Chapter XXVI: Day Out

For two torturous weeks, Arcangelo had been drowning in work.
He could not leave for anywhere except on business errands, he hardly had any time to breathe and then the matters just kept on pilling up. To top it off, they were nowhere on finding the mole or locating the people that attacked Rosalie; and speaking of Rosalie, he just managed to talk to her for a few minutes on the phone and he hasn't gotten the opportunity to go and pay her a visit.
She was his girlfriend, and sooner or later she would get fed up of this, he knew.
Even now as he lay in bed, he stared at the time displayed on his cell phone screen.
9:20 a.m.
Rosalie would be waking up soon and he yet had to get up and get down to business.
A disgruntled sound escaped him as he rolled over, missing the comforting presence she brought whenever she lay next to him. However, instead of a person, his dog lay beside him, the Doberman Pinscher looking at his owner in an almost wolfish amused manner.
"Don't look at me like that." Arcangelo sighed as he let Isaac lick his hand in affection. "I already feel bad as it is without you giving me that look."
"Dad, look who's here!" Arsenio's voice yelled as the door burst open followed by the little squeal of "Uncle!" Two voices exclaimed enthusiastically simultaneously as he sat up straight with a grin splitting across his face.
"Claudia!" Arcangelo exclaimed, just as enthusiastic as he scooped them into his arms, peppering their faces with kisses. "Here are my favorite two kids!"
"We're you're only kids!"
They burst into a fit of laughter as Claudia hugged him tightly, meeting her uncle after almost two months.
Since he accused Vincent of being a traitor, he and Alyna have become increasingly estranged, more so than usual. Despite everything, she was raised alongside the two Regnante boys and treated like family. So much so, that she wasn't even aware of her not being Helen's daughter.
But Arcangelo and her never got along terribly well. She especially enjoyed angering him. Alyna had gleefully rubbed it in his face when Vincent had proposed but got extremely frustrated when she did not receive the response she was looking for.
So, they had been estranged from the very beginning, but after having accused Vincent of being a traitor, all contact between the siblings ended with an argument between the two.
Obviously, the children were kept out of the loop and Claudia was allowed to go meet Arcangelo whenever she felt like it. However, he was not welcome in their home. The exact same home Arcangelo had gifted the two upon their marriage. The exact same roof that was over their heads because of him, and he wasn't welcome there.
"I missed you uncle!" Claudia exclaimed, jolting him out of his thoughts as he smiled at the two.
"Well, I missed you, too." He exclaimed as he hugged them close.
"Dad, can we spend the day together?" Arsenio questioned as he pulled away from his guardian's embrace. "Please? It's been forever!"
"Hmm..." Arcangelo pondered in silence, an idea coming to mind. "You know what, let's spend the day together."
Instantly the two hooted in joy, jumping on the bed with glee as Isaac watched them playfully.
"But first, let me get dressed and then we can take Isaac and go for breakfast."
"Okay!"
Getting out of bed, Arcangelo pattered across the wooden floor before going into his washroom to shower. Quickly rinsing off, he got dressed in a pair of black jeans with a corresponding full sleeved shirt. Putting on a pair of brown leather loafers, he grabbed his woolen trench coat from the hanger before stepping into his bedroom, seeing the children playing with Isaac, the scene causing him to chuckle.
"Alright! Let's go!" Arcangelo called out as the children jumped up, quickly pulling on their jackets and hats before following after him with Isaac trailing behind.
"Major. Gun. Let's go." He ordered once at the bottom of the stairs as the two guards came rushing towards him. "We'll be spending the day with the kids and Isaac."
"Yes, sir,"
Arcangelo got into his Audi. Claudia and Arsenio settling in the back with Isaac between them. However, the moment the car purred to life, the dog jumped into the front seat, cozying up before lying down.
As they drove, the children told him all about what they did in the past two months, chattering and giggling as they exchanged stories.
"Um...Dad..." Arsenio trailed nervously as a lull in the conversation had followed.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Uh...Do you know how Rosie is?"
"Rosalie? Well, last I heard she was good."
"D-do you know where she lives?"
"Well, yes, of course, I do."
"C-can we visit her? Y-you know, just to say hi?"
"Well, we can," Arcangelo stated, not quite understanding his nephew's nervousness or the blush on his face. "But do you really want to drop by unannounced at someone's home on a Saturday."
"Y-yeah...you're right."
"Why though?"
"Because Arsenio is in L.O.V.E with Rosalie!" Claudia exclaimed before Arsenio could say anything.
"Claudia! You promised not to tell!" Arsenio exclaimed in indignation as they both started to argue.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Break it up you two!" Arcangelo yelled from over their noise, causing the two to settle down and glare out their windows.
"Arsenio, you're in love with Rosalie?" He sighed after a moment of silence.
"Well...I really like her..."
"You do know is she about 18 years older than you, right?"
"So?"
"Never mind," Arcangelo chuckled. "You do know that she is with me, right?"
"She's your client." Arsenio nodded, seemingly grasping the full extent of his uncle's words. "Although...does she have a...you know..." He trailed, almost uncertain. "A boyfriend?" He whispered the word like it was taboo.
A chuckle burst through Arcangelo at the way his nephew was reacting.
"You'd have to ask her." He stated as he put the car into parking and stepping out with Isaac bounding close behind him.
Uncertainty, the two children stepped out of the car and before the apartment complex, seemingly realizing that this was where Rosalie lived. Arsenio swallowed thickly as he followed his uncle and cousin into the building. He watched as Arcangelo greeted the clerk with a good morning before they rode the elevator up.
