Chapter 109
Ariana’s POV
It was finally weekend… The week was busy and tiring.
Dante had to leave very early in the morning for an emergency meeting in Dubai, unfortunately ruining our plans with the kids for the weekend.
I am currently in the kitchen with the kids. Flour was everywhere. Sophia was covered in it, Asher was carefully stirring the bowl and Isabella was reading the recipe out loud, telling us exactly what to do.
“No Sophia, that’s too much vanilla!” Isabella complained in annoyance.
“But it smells good!” Sophia argued, holding the bottle.
I laughed. “Isabella is right baby too much vanilla makes it taste bitter, just a little bit okay p>
She puffed, “okay mummy”
We were all laughing and chit-chatting. It was a perfect normal morning one which Dante should have been here with us but unfortunately that stupid meeting had to ruin everything.
Ugh!
the doorbell ringing snapped me out of my train of thoughts.
“I’ll get it!” Sophia yelled dropping her spoon.
“No no you’re all messy,” I said wiping my hands on my apron. “I’ll go. Claire, can you keep an eye on the cookies in the oven? They have two more minutes p>
“Of course,” Claire said with a smile.
I walked out of the kitchen through the big living room and to the front door wondering who it was, we weren’t expecting anyone.
I opened the big heavy door making my eyes widened.
A beautiful farmilar woman stood there. I know I’ve seen the face somewhere.
But where?
Oh my god!
Right, it was the woman from Dante’s office.
Melissa.
She was holding a boy in her arms. He looked about the twins age and coincidentally he had Dante’s dark eyes.
The woman smiled at me. It was a nice smile, but something about it didn’t feel… warm.
“You must be Ariana,” she said. Her voice was smooth and sweet. “Dante has told me so much about you. You are as beautiful as he said you are, If not more p>
My heart was pounding.
Dante didn’t tell me she was coming today. He did say she would come but he didn’t say when. Why didn’t he mention she was arriving today?
I forced a smile onto my face. “Melissa, you’re welcome. Please come in p>
“Thank you so much,” she said stepping inside, looking around the grand entrance hall, her eyes taking everything in. “And thank you for letting us stay really. It’s so kind of you… We just have nowhere else to go right now p>
“Of course,” I said my voice sounding strange to my own ears. “Friemds helps p>
The little boy Leo looked at me with his big dark eyes. He looked so much like Dante it made my heart ache.
“Claire?” I called out.
Claire came out from the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel.
“Yes ma’am p>
“Claire, this is Melissa and her son Leo. They will be staying with us for a while. Can you please get the big guest room on the east wing ready for them? The one with the connecting room for the boy p>
“Right away, Ms. Ariana,” Claire said. She gave Melissa a polite nod. “Welcome ma’am p>
“Thank you Claire,” Melissa said her smile still perfectly in place.
I stood there feeling awkward. The kids were still in the kitchen covered in flour.
“So Dante is in Dubai?” Melissa asked still looking around.
“Yes,” I said. “An emergency meeting he left this morning p>
My heart panged.
How did she know?
Are they very much in contact with each other.
There is something about Melissa that didn’t seat right with me. I don’t know if I’m just being paranoid but… Gosh!
“Oh what a shame,” she said her tone light. “I was hoping to see him.” He’s always been so good at handling… difficult situations p>
There was something in the way she said it, something that didn’t sit right with me yet again but I pushed the feeling away.
I was just being paranoid or not… she was probably just nervous. I would be too in her situation.
“The kids and I were just baking cookies,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. “Would you and Leo like to join us? They should be almost done p>
“That sounds lovely,” Melissa said. “We would love to p>
She followed me towards the kitchen. I could feel her eyes on my back.
I took a deep breath. Everything was fine. This was fine.
I was just being silly.
The kids were going to bombard me with questions… Ones which I needed to find a way to answer.
As we walked into the noisy messy kitchen, a cold feeling of doubt settled in my stomach.
Something about Melissa’s perfect smile and her knowing eyes felt… wrong but I didn’t know why.