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“No, I don’t love him. Infact, I have never loved him. I thought that I was in love with him, but now I have realised that it was nothing but attraction, which has faded away,” I told him truthfully.

He looked relieved at my answer.

It was true. I had realised that I never loved Albert. Maybe, I felt all that out of sympathy for him.

He was an orphan, who grew up in a violent orphanage, where he got beaten for every mistake he made. He had no friends, I was the first one he opened up to. I had always felt bad for him, so I always tried to be there for him whenever he needed me. I guess that was the reason, I didn’t refuse him when he proposed me, because my heart didn’t want to hurt him.

I guess that I had taken my feelings of not hurting him in any way, as love. I knew that I cared for him, even now. But it is just as a friend.

Because, what I was feeling with Ermanno, I had never felt it before. He was like a drug to me and I craved to spend each minute of my day with him. I missed him so much so, that I feel physical pain, whenever he was not with me.

He broke my chain of thoughts by saying, “I am glad to hear that, amore mio. Perché mi sono innamorato di te, profoundamente e follemente.”

(Because I have fallen in love with you, deeply and madly.)

He was gazing at me with innumerable emotions swirling into his hypnotizing orbs. His words pulled my heart but I didn’t understood his meaning. Maybe, it was the way he was looking at me which was affecting my heart.

I asked him curiously, “Why do you use Italian with me when you know that I can’t understand a single sentence?”

He chuckled at me and spoke, “Because I know it irritates you not understanding any of it. And you look so adorable with that expression.”

I pouted at him, “You are so mean, Mr. Ermanno D’Amelio.”

“And you are too cute, soon-to-be Mrs. Ermanno D’Amelio,” he winked at me.

I blushed at his words. My heart jumped in my throat hearing his name attached to my identity.

We were interrupted by a voice from behind us, “Finally found the both of you here after searching for you all around the mansion.”

I turned around to find, it was Adele. My heart felt a little disappointment for being interrupted during my alone time with Ermanno. I wanted to spend all day alone with him. I wanted to get to know more about him. And fortunately, he was even opening up to me by his own will.

We were finally getting to know each other. But, I guess that I had jinxed my own happiness.

I shook my thoughts and plastered a small smile on my face. She was our friend and I should not think like that about her.

I got up to greet her. She enveloped me into a warm hug. Then, she sat next to Ermanno and started asking about his health.

At the same time Francesca came to call us for lunch. But Ermanno told her, “Can you please set it here itself. The weather is so good and I want to take some more fresh here.”

She politely smiled at him, “Sure, dear.”

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The table was set with our lunch. A spare bench was also placed, so that I could sit on it as the other one was occupied by Adele and Ermanno. Mine was across theirs.

Unwillingly, I sat on it, but to my utter surprise and joy, Ermanno stood up from his place and came to sit beside me. A couldn’t contain the small smile threatening to form on my lips.

I served his pasta which chicken in it. Adele also dug into her food. Just as I began to feed him, I noticed that Francesca had forgotten place water for us. She was not there to bring, so I excused myself to bring it in case, anyone needed it while eating.

When I returned back with a jug of water, the sight clenched my heart painfully in my chest. Adele was feeding Ermanno, who was refusing to eat. But she kept on insisting and shoving the food towards his mouth.

Was it jealousy that I was feeling at the moment?

When his gaze fell upon me, he looked a little relief and told Adele, “See Rosa has come back. She can feed me now.”

Adele turned to look at me and spoke, “Oh! I thought to make him eat until you came, so that it won’t get late for his medicines.’

“Two minutes is not late, Adele,” Ermanno rolled his eyes at her.

She shrugged at him with a smile. She left my place and I sat there. I started feeding him, but my mood was ruined.

My heart was hating Adele for ruining my moments with him, but I knew deep inside that she was doing all that as a friend. Afterall, they have known each other since childhood. They must be having a strong bond.

Ermanno asked me to serve myself too and eat along with him. I had lost my appetite so I made an excuse that I would eat later. But, how could I forget how stubborn, he could be. He refused to eat until I did so.

Sighing, I served myself too some of the pasta. He seemed satisfied with it.

After lunch, we talked randomly. She told that her father and Ric were busy too busy to find clues. And Alessandro was also hell bent to take the revenge for hurting Ermanno. So, he was not letting them rest even for a minute.

But Ermanno was quick to divert the topic saying that he didn’t want to ruin his mood thinking about Luca. So, the topic was diverted.

After sometime, her driver came to pick her. We bade our goodbyes before she left.

I turned around to find a wolfish smirk sitting on his lips. I asked him curiously, “What?”

“I didn’t knew that you were jealous of Adele, amore mio,” he said, looking completely satisfied.

Ofcourse nothing escaped his hawk like eyes. He was a Mafia King for crying out loud!

But was I gonna admit it to him?

A big no!

I replied to him, acting nonchalant, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You very well know, what I am talking about, my Rosa,” he said looking directly into my eyes.

I again lied to him, “You are mistaken, Ermanno. Why would I be jealous of her? She is my friend.”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” he asked me in a challenging tone.

I didn’t knew why, but I dared to nod at him. It was like his eyes were compelling me to.

But, he smirked at me and spoke, “No. I won’t answer that, amore mio. I want you to figure it out yourself and confess it to me on your own will.”

I just stared at him, while he continued to gaze at me meaningfully.

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