"If I show you all my demons and we dive into the deep end, and crash and burn like every time before. I would tell you all my secrets, wrap your arms around my weakness. If the only other option's letting go."

"I'll stay Vulnerable."

- Selena Gomez

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I stir and slowly open my eyes to a smiling Christian stroking my hair. I find myself still in his lap.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." I smile. "What time is it? I'm still so tired."

"10:30 am here in Rome and 1:30 am in Seattle." He replies.

"Oh, that's why I am still tired." I groan closing my eyes again.

"Mia dea, we have to leave." He kisses my temple. "Everyone is outside waiting for us. Before that, we have to change and freshen up."

I pout. "Okay."

He pecks my pouted lips. "I brought out clothes for you." He points at the dress lying on the chair.

I get up from his lap and go to the bathroom. I wash my face, brush my teeth, apply some body spray, sitting there.

It's probably Christian's.

I come to see Christian in his navy blue dress pants and no shirt which gives me a chance to eye him.

"Like what you see?"

I shrug. "What's not to like?"

He smirks, coming towards me, and suddenly hoists me up by grabbing my thighs making me squeak and wrap my legs and arms around him.

"What are you doing?"

"I am going to take care of the nest on your head while telling you a few things." He sys and seats me on the bed sitting behind me with a hairbrush he picked from the table.

"Okay? What is it?" I ask.

"Outside there is going to be a lot of security, so don't freak out okay? And if something happens always stay by my side, understand?" He tells me.

"Is it going to be that bad?" I wince as he brushes through the tangles.

"No it won't be, just a heads up, it's just going to be new for you."

I nod.

"Okay change into the dress and then let's leave."

He turns around changing into his white dress shirt while I change into the dark blue dress. I wear my shoes and I am all done.

I look at Christian struggling with his tie. I smile at his adorable expression.

"Here let me," I say and tie it for him easily. After that, I help him with his jacket and fix his collar.

I can't help but notice that we are matching.

"Oh, we are matching." I voice my thoughts.

Christian chuckles. "You look beautiful, precious."

I blush and bite my lip at the compliment and the new pet name.

"You clean out pretty nicely." I peck his cheek.

"Thank you, mia dea. Come on it's time to leave." He says tugging a gun in the waistband of his pants.

"A gun?!"

"Yeah, for safety reasons." He tells me taking my hand in his.

"Oh."

He smiles at me. "Let's go."

We walk downstairs and a guy there is standing with a smirk plastered to his face. His eyes rake over my body then he gives me a friendly smile.

"You snatched yourself a real bellezza, fratello." He compliments.

Christian grins at me. "Tesoro, meet my best friend--"

"--Rico." He Introduced himself, extending his hand to me. "È un piacere incontrarti, bella."

I take his hand. "Il piacere è tutto mio, Rico."

Rico looks stunned at my fluent Italian. I chuckle at his expression.

"She is a woman of many talents, Rico." Christian smirks at him.

"That I see." He still looks stunned.

Rico opens the jet's door. "Welcome to Italy, Victoria."

The pleasant wind hits my face as the door opens but the scene in front of me leaves me frozen at my place.

There are like 100 guards out there standing in black suits. They are standing in two lines from the jet till the place where some cars are parked, making a passageway for us. While the others are roaming around keeping an eye everywhere with walkie-talkies in their hands.

They all have guns tugged and are standing like statues with their hands folded at their front.

This much security? I thought this happened only in movies!

I am taken out of my train of thought when I feel a gentle squeeze on my hand. I look up to see Christian, his face expressionless, just like the first he saw me but this time his eyes comforted me.

But as he looked away from me, his eyes became stone cold.

Because of the look on his eye, I can't seem to recognize him.

He's like an ice-cold different person.

We both get down the plane with Rico behind us. He confidently walks through the path that the security has created, holding my hand and keeping up with my face.

His hand giving my hand a reassuring squeeze from time to time.

I can feel the gaze of all the security members on me, making me feel nervous as hell.

But thank god we reach a sports car which I'm pretty sure is a McLaren, a black and blood-red color. It is surrounded by many SUVs.

Christian opens the passenger side butterfly door for me and walks to the driver's seat where the door is opened for him by the driver.

Just as the door closes, Christian looks at me and holds my hand which I realize now, were shaking.

"You okay?"

I nod not finding my voice and take my hands away from his grip, turning towards the window. A look of hurt crosses his face but he covers it up with his cold, expressionless face.

See that's the thing. He is not understanding what is going on with me. I've spent so much time alone that I don't usually express any emotion.

My face says it all but I can't put in words. But right now I am so confused.

I was a med student and I am not dumb. I knew from the beginning that it's something big and Christian is hiding something from me.

Whenever he told me a lie or something, his pupils dilated, like come on it's so obvious. He always bites the inside of his cheek whenever he is lying.

But by coming here it's confirmed that he is hiding something big from me.

And I am getting answers when we reach his house.

▪️▪️▪️

— Ayla ♪

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