by Rose Haven
“Oh, I am so happy for both of you. I just pray to God to keep my children blessed for the rest of their lives,” she wipes the tears of joy that are pouring out of her kind eyes. “Have you popped the question to her as yet, Alberto?” she asks me.
“No. Not yet. But I am planning to do that very soon. Its mama’s birthday tomorrow. I’ll personally go to the orphanages and the Cancer Hospital to give donations and then I’ll head to the Jeweler to buy a ring.”
“That would be perfect. I am sure your mama would have approved your choice too, caro. Gemma is a very good girl. I am sure she’ll keep you happy.”
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The next morning, I leave the office early and head to the orphanages and the Cancer Specialty Hospital that I had opened a few years back in memory of my mama. My heart always breaks when I see people, especially small children, fighting with that deadly disease that took away my mother from me. I made sure that the hospital treats patients from all walks of life at a very affordable cost.
Every year, I make it a point to personally visit these places on mama’s birthday so that I can spend some time with these less fortunate people. This makes me appreciate all that I have been bestowed with and it keeps me grounded.
I am having a word with the head doctor at the hospital when I see someone looking too much like Gemma sitting on a bench in the park with a young child. I can’t seem to focus on what the doctor is saying….I am too much distracted by the scene before my eyes. The doctor perhaps notices where I am looking and informs me, “What happened Mr. Alberto? Do you know that girl?”
“Uh…I think so. She worked at one of my offices I think,” I lie.
“Oh! Poor soul! She is the elder sister of Rio, that boy you see there. He is suffering from blood cancer.”
“Do you know her name?” I feel as if the world is spinning around me.
“Yes. She is Arianna Rizzio and hails from Murlo, a small village near Florence. She came to the hospital about 6 months back with her brother and almost begged me to get him admitted here. The condition of that boy was very critical, so I took him in. He has been responding favorably to the treatments these past months and….”
“Does she come here frequently?” I ask. I cannot believe my ears.
“Yes, she comes here at least once every week since the time Rio has been admitted….sometimes even twice or three times. Last week, it was Rio’s birthday and she brought a cake that she had specially baked for him.”
I remember that day! She had said that she wanted to bake a cake for some woman she met at the chapel and I had praised her in my heart for her generosity.
I feel my hands curl into a tight ball. I feel like punching something! The past one month of my life had been a complete lie….everything Gemma had said was a lie! Hell, she’s not even Gemma!
She’s ARIANNA…….
THE END
Italian Billionaire Romance
If You Trust Me
Book Two
Rose Haven
Italian Billionaire Romance: If You Trust Me
Prologue
Alberto Graziani is one of the richest men in Florence. He takes great pride in the fact that he is self-made and has reached this height on his own.
One night, he accidentally hits a young girl with his car on his way home. When he realizes that the girl is unconscious, he brings her home and calls his personal doctor to examine her. Due to the head injury that she sustains in the accident, the girl loses all past memory. He decides to keep her in his house as long as her memory doesn’t return. Mrs. Antoni, his late mother’s best friend and now his only family in the world, gives the girl the name Gemma.
As days pass, Alberto finds himself attracted towards gentle and caring Gemma. She impresses her with her honest and kind nature and soon, they both fall hopelessly in love with each other.
Alberto had lost his mother to cancer and in her memory, he had opened a charitable cancer hospital. On his mother’s birth anniversary, he visits the hospital to spend some time with the patients there when suddenly he sees Gemma there too, talking to a young boy. The doctor informs him that the boy was suffering from blood cancer and the girl with him was his elder sister. She had been visiting him every week since the past six months. This meant that Gemma had been lying to him about her memory loss all along. Even her name had been a lie. She was not Gemma….she was Arianna Rizzio!
Chapter One - Arianna Rizzio
I am so happy today. The doctor has said that in a matter of few months, Rio shall be absolutely fine. My little brother will be able to play, run, and go to school just like all the normal kids his age. I thank God once again for his kindness.
Six months back, I had almost given up all hope. I ran away from my home in Murlo with a very ill Rio and just a few bucks in my pocket. I knew nobody here in Florence, and we had nowhere to go. I still shudder at those memories, the cold night that we spent in a park, holding each other close for some warmth….the look on Rio’s face when he collapsed from being hungry for almost two days…..that day when I finally located the cancer hospital that I was determined to get Rio admitted to….how I had to literally beg the doctor to get him admitted there!
I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that my life would change so drastically. Looking at Rio’s smiling face makes me forget my guilt for a while- guilt of lying to the man I love, the man who is the reason behind our happiness…both Rio’s and mine!
God knows I tried to tell him the truth, but somehow the circumstances didn’t favor me. But I know that I will have to reveal my true identity to him before it gets too late…before he finds out the truth himself! I cannot even imagine what will happen if he comes to know that I have been lying to him. He trusts me so much. I can’t seem to forget what he said to me the other night. His words still ring in my ears…. “Gemma, you have no idea how special you are to me. I have never met a more innocent, pure and honest woman before….”
