Another update...just for you;-) Anyway, I have another one of my completed books and I would love it if you checked it out. It's a short story titled *The Nannny* Enjoy reading.

Kara’s POV

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           I turned around to see him walking towards a familiar figure, a woman who was talking to his mom at the entrance and when she gave him her full profile, my world stopped again as my heart hammered against my chest. It was the same woman from that night at the club.

And she was now pulling him into another hug but he didn’t receive it because just then he slightly rotated his shoulders and leaned closer to tell his mom something. Standing there, I could only purse my lips, momentarily feeling like an outcast while staring at them. Who was she?

My eyes swept over her in her halter neck black dress and silver heels. She was beautiful, with a perfect figure and only a few inches shorter than Stephano. Her eyes sparkled and her laughter was so rich in such an intoxicating way that even though I myself wasn’t so close to them, I already felt drawn to such beautiful orbs.

Baby pink fitted her lips perfectly and her makeup would have been done by a pro. Lastly, arraying her oblong face, was silky black hair which cascaded down her shoulders and to her back in a Royal fashion.
She giggled loudly at something Stephano’s mom said and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach because I knew what was going on in my head at the moment. The view, there was something about that view.

Looking at Stephano and the mystery woman together, talking like they had known each other in years and she was occasionally placing her hands on his upper arm, slapping him fondly as if she was feeling his abs. Insecurity clawed at my skin and the gut wrenching twisted my stomach into several evil knots.

They looked like a perfect family...

Stop it Kara! Stop allowing the feeling of inferiority take over! My mind screamed at me but cazzo, it was hard to stop my thoughts from diverting to that angle.

Was it my fault that I was feeling insecure already and he hadn’t even announced to the world that I was the mystery girl in his life? My chest constricted and a slight grimace slipped onto my face as I stared at them both as they kept conversing, while his mom spoke to someone on the phone. Not once did Stephano take a glance in my direction.

He leaned in with a small smile I had only seen on him once and she gave him a peck on both cheeks, making my eyes widen.

Instantly, I looked away.

I shut my eyes and two people introduced themselves to me before I could find my way towards the snacks arranged on a long table.
Recognizing the people doing the introduction me to be workers in Stephano’s workplace, I answered them politely and they were glad I remembered their names.
When they left for their seats, I sucked a harsh breath in.

“Having a good time?” Startled, I almost yelped at the voice that came behind me.

“Goodness!” I muttered, ready to take my anger on anything that wasn’t ‘Stephano’ related when I suddenly came face to face with Paul, Adrian’s cousin.

My mouth hung open for a few seconds before I shut it and pulled him into a warm hug.

“Paul, you came.” I crooned in utter relief. Finally I would get my mind off the two people showing affection from a few feet away! Paul patted me on the back in a rather weird way, repeating the words, ‘it’s okay and I’m here now.

“I didn’t expect you to attend the gala and I hope you didn’t lay off anything because of me?” I heaved a sigh with furrowed brows as I muffled the words on his shoulders, still hugging him though we weren’t pressed against each other.

“Nope, my schedule was free and I knew I would get such a reaction from you if I showed up. I knew you also missed me so badly. I just had this feeling in me that you would be internally screaming, ‘I need Paul, I need Paul.” He chuckled egoistically when I pulled away, prompting an eye roll from me.

“You’re such an egoistic jerk but the truth is that I’ve actually missed you Paul!” I admitted, taking him in. With his chestnut hair gelled and combed upwards, he looked really good in the coffee brown suit that clung onto his torso, with a black tee-shirt peaking underneath and black pants flowing down to cover part of his brown shoes and socks.

“Did she just admit it?” Paul raised an amused brow.

“You’re so full of yourself.”

He patted my shoulders again. “I know right? That’s why the girls love me.”

I just shook my head at his silliness, a chuckle following. “How have you been anyway?”

“I’ve just been busy with work and the usual but, woah! You look so gorgeous tonight. Red suits you perfectly.” He eyed me up and down, prompting the wide grin that immediately spread on my face, “How’s it going with the possessive hunk?” He wiggled his brows.

Warmth filled my cheeks at the question asked and I bit back a smile.

During our chats, he’d often state that Stephano was possessive of me but then, he was just being his usual playful self. I was the only one that knew the truth about Stephano. Stephano wasn’t possessive, he just loved being in control and wanted the pretend dating deal to go smoothly. That was why he had told me never to be with any man and that he also wouldn’t be with any woman till our deal was over.

A look over the entrance had my mood dampening a little. He was still talking with the woman like I didn’t matter!

I huffed.

It wasn’t even something so serious we had going on, this was just a deal to him and I knew I was overreacting at the moment. Why should I even care about who he was with and who he ignored?

“Thanks for the compliment, Paul. Stephano is good.” I replied anyway.

“And have you found me a piece of meat like him? I need me some hunky Steffi related.” He wiggled his brows and I slapped his shoulder.

“Hell, no! I’m not going to do that and allow you cheat on your girlfriend.” I snapped playfully. With the way he sometimes admired the beauty some males, one would think he was bisexual, which he clearly wasn’t. At least that was what he’d later told me.

He was a model and easily appreciated masculine figure when he saw something worth drooling over on them.

Since he left the day after he came for a visit at the mansion, he’d already visited I and Adrian once in our school dorm and even slept over. Also, we already got to know each other better, chatting every now and then on social media and occasionally face timing. Paul was a nice guy, but also a handful like his cousin.

“I can see you’ve been taking good care of him. Those suit pants hug his bum just yummishly.” He commented, looking way behind me and my face contorted. He was staring at Stephano’s backside!

