Chapter 17

Half an hour after being contacted by his sister, Giovanni walked into the restaurant, immediately recognized by Kira and Aaron as the man they had seen at the Opera. However, they decided not to let him know that they had noticed him.

Pretending not to see them, Giovanni's heart pounded in his chest as he took his seat at the table where his sister was already seated. A waiter approached to take their order.

"He is really handsome. Handsome like a god.." Giovanni's sister, Olivia, commented, as Kira's sister expressed the same thought about Giovanni Rossi on the other side of the table, unheard due to the distance.

"That's his sister next to him, right?" observed Olivia.

"Yes, I believe that's Kira. Their other sister is her spitting image, they are triplets, but Kira is taller," her brother informed her.

"I see that we know all about them," Olivia remarked with a smile.

"Of course. You know me, I don't like to be caught off guard." And Giovanni suddenly got up and approached the table where Aaron and Kira were sitting.

"I thought I had seen you somewhere before." he said in Russian, in a voice that seemed genuinely surprised. "Russia! The opera."

"Ahhh!" Kira exclaimed as if she had just remembered and recognized him as soon as he entered the restaurant. "The jerk who blocked our way!" she added, causing Aaron to choke on his food in surprise.

"I'm sorry..." he attempted to apologize, coughing nervously.

"Take your time," Giovanni said, taking a seat between him and his sister. After a few minutes, Aaron regained his composure and apologized to Giovanni. Kira had been rude.

"No problem. Sir...?" he said, inviting Aaron to introduce himself.

"I'm Aaron. And this is my sister, Kira."

"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Giovanni Rossi."

"The pleasure is mine," Aaron replied warmly.

Kira couldn't stand Giovanni. His lingering gaze towards her brother bothered her. He tried to conceal it, but it was too obvious. It was too intense to be love, and too dark to be mere desire. However, she said nothing, knowing her brother could handle the situation. He wasn't the first to desire her brother, and certainly wouldn't be the last.

Giovanni. The handsome and charming Giovanni Rossi, who appeared impassive on the outside, was seething on the inside. An inner voice whispered to him, "even his voice is alluring," whenever Aaron spoke.

"Are you on vacation?" Giovanni asked.

"No," Aaron answered, explaining why they had come to Italy.

"What if I offered to show you around our vineyard tomorrow, with my sister who is there?" the man suggested, gesturing towards his sister.

Aaron, passionate about wine and curious about the production process, lit up instantly. He had never had the opportunity to visit a vineyard before.

"It would be a pleasure," he replied eagerly.

Kira, less enthusiastic about the idea, couldn't help but notice how happy her brother seemed. It had been a long time since she had seen him so excited.

"Where are you staying so my men can pick you up tomorrow?" the man asked.

"We haven't decided yet," Kira replied, "but you can just tell us the meeting place. We have a car." She momentarily forgot that their car was in Rome, mentioning that they had their own means of transportation.

"Alright. I'll leave you to it... I've kept my sister waiting too long," he said, leaving them his card before walking away.

"Good riddance!" Kira muttered under her breath, almost inaudibly, but her brother heard her.

"Why are you being so unpleasant? Did he do something to you?" Aaron asked, concerned.

"No. But Aaron, Russians are naturally suspicious, whereas you trust everyone. Did you not notice how he was looking at you?" she whispered.

"No, I didn't notice, and even if he did, I am not obligated to meet his expectations," responded Aaron confidently, not wavering in his trust in others.

"As you wish. I'm done..." Kira noted, having already finished her meal, while her brother did the same before leaving the restaurant with their bodyguard, who was closely following them.

They were now looking for a hotel for the night, too tired to return to Rome. Unfortunately, all the establishments in the city were full, and no rooms were available. They would have to sleep under the stars.

"This country is really rotten," Kira expressed, annoyed. "In Russia, we could have as many rooms as we wanted."

"That's because everyone knows you there, princess," commented a voice behind them. It was Yuri Stepanov, the son of the great politician Roman Sergeyevich Stepanov and "friend" of Kira.

As soon as she saw him, she passionately kissed him on the mouth, suggesting that they were more than just friends.

"Why are you here, Yuri?" she finally asked after their kiss.

"I followed you, princess," he replied.

"How romantic," she joked. "But seriously, why are you here?"

"For business, darling. For business. So, you couldn't find a hotel room?"

"No," she replied, with a hint of seduction in her voice.

"What if I helped you? We have a house here that I never use when I come, but people take care of it in case my family comes unexpectedly."

"Why does your father have a house in Italy?" Kira asked.

"And why does your father have a house in France?" Yuri retorted.

"Uh... it's different," Kira stuttered.

"My father's first love was Italian. He built this house for her, but unfortunately she passed away before the construction was completed." After these words, a tense atmosphere settled between them.

"You must be Aaron," declared Yuri, looking Aaron up and down. "Wow, you are really..."

"Handsome. Exceptional. Charming. Unreal," quoted Kira. "I might even be jealous if you keep looking at my brother like that." And Yuri burst out laughing.

"As handsome as he may be, I am not attracted to men."

Aaron remained silent. He did not seem to appreciate this "Yuri" as much as his sister did not like Giovanni Rossi. Yuri led them to the house he had mentioned, which was large enough for all of them and exuded a warm atmosphere.

"Is he your boyfriend? The guy you've been hiding from us?" Aaron asked his sister. "I'm telling you right now, I don't like him."

"Me neither. He's not the man I love. It's Ilya."

"Ilya? Are you talking about Ilya Denisov? The Ilya Denisov?"

"Yes, that's him. And don't you dare criticize him."

"Kira. That man is a dangerous lunatic. Remember he killed someone in high school."

"Yes, I remember it well."

"I'd much rather have this Yuri guy than... Ilya Denisov."

"You said it yourself. You prefer him to Ilya. My sweet Yuri. So I choose him, and now... let's go to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Kira had just managed to trap her brother by forcing him to choose between Yuri and Ilya.

"She got me good!"