"Where do you think you're going?" I freeze, sighing in defeat. Emilia and Sofia appear out of nowhere just as I was about to tiptoe up the stairs.

"Uhh-to bed. I'm exhausted. Goodnight." I say quickly hoping to escape but they corner me, blocking my escape route.

"I'm afraid my brother is gonna have to wait." Emilia says and I look at her confused.

"Your brother?"

"You honestly think Luciano's gonna let you sleep in your room tonight?" Sofia says chuckling and I blush.

"Uhh, I don't know."

"You're adorable. Anyway, when were you planning on telling us that you're dating my brother?" "We're not together Emilia." Both their eyes widen and Emilia starts cursing her brother. "That idiot needs a whack on his head. What the hell is he doing not asking you out?" My eyes widen when I realise that they got it wrong and I hurry to correct them. "No no. I was the one who wanted to take things slow." "What? Why?" "It's..complicated." Emilia rolls her eyes at me, "don't give me that shit. What's going on?" I sigh, figuring out how to explain. "Look, we're in the middle of a war with Connor and I'm sort of in the middle of one with Thomas. Anything could happen and I-I May have to leave to keep you guys safe. To keep him safe." The girls smile, shaking their head as if I just told them the sky is pink. "Oh you sweet thing. Luciano always gets what he wants. He's not gonna let you go no matter what Connor or Thomas do. We're family now, Alessa. And that means you're not alone anymore. We're all in this fight together." I swallow down the lump in my throat, fighting back the moisture in my eyes. I just nod and the girls smile, hugging me briefly before heading upstairs to bed. Slowly sinking down on the steps, I run my hand over my face taking a deep breath.I couldn't fight this war alone, not if I wanted to win. Maybe it was time I let them in. It wouldn't be easy for me but I needed to try. I owed them that much.

It's been a few days since Luciano and I got together. Sofia was right, i had been sleeping with him every night. Not that I minded, he kept the nightmares away and I slept like a baby. I knew that he was sleeping a lot better too so it was a win win for the both of us. I'm leaning against the railing on his balcony, waiting for him to come to bed. Closing my eyes, I lift my head to the sky and take a deep breath, enjoying the crisp chill air on my face. The sound of a camera shutter makes me whip my head back and I blush when I realise that it's Luciano taking a picture of me. "You looked beautiful. I couldn't help myself." He says keeping his phone away. "I'll return the favour someday." He laughs, hugging me from behind. I automatically lean back into him, enjoying his warmth and protection. He nuzzles his face into my neck and lets out a deep sigh. "You okay?" I ask, holding onto his arms. "Mmhm." We just stand there for while, enjoying each other's company in silence. "There's this charity gala on Saturday. I was wondering if you would be my date?" I turn around in his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Since when did you attend galas?" "Since it's my charity gala. It's the Moretti Foundation Annual Gala." "Ohh. Umm, will there be a lot of people?" He laughs, "Not many. Say a few hundred." "A few hundred?!" He nods, amused and I focus my gaze on his tshirt. "Are you sure you want me there? I mean, as your date? Cuz you know all your business associates will be there and Connor will find out. Oh god, Thomas will find out about this and he might-" "Dolchezza." "He's gonna be furious and do some shit and that'll make me livid and then-" "Baby." "I planned on taking care of that problem once we've dealt with Connor but that's okay. I'll figure out a way to make sure he doesn't involve the mafia in this-" A pair of steel grey eyes coming into view brings my word vomit to a halt. Luciano cups my face gently, as he smiles softly. "Amore, breathe." I take a deep breath and force my brain to slow down for a bit. "You think I haven't thought about any of this?. Yes, you and me are gonna be on the front page of every newspaper and tabloid magazine the next morning. Yes, Thomas will find out and he might send another warning. Yes, Connor will be livid. But I. Don't. Care. I want you by my side baby. I need you by my side. I want every single person to know that you're mine. I know that I'm not your boyfriend yet but I'm not letting you go Alessandra. The whole world is gonna know you're mine and I couldn't be happier. However I'm not gonna force you to do something you're not ready for. If you don't wanna come, all you have to do is say no. I promise I won't be mad or upset. As much as I want you there with me, your feelings matter the most to me. So Alessandra Morino, will you be my date? I stare into the eyes that I absolutely adore. Remembering my promise to let him in, to try at this, I take a deep breath and nod. "Okay." Luciano blinks in surprise before he lets out a huge smile. "Yeah?" I smile back, "yeah. I know there will be consequences to this but fuck it. We're a team. Well get through them together." He hugs me tightly, lifting me off the floor. "Thank you amore." "No, thank you Vincenzo."

