Chapter 612: A Song For Fools!

Then Leo paused.

"Actually..."

Vittoria looked up.

"What?"

"This probably solves your problem."

"What problem?"

"Your problem with your many suitors."

She stared at him as Leo continued.

"Anyone who was at the charity event last night would probably know it’s me."

Vittoria’s expression slowly changed.

"They saw us together. And they saw what I was wearing," Leo said and pointed towards the phone.

"Plus, I was the only person who came with you and disappeared with you afterwards."

Vittoria considered that as Leo smiled.

"They’ll eventually put it together if they are half as interested in what is going on between us with how they acted at the gathering."

She slowly lowered the phone, then craned her neck to see his face over her shoulder.

"You seem very pleased with yourself."

"Maybe."

Leo gave a small shrug as Vittoria locked her phone and placed it face down on the counter.

Then she turned towards him and leaned back slightly against the kitchen island.

"You seem to be enjoying this."

Leo tilted his head.

"Maybe."

He leaned towards her and tried to kiss her again, but Vittoria smiled and placed a hand against his chest.

"No."

Leo stopped.

"No?"

"No. We need food."

He sighed dramatically and then proceeded to back off a bit.

"Yes, ma’am."

He straightened and gave her a mock salute, at which Vittoria burst out laughing.

"Yes, Captain Crunch!" Vittoria said as Leo turned back towards the groceries.

He picked up a carton from the counter and then looked towards her once more.

"Now, what are we making?"

.......

Several kilometres away, the consequences of the previous night were already beginning to settle in.

A cleaner was working through one of the quieter rooms of a villa, gathering bits of glass off the floor after one had fallen and cracked across the floor.

She crouched to collect the larger pieces, then glanced up at the sound of footsteps.

A young man stood near the window, and it was none other than Matteo.

The latter stood still, perfectly dressed, and although it didn’t show, he was fuming.

He said nothing and kept glancing at nothing.

Then, almost to himself, he spoke.

"It should have been me."

The cleaner glanced at him but said nothing as Matteo looked away.

For the first time since seeing Vittoria leave the Villa with Leo, there was no attempt to hide what he was feeling.

....

Back at the apartment, breakfast eventually disappeared from the plates.

Vittoria placed her fork down and leaned back slightly.

"So..."

Leo looked across at her.

"What now?"

He smiled and then sighed.

"I have to get back."

"Of course," Vittoria said, smiling like she’d suddenly remembered the circumstances Leo had journeyed under.

Leo’s smile faded slightly.

"Sorry."

He said, but she immediately shook her head.

"No."

"It’s me who should be sorry. I made you come all this way."

She rested her hands on the table and looked down for a moment.

"I just get greedy," Leo’s expression softened, "Whenever we get moments like this."

She looked back at him.

"I always want them to last longer."

Leo watched her, unable to say anything as the two sat in stillness.

.....

Later that afternoon, Vittoria returned to her apartment, which seemed to have lost all the glow from the early morning.

She slipped off her shoes near the entrance, walked into the living room and dropped onto the couch, and her phone rang almost immediately.

She looked at the screen and contemplated not picking it up, not until she saw Gianna’s name flashing as the caller ID.

And it was then that she answered her friend.

"Hello?" Vittoria quipped, but Gianna’s voice came through at full volume.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

Vittoria snorted.

"Oh, please, not you."

"You woke up and decided to take over Italian media?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don’t act innocent."

Vittoria smiled as Gianna continued.

"How did Leo even get here?"

Vittoria leaned back into the couch.

"He has his ways."

"His ways?"

"That’s what he told me."

Gianna laughed, while Vittoria waited until she was done.

"Where is he now?"

"He should be landing at Ringway soon."

"You took him to the airport?"

"Yes. A couple of hours ago."

There was a short pause as Vittoria waited on the line.

Then Gianna’s tone changed when she spoke again.

"Did Matteo see him with you at dinner?"

At that, Vittoria rolled her eyes.

"Why are you asking about Matteo? Why are you suddenly bringing him into this question? What’s his relevance here?"

"Okay, okay, okay, geesh," Gianna backed off immediately.

"I won’t say anything about him again."

Vittoria shook her head, even though Gianna couldn’t see her.

"Good."

There was another brief silence, then Gianna spoke again.

"So..."

"So..." Vittoria repeated, her tone suggesting that she wanted her friend to finish her words.

"How was last night?"

At the question, Vittoria’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A smile slowly spread across her face as she leaned back into the couch.

"Warm."

Gianna went silent, and on the other side of the phone, Vittoria’s smile only kept on widening, but that was all she was willing to say.

No matter how hard Gianna pestered.

......

[Manchester]

Noah adjusted his glasses against the bridge of his nose before glancing across at the figure asleep in the passenger seat.

After landing and settling into his car, Leo had been out for most of the journey.

His head had fallen slightly towards the window, arms folded loosely across his chest as the steady movement of the car seemed to have done what the previous night’s excitement could not.

Whatever energy he had managed to find in Milan was long gone now.

Noah looked back at the road, and then he glanced at Leo again.

A quiet snort escaped him as he shook his head.

"A song for fools is what they call it."

After that, he turned his attention back to the road and kept driving towards Wigan as the late evening gradually gave way to night.