Chapter 93


    Chapter 93 Chapter Ny Three


    TWO MONTHS LATER


    NAPLES, ITALY.


    Sydney’s POV


    My l*ps stretched into a smile and the warmth spread to every part of me as I watched dthe videos,


    my heart getting more filled with love for my boy.


    Since I got here, Mark and Grace created a WhatsApp group and they made it a habit to always


    send me short growth videos of Aiden and random picture they either took of him or either of them


    with him. Sometimes, it was even like they werepeting on who spent more time with Aiden or


    who had more special moments with him.


    Mark had been the one to send the video I was currently watching, he captioned it, ‘Grace’s been


    away for a week which made me the first to witness the miracle.


    Mark was at a park with Aiden. He had dressed Aiden in a cute bright blue onesie that made his eye


    color pop.


    Mark ced Aiden on the pic mat he had set up and scattered toys around


    him.


    Then he did a thumbs up to the camera and walked about sis steps away from him.


    “Hey boy!” He called and Iughed softly when Aiden didn’t answer him. he was too focused on his


    toys to answer him.


    “Aiden sweetie, Come to Ma, he said and Aiden jerked his head up, mumbled some jargons with his


    sparse brows raised and pointed from his toys to Mark.


    Mark just smiled and nodded through it all. “I know you don’t want to leave your toys, Aiden but


    you’ve got toe to Ma.”


    When Aiden started to pick up words, the first coherent syble he said was Ma. Every normal


    person knew that was his mom, right? But Mark was convinced that Aiden was trying to say ‘Mark‘


    and truth be told, I think he was right now, as much as Aiden says Mark to whoever, he said it more


    whenever he had his eyes on Mark.


    My heart momentarily skipped a beat and my eyes widened when Aiden suddenly got on his feet


    and slowly wobbled to Mark’s open arms.


    I let out a short happy scream, palmed my m*uth and sat up. My eyes fileld with tears as I liked the


    video with a heart emoji and proceeded to send several stickers and emojis that portrayed how


    happy and proud I was.


    Truly, this had been the way I had been spending my days in the past two months. Locating Lucas


    in Italy hadn’t exactly turned out to be easy. And at the end of an exasperating day, I would freshen


    up, pick up my phone and watch the pictures and videos that I was sure they would have left for me.


    Those pictures and videos never failed to make my day and they were usually the highlight of my


    day and the only reason that made me smile and never give up in my search for Mark.


    With all that I had been through since I arrived in Italy, anyone would have given up on this


    seemingly fruitless search but I owed it to Aiden and I owed it to myself, most importantly, I owed it


    to our memories and my peace of mind.


    My journey to Italy had not gone smoothly at all. Nothing had gone right since I had been here.


    Obviously, since I knew no one here and hadn’t even been to Italy before, I had to do my


    research.


    Mark offered to help, but I turned down his help, sternly telling him to back off when kept. insisting.


    Eventually, he stopped bugging me about offering his help.


    The only clue of Lucas‘ existence in my life, as much as it hurt, was the ring he gave to me.


    It was the only thing I could work with. After staring at it for days, I finally got an idea to google the


    emblem on the ring since it wasn’t the logo of any of the popr jewelry brands that I knew.


    Chapter 93 Chapter Ny Three.


    Turned out that the emblem belonged to a family in Italy, Naples to be precise. The family’s name


    was Esposito family and the emblem was proudly what they were known by.


    It had seemed easy then. Lacas once said that the ring used to be her mom’s so obviously, I could


    somehow trace him from there.


    I got my traveling documents ready, made my research about the hotels in Naple. I narrowed down


    my results to three hotels then I called each of them and eventually booked the one that suited my


    preferences and stay more.


    I arrived in Naples and started to do all the digging. I first asked around about the Esposito family


    but everyone seemed not to know them. Now, I didn’t think that was true. It was either they were


    pretending, or they really didn’t know about the family. I believed more in the former. I also showed


    Lucas‘ picture to whoever I could but it was the same reaction. What is wrong with these people? I


    had angrily thought several times.


