Chapter 40- CAREGIVER

'What?" Aurora asked Leonardo who was staring at her as though she was some art piece at a gallery, shaking his head left to right with the hopes of snapping out of his say dream, Leonardo then smiled at Aurora.

'I was just thinking of something, someone, but come on, open your mouth" Leonardo told Aurora who surprisingly obeyed his orders and opened her mouth. Once more, all Leonardo could think of was how pretty his wife was.

He had fed Aurora her entire bowl of soup, watched as she yawned and soon she was back in bed, gathering all the strength that she needed. Making sure to check her temperature once more before he left once Leonardo was satisfied that her temperature had decreased.

The warm feeling inside her stomach was one that Aurora could not rid herself of, Leonardo was finally taking care of her and that was more than she had ever dreamt. She had not remembered much of what had happened that night but what she was sure of was that Leonardo had caught her before she could hit the ground.

The cold weather had weakened her and even though she had convinced herself that she was okay, her body had proven her wrong. Leonardo had revealed another side to him that she did not know that he had and that was that he was a caregiver.

She closed her eyes to sleep, but her eyes shot wide open as she heard her door open. She smiled, thinking that it could be none else other than Leonardo.

'For the last time Leonardo, I am fine" she joking moaned and covered her head with her duvet but there was no answer which got her thinking.

'I am sure you can tell who I am by the sound of my voice" The person spoke, Aurora froze beneath her duvet. She quickly removed her duvet from her head and sat up, she was right after all and it was her father in-law.

'Hello signor Romano" she greeted him, not hiding the look of displeasure on her face.

'No need to be formal with me, just call me Metteo" he smiled at her but for the time that Aurora had come to know him, she had realized that her father in-law was far from perfect or anything nice.

'My mother had always thought me to respect my elders, so I would prefer if I referred to you by your formal name" she told her father in-law who seemed unmoved her answer, instead her looked at the document in his hands.

'What is that?" she asked, worried that her father in-law might have some ulterior motives to why he had come to see her.

'Oh this, it's nothing… well is it something, a very huge deal" He told her and the smile on his face was one that made Aurora feel unsettled. Signore Metteo pulled out a gold pen from his pocket and studied it as though he were seeing it for the first time, before pausing and looking at her in the eye.

'You have to do something for me"

'That is?" she asked her father in-law, pretending as though she had no clue what he was talking about when in truth, she knew what he wanted from her.

'Avena, please do not play dumb. I need you to sign these papers immediately" he ordered her.

'I can't sign those papers"

'Why not?" he asked her angrily as he looked down at her.

'My lawyers need to be present for me to sign" she answered, hoping that this would get him off her back but the longer she looked at him, the redder his face got. He walked up to her, thumping his feet hard against the ground as he walked towards her bed and he stopped at the end of her bed.

'I have done my end of the deal and it is best that you do too, I got my son married to you as your parents required and I want you to sign these. Now!" he yelled at her, his voice louder than she had ever heard it.

He scared her, Aurora lifted her hand grabbed the pen as she was about to sign.

'Don't you dare sign it" he looked at the direction of her door and there Leonardo stood, fuming as he looked at his father. Aurora did not have to do or say much but both men staring at each other as though they were about to rip each other apart.

'Leonardo, I suggest that you stay out of this" Signor Metteo warned his son, pointing his index finger at his son but Leonardo was not shaken by his father's threats.

**
Leonardo could not believe his eyes, as he had walked out of his room, he had seen a shadow enter his room but he was quick enough to see that it was indeed his father. Something deep within Leonardo set an unsettling feeling inside of him, knowing that his father did not care much for his wife therefore he had not business visiting his wife.

He quickly entered the room at the right time, his father threatening his wife to sign the documents handed to her by him.

'Or else what father?" he asked his father, knowing deep down that the older man was capable of doing things that could make a grown man cry. Seeing his father's face redden with anger had not done much to shake Leonardo, he needed to protect Aurora and any cost.

'You have been standing in my way for too long and if I did not need you right now then—"

'Then what? You would have killed me like you killed anyone that stood in your way?" Leonardo interrupted his father, not hiding his distaste for the older man while Aurora sat in her bed watching both men verbally attack one another.

'I allegedly killed all those people who stood in my way just like I will allegedly kill you if you keep on standing in my way" his father's voice stern and filled with hatred, so much that his last words rang through the room.