His uncle seemed in a pretty good mood as they went up, silently humming under his breath as he scrolled through his phone to pass the time. Once it dinged, they all shuffled out with Isaac trailing alongside them before Arcangelo stopped at the door.
Ringing the doorbell, the three of them waited before it swung open, revealing Rosalie to be standing in a bathrobe with her chestnut hair damp from her shower.
"Claudia! Arsenio!" She exclaimed in delight as she crouched down to hug them and pepper their faces with kisses. "Hey, I missed you guys!"
"We missed you, too." The two spoke up, Claudia with a broad grin as Arsenio had a shy smile on his cheeks a light pink.
"Hello, Isaac." Rosalie greeted the dog with a fond smile before standing up. "Come on in."
They all shuffled inside and instantly the children started to explore her humble abode while Isaac stayed behind with his owner. Once the children had disappeared behind a corner and were out of earshot, Rosalie turned towards Arcangelo and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head beneath his chin as he wrapped his arms around her.
"It's been two weeks." Rosalie murmured, rather despondent.
"Yeah,"
"I'm so glad that you came. And you even brought the kids with you."
"They wanted to meet you, again. So, I availed the opportunity. You want to go to spend the day with us?"
"I'd love that," Rosalie responded with a broad smile as Arcangelo gave her a smile in return. Stepping on her tiptoes she placed a light peck on his lips before speaking. "Just let me get dressed and we can go."
Going into her room, she found Arsenio peeking out her windows, seemingly mesmerized by the place.
"Do you like it?" Rosalie asked as she opened her wardrobe, taking out clothes to wear.
"It's very nice," Arsenio admitted, looking at her side table, his eyes widening to see a picture of his uncle and Rosalie in a frame. "Rosie, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, kiddo. Whats up?"
"Is dad your boyfriend?" He asked, putting the pieces together.
"Yes." She smiled fondly as she took out a black blouse with matching skinny jeans. "I like him very much."
"Oh." He whispered quietly, understanding what his uncle had meant in the car. "Okay."
With that said, he walked out the bedroom, allowing her to get changed before going back to his uncle where he sat in the lounge, Claudia perched on his knee with Isaac laying across his feet. Sitting down beside him, he leaned his head against Arcangelo's arm before Rosalie joined them.
Leaving her apartment, they all went to a nice little cafe where they all sat down and had breakfast. Throughout, Rosalie tried to engage the two little youngsters in conversation as Arsenio would often see his uncle and her secretly stealing glances at each other.
After breakfast, they decided to walk around a bit, the children running ahead as Arcangelo and Rosalie trailed behind, hand in hand and chatting together. Their walk led them to the park, where Claudia and Arsenio played with other kids, while the two watched from the bench. They spent time there before heading back to the car, driving to a nice restaurant for lunch as Arsenio couldn't understand why his uncle and Rosalie hadn't let go of each other's hand at least once, constantly talking quietly about one thing or another
Lunch was filled with jokes and laughter as Arsenio couldn't understand the easy-going interaction between the two. It simply infuriated him to see them like that. Acting like they were a 'couple'.
After lunch, they shopped around for a while, buying things here and there and munching on a few things. Arcangelo bought the children whatever they wanted, spoiling them as Rosalie admonished him light-heartedly. However, even she wasn't spared from his spoiling as he bought her beautiful things like dresses and shoes, all that despite her protesting. And every time the children's backs were turned towards them, Arcangelo made it a point to steal a kiss or two, both of them absolutely refusing to let go of their entwined hands, lightly swinging their hands between them.
Their shopping spree somehow led them to the carnival, where the children got preoccupied with the games to notice the blatant adoration Arcangelo and Rosalie had for one another.
They had Arcangelo win all sorts of arcade games for them, getting those stuffed toys and knick-knacks and whatnots. They went on all sorts of child-friendly rides, the children squealing and laughing with delight. And it simply made Arcangelo's heart soar to see them all have such a good time.
As the night was coming to an end, they decided to go on the Ferris wheel, the children staring in awe as the lights of the city twinkled like the stars of the night. The sound of traffic drowned out by the howling wind nipping at their noses. The sight so breathtakingly beautiful, yet Arcangelo couldn't tear away his gaze from the woman beside him.
Her blue eyes dilated in admiration, her lips parted into a wide smile as her cheeks and nose were a rosy pink, her hair tousled due to the wind.
Leaning forward, Arcangelo captured her lips with his own, putting an end to a perfect night.
On the drive back, the children were so tired that they promptly fell asleep. This gave Arcangelo and Rosalie the chance to be openly affectionate to one another as they conveyed their feelings through small and intimate touches, light kisses every once in a while before it was finally time for their night to come to an official end.
Leaving the children under the watch of Major and Gun, he walked Rosalie to her apartment, both of them halting before the door with their fingers twined.
"I really enjoyed today," Rosalie informed with a soft smile.
"Me too," Arcangelo murmured as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"You should bring the kids more often."
"Yeah..."
"When will I see you again?"
"Soon, hopefully."
"Alright," Rosalie smiled as Arcangelo leaned down to kiss her, the feeling of her lips on his making feel right at home.
"Good night, Arcangelo." She whispered softly.
"Good night, princess."
With that, he reluctantly let go of her hand as she unlocked her door, opening it and looking up, a startled scream escaping her at the sight as she covered her mouth, Arcangelo's own eyes wide with disbelief.
Her entire apartment looked like someone had broken in and ransacked the whole place. Everything was turned over, all things broken and shattered. Nothing was spared and everything was rummaged through. Tears welled up in Rosalie's eyes as she turned around, burying her face into Arcangelo's chest as he wrapped her in his embrace, staring at the red spray paint on her wall, bile rising in his throat.
'We're coming for you.'