    Now, Italy is an absolutely beautiful country. Infact, I had it written down that someday, Aiden,


    Grace and I would pay the country a visit. I would have suggested that Marke along too but he


    probably had traveled to this part of the world too.


    The food in Italy wasn’t so exciting as I had tasted most of their dishes in intercontinental


    restaurants back at home. Their cultures were exciting too. But what I loved most about Italy was


    the views, of the views, so beautiful. Plus there were lots of beautiful ces here. I also loved the


    peace and quiet in the country and I could easily see myself living here someday.


    “Only if you find Lucas, my subconscious never failed to remind me whenever I daydreamed. about


    moving here.


    But I came to Italy for a different reason and that was what I focused more on. Since the people


    start to act weird whenever I started to ask about the Esposito family or Lucas, I decided to seek


    help from the local embassy and police.


    To my utter surprise, these guys chased me out of their premises! It was just as I had half expected.


    They had been nice and all until I mentioned the family name.


    What the hell? Why were they all treating the family like they were an ursed one? I have still


    till now,


    not gotten a sensible answer to this


    Since all hope of reaching the family through the people of the country was lost, I hired a private


    detective. He was a local, well versed with the country so I thought he was the perfect


    person


    He was the type of person whom you’d have a smooth business with. We had spoken about his


    charges and all. I mentioned the family name he was to investigate and he also fled without looking


    back.


    I didn’t give up. I hired many other detectives and private investigators who also had the same.


    reactions.


    Then I met a detective. He was an old man and the kindest of them all. He used to reside in Naples


    but not anymore.


    When I told him the family I needed information on, instead of fleeing like a thief on the run like the


    others did, he simply turned down the job. Then advised me to leave Naples as soon as possible.


    Infact, he said I’d be safest if I left the country and went back to wherever I came from as soon as


    possible.


    I thanked the man, really appreciated that he had confirmed my fear that the Esposito family was


    dangerous, even though no one would tell me why, and that included Lucas too. Though, I hoped


    he wasn’t because there was nothing dangerous about him. Then I remembered the man that had


    turned to me, bitterly telling me about his revenge n for Mark and Rose and how he had nned


    to take over GT Group and deep down, I knew Lucas was way more than what I perceived him to


    be…he was more than what he wanted me to believe.


    Though armed with this knowledge, I still couldn’t leave. I hadn’te this far to just go back like


    that. What would I tell Aiden when he grows up and asks about his father? What would I tell myself


    whenever I catch myself wondering about Lucas and can’t stop myself? What then?


    So I stayed. I hadn’t left my Aiden for this long to go back empty handed. I was persistent. My


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    Chapter Chapter Ninery Three


    next line of action was to post on several social medias about it, asking whoever knew anything


    about the family to DM me or maybe even a member of the family.


    I don’t think the post had even aged up to an hour before it was taken down.


    All these mysteriousness, it was just crazy and if I was going to be bluntly honest, a bit scary. But I


    refused to back down.


    Many times, I had thought about telling Mark or Grace about everything whenever they inquired as


    to how the search was going, but then I would remember that if something was to happen to me,


    they were the only ones I could trust with my son so I decided against it. I wouldn’t drag them into


    the obscurity of all that surrounded Lucas‘ life.


    I would deal with this on my own.


    Two months quickly passed and I found myself slowly sl*pping into anxiety as my days in Italy were


    now numbered. My visa is about to expire, same with my hotel reservation and it was almost time to


    return home. Time to return home to the favorite people in my life. As delighted as that made me, I


    felt sad that I would have to leave without finding out anything.


    or


    Well, I did find out that Lucas isn’t who he seemed to be and the Esposito family, which he may may


    not belong to, was a dangerous family that everyone steer cleared of. Perhaps, I would document


    this sinct discovery and give it to Aiden when he asks about his father in the future.


    After spending almost five hours watching Aiden’s growth videos, my cheeks hurt fromughing and


    smiling so much, I had myte dinner and afterward, proceeded to surf through the inte for any


    clue or direction. Even though it was always futile, the thought that I wasn’t doing nothing was quite


    comforting.


    As I scrolled, bored to the extent that I was reading every add that popped up when I suddenly saw


    a picture of Luigi.