Aurora could not hide her fear as her eyes widened, her father in-law was admitting to murder a though there was nothing wrong with it.

What have I gotten myself into? She asked herself inwardly as she tried to contain her composure.

Her father in-law realizing that he would get nowhere pushing for Aurora to sign the documents and he dropped it onto the bed, before looking at her.

'You make up your mind before it is too late" Signor Metteo told her, his eyes burning deep into hers as a warning that she understood quite clearly.

Both Leonardo and Aurora watched as signor Metteo stomped out of the room like a little child, not forgetting to slam the door behind him as he left. After the loud the loud banging of the door, was plain silence.

Now she had a lot of explaining to do, even though she could not see his face, she could feel Leonardo's gaze on her.

'Why didn't you tell me that my father had been on your case?" he asked her, Leonardo's voice, less than kind as Aurora sat speechless. 'Avena, I will not repeat my question" Leonardo warned her.
Forcing herself, Aurora turned to look at Leonardo and she could tell that he was hurt by her actions.

'I did not want to be the reason that you and your father fought" she explain in a sheepish voice.
Upon hearing her explanation, Leonardo rolled his eyes, rushed towards her and embraced Aurora close to his chest.

'My relationship with my father has never been that great in the first place, I don't ever want you taking on the burden of this family on your shoulders" Leonardo whispered into her ear, stroking her hair as he soothed her with his words.

Her instinct kicked in as she wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his heart and listening to it beat steadily.

'I just wanted to help" she spoke into his chest and just then, Leonardo held her tighter.

'My relationship with my father is beyond repair, la mia principessa. My father is not a trust worthy man and I want you stay away from him" Leonardo warned her. His words rang in her ears as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
**
Aurora sat in her bed, surprised that her mother in-law had taken the liberty of bringing her dinner to her room. Aurora smiled, seeing her mother in-law walk towards her bed with a tray of food in her hand.

'Mother, you should not have done this" amazed at her mother in-law's decision to do this kind gesture towards her.

'And why can't I bring my daughter in-law some food?" she asked Aurora and then carefully placed ten tray of food onto the bed.

'Well, Leonardo said that—never mind" Aurora stopped herself from saying more as her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Her eyes locked in with that of her mother in-law as it glittered and she covered her mouth with her hands. 'What, mother?"

'I can see it, you are starting to fall for my son, right?" her mother in-laws question had come as a surprise to her, so much so that Aurora was too embarrassed to answer.

'You don't have to answer; I can see it in your eyes. You truly have fallen for my son" Signora Carina asked her and even this Aurora could not hide. Many have said that the eyes are the window to the soul and her mother in-law had seen her soul.

'I-I—" she tried explaining but she could only manage to stutter.

'You don't have to explain yourself, I can see everything and I know that pretty soon my son will reciprocate your feelings" Aurora smiled, hoping that her mother in-law was right.

In just a space of a few weeks, she had fallen for Leonardo like she had never expected to fall for him whilst he viewed her as nothing more than a stranger.

'I don't think he will, he's just being nice because I am sick" She told her mother in-law who looked at Aurora with so much compassion in them.

'My son is not very good at showing his emotions but when he cares about someone, he goes out of his way to protect that person"

'I doubt he will ever protect me like he does to you"

'Well I beg to differ, I mean, he just stood against his father to protect your interest" Aurora's eyes shot open, surprised that her mother in-law had found out about the incident between father and son.

'Mother, I can—"

'No need to explain, what my husband did was unacceptable. I know that this arranged marriage was initiated to grow both our family businesses but my husband went too far and I apologize on his behalf" Signora Carina apologized. Aurora took her mother in-law's hand in hers and looked into her eyes.

'Please do not apologize, I am should be the one apologizing to you for causing a rift between father and son" she explained but signora Carina simply smiled at her.

'No need to apologize to me, to tell you the truth, Leonardo and his father's relationship has always been on the rocks. I want you to promise me that you will help me in trying to keep them together, please" Signora Carina almost begged Aurora.

For the first time, Aurora was seeing the true state of the Romano family and it was not looking good. The world outside was delusional enough to see a rich and happy family, whereas Aurora could see the extent of the cracks on the walls.

'Mother, I promise you that I will do whatever needs to be done for me to bring this family together" Aurora told her mother in-law, whilst she pondered how she would bring father and son together once and for all.