Lunch with the enemy

Alessia's mind raced as she processed the shocking revelation: Marco, her new business partner, was the same man she had hoped to leave in her past. She wondered if he had deliberately sought her out, playing one of his infamous games. The coincidence seemed too great, especially given the distance between her new home and his family's estate.

As she tried to compose herself, Alessia excused herself from the meeting and stepped out into the hallway.

Back in the meeting room, Alex complimented her performance, his charming words making her unsure of his sincerity. Just as he asked about her lunch plans, Marco's voice cut through the room, addressing her with a familiarity that made her skin crawl.

"Alessia, aren't you forgetting our lunch appointment?" he asked, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

Alessia's shock was mirrored on Alex's face, his expression darkening as he gazed at Marco. She hesitated, torn between protesting and playing along. With a quick nod, she agreed to meet Marco outside.

As she turned back to Alex, she noticed his annoyed expression. "Who is that guy?" he asked, his tone laced with a possessiveness that surprised her.

Alessia brushed off the question with a cheeky smile and a peck on both cheeks, promising to catch up with him later. Alex's fake smile and nod hinted at a deeper concern.

With a sense of trepidation, Alessia made her way to meet Marco, her secretary's words about sending flowers to their business partners barely registering in her mind. As she stepped into the elevator, she checked her watch, her nervousness growing with each passing second.

As the meeting drew to a close, Marco suggested they celebrate their new partnership over lunch.

'I had heard great things about you miss Alessia or is it Mrs Alessia. '

'Let's keep it professional and call me miss Guerrilla, am sure it's not hard to hear about my achievement ones you make it a priority. '

She had passed her indirect message that she would playalong, in this situation.

'Priority you say....well business is always priority. You wouldn't mind if we keep ties with a formal meal...miss Guerrilla.'

Something wicked danced in his eyes, was he really the marcos she was running from or a look alike, he was never a Saint to begin with.

'Well.....'

Alessia hesitated, unsure if she wanted to spend more time with him. But before she could respond, Alex jumped in.

"I'd love to join you both for lunch," he said, his smile charming. "We can discuss the details of our collaboration and get to know each other better."

Alessia felt a surge of gratitude towards Alex. She didn't want to be alone with Marco, and Alex's presence would provide a welcome buffer.

"Great idea," Marco said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The more, the merrier."

The four of them - Alessia, Marco, Alex, and their colleague, jenny - headed to a nearby trattoria. The conversation flowed easily, with jenny and Alex dominating the discussion. Alessia listened intently, her mind racing with thoughts of Marco's true intentions.

As they waited for their food to arrive, Marco turned to Alessia and asked, "So, how's life been treating you? You look... different."

Alessia's heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what Marco was implying. "I'm doing well, thanks," she replied curtly. "Just busy with work."

Marco's gaze lingered on hers, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'll bet," he said, his voice low and suggestive.

Alessia felt a flush rise to her cheeks. She knew she had to steer the conversation back to safer ground. "So, Mr Marco tell us more about your vision for our partnership," she said, her tone bright and professional.

Marco smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. "Ah, yes. I think we're going to achieve great things together, Alessia. Great things indeed."

The rest of the lunch was a blur, Alessia's mind preoccupied with thoughts of Marco's true motives and her own conflicted emotions. She knew she had to keep her guard up around him, but a part of her wondered if she was just being paranoid. One thing was certain - this partnership was going to be a wild ride.

As the lunch dragged on, Alessia's anxiety grew. She glanced at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time, her mind racing with thoughts of Leo, her son. His school day had ended, and he was expecting her to pick him up. She couldn't afford to be late.

"Excuse me, please," Alessia said abruptly, pushing her chair back. "I have to go."

Marco's eyes narrowed, his expression questioning. "Everything okay,Miss Alessia?"

Alessia forced a smile. "Yes, everything's fine. I just... have an appointment I forgot about."

Alex looked concerned. "Do you need a ride or—"

"No, no, I'm fine," Alessia interrupted, already gathering her things. "I'll catch up with you all later."

