Chapter 2



Eight years ago

"You're all set?" Luca asked as he looked down at the gem cut paper weight in his hand.

"Yeah," Stella's voice was airy through the phone. It caused every string in Luca's heart to tighten as he gripped the phone and bit down on his jaw. "Can I call you when I get there?"

"You can call me any time," Luca rubbed the paper weight against his forehead. "You don't have to ask for my permission."

"I know....I just....." Stella sighed. Luca heard the car door close in the background and the dinging of the seatbelt. "I guess I'm just shocked you're still talking to me."

"You know what you're doing right?" Luca couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," Stella replied. "And I can have this conversation with you again."

"Just tell me you really thought this through," Luca begged. "Please...."

"I'm sorry, Luca," Stella said quietly. "Sometimes I wish it was you. I really do."

"Don't say that," Luca pushed down the tightness in his chest.

"I have to," Stella said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be the one for you."

"You are the one for me, Ell," Luca said. "Come back. We can still figure this all out."

"I can't," Stella said. "I really can't, Luca. I don't want this life with you. I don't want to be your bride. Please, I'm sorry but I swear you will be fine."

"Fine?" Luca laughed. "You're taking everything with you."

"You're going to make some girl so very happy someday, Mr. Silvano," Stella said. "And she will be the luckiest girl in the whole wide world."

"Stop talking," Luca shook his head.

"She will love you," Stella continued. "And you will replace the sun with her."

"Stella, stop..." Luca couldn't breathe. "Don't say things like that. I don't want anyone else. I want you, I love you."

"I know," Stella sighed. "And I'm sorry I couldn't love you back."

"Did you try?" Luca asked. "Be honest with me."

"Luc....."

"Was any of it real?" Luca asked. "When we were in London? Paris? What about the ice cream dates?"

"I tried..." Stella said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want your sorry, Stella!" Luca felt the frustration bubble up inside. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I don't want that!" Stella yelled back through the phone. "I don't! It suffocates me. You suffocate me! I don't want to be the center of your universe!"

"I suffocate you?" Luca's voice hardened. "So you want some guy who can't even claim his child in public. I want to give you the world but you want this guy who won't even stand next to you?"

"Don't make me regret calling you, Luca," Stella said.

"I wish you hadn't."

"You don't mean that."

"I do."

"No," Stella said. "You don't. Because no matter how angry you are with me, you still love me."

"And you always took advantage of that."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Stella said.

"Why are you like this?" Luca asked.

"I don't know," Stella sighed. "But I think the better question would be why did you fall in love with someone like me?"

"Think about your family," Luca urged. "Think about your parents and Daniel. Don't do this. Don't run away. We can tell everyone we just had a small fight."

"And live happily ever after with you and the baby?"

"Yes!"

"That's not what I want," Stella said. "Sorry, but I really have to go now. I have to catch my flight."

"You could have at least let me drive you to the airport."

"We just called off our engagement!" Stella said. "What will everyone think if they see you still by my side?"

"You're really pushing this narrative, aren't you?" Luca asked.

"Look out your window."

"No."

"Luca, look out your window," Stella demanded.

Reluctantly, Luca got up and walked to his window. He pulled the curtains back and watched Stella's car parked outside the gates. She rolled down her window and waved.

"I didn't want to see you today," Luca admitted, his chest tightening at the sight of her.

"Not even to say goodbye?" Stella laughed.

"Don't go....please," Luca begged. "Stay."

"Will you pick up if I call you from Florence tomorrow?"

"No, Luca lied and Stella knew it. She laughed as she started her engine and waved once again. Her headlights turned on in the dark like two blazing stars. "I'm serious. I'm never talking to you again."

"Don't break my heart now, Mr. Silvano," Stella pulled out of her parking spot and started to drive off.

"You're breaking mine."

"Because you let me," Stella said. "Do me a favor, when you meet Mrs. Silvano, don't give her that kind of power over you. Okay?"

"There's never going to be another," Luca watched her car disappear down the street.

"Oh, Luca," Stella clicked her tongue. "Don't be so dramatic. You're a fantastic catch. You'll find someone nice and sweet. Now, I'm going to hang up. I'll call you when I land."

"Don't call me if you'll keep saying shit like that," Luca said stubbornly.

