Frankie raised his eyebrows up at her and smirked. He crossed his arms over his chest and ran his eyes up and down Alessio's body. Licking his lip, his eyes darkened. "Well, I must say cousin, you picked out a good one. Tall, dark, handsome, and very f*ckable might I add in."

"Frankie." Ashley hissed out. She turned to Alessio and smiled apologetically at him. "Please ignore him."

Alessio glanced over at Frankie before smiling down at Ashley. He turned back to Frankie and held out his hand. "My name is Alessio."

Frankie grinned and gave Ashley a side look. "I would take your hand but I heard pregnant women can be very possessive."

Alessio chuckled and pulled his hand back. "I have heard that a few times before." he said, grinning down at Ashley.

Her face grew thirty shades darker. She turned and glared at Frankie, motioning for him to get back inside the house.

He took the message and walked in. Before he closed the screen door behind him, he turned and sent a wink at Alessio while making the 'call me' motion. His laughter could still be hear even after the door closed.

Ashley sighed in relief and turned to Alessio. She blushed harder and looked down at her flats. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Looking down at her journal in her hand, she stared at it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Your cousin is amusing." Alessio said smoothly.

Ashley looked up and smiled weakly at him. Embarrassment was all she felt in that moment. "He's," she paused, "Frankie."

Alessio chuckled for a few seconds before he put on his usual emotionless face. "Well, I have done what I needed to do here. I'll let you have dinner with you family in peace."

Ashley nodded her head. "I'll walk you out."

Alessio walked ahead of her and opened up the screen door. He waited for her to pass through before stepping in. "You have a lovely home."

"You don't have to be so formal. You're not Dr. Morcelli here." Ashley grinned at him, walking alongside him.

"Who I am here then?"

"Alessio. Just Alessio." Ashley responded. She stopped at the front door and smiled at him. "Thank you for giving me back my journal. I appreciate it a lot."

Alessio reached his hand out for a second before abruptly putting it back down. He nodded his head at her with a faraway look in his eyes. "Of course. I'll see you in five days."

Ashley forgot about the deal. She frowned and grabbed his wrist right as he was about to walk through the door. She ignored the feelings that bubbled in her stomach. "Alessio wait."

Alessio turned back around and raised his eyebrows up at her.

She removed her hand and placed her hand on her stomach. "Is there something wrong with Isabella?"

"Isabella?"

"My daughter." she whispered.

Alessio placed a hand on her shoulders. "Bella is fine. You're fine."

"Then why do I have to be at the hospital?" She questioned.

Alessio sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "It's for the best tesora. I want to monitor your stress level to prevent anything bad from happening to you or the little bambina."

Ashley closed her eyes at his choice of endearment. For some reason, Alessio always seemed to cease her worries with everything he says. But she knew that he is hiding something from her. Something crucial. "Alessio please."

"Trust me." he muttered.

A tear dripped down her face as she looked him in the eyes. "I do. I just. She's the only thing I have left to live for Alessio. Without her, I can't be anything. I would give up my life for her. Just let me know Alessio. So that I can prepare myself for the worse."

Ashley felt a hand on her shoulders.

"Ashley, is everything okay?" Mayla's voice said softly behind her.

Ashley nodded her head and wiped away her tears. She didn't remove her eyes away from Alessio's. "Everything is fine."

"Hello Dr. Morcelli, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise." Alessio said, nodding his head at Mayla. He looked at Ashley with a unknown look in his eyes. "I'll see you later."

Ashley nodded her head. "Thank you Alessio." she said, giving him a look saying that she's not done talking with him.

"Why don't you stay?"

Alessio and Ashley snapped their heads toward Mayla who grinned. Ashley had a horrified expression on her face at her best friend's suggestion while Alessio looked downright confused at the invitation.

"We have a lot of food and can use extra help in finishing it up." Mayla raised an eyebrow up at him. "Come help us."

Alessio shook his head with a tight-lipped smile. "It's alright. I must be getting back home. Maybe next time."

"Nonsense." she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the kitchen.

Ashley's mouth shot down. She hurried after them and walked into the kitchen feeling all eyes on her, Mayla, and Alessio. She looked at Alessio apologetically and mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to him.

He smiled back at her and nodded his head. He turned back to the crowd and placed his mask back on. "Good evening," he said smoothly without an emotions.

"Ashley, who is your friend?" Elena asked innocently.

Ashley coughed and pulled Alessio towards a chair, wanting the ground to open up and swallow her whole. "This is Alessio. He's my doctor." Her eyes moved over the many faces. She stopped when she got to Dante's.

His jaw had been clenched and his eyes narrowed. A vein stood out in his neck, throbbing. He looked back between Ashley and Alessio, his face getting redder by the second. He locked his eyes with Ashley.

She raised his eyebrow up at him and sat down. She removed her eyes from him and leaned in towards Alessio. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't know she was going to do that."