With a hasty goodbye, Alessia hurried out of the trattoria, her heart racing. She couldn't believe she had almost forgotten about Leo's pickup. She quickened her pace, her heels clicking on the pavement as she rushed towards the school.

As she turned the corner, she spotted Leo's familiar messy brown hair and bright blue backpack. He was sitting on a bench outside the school entrance, his eyes fixed on his toy rabbit. Alessia's heart swelled with love and relief.

"Hey, kiddo!" she called out, trying to sound calmer than she felt.

Leo looked up, his face lighting up with a smile. "Mom!"

Alessia quickened her pace, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over her. She was grateful for this little boy who brought so much joy to her life, and she was determined to keep him safe from the likes of Marco.

Alessia and Leo walked towards their car, chatting about his day at school.

"Mom, guess what? We learned about fractions in math today!" Leo exclaimed.

Alessia smiled. "That's great, sweetie! I'm sure you're a pro at fractions now."

Leo giggled. "Yeah, I'm basically a math genius!"

Alessia playfully rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe not quite, but I'm proud of you anyway."

As they approached the car, Leo continued to regale his mom with stories of his school day, making her laugh with his silly impressions of his teachers.

"Mom, you should have seen Mrs. Johnson's face when I accidentally knocked over my water bottle! It was like she was about to cry!"

Alessia chuckled. "Oh, Leo, you're such a goofball!"

Just as they were both laughing, Alessia's eyes landed on a figure leaning against their car. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was Marco.

"Leo, get in the car," she said suddenly, her voice low and urgent.

Leo's eyes widened in confusion. "But, Mom, what's wrong?"

Alessia's eyes locked onto Marco's, her heart racing with fear. "Just get in the car, sweetie. Now."

"Miss Guerrilla....why the rush..."

He mouthed a "oh", pretending to just noticing Leo beside her.

"Am guessing the browny must be your son, how was school figlio?"

Leo's eyes darted between his mom and Marco, sensing the tension. "Uh, it was good," he replied hesitantly.

Alessia's grip on her purse tightened. "Marco, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice firm but polite.

Marco smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I wanted to make sure you got home safely, Alessia. And I must say, your son is quite the charming young man."

Alessia's eyes narrowed. "That's very kind of you, Marco, but we're fine. Really."

Marco's gaze lingered on Leo, his expression unreadable. "I'm sure you are. Well, I'll let you two get on with your evening. Nice meeting you, Leo."

As Marco turned to leave, Alessia felt a wave of relief wash over her. But then, he turned back and handed her a small piece of paper. "My number. Just in case you need anything, Alessia."

Alessia took the paper reluctantly, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. She watched as Marco walked away, his confident stride eating up the distance.

"Mom, who is that man?" Leo asked, his voice full of curiosity.

Alessia hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Just someone from work, sweetie. Don't worry about it."

Leo looked unconvinced, but mercifully, he dropped the subject. As they drove away, Alessia's eyes scanned the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see Marco's car following them. She knew she had to be vigilant. Marco's sudden appearance was no coincidence. He was up to something.

****

Marco's mind raced as he drove away from the school. He couldn't shake off the feeling that Leo could be his son. The resemblance was uncanny, and he couldn't ignore the nagging sense of paternal instinct.

When fredrico had told about her son,.and his suspicions, it was like a fairy tale.

But seeing it for himself was a whole firecrackers.

He pulled over at a nearby parking lot and dialed his brother's number again.

"Hey, bro. I need your help with something," Marco said, his voice low and urgent.

"What's up?" his brother replied, sensing the gravity in Marco's tone.

"I need you to run a DNA test for me. I think I might have found my son."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Whoa, hold up. You think you have a son? How did you... never mind. Where is he?"

Marco hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I can't disclose that right now. Just trust me, I need this done. Can you make it happen?"

His brother sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll see what I can do. But you owe me, bro."

Marco nodded, even though his brother couldn't see him. "I owe you one, thanks."

He hung up the phone and started the car, his mind racing with possibilities. He was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Could she had separated his own son from him, there could be the odds that she was back in a relationship with some guy, but there was no denial that kid wasn't his carbon-copy.

"Alessia Guerrilla, you are worst than the demon I thought you were"