It's the day of the gala and to say that I was nervous was an understatement. I never was one to attend galas unless you count being on the roof with a sniper rifle as attending. The CCC had their annual dinner but I never went, always giving some excuse. Small talk made me uncomfortable. I would rather be home curled up in bed binging on chips and Netflix but tonight was for Luciano. Even before I met him, I had heard about the great work that his foundation was doing. His foundation focused on giving poor kids an education, helping single mothers and abuse victims get back on their feet as well as giving back to veterans. Many of the kids he had put through college were successful doctors, lawyers and businessmen now. Most of the employees in his company were veterans and abuse victims. It truly was an admirable cause and I couldn't be prouder of him.

"The makeup artists are here."Emilia pokes her head into my room and I nod, following her to her room where the hair and makeup team she hired had set up. I hadn't seen my dress yet, Emilia and Sofia keeping it a secret from me. The makeup artist obviously had seen it though as he immediately starts applying makeup, seeming to know which shades to use. While he was doing my face, another lady was giving me a manicure and pedicure, painting my nails a nude shade. Once the makeup artist was done, another guy took over doing my hair. I had already showered, washed my hair and shaved so he could immediately start styling it. Emilia had purposely not placed a mirror in front of me so I had no idea how I looked like. From my peripheral vision, I see Sofia and Emilia getting all dolled up too.

"Ms Morino, we need to get you dressed." An older lady says kindly to me and I smile back, following her to Emilia's walk-in closet. She unzips the garment holder and I gasp. The dress was absolutely stunning. She helps me into it and it fits perfectly, falling flawlessly. I turn to look in the full length mirror and I can't believe it's me. Emilia had chosen the perfect dress, it was exquisite and I couldn't have picked a better one myself. It fit the theme perfectly, which was Gold and Glitter.

I step out into the room and Emilia and Sofia gasp in awe.

"Wow. I knew you would look good in the dress but this is just...wow." Emilia says and I laugh shyly.

"Thank you. I love it Emilia."

"You're welcome. I knew it was the one the minute I saw it."

"You look absolutely stunning Alessa." Sofia says and I thank her. The girls had gotten dressed as well, looking beautiful.

"Oh, Luciano got something for you. He wanted to give it to you himself but I want him to see you when you're completely ready." Emilia hands me a velvet jewellery box and I hold my breath. Carefully opening it, I gasp as I see the beautiful diamond set nestled in it.

"This is-I can't accept this. It's too expensive." Emilia chuckles, taking the necklace out and clasping it around my neck.

"He said you would say that. He asked you to wear it for the gala and then you can talk about this with him after."

"I already know how that conversation is going to go." Sofia laughs as she admires the necklace.

"There. Now, the whole look is complete."

A knock on the door gets our attention and one of the maids politely tells me that the boys are waiting for us downstairs. Emilia and Sofia head down first as per protocol. They would leave first to arrive first. Luciano's arrival would be the last meaning we would leave the last. I hear the girls laugh shyly and I know the boys are gobsmacked at their looks. I'm now alone in the room and I nervously smooth down my dress, adjusting my hair and make sure my makeup is flawless. A knock on the door signals that it's time for me to head down. Taking a deep breath, I leave the room and head towards the stairs. I keep my head down, partly to make sure I don't fall down the stairs in this dress and heels but also because I was shy all of a sudden.

"Vaffanculo."

The lowly muttered curse makes me snap my head up and instantly, I feel my cheeks heat up. Luciano stands at the bottom of the steps looking absolutely delicious in a black tuxedo that's tailored perfectly. But his eyes are the ones that causes warmth to pool in my belly. Those steel grey eyes are almost black with lust, awe and want. They roam my body, taking their time to admire and observe every curve. He extends his hand as I step off the last step, pulling me into him.

"Jesus, amore. You look-sei assolutamente bellissima."

"Grazie. You look handsome as well."

"Thank you tesoro. Fuck, you don't make it easy for me do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not leaving my side tonight dolchezza." he says possessively and I swoon.

"I don't plan to."

He smiles, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Good. shall we?"

We head out and get into his Rolls Royce Cullinan. The gala was at the swankiest hotel in New York, the Ritz Carlton in Central Park.

"Hey." I turn away from the window, looking at Luciano. He squeezes my hand, pulling me closer to him.

"We're a team." is all he says but it's all I needed to hear. I gaze into those beautiful grey eyes and in that moment, I knew I was done for. I was slowly yet irrevocably falling in love with Luciano Moretti and as much as that terrified me, it also liberated me. I felt giddy with excitement and before I knew it, we were kissing. It was sweet and sensual, unspoken words and feelings being exchanged. We slowly break apart and I blink rapidly, my mind all fuzzy and in a daze.

Luciano seems to be in the same boat as he gazes unfocused at me for a few long moments before shaking his head. Grinning at me, he pecks my lips again and I just laugh, neither of us having to say anything. We understood each other without the need for verbal communication and this kiss was one of those instances. I wipe away the small smudge of lipstick from the corner of his lips and adjust mine. We pull up at the entrance and from behind the tinted windows, I can see the horde of reporters outside, cameras snapping away. Emilia and Angelo are on the red carpet, posing for the cameras and I can see Luca and Sofia walking in, done with their session.

