The Italian's Fake Fiancée

36

Paige was startled by that question, and her face revealed the surprise. She hadn't been expecting something like this. Flavia sighed.  

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. I already know you love him why else will you be crying like that if you don't." She waved her hand in the air.

And Paige wanted to tell her everything. This one-sided love was killing her. She wanted to bear her heart open to someone else other than Naomi.

So she bit her lips and murmured, "Yes, although I don't think he loves me as I love him." She wasn't exactly lying, only that she wasn't entirely being truthful.

As she watched, a frown appeared on Flavia's face.

"Goodness me, did he say that? Or is it the way he acted in that made you think like that?"

"I...I can't really say," Paige murmured.

From across her, the older woman stared at her with patient eyes, then smiled, and leaned forward. "Then have you let him know how you feel, chances are he hasn't the faintest idea *mio caro**."*

Paige's blond head snapped up way too fast as she thought Flavia had figured her out. The feeling that came after that was a growing panic that settled in the pit of her stomach causing her heart to pound wildly until she realized Flavia had been referring to her earlier statement about Leo not loving her as much as she loved him only then did she release a hushed breath.

When she met Flavia's gaze again, the corners of her lips were lifted into a kind smile. She took hold of Paige's hands and patted it with one of her own. "Let me tell you a secret *bambina*. The men in this house are slow to understand their feelings and that includes your fiancée, Leonardo. But rest assured when he does, you will never feel like you are not loved enough."

'The men in this house are slow to understand their feelings' What did she mean by that statement? It confused and intrigued Paige. Was she trying to say that Leonardo didn't know he liked her? Alberto had said the same thing.

The glimmer of hope had opened in Paige's heart, and it banished all gloominess from there. And she saw herself and Leonardo laughing and smiling in the garden. 

So lost was she in her daydreaming she didn't realize when Flavia opened her chest and brought out something and placed it in her palm and closed it.

"Here i want you to have this."

Paige looked down at her closed fist. Though she had heard a jingling sound she couldn't tell what it was.

When she opened her palm, she saw a white gold emerald-cut diamond bracelet. Paige traced the stones admiring the bracelet until she remembered what she had heard 'Here, I want you to have this, ' and immediately thrust it back into Flavia's hands. "I can't have this."

"Why not, you are *famiglia*." 

Paige closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming.

"And you will be joining the family soon... Won't you?" Flavia asked.

Paige opened her eyes and saw the raw yearning in the woman's face and felt her heart break.

Is not like she didn't want to accept a gift from Mama Leo. But Flavia had given her that gift in good faith, believing her to be her future daughter-in-law.

There was a limit to what she can do and accepting a gift meant for another while knowing she was lying through her teeth about her relationship with her son made her feel like the worst sort of human on earth.

Did Flavia know how horrible that made her feel? Paige took a huge breath and without raising her face said, "I'm sorry ma'am but i can't accept this."

"Why?" the maternal voice pleaded.

Paige had already begun to shake her head from side to side when the woman's face closed off. Never had she felt this terrible in a long time.

Paige stared at Flavia, who had a stubborn expression on her face.
"You'II have to accept this and that's final," Flavia uttered and stood up and went to stand by the window in her brown two-piece attire and low heels seeming composed. Her hands folded under her breast.

Paige returned her gaze from the woman standing by the window to the bracelet she had dropped carelessly on the table and almost laughed. Had she just been bullied? But why did it feel so good?

It's been so long she had a motherly figure bully her into something that was for her own good.

Picking up the bracelet from the table, Paige walked up to where Flavia was standing, seeming to have made up her mind. "Thank you. I will take it." Only because she had already prepared her mind to return it to Leo after the charade was done, that was the only way she could accept it.

Flavia turned with a brilliant smile on her face. "I thought you were going to refuse me," she whined. "I like you. I really like you for my son. though you are Westerner, not exactly what I expected, but I can tell you are kind and I want you in my son's life."

The words were so emotional it touched Paige's heart. "Can I hug you, Mrs. D'Angelo," Paige asked?

"Oh, you don't have to ask," Flavia said, pulling Paige into a bear hug and do call me Flavia or *madre*. It's the Italian word for mother. I will like that very much."

"*Madre*." Flavia pulled away from the hug and gave her a brilliant smile.

"Now run along knowing Leonardo, I'm sure he would be looking for you soon."

Paige let a smile grace her face and nodded her head and then said okay. It was only when she got to the door that she realized Flavia had made her forget why she had been crying. Paige felt foolish for crying in the first place, but frustration had a way of making someone do what they normally wouldn't do.

\*\*\*\*\*\*

In a secluded corner in his lavishly decorated bedroom. Leo sat drinking red wine and on his second glass. His mood not particularly good.

He had gone to warn Alberto to stay clear of Paige. He didn't care if that action was so revealing, and knowing Alberto with just one glance he figured out there was more to this than Paige being just his fake fianceé. Though Alberto did not express any shock Leonardo was laying claim on his P.A but what he expressed was surprise he was doing it now.