Italian Lover

Part 4's

“It is appropriate that you stay in Cotone until your car is repaired,” Lucius said. “And it will be done in Siena.”

“I can't let you..” Gina started to say again, her voice instantly gone, as soon as Lucius raised his hand.

“You must allow me to take care of and correct all the consequences of my sister's reckless actions. It doesn't feel right if you refuse my hospitality.”

“Then I have to accept it,” said Gina after thinking for a moment. “Thank you, Signor.”

Lucius' smile made his spine flutter again. “Please call me Lucius. And can I call you Gina?”

“Of course,” sahut Gina, in heart ticklish top

this unexpected change of circumstances. “You are very good.”

The pair of dark eyes stared intently at Gina's looking face, and stopped at Gina's beautifully curved lips. “It's hard for me not to behave like that to a beautiful woman. I know, it's my weakness.”

Gina laughed, trying hard not to ignore her stomach muscles that seemed to be dragging. “I'm sure you won't let anyone, male or female, beat you.”

“I said difficult, not impossible,” Lucius said subtly.

Lucius's eyes moved from Gina's face toward the open door again. A young servant girl came into the room. Lucius must have called the girl by pressing the bell

hidden, thought Gina.

“Crispina will show you your bedroom,” Lucius said after speaking with the maid. “Your suitcase will be delivered later.

In the meantime, you better rest first. The accident you just experienced could cause a delayed shock.”

Gina did not doubt him; she could feel the tension running through her entire body at that moment. He stood up, fully aware

the eyes of Lucius who was watching him as he walked to the door. Crispina returned her smile with a hesitant little smile. He shook his head, as Gina asked if he could speak English, and it made the two of them barely speak at all while climbing the majestic staircase leading to the second floor.

The bedroom he was given turned out to be just as grand as the rest of the house, and had a glass door that opened towards a balcony with a magnificent view. The bathroom is very spacious and Gina believes the water taps are made of pure gold. The bathroom wall was surrounded by mirrors. Gina observed her reflection

layered it wryly, his appearance at that time was completely messy. It turned out that climbing out of the car that was half-drowned in the hole left a mark that could not be underestimated.

Gina walked back to her bedroom then

take out a long envelope from his bag. Then he sat on the edge

bed and study the photo. The couple in the photo looked at each other

embrace and be truly happy. White and pale blonde hair the girl

exactly contrasted with the Latin face of her partner—they both seem

not twenty years old.

Gina found the photo while being engrossed

His mother and Giovanni Carandente met while studying at Oxford and the two fell in love. Knowing that their families would not approve of this relationship, they married secretly and planned to finish college before telling the family

respectively. But when her mother got pregnant, everything changed. Giovanni decides to tell his family in person, but unfortunately he has an accident on the way to the airport and dies. Two months later, despite her parents not knowing the truth, Beth is married to her ex-boyfriend, John Redman, and they both tell everyone that John is the father of the baby.

Now, sitting on the edge of her bed, Gina imagined the incident back, feeling again the pain in her heart.

Although their faces were not at all similar, John Redman's skin color declined to him. He could not possibly know the true events until at any time.

When he asked why his mother had not contacted the Carandente family herself, her mother simply shrugged. I knew nothing about the family, he said, except that they lived in

city of Vernici in Tuscany. When Giovanni died they were the ones who

dikabari, not himself. His mother learned of it after reading the news about the accident in the newspaper the next day.

“I was confused once that time,” his mother said. “I don't know where to go and what to do. If only there was no father

that time—“

“But he's not my father, is he?” asked Gina blankly.

“He's your father in every way. He gave his name to you—gave the house to both of us and a good life. He's a very nice guy. The best.” Beth's voice sounded soft. “I love him so much.”

“But not like your love for Giovanni?”

Beth shook her head, her smile becoming flat again. “No two loves are alike, dear. What I experienced with Giovanni was amazing, but will our relationship last, no one knows?—

His mother hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I'll know this is

it's a tough request, but can we just keep this a secret? John

you are unemployed as his own son. He must be very sad to know that you know that he is not your real father.”

Because she loved John so much, Gina did not want to tell John about the discovery, either at that time or

thereafter. But that finding could not be wiped out from his mind.

For years he kept the idea of coming to this place and

looking for its origin, it's just that the mind is nothing more than an idea, until now. He still has three weeks to go before starting a new job, which he hopes will attract his interest and ambition, which dropped dramatically a year ago. Once he started working again, his free time would definitely be very limited.

It was almost six o'clock in the afternoon, Gina saw her watch. He had been sitting there for over half an hour thinking about all this.

The question of whether the Carandente family is the same family as his father's family still has to find out the answer. Of course, the easiest way was to ask directly, but somehow he felt reluctant to do so.

Seriate…