Protecting The Principessa (Complete)

~ Chapter 41 ~

Ignazia pinned up her hair as she sat in the car, her eyes barely registering the passing scenery. The moment Adriano got them home, she got out of the car and into the shower. Not that she wanted to wash his scent off, because she didn't, but she didn't think her dad would care for it that much. And in fact, she was floored when Adriano even told her that because she really thought he would have just ignored her on that. Or called to tell Carlo what had happened, which would once more efficiently leave her pissed off.

And now that they were drawing closer to the house, she wasn't sure she was bold enough to confront her dad. It wasn't that she was scared of him, though she should be, it was just a matter of him being nonchalant in talking to her. She really did want to believe that her dad would be more open than Adriano was being, but she feared Adriano was more correct in the fact that her dad wouldn't talk to her.

She was going to say that not many men, or women for that matter, questioned him on matters, and something was telling her that she might be amongst the first. Or at least amongst the first to get away with it, if she could. She couldn't see her mom being some timid woman not to stand up to this man, but then again, her mom was in love with him before he became the boss, so over time, her feelings only grew. But she firmly believed that had her mom stayed with him that she wouldn't have been the type to let him win. At least, not where it mattered most anyway, and that was the house.

"You're awfully quiet," Adriano told her as he glanced at her before putting his eyes back on the road.

"Thinking of my dad and my mom. My mom wasn't a quiet woman, she wouldn't have let my dad get away with stuff," she said, swiping at the tear that was slipping down. She hadn't cried for her mom a lot, but she sure missed her.

"What do you recall of your parent's time together?" Izzy smiled at that.

"When I was a little girl, I remember my dad coming almost every three months. He'd spend a week with us, and it was the best time. I remember asking mom why daddy didn't stay, and she said that work took him away. I always thought he was like other dads in my class, that he just went on long business trips. But I learned that wasn't the case when a little boy in the class said that my mom and dad weren't married and didn't love each other, that my mom was the other woman.

"I didn't get it then, but when I went and told my mom what the little boy said, she swore up and down that wasn't the case. It wasn't until I was older that I understood what she meant. My parents weren't married, as much as I wanted them to be. They should have been, but when mom found out she was pregnant, dad sent her off because he lost his family. My stepmom was the other woman, and she knew that. She knew of the woman he loved and the daughter he had but couldn't be with. She didn't resent my mom, at least from what I've seen."

"Did you hate your dad for that?" Izzy licked her lips and shrugged.

"That he didn't marry mom, no. However, I was pretty young when I found out some truths about my dad. I wanted to be a normal girl with a normal set of parents, and I wasn't. But as I got older, of course, I grasped more. By the time I was 18, I was pretty much over my dad. After I came to New York that one time, the trips got less and less for him, so the pain was already there, you know. But my mom, she never stopped loving him." Funny, she couldn't remember sharing so much with anyone before. Not that she minded, in fact, she was almost thinking it felt good to release some of that.

"Don't be hurt," Adriano started as he parked the car outside of her dad's house, "if he's not open." Right, she had to remember that. He helped her out and together, they walked into her dad's house and then up to his office, waiting while Adriano knocked.

"Come in," Carlo said, sitting at his desk. He smiled when he saw Izzy and waved her in even more. "Sit down," he told her. She took the seat across from him and was waiting for Adriano to sit, but he just shook his head. Oh, she got it, she was on her own now; so much for him sticking by her side. "What brings you by, Ignazia?" Carlo asked and Izzy twisted her lip. Where did she even start? How did one ask what she wanted to know from the boss? Why the hell did it matter, this was her dad! She tossed things over for a moment, trying to focus on the right path without offending or upsetting him.

"What's going on?" she blurted out and Carlo raised a brow in question. "With me. Why am I being shot out and followed?" Carlo leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.

"Being followed, huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, dad. I know Adriano would have told you about it. What do you know about it? About who is doing it? Why are they doing it?" Carlo stood up and walked around the desk. He sat on the edge, causing her to look up at him. For most people, that was an intimidation act, for her, it only annoyed her.

"What makes you think it's you they're after?"

"Because it's me shit keeps happening to. What aren't you telling me, dad?" she asked as she stood up. She wasn't in the mood for bullshit and games, and she could read the man well enough, that's what he was going to give her.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. Adriano has your back like he needs to. Sure, some things have happened, but it's not like you've been hurt. So, there is nothing for you to worry about."

"Not a good enough answer." She tilted her head as she watched him. "You don't know who is behind this? Who's been behind the death of your family? Do you? So, you're hoping for a break to be able to piece something together. Is that break going to have me wind up in the hospital or in a fucking casket?"

"Stop it!" he yelled, standing up. He let out a breath and slowly shook his head. "God damn, I wish you were more like Sara, just accept things and move on. If I tell you to sit, you do it, you don't question it. But no, you have to be bright, independent, and a royal pain in the ass."

"Thank you, you taught me well then. I need to be the strong Principessa, right? Not someone that can be steamrolled on over. I thank you for the words, but you aren't getting out of the question."

"Ti voglio bene, Ignazia (I love you, Ignazia)," he said, as he grabbed her upper arms and placed a kiss upon her forehead, "Ma il posto di una donna non è quello di esigere (but a woman's place is not to demand answers). When the time is right, and if I see fit, I will tell you what I think you need to know and nothing more. Trust me, trust Adriano, to keep you safe and out of hot water."

"Yeah, forgive me, but I find that really fucking hard to do when neither of you know shit about the people behind this. And forgive me yet again, when I say that's really fucking sad given how long you've had to look into things and try to grasp something on it, Padre (father)." His eyes narrowed at her, but she just flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. She was above caring. She knew it was a long shot, her coming to talk to him, but she held out some hope that maybe he would share. That maybe he would realize she wasn't like his other kids and be more open with her, that she could handle it. But no, he had to be the dick, be the boss, and treat her like a simple-minded girl.

Well, that only spurred her on to do something that he hadn't been able to do as of yet. Figure out the mastermind behind all this shit, even if she didn't know where to start. Or know who the hell was friend or foe. Although, given the world, she was currently part of, wasn't everyone foe? Well, it didn't matter, she was going to do this because unlike everyone else, she was tired of looking over her shoulder and being scared. And maybe things worked for her dad that way, but she wasn't her dad.

"Listen here, Ignazia, I will not be spoken to in such a manner. I am still your father, and you will respect me."

"Don't like it, never should have brought me out, as I have mentioned a few times already. This is me, take it or leave it but I will not change for anyone." She turned to walk out the door but paused as she saw the folder sitting on the corner of her desk. It didn't take a genius to read her name on the edge of it, right next to Adriano's. And it sure didn't take a God damn mastermind to figure out what the hell that was. With every fiber of her being, she knew that was a marriage contract for her and him. And there was the proof that her father controlled more of her life than she wanted to believe or fucking give him credit for.