I can never forget that look in his eyes when he said that to me. I feel ashamed of myself for having betrayed his trust for so long. I promise myself that I will tell him the truth today. I know he’ll probably hate me after hearing the truth but I am prepared to face his wrath. I deserve it.
With a firm resolve, I head towards the penthouse that now seems like home to me. I would be lying again if I say that I do not enjoy the benefits and comforts that come with being rich, but I am not at all materialistic. I do not crave for an extravagant lifestyle or a big house and big cars. I am a very simple girl with simple needs and desires. All I want from life, apart from a healthy and happy Rio, is a loving husband and a warm household filled with children. Is that too much to ask from life?
Lost in my thoughts, I do not realize when the taxi finally reaches the penthouse. I see Alberto’s Lamborghini parked in the basement and wonder why is he home so early today. A kind of eerie feeling creeps up my spine but I decide to ignore it. I have to reveal the truth to him and Mrs. Antoni today, no matter what.
As I ring the bell, Mrs. Antoni opens the door almost immediately. I smile at her and she returns the smile, but I can clearly see that it is forced. Inside, Alberto is sitting on the huge sofa, looking very intimidating. I cannot read his expression, but it is clear that he is not happy about something. I wonder if it is the right time to tell them the truth.
“What is the matter? Is everything alright? You both look a little tense,” I ask them. No one replies for a few seconds. Then Alberto speaks up.
“Where did you go?” he asks curtly. I cringe at the tone of his voice. It is devoid of any emotion.
“I…I was at the Chapel. I told Mrs. Antoni to leave early as I wanted to spend some more time there by myself.” Another lie! I hate myself a little more with each lie I tell Alberto.
“Oh, I see,” Alberto says with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I believe you were praying to God to reunite you with your family, weren’t you?”
I am confused at his strange behav
ior.
“Uhhh…yes…”
“Well, God seems to have answered your prayers, Gemma….or should I say Arianna!” he says in a calm yet scathing voice.
I can see my entire world crashing down with that one name…..ARIANNA. He knows everything! He knows that I’ve been lying to him throughout. And the look in his eyes clearly tells me that he hates me for it. He is looking at me with contempt and disgust and I just can’t take it anymore. I look at Mrs. Antoni but she too seems appalled. I have never felt so hopeless and helpless in my entire life….not even when we found out that Rio had cancer!
Chapter Two
“Please Alberto…I can explain….” I try to speak when I finally find my voice.
He gives out a harsh laugh. “You can explain? Of course you can. After all, you are such a fine actress, aren’t you? You’ll weave another web of lies and expect me to fall into it! But let me tell you one thing Ms. Arianna Rizzio, I was stupid enough to believe you once, I shall NOT repeat the same mistake again!”
I am stunned at his words. I have never seen this side of Alberto. It is as if he has already convinced himself that I trapped him intentionally.
“Do you know what you’ve done? You’ve scarred me for life! I shall never be able to trust another woman again, EVER! All that time we spent together, did it mean nothing to you?” The hurt in his eyes is killing me. I feel tears rolling down my eyes.
“No…no Alberto. It’s not what you think….”
“Don’t you dare lie to me again,” he thundered. “You have broken my trust, my belief in you. But most importantly, you have broken my heart Gemma! And I hate you for that….I hate you Gemma, I hate you!”
“Please don’t say that Alberto, I beg of you,” I cry. “I know it was selfish of me to keep you in the dark but I had my reasons….”
“I don’t want to listen to your crap anymore Ms. Arianna Rizzio.” I hate it when he calls me Arianna.
“I….in fact Mrs. Antoni and I both have had our fair share of your lies. Now you can find another wealthy target who you can con with your fake innocence and charm. Perhaps your new target won’t find out your truth as easily as I did and you may get a chance to rob him off a few million!”
His words cut my heart into a million pieces. I want to hug him tight, to explain him why I took such an extreme step. But the hatred in his eyes stops me from doing that. He thinks that I lied to him for money! Oh Jesus, can anything be more farther from the truth!
“Alright Alberto, if you have already decided that I lied to you because I was after your money, no matter what I say, you’re not going to believe me.” I frantically wipe the tears off my face that have been falling incessantly since the past few minutes.
“But I just want to say one thing. I know I was wrong in hiding my true identity from you but the past two days….. please don’t call them a lie…..they were the most beautiful days of my life. You can throw me out of your life….and I totally deserve it…..but you cannot stop me from loving you. It is true that I am Arianna and not Gemma, but another truth is that I have loved you with all my heart.”
I look at him one last time and then turn towards Mrs. Antoni. After all, I owe her an apology too.
“Mrs. Antoni, I have no words to thank you. You have been like a mother to me all this time. If today I am standing here completely healed after that accident, it is because of you.” I cannot stop the tears that are again falling from my eyes. Mrs. Antoni is wiping her tears too.
“I know I have hurt you a lot but if possible, please try to forgive me. I shall always remember your love and kindness.” I move closer and kiss her on the cheek and then turn around to leave these two wonderful people forever. My heart is hurting so bad that I feel it may just break into two. My eyes are hurting from all the crying and I feel terribly miserable.
