A/N - PLEASE READ UNTIL THE END! The chapter gets better as you go on.

RAPHAEL POV

I mutter angrily to myself about this stupid dinner party I have to attend tonight as I struggle to put my bow tie on.

I really don't want to go. I hate these dinner parties. They always go on forever, with the adults talking about anything and everything they can.

This is definitely the worst part of being the heir of the French mafia.

Well, just shy of the expectations on my shoulders.

I couldn't skip this meal though, as it was with the Italian mafia.

They're at the top of the mafia food chain. No one dares to ignore or defy them.

As their allies, it's very important I attend. I can't skip this one, sadly.

We don't want to give them the wrong impression, especially since this is the whole reason we've moved out here.

As their closest ally they wanted us closer to their bases and them. It makes it easier for discussions and planning.

It also saves my parents from flying across the world just for some meetings.

We left my grandparents in charge over in France for the time being. I can't wait to go back, I'm not a big fan of my life here.

Also, seeing as this is the only time we've been invited over by them after having moved a year back, there's no way my parents would want to decline.

They stopped hosting dinners after their daughter went missing all of those years ago.

They've invited us, so I'm guessing they've starred to socialise again, or maybe there's something big at play that they need to discuss with my parents, in person.

I take one more look in the mirror to try and fix my slanted tie that won't sit straight before giving up and heading downstairs to where my parents are calling me.

I just want to go back to bed, honestly.

Social functions aren't really my thing.

I might be because I'm a little jealous of the Giovanni brothers though I'd never admit it to anyone.

They're popular and loved by basically everyone even with all the mafia rumours surrounding them, especially the oldest ones.

But the same happens to me, and everyone is completely different.

It's not fair.

My parents lead me into our car.

They both seem excited for this little gathering, the opposite of how I feel.

The whole ride is spent with both of my parents fussing with my clothes, and theirs, trying to make sure there's no imperfections.

My mom frowns when she notices my crooked tie, but even with all of her fussing she can't fix it.

"Hopefully tonight will cheer you up son, I'm sure you'll have a fun time with the Giovanni boys!" My dad says trying to reassure me and cheer me up as we exit the car.

My sour mood these past few days haven't gone unnoticed by my parents.

I even missed school today.

I didn't want to see them, particularly her smiling at him.

I sigh as I stand behind my parents as we are brought into the Giovanni house.

Their house is absolutely stunning, I'll give them that.

Their staff comes to greet us. They lead us into their dining room which has the nicest paintings I've ever seen on its walls.

I'm directed to my seat by a lovely man.

I'm situated in the middle of the table with the two seats opposite me being empty.

As I sat down, I realised that we were having dinner with the whole family, grandparents and cousins included.

I look around to see my parents chattering away to the Giovanni adults whilst the Giovanni children talk amongst themselves.

I sighed sadly, trying not to look awkward, with having no one to talk to.

I couldn't help but start fiddling with my tie again.

What else was I supposed to do?

I'm luckily brought out of my lonesome by Salvatore Giovanni telling us that our first course will be served when his youngest children arrive at the table.

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. I thought we were only waiting on Adrian.

But he definitely said children and not child.

As I hear giggling from outside of the room, I think I might be going crazy. That was most definitely a feminine voice.

They didn't have a sister living here currently though?

At that moment I see two heads of black hair enter the room.

As they both turn around, my eyes go wide as I take in their faces.

Alina!?

Oh my, she looks absolutely stunning.

Thoughts are running through my head about her, the biggest one being on why she's here.

She's apart of the Giovanni family?

The mafia!?

She's their lost daughter.

No way!

I should have connected the dots sooner, no wonder Adrian was attached to her at the hip in school.

Her eyes settle on my shocked state and I see her eyes widen in recognition.

"Oh, hi Raphael. I didn't know you were going to be here tonight. I didn't see you in school today!" Alina said, whilst giving me a small wave.

"I didn't know you would be here either. I wasn't feeling great this morning, but I'm all good now, thank you" I reply to her, a little nervously.

She's so kind.

"Hold up, you two know each other?" One of Alina's many cousins ask.

"Yeah, we have the same classes in school" she tells him.

He nods in reply as her and Adrian sit down.

"Your hair looks lovely bambina!" Her dad compliments her.

He's speaking only the truth.

She looks out of this world.

"Thank you, mom did it for me" she says getting a little red from all the attention on her.

Her hair was pinned up in plaits on her head, looking sort of like a crown.

As if she was a queen.

Just as everyone had sat down, Luca stood up garnering everyone's attention.

"We found some information today, that I think you guys might be interested in" Luca says with a mischievous grin.

I'm so glad I don't have any siblings that could be embarrassing like this.

I see Alina opposite me trying to tug him back down to his chair whilst shaking her head at him and giving him puppy dog eyes .

He doesn't move an inch.

When she realises it's useless she slumps her head on the table with the biggest sigh I've heard.

I have to hold in my laugh at that but I can't stop the smile appearing on my face.

"Alina here apparently has a boyfriend!"

Boyfriend?

There's silence.

"So, you two made it official then?" I ask her sadly, referring to her and Reese, the grin gone from my face.

