Billionaire Blood

chapter 23 - aria's birthday

KATERINA SOLDANO

We arrived in London a few days before Aria's 21st birthday. Everyone from both families were here including my dogs. Alexia stayed in France with her family for some time.

"Katerina! You're here!" Aria screamed while running down the stairs when I walked into the house.

"Hey Aria," I said while chuckling and giving her a hug, "I brought you some 'pre birthday gifts'."

"You shouldn't have. Really.... but you definitely should come up to my room to show me," she said taking my hand.

"Do I just not exist anymore?" Dante asked from behind me.

"Shut up. You know I've missed you," Aria rolled her eyes while wrapping him in a hug, "So... any news?"

"On what?" Dante asked pulling away.

"Oh I don't know... future babies and all that? I would like to be an aunt sometime this century you know," Aria huffed.

"Ari... we're not-," I started to say.

"There's no way in hell I'm ever going to have a child with that bitch," Dante interrupted.

A eerie silence so quiet you could hear a pin drop came over. Aria looked like she could've killed someone.

"What did you call Kat?"

"A bitch."

"You're a vile piece of shit. What did I do to deserve a brother like you. Katerina has been an absolute angel to me. She's the one who recommended me to Colette for the apprenticeship. She's the one who helped me introduce myself to famous designers. She's the one who called me during your honeymoon saying she was worried about you and your nightm-"

My head snapped up as I shook it at Aria motioning her not to say anymore but it was too late. Dante was flicking his eyes between Aria and I furiously.

"Are you two having a fucking mothers group about me now?" he walked towards me and grabbed my jaw, "Don't ever talk about me again to my family."

I twisted his nose hard and yanked it down, "Get your hands off me." He let go and walked off not before giving Aria a scoff. Aria immediately came to my side and checked my jaw.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why he's being like this. He's changed so fucking much."

"It's ok, you don't need to apologise."

....... 4 hours later .......

It was now time for dinner with the Morales'. Javier and Elsie sat at opposite ends of the table. I sat next to Aria and Mateo while Leon and Dante sat opposite us.

"So Katerina, how have you been darling? I heard that you and Dante spent time in Switzerland for Marissa and Blake's anniversary. How was it?" Elsie asked me first.

"I've been great. My business is flourishing and the mafia is following up on a problem that should've been fixed a few years ago. Marissa and Blake's anniversary was lovely. They bought a castle in which we all stayed for a few days," I said with a smile.

"What was the problem that your mafia is fixing?" Javier asked with concern.

"Dante hadn't actually killed Fabio Mortocelli 2 years ago. Right now Fabio is supplying weapons to the Americans, Russians and Germans. Fabio also threatened to kill my family if I didn't hand him money and Ivana Petrovic, so there's also that. To summarise, I'll have to kill Fabio and end the Americans but this all would've been avoided if Dante had actually done his job properly 2 years ago," I said stabbing my carrots.