Billionaire's Best friend

Chapter 1: Where is Dixon?

Stephanie's POV

*

The warm Italian summer sun seeped through my purple and black themed lace curtains, casting delicate patterns on the walls of my room as I stirred in bed and slowly parted my eyelids. My phone chimed again, the familiar ping pulling me out of a sweet, drowsy haze. I groaned, pressing the pillow over my head, but curiosity got the better of me.

Pushing myself up, I blinked against the golden glow filling the room while imagining what it must look like outside right now. I loved admiring nature and taking pictures of the sunset, the beach, my family yard etcetera. Sighing, I opened the glass door and stepped into my balcony. Outside, the morning was a painting come to life – soft streaks of orange and pink spread across the clear blue sky. The cicadas had already started their morning hum, mingling with the sound of birds chirping in the garden. Dad's mansion, with its sprawling green lawn and centuries-old olive trees, looked like something from a postcard.

With a reluctant sigh, I went back in and picked up my phone from the side table, noting the dozens of messages as I sat down. Typical. Even here, in this quiet corner of Trapan where my dad's mansion was located in Sicily, there was no escaping the world beyond. But for now, it could wait.

Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I padded across the cool marble floor once more and pulled open the French doors. A warm breeze hit me, carrying the scent of fresh basil and lemons from the garden below. I glanced over the stone railing and smiled. The backyard stretched out like a paradise, a mix of wildflowers and manicured pathways that led down to a small pond where the water shimmered under the sun's embrace.

The morning felt sacred here, untouched by the rush of daily life. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, savoring the peace before the chaos inevitably beckoned me back. Just for a moment, I let the summer air fill my lungs, letting Italy work its magic once again.

The messages kept flooding my phone screen so I huffed and went to pick it up and as my eyes focused, I recognized the names of my cousins as they popped up on the top of my screen. It was from my messenger group chat which I'd created few years ago and named, *The famous clan*

Such an iconic name for a cousins and siblings group chat.

A sigh escaped my lips as I opened the message, a frown instantly morphing on my forehead while my eyes scanned the contents. Each of the entries had their own version of teasing.

Tonia: *Welcome to the big leagues, Steph!*

Jason: *Hope you don’t trip in those designer heels tonight. You're the star of the show, so own it okay baby?*

Luca: *Think you'll survive working with Dad?

This last one came from my younger brother who was unfortunately a twin to Lucia, the sweetest sister ever. Luca never missed a chance to poke at my nerves.

Smirking, I brushed the tendrils of my hair out of my face as I read their texts with a mixture of both anxiety and excitement for what was to come. It was surreal, really. After years of watching my father, Sucre Ambrosia, the infamous Italian business mogul and love of my mom's life dominate the business world, today marked the first day I would be stepping into the spotlight myself. The Ambrosia name would no longer just be his; it would be ours—mine.

Did I introduce myself yet? No?

Okay. I am Stephanie Ambrosia the second, a 25 year old Harvard graduate in business administration, a part-time vet, part-time model and business consultant. Yes, I learned a lot while in school. And the knowledge helped me to network, and make influential friends who would help if I got into a situation in the future. I'm beautiful, young, talented, humble like my mom and proud like my dad. And yes, I'm single but not really searching.