The Blossom of Rose

3 • Intelligent

It's been a week since that threat was made on us and a week since I slept with Luca.

To decrease the chances of another raid, I spent my time developing a software system and I've been installing it into every one of our branches. I love computers, it sounds very nerdy but that's my strength. My father never was too fond of my abilities and thought that I should only be used to extend his alliances, so he used external sources to provide protection. No wonder why we got hacked.

I'm seated in the lounge of our most famous club on a velvet grey chair, a glass of wine on the table in front and an iPad resting in my lap. A nude knit cardigan, a plaid grey mini skirt and nude, suede, heeled boots with my thin-rimmed glasses and my hair in a low bun.

"Everything has been rewired, Miss. I made sure of it myself." Seth, the head of security, responds calmly. He ticks every box for a security guard, tall, well-built, intimidating but I enjoy working with him.

The door clicks open, and I catch someone entering from my peripheral vision. "Thank you."

"Why is it that I come back to you changing everything, Rosie?" A familiar voice sounds, and a grin immediately overtakes my features. I jump up, wrapping my arms around his neck. I grovel in his masculine scent and a wave hits me of how much he's changed since I last saw him when he was 15.

"I missed you, Dee."

"I missed you too." Dante's green eyes are bright, identical to mine, but his deep voice is unfamiliar to me.

I study his features and take note of his changes. His style hasn't changed, the leather jacket still present, and his light brown hair is slicked back. Sharp cheekbones compliment his thin lips and an earring dazzles on his left ear. He's grown a couple of inches taller to at least about 5'11.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Marcus told me."

"You look well from the last time I saw you," his expression turns solemn and there's a glaze in his eyes. The last he saw me was two years ago when I stayed in Italy for a little bit. Dante did always love it there and we used a good excuse for him to escape our father, unsuspiciously.

"But a little fatter," a smile breaks out on his face and he holds up my wrist which has his fingers measuring it. While we were growing up, I would occasionally skip my meals because I couldn't stomach them. Despite him being younger, he noticed and would always measure my wrist with his fingers. If he wasn't satisfied with the size of it, he would sit with me until I ate a whole meal.

"Courtesy of Aunt Brie's cooking," I inform him, and he laughs.

She's my mother's younger sister. When I fled from here, the first place I went to was her house in New Jersey and I told her everything. From there, she quit her job, gave up her life and we made fake identities. She was the one who suggested we run around one of the biggest continents in the world as it'll be harder for my father to find us.

And so, Aunt Brie and I jumped from country to country throughout our five-year journey, until news of my father's imprisonment sent us back here. We were never allowed to see much of her while growing up but that didn't stop her from having a connection with her nieces and nephew. I guess you could count Europe as a way of making up for lost time.

"Oh yes," he steps to the side and gestures behind him, "this is Luca Armani. Leader of the Italian Lupis."

My heart drops at the sound of his name. My eyes meet his amused grey ones. My hands become clammy. My throat clogs with guilt. "You must've met him at his party I sent you to." Dante continues and I avoid eye contact with Luca but smile at my brother.