As I am about to exit the apartment, I hear Mrs. Antoni voice.
“Wait Arianna.” I slowly turn around.
“Alberto, I know that she lied to us about losing her memory in the accident, but still….my heart somehow tells me that she must have had a valid reason to do what she did.”
Alberto gives her a stern look.
“I don’t give a damn about why she lied to us. The bottom line is that she betrayed our trust. And I cannot forgive her for that,” he says in a cold voice without looking at me.
“Oh come on caro, don’t be so harsh on her. At least give her a chance to explain. If you are not satisfied with her side of the story, I shall not pressure you,” Mrs. Antoni’s tone is almost pleading. “You know that if all she wanted was to rob you off some money, she had a lot of opportunities to do that. But she never asked for anything…..not from you and neither from me.”
I could see Alberto’s features softening a little. Oh God! Please let him give me a chance to explain my story. He doesn’t say anything but moves back to the sofa and settles down. I take it as a sign of his approval to hear me out.
“Arianna, come back,” Mrs. Antoni says in an authoritative tone. I do as told and sit down on one of the chairs directly opposite to where Alberto is sitting. Mrs. Antoni joins Alberto on the sofa.
“This is your first and last chance to explain why you lied to us about losing your memory. And why you didn’t tell us anything about your background.”
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to explain things.”
I wipe my tears and begin my story……..
Chapter Three
“As you both know now, my real name is Arianna Rizzio. I belong to Murlo, a small village near Florence. My parents were farmers and we were quite well off. Ours was the perfect happy family- my parents, my little brother Rio and me. We were happy in our small world until one day, my mother died in a road accident. She was coming back from Florence after some purchases when the bus she was travelling in collided with a tractor and caught fire. I was just thirteen then and my brother six.”
I see Mrs. Antoni gasp and put her hand to her heart. It kills me to relive those painful memories but I want to share all the details with the two people before me.
“It was as if our world had been turned upside down. My daddy loved mama so much. He never recovered from the shock of her death. I somehow managed to stay composed during this all and practically raised Rio on my own all these years. Daddy drowned himself in alcohol. We started suffering huge losses and eventually, my daddy lost everything….even the home we stayed in….the home that he had built with mama with so much love.” My eyes grow moist at the memory. I can still vividly remember the day our home was auctioned off….the broken look on daddy’s face.
“Daddy knew it was his fault that we were now homeless. He started doing odd jobs to make ends meet. We stayed in a very small one bedroom apartment and often Rio and I had to go to sleep on an empty stomach. Daddy could not overcome his habit of drinking and usually spent the little money he earned on alcohol. You know Alberto, that is the reason I hate going to parties where people drink like crazy and lose their sense of differentiating wrong from right.” I look at Alberto. He is listening to me intently.
“I hate alcohol,” I continue. “It destroyed my father. It destroyed his good nature, his self-esteem. He became a good for nothing human being who even stopped caring for his own children. To make matters worse, three years after mama’s death, Rio started falling ill way too often. We didn’t have money to eat, let alone consult a doctor. But daddy had a friend who was a doctor and he offered to see Rio for free. He did a few tests and finally confirmed that Rio had cancer….blood cancer.” I don’t have any idea how I am able to explain the ordeal we had to go through without breaking down. I guess my love for Alberto has given me this courage. I have to prove to him that I had my own reasons for keeping him in the dark.
“Meanwhile, daddy remarried. I don’t know what got into him….why he married that horrible woman! She ran a small guesthouse in the outskirts of the village and daddy asked Rio and me to move there with him. Our new mother used to c
onstantly abuse Rio and me. She hated us. She even hated my father. I think she married him because she was pregnant with daddy’s baby.”
I can still hear her voice ringing clearly in my ears………
“You good for nothing piece of crap! Why did you bring these two scoundrels with you here? Already, I have to bear your living expenses. Now you want me to feed these babies of yours too!”
“Oh come on Sammy, it’s not as if I sit idle all day. I work like a dog here at your guesthouse and am earning my stay here. As for my children, where will they go? They are still too young to move out on their own,” pleads my father.
“Oh really?” she shouts. “My poor darling brother helps me in the kitchen while this useless daughter of yours sits pretty in her room all day long. They are both the same age, aren’t they?” Her brother Andrew is at least three to four years elder to me.
“Arianna…” I hear daddy call out.
“Yes, daddy,” I rush out of my room. Rio and I had been listening to both of them.
“Ary, I hear you are doing nothing the whole day….”
“Daddy, Rio is so ill these days and you know it. He keeps on vomiting and doesn’t eat anything. I am by his side the whole time to look after him.” I am almost in tears.
Chapter Four
“Rio is grown up now Ary, and he doesn’t need you by his side the whole time. Don’t make excuses for your bad behavior now.” I am stunned at his words. Is he the same man he was three years back!
“Rio may have grown up but he has cancer!” I shout. “You are too busy with your new wife so I HAVE to look after him.”
I can still feel the sting of that tight slap on my cheek. My daddy, who had never even raised his voice at us, had just hit me. The look on his face showed that he himself couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
