Chapter 8 I stand on the deck and stare out to the blue sky as the sun recedes for just some time . Oddly , I have never noticed how blue the sky is until today . It reminds me of the sapphire blue eyes of my baby . So vibrant and full of life . I grin widely for the first time in a fucking long time . My baby , I repeat in my head . She doesn't know she's mine . But soon she will and she'll know there's nothing she can fucking do about it . I'll see her tonight . I stroll along the deck for a few seconds before I grow impatient and pull out my phone . I call my father . " I just arrived , " I say , staring about . " Place is pretty deserted . Did the venue change sometime between the last thirty minutes ? " " Valentino Lorca is aware that you've arrived , " my father tells me calmly . " Serena will be there to bring you inside the cabin we're at shortly . " " Who the fuck is that ? " I ask and my father lets out a long exhale . " Serena Lorca , Valentino's daughter who just arrived from Ibiza where she used to stay with her mother . " I don't need to know all of this and my father knows . Why this woman would be bringing me to my father and not some of Valentino's or our men has suspicion written all over it . " When will she be here ? The sun is merciless . " " Hello ? " A voice interrupts . I turned to see a brunette behind me . Oh good . She's here . " Never mind , " I say to the phone . My father hangs up and I turn to fully face the woman . I remember her now , Our families have always been close . As kids , she always used to hide behind the shadow of her brothers , especially for formal meetings between our families , How one person would be 1/3 Chapter 8 comfortable living in shadows is very mind - boggling . " Isabella ? " I ask her and she colors in embarrassment . " Serena , " she replies . But my words had been deliberate . I know what's going on . I know what my father has up his sleeves and Serena needs to know that I will forget what she looks like once I leave this deck . Whatever plans my father has to ruin her life by getting her tied with me will not work . Not like this is for her . I barely knew she was alive before coming up this deck . I make a motion for her to lead the way . She does . We walk on in silence for two minutes . " How big is this boat ? " " I - I don't know . " But that was not the question . I wanted to know why it seems that we've been walking in circles . " It's summer and it's baking outside . I want to know how long I would have to cook in my suit , " I tell her . " Are you this lousy a host ? " A serious flush covers her face and I feel uncomfortable as she stares at the floor and then back up my face . " I'm really sorry , " she says . " We're just a few more meters from the entrance to the lower deck . " She apologized . She fucking apologized . No. Fucking no . If I didn't have my sights on elsewhere , it still would have been a no on my part if my father planned to tie us both in a relationship . What the fuck ? We make it to the cabin below deck and my father is seated with another man around his age . Only , this one smiles more than him . The man smiles like it's fucking Valentine's day everyday with him . Unlike his daughter , his hair is jet black and his bushy mustache moves very often as his mouth crinkles in a smile . Valentino Lorca . As soon as we join the room , Serena Lorca goes to her father's side and proceeds to 2/3 Chapter 8 disappear from everyone's attention . My father and hers are in a discussion about the pointless masked ball my father holds at our home every year . Apparently , those in our circles would take any excuse to show off their wealth at a social event , hence , we always have quite a turnout . My own father personally loves that ball . Also , apparently , Serena will be there . Valentino Lorca chips this in as he and my father laugh raucously over some incident that happened the last time . Chapter Comments LIKE POST COMMENT NOW < SHARE 3/3