The Orphan And The Crown

24

GIA'S POV

I cascaded down the stairs of Alessandro's private jet. My stomach felt as though it was doing somersaults. I already vomited on the plane due to my nerves. I was feeling overwhelmed and nervous to meet him. Luckily I had Alessandro with me. I wouldn't be able to do this alone.

Kate is visiting her dad here in Manchester so we both agreed to meet after I see my dad. I was grateful to have Kate and Alessandro here with me.

"Here's a bottle of water." Alessandro offered me.

We were on our way to my biological father's house. The ride was silent yet everyone's thoughts could be heard. We drove for half an hour before arriving.

"What in the world?" Alessandro's mouth hung open, sharing the same thought that I had.

I felt my stomach flip when I saw the huge mansion hiding behind the high walls and the tall black, iron gates. After the driver buzzed to let them know we're here, the gates opened revealing the huge mansion. It was without a doubt worth millions of pounds. As we drove towards the house, I could spot a lake with white swans, a tennis court from a distance and a large yard. It was out of this world.

"Looks like you're a rich princess after all, huh?" Alessandro commented making me glare at him. He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender.

The car stopped at the entrance where a man stood outside. He was casually dressed but he's outlook screamed wealth and power. He seemed to be about 6'3 tall. Before I got out the car I looked back at Alessandro. He gave me a reassuring smile and squeezed my hand.

"You can do this. Show him what a treasure you are. I'll be waiting for you." He said before giving me a passionate kiss. I melted into his kiss and felt myself become less tense.

"Okay, I'll see you soon. Wish me luck." I smiled at him. The driver came and opened the door. I got out and fixed my dress before walking towards the man outside.

The closer I got, the more nervous I felt. I tried to keep myself composed even though I wanted to run back into the car. His face lit up and his lips parted into a smile. He had jet black curly hair, light brown eyes and olive skin.

"H-hi. I'm Gia." I extended my hand, slightly shaking.

A second passed before he opened his arms and engulfed me in a hug. I was shocked before I sank into the hug.

"God, I've been waiting for this moment forever." He whispered, his American accent sounding thick.

He let me go and met my eyes. I felt less intimidated as a feeling of warmth washed over me.

Both of us had tears in our eyes.

"You're so beautiful just like your mom."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" He nodded with a widening smile.

"Uh - shall we go inside?" He suggested.

I nodded. "Nice house." I added.

"Thank you. This is your home now."

The mansion was massive inside. There were two stairs cases on each side of the entrance with a large chandelier hanging in the middle. The floor had marble tiles and the furnishings looked expensive. I followed him to a living room.

"Do you want something to drink?" He asked.

"Water will be great thanks."

He nodded and left the room. After a few minutes, he came back with a glass of water and another glass with whiskey for himself.

He sat on a cream white couch the was opposite the one I sat on. A huge flat screen tv was plastered on the wall showing a sports channel.

"So, where do we begin?" He asked, chuckling nervously.

He looked very young. I read the report that Alessandro's assistant sent to him. He was only forty-two yet he looked like he had just turned twenty nine.

"Well, I don't mean to get straight to the point. But, what happened?" I asked.

He swallowed his whiskey and let out a breath.

"You're mom and I met in high-school where we fell in love. We were two young, innocent souls who loved each other. She's the love of my life and will always be. She got pregnant with you when we were both eighteen. Her parents didn't want us to have the baby and to make matters worse neither did my parents." He paused to take another sip.

"I came from a middle class family where both of my parents had two to three jobs to help us survive. It wasn't easy yet they still tried to give us a good education. Your mom on the other hand," he chuckled "she came from a very rich and well-known family. They obviously didn't want her with some poor guy who could barely afford anything. Of course they tried to separate us when they found out she was pregnant."

He paused and I nodded to let him continue.

"They forced her to end things with me. I came up with a plan for us to escape. We escaped and I took care of during the entire pregnancy. I got a job while I was studying. It wasn't easy but we made it work. Just after you had turned one years old, her family found us. They took you from us and gave you up for adoption without our consent. Her father was connected so he could pull it off."

I realized that the tears I was holding back had spilled. Hearing the truth, hurt me. It felt like I was being stabbed in the heart.

"So what happened?" I asked him.

He cleared his throat. "We stayed together. She didn't want anything to do with her family. We decided to study and work. I promised her that we'd get the best detective to look for you. I got successful through my business and she did too. She was a famous fashion designer. We did everything we could to find you but we couldn't. We spent all these years searching and searching."

"W-where is she?" I felt my stomach churn when I remembered Alessandro couldn't get any details on her.

He sighed and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"She tried to search for you but it was making her sick. She was depressed most of the time. The only thing that kept her going was designing clothes. However, she fell sick and unfortunately passed on just two years ago." His voice cracked. My breath caught in my throat at the revelation. I couldn't accept that she died without me meeting her. I looked away, blinking away my tears before meeting his glistening eyes.

"P-please tell me that's not true."

He came closer and sat on the couch next to me. "Can I?"

I nodded and allowed him to embrace me in a hug. All the tears came pouring as my heart ached.

"Life is so unfair. If only I searched for you guys sooner." I sobbed.

"Shh, it's okay angel. It's not your fault." He whispered in my ear.

"Your mom is probably smiling wherever she is. She's happy that we've finally met and now she can rest in peace." He gave me a sad smile. A tear slipped under his lash and he quickly wiped it.

"Gia, is that you?" A voice sounded through the room, grabbing our attention.

My vision was blurred by tears. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw Kate standing in front of us with a confused expression.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her. "Did Alessandro send you to check on me?"

She slowly shook her head. "No, this is my home. That's my dad." She responded. "Don't tell me..." Her eyes widened with shock.

I looked at my dad and then at Kate.

Dad shifted his gaze between, trying to figure out how we knew each other.

"The supposed long last sister I'm meant to meet is you?" Surprise heightened Kate's voice.