darling {c.l.}

t w o

As I slide my black oversized suit jacket over my black turtleneck and gingham skirt, there is a knock on my bedroom door.

"Yes?" I answer politely as one of the maids walks into the doorway

"Ms. Gambino, there is someone in the foyer for you" she informs me with a polite smile.

"grazie, Nora" I smile kindly before she nodded her head and walked away leaving the door slightly ajar. I slide my heeled boots on before I walk out of my bedroom with my phone in hand and decent down into the front hallway to find Charles standing in the foyer.

"Charles?" I question as I walk down the stairs, I notice a few guards standing around the room,

"bonjour mon amour" he smiles as he slips an arm around my waist before kissing my cheek lightly

"bonjour" I reply quietly a bit in shock not fully knowing how to react to his sudden gesture.

"just play along" he whispers in my ear as his arms linger around my waist as my dad walks into the foyer.

"morning Mr. Gambino" Charles smiles as his arm rests comfortably around my waist as they shake hands and I rest my hand on his shoulder

"morning Papa" I smile as I lean over and lightly kiss his cheek

"ciao tesoro" He smiles before walking away towards his office. 

"what do you want Charles?" I ask as I push his arm off my waist, and cross my arms out of annoyance.

"that's no way to greet your boyfriend cherié" Charles smirks, knowing he is pushing my buttons.

"please, never forget that I have a gun on me at all times, and I am not afraid to use it, now I ask again. what do you want?" I ask annoyed.

"I need you to come with me to a family lunch, introduce you to my mum and brother along with a few partners" he informs me.

"give me 5 minutes" I tell him before jogging back into my bedroom and grabbing my small purse and rest it over my shoulder, I put my phone and pistol inside, closing the purse and it latches itself shut before I flatten my skirt slightly as I check my appearance in the full body mirror next to my massive bedroom door. I walk out of my bedroom and close the door with a loud thud. I walk downstairs to find Charles standing in the foyer where I left him.

"you look beautiful mon amour" Charles smirks holding his arm out for me to take,

"don't push it pretty boy" I roll my eyes with a chuckle before I take his arm gently and he leads me out of the compound to his black sports Ferrari waiting in the parking lot surrounded by the other cars that are owned by fathers security.

"Where is your goon?" Charles asks as he opens the door for me as I step inside the low car and he quickly runs around and climbs into the drivers seat.

"you mean Artem? first off he is not my goon, he's basically been my bodyguard for life. and to answer your question, it's his day off, I wasn't on planning on going out today anyway until you showed up at my door" I reply has the engine of the car roars to life and he swiftly pulls onto the streets of Monaco towards what I assume is his families compound.

"so who am I meeting today?" I ask after a few moments of tense silence between us.

"my mum, who hates being apart of everything meaning most of the responsibility falls on my brothers and I, Arthur my younger brother, Lorenzo my older brother then a few of our close partners who are basically family to us" he explains to me.

"wait, why does the responsibility fall onto you guys? what about your father?" I ask confused, Charles falls silent and shifts uncomfortably in his seat.