"I need to warn you. The crowd is going to go crazy when they see you." Luciano says, looking slightly nervous. I raise an eyebrow at him, "I know I look good Vincenzo but not that good."

He chuckles at my sassiness, shaking his head in amusement.

"Trust me cara, you do look that good. But that's not what I meant. This is the first time I've attended the gala, well any event with a date."

I gape at him, shocked."Wait, you've never brought a date?"

"Nope. I mean, Emilia used to be mine until she started dating Angelo but no, no one else. I know this sounds trivial but I'm a man who is a little old fashioned when it comes to these things. I'm not going to attend an event with a woman on my arm who doesn't mean a thing to me."

I gaze at him surprised and..happy. This was his way of indirectly telling me how much I meant to him and I was happy to know he felt the same way.

"Well then, I'm glad we're each other's firsts in this case."

He chuckles at my choice of words, grazing his lips against my knuckles.

"Ready to face the wolves?"

"We're a team baby. We're gonna be fine."

His expression turns tender and elated. He understood what I was indirectly telling him. He nods at the driver who signals the guy to open our door. Luciano steps out first and the cameras starts flashing, reporters shouting his name. They fall into confused silence though when he turns to me, extending his hand. I step out from the dark interior of the car and they erupt into yells and screams . I'm blinded by the flashing cameras and the noise is deafening. I'm a little uncomfortable, not used to all this but Luciano's tight hold around my waist grounds me.

We pose for pictures, Luciano even smiling down at me for one.

"Mr Moretti, who is she?" "Mr Moretti, are the two of you dating?" We're bombarded with questions and Luciano looks down at me, a questioning look in his eye. He was giving me a choice, allowing me to make this decision. I smile, leaning up and kissing him sweetly. He smiles against my lips and pecks me once more before looking back at the press.

"That should answer your question."

Everyone was staring at us. I mean, everyone. I knew Luciano had never brought a date before but seriously, couldn't they be a little more discreet? I caught more than a few women openly glaring at me and a few men were basically eye raping me, making me glare back. Luciano is in business mode beside me, his arm still tightly wrapped around my waist, holding me close to his side.

"You two put on quite the show out there." Angelo says smirking at us, his arm around Emilia who's smirking too. Luca and Sofia approach us, hand in hand.

"You're gonna be all over New York tomorrow Alessa." Luca says and I groan playfully.

"I believe the headlines are gonna be, 'Mystery woman succeeds in making Luciano Moretti smile." Angelo teases and we all laugh as Luciano scowls at him.

"I never smile because you're such a pain in the ass."

"How dare you. I'm the light in your life and you know it."

"That's Alessandra and you know it."

I blush as Angelo and Luca gag while the girls let out 'awwss'.

"Don't make me puke Moretti." Luca says and Angelo nods in agreement.

"You know where the bathroom is. Now if you'll excuse us," Luciano says drily and steers a chuckling me towards his parents who are approaching us, grinning away.

"Alessa darling, you look stunning." Giada hugs me and I hug her back, returning the sentiment. She did look beautiful in a white dress, while Sergio looked dashing in a matching white tux. "Alessa, pleasure to see you again." Sergio hugs me and I hug him back, returning the sentiment as well. Luciano greets his parents as well and Giada clasps her hands excitedly as she spots Luciano's arm around my waist. "I am so happy my son got his senses knocks back into him and asked you out darling." I laugh as Luciano stares at his mother incredulously. Sergio just shakes his head in amusement, seeming to know his wife very well. "Mama!" "Oh hush my boy. You know I'm right. You're lucky Alessa here decided to..well let's say she was kind enough to put up with you." "PUT UP WITH ME?! I can't contain my laughter anymore and neither can Sergio as we both burst out laughing, attracting a few looks in our direction. Giada just pats her son's cheek lightly, smiling sweetly at him. "Take care of her or we will be having another talk." With that, she smiles again at the both of us before walking off to greet the guests. Sergio watches her go with a loving expression on his face before turning back to us. "I've raised you well my boy. Don't prove me wrong." Is all he says before following his wife. Luciano sighs exasperatedly as I place a hand on his chest. "Another talk?" Sending me a sheepish smile, he pulls me closer to him, ignoring everyone else who's is still staring at us. "It was the morning you left for your mission. Mama knew what I..did and we had a talk about it." "She whooped your ass didn't she?" "Damn right. She told me that she raised me better than this and she was right. I couldn't sleep the whole night knowing what I had done to you cara. I really am sorry." "I know you are. And I know it won't happen again." "I really don't deserve you." "Ehh, I mean I do put up with you." I say teasingly, gasping in surprise when Luciano proceeds to kiss me soundly. We pull apart and he raises an eyebrow arrogantly at me, smirking his signature smirk. Slightly breathless and head still spinning from the kiss, I'm glad he's holding me up. "I suppose that makes up for it." He laughs lightly, planting a kiss on my forehead. "Thought so. Come on, let me introduce you to some of my associates." And with that, we start mingling.