I leaned back to the bedpost and sighed in relief.

It has been nearly two years but my room in Bianchi mansion is still kept the same. Nothing is altered, nothing changed. Everything is kept the way it was.

I smiled when I reminisced those good old days when I didn’t have a care for the world. Thinking about just how life can turn upside down cause of one person makes me detest him even more.

/"Your Lilliput is beautiful; both inside out. I like her./" I commented when I finally had the chance to meet the girl who trampled my brother’s esteemed ego.

She’s a keeper!

If only these men stop thinking so highly of themselves and for once look at others with a neutral perception.

/"Hmm. Rest Val. I can see you are tired so I’ll take cheesecake and play with him whilst you take a power nap./" I nodded my head to his suggestion and got comfortable on the bed as soon as Leo and Agustin are out of my room.

How would it feel if everything that happened two years ago never happened at all?

Will I be living a happy life with Agustin and him?

Or what if I never met him at all in the first place?

What makes me madder is that I’m letting the past still affect me. I wish I’m stronger to brush away the slightest of those feeling I still have buried deep inside my heart.

I wish…!

The nap brought back life into me and by the time I woke up, the dinner was already prepared. Ariel had fed Agustin and took him to sleep in my room. The dinner with Leo and his Lilliput was peaceful and amusing, seeing how they glared at each other every now and then.

/"We have a lunch meeting with the Director, Miss Bianchi. We will go through the details about the filming set again and once everything is confirmed in the meeting, we can start working from coming Monday./" Arran informed.

/"Alright. Anything else?/" Arran shook his head negatively and gave me the recent project files that the New York branch was handling.

/"Why did the planning team use same design for two completely different projects? Aren’t the themes of a wedding and an inauguration different?/" I asked him gravely when the senseless planning team’s handling abilities are slowly getting revealed.

Why the heck are they not using their creativity on patterns and new designs and rather using them on silly shortcut tricks?

/"It was the orders from the planning department’s manager, Mr. Villin. Apparently the inauguration project was from an old client of ours and Mr. Villin just took advantage of the client’s trust on us and prepared the default décor design to save himself from overworking./"

I was just away from the city for two years barely and even Villin grew horns.

How dare he play with the reputation of the company and hard work I had put in to build it?

/"Understood. What do you think, Arran? Should I just fire him for playing petty tricks?/" I asked and gestured him to take a seat.

He took his seat silently and looked up towards me nervously. /"I’m not asking you as your boss, Arran. You have been working with me as my assistant for years and dealt with all the obstacles in my path to build this company. So, I’m asking you like a partner who shared responsibilities of this company with me./" Arran finally relaxed himself and smiled back at me when the sincerity in my words reached him.

/"If so, then I wouldn’t agree with firing him./" Smiling at his reply, I raised my eyebrow curiously at him.

/"I agree that he is lazy and use petty tricks to get the job done but his authority on all the planning teams is remarkable. He has good command on the teams and he knows how to contain them in their limitations. I say, now that you are here, make him work to death. Pressure him to use his skills and as your employee and subordinate, he wouldn’t dare defy the boss./" And that is why I trust Arran.

I didn’t do a mistake in hiring you, Arran. You sure are a best partner.

/"Then I will leave it to you. There is a project for nature related photoshoots from Vogue for its upcoming anniversary, yes? Give the responsibility to Villin and see to it that he excels in this project./"

/"Of course, Miss Bianchi. I will be on it. I got all the receipts of the recent shipments for rare flowers and plants you ordered. They will be arranged and organized by tomorrow for you./" Arran informed and stood up to leave before he stopped and looked down at me anxiously.

/"What is it, Arran?/"

/"Can I be frank with you, Valentina?/" I nodded my head reluctantly, when I heard him call me by my first name. He rarely calls me by my first name even after I gave him the right to do so as I always considered him a friend.

/"You sound serious. What happened?/"

/"I hoped you did not return back to New York. You had to go through a lot for the past few years and seeing how he is in and out of the city frequently over the past year, I’m afraid you will be affected by it at some point of time./" It’s not just you that regret allowing me back here, Arran. I have a little regret too.

But then again, as long as I don’t have anything to do with him, I shall be fine. I will be fine for myself and for my son.

/"I cannot stop working afraid of encountering him in the future. How long should I hide in my shell? Somewhere, at some point of time, I have to be alright with everything life throws at me. So why not now? I’m not afraid of him, Arran. I hate him – nay – I detest him. All I’m afraid is, what if I really come face to face with him and I tear him limb to limb with my gloved hands?/" I laughed out softly, trying to mask the fear of the news about his unknown son being revealed.

No, I will never let him know about my Agustin. He never deserved me and he surely doesn’t deserve to be a father of my baby.

He belongs to the hell he made for himself and I will never let myself or my baby into it again. I was stupid at first to believe him, trust him even but now I’m a changed woman.

Come what may, I will never let him trample my life like he once did. This time, if ever he comes before me, I will be the one to step on him and squash him like bud of a cigarette.

Arran chuckled, almost mockingly, at me and shook his head ending his laugh with a scoff.

/"I don’t think so, Valentina. You have changed a lot over the past few years surely but you still are the Bianchi girl who was once blinded by love. You can lie to yourself but you cannot mask the remittances of those feelings. But I really hope you keep a tough front when you really encounter him again. Do not go soft, do not step back and do not fear that he might take away Agustin when he comes to know of his existence. Mr. Bianchi and I are always here for you./" His words spread warmth to my heart.

Arran really does understand my unspoken words after all. At least I chose a right person as friend.

I mistook an evil Demon for a lovely husband but thanks to what he did to me, I learned so much from the experience.

The newspaper kept on the tea table flew at the sudden strong gush of wind and landed in front of me displaying the front-page news of that spineless bastard with yet another model in his arms.

/"Don’t worry. He lost his command on me and my heart a long back. I emptied my heart completely when I decided to settle in Verona and he will not be able to change it whatsoever./" I assured Arran, stomping on the picture on the newspaper.

He can go to Hell for all I care.

The only thing that means a lot to me from him is, Agustin.