"Okay, okay, fine," Stella teased. "I won't talk about the other woman. Bye, Luca."

"I love you."

"Good night, Mr. Silvano," Stella said. "Sweet dreams about me."

"Stel-" Luca didn't get a chance to ask her to stay once again as she ended the call.

Angered, Luca turned around and chucked the paper weight as hard as he could across his dark room. The crystal ball flew through the air before hitting the wall and smashing into a lamp. Luca stood listening to the disaster as the lamp shattered against the floor.

"What is going on in here?" Angelo's voice boomed from downstairs. "Gia! What are you complaining about now?"

Luca turned away to stare at the empty spot where Stella's car was. He heard his little sister's footsteps hurry down the stairs as Carla's voice moved through the halls. Whatever commotion was happening downstairs was escalating. Gia and Maria began to bicker and Angelo's voice was starting to pick up. Luca knew it was only a matter of minutes before the man's hand flew across his sister's face. He couldn't let that happen to her. Not when he was at home.

"Luca!" There was an urgent knock at the door followed by Carla's voice.

Forcing air into his lungs, Luca walked over to the door and pulled it open, "What?"

"You have to talk to Gia," Carla shook her head. "She's not listening to anyone and Angelo is about to lose his patience."

"What's going on?" Luca asked, stepping out of the room.

"It's her friend Daisy," Carla said. "Her mom called saying the girl ran away. She wanted to know if Gia had any idea where Daisy could be. She's not picking up her phone and now Gia is panicking."

"What the fuck is up with girls running away today?"

"What?" Carla asked in confusion.

"Nothing," Luca turned towards the stairs. He leaned over the railings and called to his sister. "Gia! Get up here."

Angelo looked up to where Carla and Luca stood at the top of the stairwell. His eyes were impatient as always as Gia quickly scurried away from him and their grandmother Maria.

"Luca," Gia said breathlessly as she ran up the stairs towards her brother. "Do you know anyone in New York you can call? Daisy is missing. She's not picking up her phone. Not even my phone."

"Why did she run away?" Luca asked, pulling out his cell phone and checking the time. It was 6 PM New York time and midnight in Del Mare. "It's only 6 PM there. She'll come home by midnight."

"She's been gone since yesterday!" Gia grabbed her brother's hand. "Please Luca! You have to help!"

"All we can do is contact the police," Luca said.

"Patty already did but the cops are just ruling it as a runaway case," Carla added. "They're not searching for her."

"Gia, I'm sure your friend is fine," Luca said.

"You don't know that!" Gia's eyes began to water. "Dee would call me. She would call me if she was okay and she would tell me what she was doing. Something's wrong, I can feel it!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Luca placed his hand on her shoulder. "What's her phone number? I'll have someone track it."

Gia pulled out her cell phone and quickly read Daisy's number to her brother. She followed him to his room as Carla switched on the light and frowned at the shattered lamp. Luca didn't pay them any attention as his aunt called one of the maids to come clean up while Gia sat down on his bed, chewing on her bottom lip as if they didn't feed her.

"Did you find her?" She asked.

"Give me a second," Luca said in frustration as he dialled his connections in the city. He waited until the call connected to let out a sigh, "Hey, Paul. Listen, I need a favour."

"Sure, what's up, boss?" Paul, Luca's go to man for whatever he needed in New York answered.

"I'm sending you a number," Luca said. "Track it and send someone out to the location."

"Got it."

"And listen," Luca looked at his sister. "It's one of my sister's friends. Don't send anyone too scary."

"You got it, boss."

"Actually, on second thought..." Luca's eyes narrowed. "Send someone scary. Tell them when they find her to throw her ass into the back of their car and drive her straight to her mother's apartment."

"Luca!" Gia jumped up.

"They have my full permission to scare the living daylights out of her," Luca ignored his sister's protest. "What did you say her name was?"

"Daisy," Carla shook her head. "Daisy Clements."

"You caught that?" Luca asked Paul.

"Yep," Paul answered as the sound of the keyboard was heard through the phone. "Daisy Clements....347- 982......"

Luca rubbed his forehead as he turned towards the window. He couldn't help but stare at the empty parking spot once again. At least he was bringing home one runaway, he thought.

