The Borrowed Bride [PUBLISHED]

Extra Chapter: Forever

Part of growing up is realizing you learn to love so many people. It's about forming those relationships and finding what will last forever.

-Dylan O'Brien

SIX YEARS LATER...

Leila Fiorenza's POV

I held my precious baby girl in my arms I nursed her in her nursery room. She's really the precious angel I didn't realize that I would love anybody as much as I loved my twin sister before. My growing family completed the missing pieces in my life before.

Living here at the estate suited me perfectly as I thought during my rebellious days living a domestic life was pure hell. After my husband and I came back from Sicily things were different as he promised me during my recovery from my accident. The evil witch left the estate the following morning after Leandro went after me according to Lucia. Since then my life at Castillo de Joya became blissful with Leandro.

So many things happened during the past six years of our lives and one of them was this special day the christening of my daughter, Sofia. Our peaceful silence at the nursery room was interrupted when my husband came in with four mud-covered children, one of the girls was crying while the boys looks scared while other girl looks annoyed.

"Believe me," My husband said dryly, as they all stood outside the door. "Beneath this dirt, there were once clean children."

"Goodness!" I exclaimed when I saw their state of appearances. "What happened? Why were you all covered with mud?"

"Anton is bullying me again, Auntie." Laila and Nikos's daughter said between hiccups, wiping the tears from her eyes with her hands. "He and Makis want to give that frog to me when I saw them playing near the lake. They knew I hate frogs."

I threw a disapproving look at my five-year-old son. "I told you to stop bullying your cousin Helena, Anton. But how did the four of you become so dirty before the christening?"

It was Marco and Francesca's daughter who answered me. She placed her hands on each side of her waist like a mature woman. "I saw these two idiots playing pranks on Helena so I tried to stop them. We got into a fight and accidentally fell on the side of the lake."

I raised an eyebrow in her direction. Every time we have get together ramble was a common thing for these children. "Didn't your mama tell you to act like a lady and not one of the boys, Señorita?"

"I cannot let them bully my friend." She answered obstinately. No one would question where she got that behavior.

I focused my gaze on Lucca and Tatiana's son. "And you. As a future duke, I don't think your father will praise you when he learns that you are bullying a girl. I bet you will get an earful of a lecture from your twin sister when she learns about this."

"Mariya is the real bully," Makis muttered softly. "She always gets what she wants. Father spoils her so much despite mama's protest."

"Enough of it now," Leandro said. "Everyone go and take a bath, the ceremony will start in a few moments."

The children scattered to search for their respective rooms inside the manor. Once they were out of the hallways my husband closed the door firmly behind us.

"Where are the parents of those kids?" I asked as we gaze adoringly at our daughter. She's soundly asleep in my arms unaware of her coming fate later.

Leandro rolled his eyes. "Lucca and Tatiana were chatting to Madre downstairs. Nikos and Laila were busy taking good care of their two-year-old twins while Marco and Francesca lost their way again in one of the drawing rooms of this place."

I smiled warily at my husband. "Please don't elaborate the details anymore, okay? I'm sure it was an honest mistake that they lost their way to the receiving room. That happened in Lucca's official home before right?"

"Yes," He agreed with me. "Maybe next time we have to give them the floor plan of this place so they won't be lost."

"That's a good idea."

He grinned at me while he's trying to wake up our daughter by playing with her tiny feet. "She's so beautiful as you, mi esposa. I didn't realize that I could fall in love with another girl after she'd been born."

"Hey," I chided softly. "Stop that. You're going to wake her up if you continue doing that."

"That's just fine." He answered, fully determined to wake up our daughter. "She will be baptizing later so let's wake her up."

"Your daughter is really handful when she's awake," I warned him as Sofia started to wail in protest.

"I can handle a handful of women well, wife." He announced arrogantly as he slowly held our daughter in his arms. "That reminds me, we need to go downstairs everyone is almost there including Rafe and his wife."

"What about Lucia and—"

"They are on their way as we speak." He grinned at me, as he placed a light kiss on my lips. "Let's go and greet our guests, mi amor. We don't want them to get bored right?"

"Of course," I said brightly, tucking my hand in his arm as we slowly went downstairs to our waiting family and friends who were present to witness the christening of our daughter. Life would be forever perfect because of them. To the love and friendship through the years. I would cherish them forever.