Alessio shook his head and patted her thigh.

Ashley shuddered at his rough yet smooth hands touching her.

"It's alright." he muttered. 

It became silent. Nobody dared speak up. 

Everyone had been staring at them for the past few minutes. They were the investigators while Ashley and Alessio were their suspects. All seemed to have the same thought running in this minds and Ashley knew exactly what they were asking themselves.

Is Alessio the father to Ashley's babies.

"Alessio, tell me about yourself." Her father had been the first to break the ice. He twirled his finger around his wine glass.

"I'm a doctor, sir." Alessio answered staring at her father straight in the eye.

Her father nodded in which Ashley hoped was an approving one. She stopped herself. Why would she want her father to approve of Alessio?

"For how long?"

"Ever since I was twenty."

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-eight sir."

"Just two years older than my piccola." He said with a grin and a glint in his eyes. "Are you married Alessio?"

Ashley groaned. Even though Alessio didn't show it, she could tell that he is getting uncomfortable with her father's questions. "Papi." she glared at him.

Antonio raised his hands him. "I'm just getting to know him piccola. A man can't help but be curious."

"Unless he's a woman." Elena interjected, taking a sip of her wine. She winked over at Ashley. "Come on Antonio. Let the poor boy be."

"Let's talk business." Dante cut in, still glaring at Alessio.

"Actually, I would like to get to know this young man a little bit better. He might be perfect for my Carina." One of her father's partner said.

Ashley felt herself clenching her fist and glaring at the man. She grabbed a hold of her glass and gripped it tightly. She didn't know why but hearing the man say that about Alessio had her blood boiling. Could she possibly be falling for Alessio?

No she can't. There's no time for men.

She has a daughter to think of now and that is her priority. Also, men like Alessio does not deserve a woman like her. Broken and worthless.

"Any tighter and the glass might break." Alessio whispered into her ear.

Ashley shuddered, feeling his breath on her neck. She released her hold on the glass, turned and gave him a fake smile.

Alessio chuckled at her before turning to her father. "No sir, I am not."

Antonio raised his eyebrows up and leaned forward. "Do you plan on getting married Alessio?"

Alessio stayed silent for a few seconds. Ashley turned to him and saw his fists clenched underneath the table. She frowned.

"No sir. I don't."

"Why is that?" The man from earlier spoke up again.

Dante scoffed from across the table. "Men like him are not made to be a husband."

Ashley gasped and glared at Dante. She stood up but was instantly pushed down her seat. She looked over at Alessio who shook his head at her.

"Don't." he commanded her. He turned to Dante. "Do you have something against me?"

Dante raised his eyebrows up at him and stood up. He placed his palm flat on the table and stared at Alessio intently. "I do, actually."

Alessio leaned back against his seat. Ashley admired him for staying calm while Dante tried to get on his nerves. There were few men who could handle Dante's look. That was what made Dante good at his job. He sent the strongest men to his knee.

But Alessio seemed to have no problem dealing with Dante's look. He seemed almost amuse by it yet he didn't show it.

Dante seemed to also notice it as his jaw ticked and his fist clenched slightly.

"Please enlighten me." Alessio said smoothly. "Or are you just saying things because you think I'm here to take Ashley away from you? Let me tell you now, I have all the abilities to do that and I will if it means that she'll be happy."

Ashley gasped and looked towards Frankie who winked at her. She shook her head at him and turned back to the matter at hand. Dante seemed as if he couldn't get any more pissed than he already is.

"Gentlemen, please. This is a dinner." her father said. If she didn't know him, she would have thought that he meant what he said, but knowing her father, she knew he wanted them to continue on.

Dante looked at Alessio and then sat down. He continued to clench his fist and the vein on his neck throbbed harder.

Alessio turned his head towards Antonio again. " To answer your earlier question, sir, I am committed to being a doctor. Although I would love to be married one day, my line of work is not made for marriage life."

For some reason, Ashley felt as if there is more than what he is saying. She didn't press it though and sent a glare towards her father telling him to stop.

He didn't.

"Tell me Alessio, what do you think about a man fathering a child who is not his own?" Antonio took a sip of his wine.

Ashley's eyes widened and so did Elena's. Dante snapped his head towards Antonio with his jaw open.

Alessio, on the other hand, remained as passive as ever. "It takes a man to father his own child but it takes a real one to be a father to all." He gave Ashley a quick glance before turning back to Antonio.

Antonio grinned and tilted his glass towards Alessio. "I like you Alessio. There is something about you that belong in the business world."

Alessio cracked a smile but it was not like the ones that he had directed to Ashley. "So I've been told."

Ashley looked at Alessio. Truly looked at him. Her heart fluttered in her chest with what Alessio had said. There had been a desire in the things he told her father making there seem to more to Alessio that meets the eye. And Ashley is determined to uncrack every piece of him and see who he truly is. 

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