"Daisy Clements?" Paul spoke up after a few seconds.

"Yes," Luca said. "Did you find her?"

"I did...." Paul hesitated. "Boss....is she a close family friend?"

"Why?" Luca stepped away from the window. "What's going on?"

"There's a police report from Virginia," Paul read slowly. "Her cell phone and belongings were recovered from a bus crash."

"What?" Luca moved aside so Gia wouldn't hear him. "What the fuck do you mean?"

"All passengers killed in the crash that occurred around 12 midnight. Police are trying to identify victims from seat bookings and belongings."

"She was on the bus?" Luca felt his pulse picking up. His phone began to beep with a second call. Stella's number popped up just as Gia stepped forward with tears running down her eyes.

"What happened?" She demanded. "Where is Daisy?"

"She's fine," Luca lied as he sent Stella's call to voicemail. "Paul, send someone out to Virginia right now. Have someone else pick up her mother from their apartment."

Gia looked at Carla with panic and worry in her eyes.

"Gia, what's their address?" Luca asked.

"What happened?" Gia asked, her brother's urgency paralyzing her. She began to sweat and her cheeks began to flush.

"Carla, sit her down," Luca said, knowing very well his sister was about to have a fainting spell. "Paul, tell me you have someo-"

"Wait! Wait!" Paul began to type faster. "Do you have a picture of her?"

"I don't," Luca said. "I've never even seen this girl."

"I have a picture," Carla tossed Luca her phone. "The one with Gia on her birthday."

Luca quickly pulled up the photo and sent it to Paul. He didn't even bother to look as he rubbed his jaw and the back of his neck with anxiety.

Gia was sensitive. She wasn't very good at making friends but for some reason this one friend was very important to her. Luca knew if anything happened to Daisy, his sister would be a mess.

"Paul, tell me you have some good news," Luca said as he paced the floor. "Were they any survivors in the crash?"

Luca's phone lit up with Stella's number again.

"She wasn't on the bus!" Paul shouted.

"What?"

"CCTV footage from Penn Station shows she got off the bus after boarding," Paul said. "She never got back on."

"So she just left all her stuff?" Luca asked, baffled by the stupid girl.

"No, I think she went to go get something and the bus left without her," Paul said.

"Can you find out where she is now?"

"It's going to take me a second," Paul said. "But I'm sure we can use other CCTV footage to trace her steps."

"Find her!" Luca said.

"I'm on it, boss."

"Is she okay?" Gia cried.

"She's an idiot!" Luca snapped.

"What's going on?" Carla asked.

"She got off the bus that crashed," Luca explained. "She never made it back on."

"Then where is she?" Carla wondered. "She's been gone since yesterday."

"Why the hell was she going to Virginia?" Luca asked.

"Richard," Gia sniffled. "Her stepdad is there."

"Paul," Luca spoke to the man on the line. "Any luck?"

"I have her up to 77th and Lexington," Paul said. "She was headed towards Park."

Luca stilled. He looked up and slowly turned to his sister.

"Gia," he asked very calmly and waited until his sister looked up at him. "Does your friend know Carla's security code?"

Gia's eyes widened, "Yes!"

Luca narrowed his eyes, "You have got to be fuckin' with me."

"She's probably at our house!" Gia turned towards Carla. "I told her where the emergency key is and I said you could always come over whenever."

"Paul," Luca shook his head. "Have Manny check the townhouse. I'm sure she's there."

"On it."

"Oh my god, why didn't I think of that before?" Gia wiped her eyes.

"Because her fuckin' cell phone and school ID is in Virginia," Luca said, disconnecting the call with Paul. He pulled up Stella's number and called her right away.

"See, she's fine," Carla soothed her niece. "You can call the house number and talk to her."

"I'm going to yell at her," Gia said.

Luca didn't pay attention as he waited for Stella to pick up. When the call went to voicemail, he redialed and waited some more.

"What's wrong?" Carla asked as she noticed the way Luca fussed with his phone.

"Nothing," Luca muttered. "I'm just trying to reach Ste-"

Just then, the door to Luca's room opened and Angelo walked in. Everyone turned to look at him as his eyes settled on Luca.

"There's been an accident," he said. "Stella was in the car."



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