"No! No, we're nothing! He just wanted to get to know me better. We are definitely not boyfriend and girlfriend!" She tells everyone whilst making eye contact with me.

"Is he cute?" Her mom asked whilst her aunts all looked on with excited faces.

I scoffed.

Absolutely not. Reese is the ugliest person I've met in my life.

"I guess" she says looking nervous.

Apparently he's not in other people's eyes.

"I think she's too young to have a boyfriend!" One of her cousins interject.

Almost every male in her family turned and agreed with him.

This gets a lot of her family members into a bit of a heated discussion.

I see Adrian on my left laughing about the whole thing, especially Alina's red, embarrassed face.

It's not long before her father noticed Adrian's state.

"Don't think the same rules don't apply to you as well Adrian Giovanni!"

It was now Alina's turn to laugh as Adrian went red.

"You're our babies! You guys can't have boyfriends and girlfriends. You're too young!" His dad tells them with a pout on his face.

"You're growing up way too fast!" He continued with a sad look in his eyes.

"Let them be Salvatore. They'll be your babies forever. Dating isn't going to change that" Alina's mom reassured him as she smiled at her youngest children.

Salvatore is cut off from continuing the conversation and Alina and Adrian are saved from more embarrassment as the kitchen staff comes out with our starters.

It looks lovely.

We had bruschetta to start with olives neatly placed on top.

I love olives. They're the best little snack in the world.

I'm about to dig in when I see Alina's worried face opposite me. She had picked off her olives from her bruschetta, and was now looking worried on where to put them as there wasn't any space on her plate.

No one else seemed to be noticing her little issue.

I stuck my plate with my bruschetta in front of her indicating for her to dispose of her olives onto my food.

She smiles at me gratefully.

"Thanks" she tells me "I hate olives"

I gasp.

"I'm wounded! How can say such a harsh thing about my favourite snack in the whole world!?" I tell her playfully.

"Oh no! How wounded are you?" She asks me with a grin on her face

"I'm dying. My heart is now officially broke." I said as I slouched back in my chair, with my tongue sticking out of the side of my mouth

"You'll live" she says as she starts giggling at my little performance.

Her laugh lights up the room.

The silence in the room makes me look around.

Everyone is staring at us.

We both go red as we realised that almost everyone's attention is on us.

We both smile at each other, a little embarrassed about being so caught up in the moment.

The rest of the dinner goes by smoothly.

I'm actually talked to by people.

Alina and her older brothers as well as some of her youngest cousins ask me about school, and my hobbies.

It seems we have quite a bit in common.

It was nice. For the first time ever, I was enjoying a dinner party.

The parents excuse us after we've had our food, wanting to discuss some matters privately.

We didn't complain. I think we were all collectively happy to not have to listen to them ramble on about mafia matters.

I remembered in that moment that Alina was on crutches.

I'll stay back for her. I don't want her to fall and have no one around to help her.

As her cousins went on I realised that all of her brothers were waiting for her as well.

I guess they had the same idea as me.

They set off in front of us as me and Alina followed behind.

I didn't miss the glances they were all giving us though.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway to do my lace, as I had just almost tripped on it.

I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Alina like that.

Alina turned to face me as I got up, her eyebrows scrunching up as she looks at my tie.

"It's crooked" she says amusingly.

I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly. I don't want her to think I'm incapable of doing my own tie.

"Yeah, um it just doesn't want to go straight. It's an awkward tie" I tell her.

"Oh really?" She asks me with a smirk on her lips.

I don't reply as she comes closer to me.

I'm confused on what she's doing, until her hands are on my tie.

In one movement, she's back in front of me with the sweetest smile on her face.

As I look down, I see that my tie that was never going to go straight for me, or anyone else was perfect.

Huh.

I guess I spent too long looking at my tie, because the next thing she does makes my heart beat so fast.

She takes my hand, dragging me behind her as she takes me to where her brothers and cousins are.

I follow her with a smile on my face.

A true smile.

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THIRD PERSON POV

Alina's brothers were all hidden behind the wall at the end of the hall watching the scene in front of them unfold.

"Um, are we all seeing this?" Marco asked his brothers not believing what he was seeing.

"How are we allowing this?" Romeo asked.

"Look how happy she looks!" Adrian pointed out to them.

"True" Romeo replied.

"Hang on, I thought she was already seeing someone. Someone who's not him" Matheo pointed out.

"That guys a dick" Adrian said shrugging his shoulders.

His siblings looked at him in shock. He rarely ever swore.

"What!? He is." Adrian told them, not understanding why they were looking at him like that.

"But, I do think she likes him" he continued.

"Does she act like this with the other guy?" Luca asked.

"You shut up, you've done enough tonight" Rocco grumbled out at him looking annoyed.

He was annoyed. He knew it was just playful banter in Lucas eyes, but he didn't have to put Alina like that.

They didn't get the answer to that previous question as Alina and Raphael made their way down the hall.

"Quick, move it. The lovebirds are coming!" Marco half screamed as they all pushed one another out of the way into the living room so Alina wouldn't see them.

But life or love is never that simple.

A/N - let me know your thoughts on this chapter please! I hope you enjoyed it!