Once Dario left and it was just the two of us, I playfully pinched my sister’s side. Her longing gaze towards Dario had now shifted to me.
“Ouch, Sis! That hurt!” she protested and rubbed her side.
I had a feeling that Sienna’s real reason for being here was not a good one.
“What’s the real reason you’re here, Sienna? I know it’s not just because of me.”
She sniffled and looked around. She tugged me towards the living room, and we sat on the sofa.
“Sis, it’s about Dario…”
I closed my eyes when she mentioned Dario’s name.
I knew it! I already figured out what her gaze meant earlier.
“Do you think he has a girlfriend? Do you think he’d be interested in me even though I’m a few years younger?”
I playfully pinched her side again.
“Sienna, come on! There’s a significant age gap between you two. Cut it out! Dario is even older than me! They’re about the same age as Gio. They’re just a few years apart.”
“Age doesn’t matter, Sis!” She nudged me. “Come on, help me out. I didn’t really notice him much when I first came here because you were always with that girl who watches over you. But when he took some of your things from the house, I got a closer look. Gosh, he’s just my type! It’s different when you see him up close.”
I winced at Sienna’s dreamy expression. She was quite something, indeed.
“I don’t know if he has a girlfriend, and I don’t want to ask him. But I’m not going to force Dario to like you, and you have to stop this if he gets a girlfriend, okay?”
She rewarded me with a big smile. “Okay, deal!”
~*~
That’s what I did. While discreetly observing Sienna, when Dario returned, I kept pestering him about whether he had a girlfriend or what type of woman he liked.
“Ma’am, just in case you hear Sir Gio ask me that question, whatever you might think, I still love my life.”
I heard Elliott clearing his throat beside Dario while suppressing a chuckle. I raised an eyebrow. I wanted to tell him it was just a casual inquiry.
“I have someone I want to introduce to you! Do you have a girlfriend?” I didn’t back down from pestering him.
The two of them always stuck together. Even though Elliott is here in New York now, Elliott was rarely at home. He was always with Gio or had assignments from his boss.
I looked at Elliott and waited for his response.
“Dario doesn’t have a girlfriend, that’s for sure. His priority is serving and working for the Locatelli family rather than having a love life. As for the type of woman he likes, it’s a mystery. Maybe someone beautiful? Who wouldn’t like a beautiful girl?”
“I don’t focus on appearances; what matters most is a woman’s substance. That’s what I look at when considering if I’d like someone.” Dario interrupted.
Elliott and I both fell silent. I bit my lip, amazed by what he said.
“You know, I know someone. Besides being beautiful, she’s kind and intelligent too.” I almost described all the wonderful qualities of Sienna.
I saw Elliott chuckle and lower his head to hide his laughter from me.
“Ma’am, why don’t you just say her name? You’re practically setting up your sister with Dario.” Elliott gestured in a certain direction, and both of us turned to look. I saw Sienna.
My sister waved at us and smiled. Had she been there the whole time? I guess I’ll have to ask her later.
Sienna approached us. Now, Dario knew who I was referring to in my earlier comments!
“Hi,” my sister greeted, but her gaze was locked on Dario. She wasn’t being too obvious, was she?
They engaged in conversation, and I noticed that Elliott seemed to be holding back a laugh.
My sister was puzzled by what just happened. I simply looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
We left and went to her room. She immediately asked me what we had talked about.
“I’m a nice person!” Sienna said. “But why does he seem disinterested in me? Maybe he already has a girlfriend and doesn’t want to admit it. Is it that girl who’s always with you?”
“Mariana? Impossible. They consider each other siblings,” I replied with a shake of my head.
“Anyway, I’ll do everything to get his attention. If he doesn’t have a girlfriend, there’s still hope for me. Watch me, Sis. We have a long vacation, and I have time for my ‘Operation Seduction’ on Dario.”
I shook my head at my sister. Sometimes, I really didn’t know what was going on in her mind.
We were now in Gio’s room. Even though it was a Saturday, he had work to attend to, so he was gone all day. He didn’t mind that Sienna was here.
“What were you and Dario talking about with Elliott earlier? I checked on you earlier in the camera, and I caught you in a conversation that seemed serious.” Gio said once we got inside our bedroom.
I paused at his question. I almost forgot that he could see all the CCTV footage if he wanted to.
“It’s nothing interesting. I was just helping Sienna get closer to Dario. My sister has a crush on him.” I lied down beside Gio, preparing to sleep.
Gio shook his head as if he lost interest because I wasn’t involved anymore.
“Sienna won’t get anywhere with Dario. He’s not interested in relationships. He prioritizes his work and loyalty to our family over everything else,” he plainly said.
I furrowed my brows. We can never be sure. Even someone who appears indifferent may know how to love, after all. But I decided to remain silent, hugged Gio, and closed my eyes as a sudden memory came to mind.
“Gio… I don’t know why I just remembered this now. Maybe because I’ve been so happy lately, I’ve been trying to forget the things I… don’t want to remember, things that could ruin my mood. Do you remember when I was held captive and told someone named Nicolas mention about Mama and what you did to her?”
He raised his gaze. Gio was dead serious. At first, it might seem like he’s not listening to you, but I knew he was waiting for what I would say next.
“I was just thinking, what if… he’s a Belleza? What if he’s from the family that opposes yours? Nicolas Belleza.”
I wasn’t sure if Belleza was indeed his family name because he hadn’t mentioned it to me, but it wasn’t far-fetched. Why would he hide his identity if he knew his family wasn’t familiar to Gio’s family, right? Moreover, he knew and recognized my mother. My suspicion might be correct!
Gio’s eyes had that same intense look. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him like this. His eyes have always been expressive when he looks at me.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” he said. His words threw my mind into chaos. I just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. “I wiped out the Belleza family a long time ago. Even before what happened to your mother, the Belleza family was already gone.”
My eyes widened. He was only a few years old back then! Could he-did he wipe out a whole organization?
I couldn’t speak, but I’m sure my face expressed everything I wanted to say, and Gio caught it immediately.
“Don’t look at me like that, Millie. I may be a murderer, but I can’t do that alone at a young age. My father was with me. We annihilated the entire Belleza family.”
I wanted to question it further, but these were Gio and his dad. They surely made sure their plan was successful.
However, why was I still troubled by Nicolas’ identity?