Despite the feud brewing between their families, Anastasia Caradine finds herself saving Giovanni Hendrix. In doing so, the two find themselves falling in love with each other. But in this game, loving someone under their circumstances proves to be...
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November 3, 2023 Virginia Beach, VA
Anastasia adjusted the sunglasses that covered her eyes as she waited in the diner. Giovanni had messaged her on Instagram the night before, asking if she would meet him for breakfast. At first, she didn't want to give in so quickly, but later found herself accepting his invitation. She made sure to bring protection with her in case she needed it, but she hoped it wouldn't come down to that.
Ten minutes had passed before she saw Giovanni walk through the doors. He spoke to a few of the employees as he made his way over to the table Anastasia sat at. He removed the sunglasses that covered his eyes once he slid into the booth across from her.
"Hello, Mr. Hendrix." Anastasia said with a smirk. She removed her sunglasses and placed them down on the table. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this little outing?"
"What do you want?" Giovanni asked. He wanted to cut the formalities and jump straight to the point.
Anastasia's face fell into a frown at his question. She knew it would be a tough barrier to break through, given the circumstances, but she was still willing to try.
"What makes you think I want something from you?" Anastasia tilted her head to the side.
"We haven't seen each other in years and you pull this shit?" Giovanni asked, leaning back in his seat. "I'm sure you didn't save my life for nothing."
Before Anastasia could respond, a waiter approached their table. She took their orders and left the table.
"Let me make this clear to you, Giovanni. I don't want anything from you." Anastasia expressed, trying to hold back her attitude. "I did what I did to show you that I'm not part of this stupid feud between our families. I miss my friend."
"You expect me to believe that?" Giovanni asked, making Anastasia release a deep breath. "You showed your ass the last time we saw each other."
Anastasia released a heavy sigh. "And I feel like I've shown you that I'm worthy now. Can we move past that?"
"I don't trust you."
"And you think I trust you?" Anastasia let out a light chuckle as she shook her head. "That's something that can be worked on."
"What's your angle here?" Giovanni asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Do you find me attractive?" She put her smirk back on as she rested her chin in her hand. "I saw the way you looked at me at the party."
Giovanni was relieved when their waiter returned with their drinks. He didn't expect the conversation to take the turn it had.
"We're adults, Gio. Here, I'll make it easier." She reached for her glass of fruit punch along with a straw and tore the wrapping off of it. She stuck it into her glass and took a few sips from the drink. "I find you attractive, Giovanni. I did what I did last night to show you that I'm not your enemy. I never was."