    I was dead sure for a second that my eyes were ying tricks on me. I clicked on the picture and


    zoomed it out and no, my eyes were not ying tricks on me.


    I snorted as I read the caption that the girl that posted the picture had attached to it. Apparently,


    Luigi had deceived her and other girls while he dated them, thereby hurting them and yeah,


    breaking their hearts too.


    So sad, even though that sounded exactly like Luigi’s ways.


    I was about to scroll past the post when my fingers froze. It took a second before my brain quickly


    processed it all.


    I met and knew Luigi only because Lucas hired him to keep watch on me and protect me. And when


    Mark finally appeared, he and Luigi seemed to have a good rtionship which means that Luigi had


    always been working for Lucas. Naturally, finding Luigi would immediately lead to Lucas!


    I sat up, thrilled by thetest development, even though it wasn’t exactly a development yet, I was


    hopeful.


    I immediately swiped up and directly messaged the girl who made the post. I couldn’t just go in


    mentioning the Esposito family name so as not to scare her off so I pretended to be another. victim


    of Luigi’s emotional deception.


    Thankfully, she replied ten minutester. Yen minutes of me staring at the message I left her. Since


    I had spent a reasonable amount of time with Luigi and I knew him quite well, I was able to y my


    role well.


    I easily won the girl’s sympathy. We got chatting and I kept throwingments that required her


    revealing some things about him. Finally, when I texted that if I set my eyes on him, I would w his


    heart out.


    She sent aughing, skull and broken heart emoji, then she started typing again.


    When her reply came in and read it, I knew I was just a few steps from meeting with Lucas.


    ‘He frequents this bar and he might be there tomorrow night, she sent a picture of a bar or maybe it


    was a club and attached the text.


    Then another message came in. You can ch*ck the ce out and w his heart out.’


    Another text came in immediately after that; for us.


    I told her I couldn’t wait and that I would definitely ch*ck the club out if I was able to get off work


    early the next day.


    We spent more time chatting and the girl was actually a sweet girl. Suddenly, I felt like I had just


    repeated what Luigi did to her.


    But I had no choice. Besides, since she didn’t see my picture and I’d most probably delete the


    ount, she’d never find out.


    The next day took cons toe.


    Night took even longer and when it finally came, I found myself before a club whose exterior


    looked like the picture that the girl had sent me. I was dressed in short shorts, a turtle n*eck crop


    top and sturdy but light boots in case I needed to run. The outfit was designed to make me blend in


    with other clubbers and also be able to defend myself without having to worry that I might


    mistakenly strip myself n*ked.


    I ordered a soft drink for myself when I got in and scanned the ce. It was packed with people but


    I easily spotted Luigi. He had about three girls swirling around him, each silently fighting to be the


    one to press herself against him.


    As Izily and uninterestedly sipped my drink, I trained my gaze on him. Maybe it was my gaze that


    bored him that made him turn but he turned around, his brows drew down.


    Blood drained from his face the moment his curious eyes figured out who I was. His movements.


    became jerky as peeled the girls off him and hurried toward me.


    Without a word, she snatched my hands and pulled me to a dark corner outside the bar. He hastily


    looked from right to left before he turned to me.


    “What the hell, Sydney? What are you doing here?!”


    “Ah… Your ent, I kind of missed it, I tried to y it cool but Luigi was not having it.


    He gripped my shoulder and shook it. “Stop looking for Lucas, do you know how dangerous this is?


    Go back to your country immediately.”


    I asked, a bit confused now that I was hearing from someone that this mission–find–Lucas was


    dangerous, “What do you mean? Why would it be dangerous?


    He looked around and was about to exin when suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him and


    pointed something at his nape and Luigi froze. Almost immediately, I heard movements behind me


    then I heard the click of a gun before the cold metal was pressed against my temple.


    My heartbeats quickened as fear overtook my b*dy but my fears morphed into utter surprise when


    Lucas‘ face emerged from the shadows, there were two other men behind him and they also had


    their guns pointed towards Luigi and I.


    Lucas turned to Luigi and said in a cold tone, “Tell me as well. Why is looking for me a dangerous


    quest?!”