Chapter Fourteen
They arrived at her family home in less than an hour. Matteo was silent throughout the journey, he didn’t know what to say so he just kept himself quiet.
Amara was thinking about her father as she walked through the grand entrance. She remembered all the nooks and crannies of their large house where she would play as a child with her dad. At that moment it all looked meaningless. She didn’t feel happy there anymore, not without her dad.
She was about to get a drink from the waiter when Matteo grabs it away from her, then put it back giving the waiter an excuse that she was taking a prescription.
“Do not consume anything here,” Matteo whispered subtly behind her.
Amara was a bit startled but she was putting on her straight face and smiled sweetly at the waiter, telling her that she forgot.
“Amara, my child… I’ve been waiting for you. Bradley said that you’re still grieving, but why not here? with us, the rest of your family?”
Her stepmom Violet hugged and whispered in her ear. Behind her were her three stepbrothers, Colton, Clifford, and Cyrus. She almost seemed sincere, until she saw Rick’s men behind them.
It was like she was showing her who made it happen in the most subtle way. Or was she not? Maybe she was just too oblivious to the fact that someone was trying to kill her.
Too perfect, she thought. They certainly got her wondering.
The doubt would make her stay away from her childhood home, at least for the future. Up until they find out who killed her loved ones.
But her worries about their access to her dad’s home office quickly invades her mind. She was worried that they would have complete access to everything. Then she quickly sighed knowing that her dad was smarter than that, he must’ve had the important stuff stored away at Bradley’s office.
“Amara,”
“William, I was just thinking about you.” She hugged her dad’s best friend tightly, while he rubbed her back lovingly as a father would.
“How are you holding up?” the lawyer asked while nodding at Matteo acknowledging him.
William had a video chat earlier with Leo, Matteo, and Paolo regarding her situation and he knew that Matteo was there as her new bodyguard and he should not converse with him in front of the Hamiltons.
“As well as expected…”
“Come… seatings had been arranged, you’re sitting next to me at the front. Your stepmom and brothers will be to your other side.”
She followed him passing her dad’s business associates, and more of his business friends all greeted her with their condolences.From NôvelDrama.Org.
It was a close casket ceremony, and it was over before she knows it. Everything seemed to pass by like a blip, she was looking at the casket through the whole ceremony. Her sunglass hide her red puffy eyes from too much crying.
Amara was finally getting ready to leave two hours later. She had said goodbye to William and promised to keep in touch.
“Amara honey, you should stay with us. We will be stronger as a family.” Violet tried to convince her once again.
“Yeah, we don’t want people assuming otherwise. Look, I know you don’t like me and my brothers but we are trying.” Cyrus the youngest of the Hamilton brothers caresses her shoulder a bit too intimate making her step closer to Matteo.
“We need to discuss about work anyway, it’ll be easier from home with the office still being renovated after the incident.”
Colton was making a point, several windows were cracked from the sheer blast and need to be replaced. They were moving some departments to their other offices and let their employees keep on resuming their work.
“Maybe in the next couple of days I’ll try and set a meeting with you. We are what we are, we just have to keep the outside see otherwise.” With her last word, she was off to another funeral. Her family didn’t seem affected by her leaving as they were back to mingling with other guests.
“That is one though family, we should really go now. I think we could still make it on time before the place gets too crowded for your entrance.”
She nodded and let Matteo ushered her to his car. She once again felt like she was about to break, she didn’t know how she was going to get through the day. Her relationship with Antonio was an unexpected one, she falls too fast and too deep with him until he was taken too soon from her.
“There’s a sandwich and some soda on the back. I asked Martina to pack your lunch. I’m sorry but I couldn’t let you eat or drink there. We could never be too careful.”
“Yes, thank you for reminding me.”
“You should eat on the way there, you barely eat your breakfast,” Matteo said while looking at her through his rearview mirror.
“Right.”
She didn’t finish her sandwich either, everything tastes like cardboard she thought. She felt like she was about faint when they arrived at the funeral home.
“Hey, you don’t look so good. Are you sure you want to do this? No one will judge you if you…” he was trying to help her out of their car, but she was looking so pale that he was worried about her.
“I have to, this was all my fault.”
“Hey, you didn’t blow up the chopper. All you did was love him, and I bet it was his happiest months.”
She tugged her lip and let out a small smile, he took a breather knowing that he was awkward in any kind of conversation. And at that time he was proud of himself for making the skinny woman feel better.
The ceremony was beautiful, all his people love him. She stayed at the back though Leo told her to come up front but she refused, telling him that she wanted her privacy. So she stayed at the last row with Matteo by her side, he could see her wiping her tears several times and he was keeping himself quiet giving her the privacy she needed.
It was nighttime when they both arrived at the safehouse. Peter was already there with Paolo and was arguing over something when they both went silent as Amara fainted as she reached the living area.
Matteo was quick to her side checking her pulse thinking the worst. Peter rush to her side then told the guys to lift and carry her to the bedroom.
“It’s exhaustion. She will be fine, just help me with a damp towel and a glass of water for her to drink, and put a slice of lemon if you have.” Peter said quickly not leaving her side.
Matteo easily carried her to the empty bedroom, and watch as Peter took off her shoes and unzip the back of her dress.
“Go now, I’m changing her to looser clothing. I’m gay, okay?! I’ve seen her naked ass so many times already.” Peter said to Matteo as the underboss glared at him for what he thought was an inappropriate attitude from Peter’s side.
But he didn’t budge, he just turns around and said that he was to be with her twenty-four seven. While in reality, he just basically didn’t trust anyone at the moment. Not even her so-called gay assistant.
Peter let out an exaggerated sigh and back to work on his boss. And he was right she was conscious within minutes.
“Hey boss, you scare the big brute minutes ago. How are you?” Peter asked with obvious sarcasm in his words for Matteo. But the so-called brute was out the door moments later, he was quick to let Paolo out for an errand to buy some soft comforting food for our Amara.
While in reality he was taking a step back from her and calming his nerves down. He didn’t realize that she was causing him to worry that much.