“You perv!” I giggled. Who ever said ‘yummishly?’

“What? A man can appreciate.” He smirked.
I slapped him on the upper arm, glaring as seriously as I could in this embarrassing situation but he cracked into laughter and being a contagious one, I also laughed along.

Who even says ‘yummishly?’ Oh yes, Paul does.

“Where is Winifred?”

His smile was blinding as he looked around and tried to wear a serious expression. “Yes. Where is she?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “I’m not joking right now. You didn’t command her to sit in bed and wait all day till you arrive, did you?”

He pursed his lips into a firm line and I squinted, ready to start the scolding until he shook his head. “Hell, Kara. What age are we in? Medieval times?”

I bit my lips as I realized he was right. There was no girl that would sit in her room all day, waiting on her boyfriend. Or maybe there was? Would I do that if Stephano asked me to?

Oh goodness! I wasn’t even supposed to be considering such because Stephano wasn’t my real boyfriend. What was the matter with me? I flushed as I realized my thinking was biased much and I really needed to stop being so unreasonable. Relationship didn’t mean restriction. I would be keeping my poor heart from this relationship. Just a few more months and we would gladly say goodbye to each other.

“I guess you’re right.” I admitted gloomily, pushing a certain person and his sparkly blue eyes out of my mind.

“Uh...I’m wrong though.”

I frowned and looked up at him. “You are right.”

He shook his head with a resigned look. The playful Paul was now gone.

“I am wrong. There are still some girls who truly wait hand and foot on their boyfriends that way and allow him treat them however he pleases because they believe they can’t do without him. My ex used to do that, she is now in rehab. She craved for domination; she was so deep into BDSM and slavery role play. When I couldn’t give her that, she just slowly began to slip away from us, from the real world.” He sighed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, not liking the uncomfortable silence that stretched around us. It almost felt as if everyone present were listening in on our conversation, even though that wasn’t the case.

“Some things are better left unsaid, Kara. Now where is that loudmouthed cousin of mine? I’ve not seen her in ages.” I looked around for her.

“And to your question, Winnie couldn’t make it. She had a midnight shoot with another female model.”

“And couldn’t she postpone it?”

“No. After tonight, the model is booked till next year June. She barely has time to herself, apparently.” He did an eye roll at the last comment.

“There she is.” I pointed in the direction where Adrian was.

“And I’m sure she’ll be as glad and as relieved as you were, when she also sees me. You girls can’t just do without Mr. hotness.” He fanned himself.

“Get over yourself. She’s over there with mama.”

He looked in the direction and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

“The barbie in purple?” He looked shocked, gobsmacked. Oh no he didn’t just call her barbie....

He knew Adrian hated anything barbie-related.

“I’m telling on you.” I told him straight out and turned around, leaving him there with an open mouth. I walked straight into the dragon Lady herself, Stephano’s mom and my breath hitched. She was smiling, I didn’t expect that.

Her eyes were also soft and not glaring. I also didn’t expect that. Well, I didn’t really know what to expect.

“Hello ma. It’s been a while.” I said with a small smile, my heart suddenly thumping wildly. I had attracted some attention and the hall was now fuller than earlier as some people were just arriving. What I didn’t know yet, was why Stephano had to make the announcement known worldwide that he now had a girlfriend. That was the essence of the ball but I didn’t really think it was necessary. It was just us dating, I was just a girlfriend.

He wasn’t even from the Royal family, just a public figure. The ways of life of the ricco would always be a mystery to me. What if he was then going to tie the knot? He would definitely be inviting the Queen of England.

“Kara my baby girl, you’re looking so elegant this evening. Give mama a big hug.” Mrs. Alfonsi pulled me into a hug, one which I also definitely wasn’t expecting.

“Thanks ma’am.” I almost stuttered as she pulled away. Then someone cleared their throat through the microphone and all heads turned to face the source of the voice.

I was still admiring my purse as I waited for Stephano’s mom to talk. But she wasn’t saying a thing, just staring at me with a wide and joy filled smile that was supposed to be ‘freaking me out’.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. You can have your seats now and we shall get on to the purpose of tonight’s occasion. I would like to introduce myself to those that don’t know me yet. I am Stephano Alfonsi’s lover. The voice was velvety, smooth in a way that caressed my ears soothingly. But those words scalded my heart. I stilled at what the person just announced, immediately turning my gaze to hers and burning her with my eyes which I was sure were now glistening.

My breathing became ragged. The cameras were flashing and she was also flashing her sparkly white teeth to the reporters who we’re hurriedly taking pictures from every corner. I didn’t even see the paparazzi coming in before now.

This same mystery woman was standing before every one of us, flashing her teeth to the camera and posing for pictures; just like she had grabbed Stephano’s attention that night at the club. Who was she? Why was everyone so formal with her? How come I still didn’t know anything about her?

I looked around with my heart pounding furiously in my chest but Stephano was nowhere to be found, same as his younger brother Giuliano.

“Oh dear, another one.” Stephano’s mother muttered in a voice heavily laced with sarcasm. I desperately began to plead for the earth to open up and swallow me as some people started staring at me, talking amongst themselves and some of them knew who I was to Stephano since I’d been introduced to several people tonight.

Stephano’s mother stormed over to her and then pulled the mystery woman by the hand, saying something into her ear to which the woman giggled to as they alighted the short stage that had recently been created on the left part of our living room. She giggled right into the microphone! I looked around. Everyone’s eyes were now solely on her. I didn’t know what to do anymore.

So I turned around and dashed out of there as far as my legs could carry me in heels. My eyes blurred. I felt royally humiliated. This night was a disaster.