Mine To Take

CHAPTER THREE

|Mona|

"You know, a lot has changed since you left..." My mother's voice echoed in the kitchen as she helped Maria set up lunch.

Even with all her elegance and class, my mother still helped around the kitchen. It was her way to keep busy. We had put away my belongings in my old room. I was given a tour of my childhood home by my mother as she showed me all the new changes and remodels the house gone through in my absence. I was greeted by my cousins, Dante, and Gianni, who still worked under my father and practically lived in our home. The staff politely greeted me back. Everything still felt the same, but the atmosphere somewhat had changed. An uneasiness polluted the air depriving me of oxygen.

Maria gave me pinned look from across the kitchen as she cut the onions and placed them into the salad. My mother kept talking about the marriages that had occurred and the ventures and parties, it was an endless number of topics that did not have anything to do with the huge elephant in the room. The one that was crushing my lungs since the moment I arrived. I picked up an apple beside me on the table and took a bite listening to her ramble on when I heard a squeal that nearly made me jump.

"Cugina!" I turned to find a familiar face staring at me from across the room.

Catarina beamed beyond the glimmering lights nearly tripping over her feet as she sprinted across. I jumped out of my seat letting go of my apple at the sight of her. We collided in the middle of the kitchen picking each other up as we embraced in a tight hug. It had been too long since I had seen my cousin. She was my twin in every way including our age and though we had seen each other before I left, she could never visit me because she was under the strict orders from her father to never leave the states without his permission.

"I can't believe it," she wrapped my face into her warm hands. "You're really back."

"I am." I smiled, noticing the giant six-carrot diamond ring on her finger. Sadness clouded my mind at the thought of her being engaged to another member of a mafia family.

"I missed you," she pulled me into another tight hug. "You have to tell me where you been. The places you saw. I want to know everything."

I offered her a smile. "And I will tell you everything, but first—"

"Lunch." My mother intervened. "Let's go ladies, the men are already waiting."

Tightness curled around my stomach knowing that I would have to face my father. I gave a look at Catarina glaring at her diamond ring before nodding and following my mother out the door. She had noticed my glared giving my hands a light squeeze on the way out.

"I'll tell you all about it later."

The warm breeze of the ocean welcomed me back. It was hot in the Hamptons, where our mansion resided alongside countless other billionaires. The pool stilled looked the same, it was probably one of the few things that had remained untouched by the renovations. Beside it was our lunch patio where a long, crystal, glass table was decorated with expensive silverware. Vines hung around the gazebo entangled with blossoming flowers. It reminded me of our villa in Naples, Italy. The one that stood high on the mountains with the view of nature stretching beyond miles. I smiled to myself at the good memories that place had brought us only to disappear at the sight of dark slick hair combed back.

My father sat the edge of the table, sunglasses covering this dark eyes and strong features. His jaw tightened at the sight of me, and his lips curved a smiled. He stood tall, muscular arms stretched open beneath his custom-made suit.

"There's my princesa." He tugged into a hug as though he hadn't seen in me in years. He hasn't. It still felt strange to have him hug me like a loving father seeing his daughter after a long trip. I gently hugged back trying not to reveal the awkwardness of this hug. He then motioned me to take a seat in front of him opening the chair for me to sit.