Chapter 50- NEW HOME

Leonardo entered the house and locked the door behind him, he smile at himself as he knew that Aurora was not home but the smell of her perfume lingered in their home. For the longest time Leonardo was used to living in his house alone but now that he was married, his house felt more like a home.

His day at school had been extremely tiring and even as he rushed home, all he wanted was to hold Aurora in his arms once again. Leonardo removed his jacket and rushed in for a cold shower and even as he took his shower, images of his naked wife flashed before him which made matters worse for him.

'Avena, where are you my love" he muttered to himself as he increased the pressure of the water.

**
Aurora read her book as she sat at the restaurant and ate her food, it was a semi hot day and the restaurant was the best place to spend her day right up until Leonardo arrived back home.

She looked at her watch and her heart nearly dropped to her stomach as she realized that she had over stayed her welcome. She quickly called the waiter and paid for her food, upon exiting Aurora knocked into someone.

'Oops, my apologies!" Aurora apologized as she looked up, only to see a beautiful woman staring back at her.

'No need to apologize, it was my fault, I too was not looking" the woman responded and smiled back at Aurora.

'Thank you for your understanding, I really must get back home—" Aurora tried excusing herself, only for the woman to stand right in front of her, blocking her exit.

'You must be new here" She told Aurora, making sure to smile as she spoke to Aurora who was more than happy to smile back.

'Yes I am, my husband is actually—"

'Leonardo, Leonardo Romano if I am correct" The woman interrupted her, Aurora was slightly taken aback that the woman in front of her knew her husband and all she wanted to know was how this woman knew her husband.

'How do you know my husband, if I may ask?" Aurora questioned the woman, whose smile widened.

'It's a small town and besides, my name is Rhea and I work in the same school that your husband works at" she introduced herself. Aurora's smile brightened more, raising her hand to shake that of Rhea's.
Rhea shook Aurora's hand, while the entire time she studied Aurora from head to toe with the utmost precision.

'You are actually the first friend of my husband that I have met and it's my pleasure. I am Avena, Avena Romano" Aurora introduced herself, making sure to mention her new identity.

'Well nice to meet you Avena Romano. Anyways, I do not want to keep you waiting but here is my business card. You call me whenever you feel like hanging out" Rhea handed her business card over to Aurora whom took it and placed it inside her bag.

'Well thank you Rhea, I will call you whenever I need some company. I have to leave now"

'Make sure to send your husband my regards" Rhea reminded Aurora as she waved goodbye. She watched as Aurora stepped out of the restaurant and just like that Rhea's smile disappeared and it was replaced with nothing but anger.

Seeing Leonardo's wife, all proud to be a Romano irritated her. She tightened her grip around her own handbag.
Rhea grabbed a seat just on the spot where Aurora had sat only a few minutes ago but not before wiping it down, pulling her face in disgust that she was sitting in a seat that Aurora had occupied earlier.

She had heard about Leonardo's famous wife and the rich and famous family that she had come from. She herself ran along in the same circle as Leonardo's family but she could not match their wealth.

Her family had been drowning in debt for years but for the sake of their image they had to pretend that they were still as wealthy people thought they were. Looking at how plain Aurora was, Rhea could not phantom what Leonardo saw in a plan woman such as Aurora.

'Avena Romano I wonder what Leonardo saw in you that he did not see in me?" Rhea questioned herself.

**
Aurora arrived home, with the smell of a home cooked meal awaiting her. She shut the door behind her and her eyes met that of Leonardo's who had appeared from the hallway.

'You're back" Leonardo told her, his smile brightening as he saw the woman who was now his wife. She too looked at him as he was the only man in the world.

'Yes I am, I see you made some food for us. I apologize, I was at the restaurant and I did not—"

'Hey, no need to apologize for anything because I was more than happy to make you lunch. Shall we eat?" Leonardo asked her, not before walking up to her and pulling out a chair for Aurora to sit down.

'Thank you" She thanked Leonardo who then pushed her seat in and rushed to get the remainder of the meal onto the table. Aurora's jaw dropped seeing the amount of food that Leonardo had prepared in the short amount of time since he had gotten home.

'All this food?" she was in awe as she asked him.

'It's not that much"

'It is babe" Aurora smiled, she turned her attention and caught Leonardo staring at her as though he was in some kind of trance state.

'Why are you looking at me like that?" Aurora asked him, nervous that she might have said something that might have upset Leonardo.

'You just called me babe and not Leonardo, I think I like the sound of that much better" he teased Aurora, whose cheeks heated as she quickly looked away from him.

After all this time, Aurora still could not look at Leonardo in the face without blushing and he enjoyed seeing his wife look like a love struck teenager on her first date.

'Please look at me" he begged her and just like that, she responded and looked at him.

'You have beautiful eyes" he complimented her, not removing his eyes from hers as he told her that. Her smile grew wider, sending Leonardo into a hypnotic state as he stared at his beautiful wife.

'Thank you but flattery will get you nowhere" she teased him and continued eating her food.

'So how was your first day without me?" he asked Aurora.

'It was fun, I took a tour around the town and I quite enjoyed it" she told him, excited and unable to keep her excitement to herself.

'That's great, I actually thought you would miss me" Leonardo teased her. Aurora placed her hand on the side of Leonardo's cheeks and looked into his face.

'But my day was incomplete without seeing you" Aurora told him, sealing her love for him with her words.

'Well I could not concentrate at school either"

'Really?" she asked him.

'Yes and I think my students noticed that I was a bit distracted" he confessed to her. Even as he taught his students, his mind was on nothing other than getting home to Aurora.

'Well I am glad to hear that I was not the only one missing my better half" she continued teasing him and Leonardo could not help but to smile at his wife.

'By the way, I met and spoke to a friend of yours" she informed Leonardo who raised his eye brow, very much aware that he was not one to make friends very easily.

'Which friend?' she asked her as he continued chewing his food.

Aurora deposited her cutlery onto her plate as she searched her memory, trying to think of the name of the woman that she had met at the restaurant. Snapping her fingers as the name resurfaced in her mind, she turned to Leonardo, excited.

'I think her name is Rhea" upon hearing her name, Leonardo choked on his food. Aurora quickly grabbed a hold of the glass of water and handed it over to Leonardo, who drank from it and cleared his throat.

'Are you okay?" Aurora asked Leonardo, her heart still pumping loudly in her chest, worried that something could have happened to her husband.

'Yes I am fine" Leonardo reassured her but mentally, he was not okay. Rhea was someone whom he did not want close to his wife at any cost. According to Leonardo, Rhea was a skeleton that he would much rather have kept in the closet.

'You got me worried there"

'I need you to do me a favor, please"

'What is it?" Aurora asked, afraid that Leonardo might say something that would worry her more than she was already.

'I don't think that you should befriend Rhea" Leonardo told her. Aurora looked at him, confused as to why it was that Leonardo was demanding that of her.

'Why? I mean she is the only friend that I have in this town" she asked, saddened that she would once again be on her own when Leonardo would leave for work.

'She's not as nice as she makes herself out to be, trust me, I work with her" Leonardo's warning had come as a surprise to Aurora but as she nodded her head in agreement to Leonardo's request, he was shocked that that was all it took to keep his wife away from Rhea.

'Just like that?"

'Yes, why not? You clearly know this woman better than I do" Aurora responded with a smile on her face.
Leonardo watched as Aurora cleared the plates from the table, not a hint of sadness on her face. He had expected her to take offense and stand up to him but she happily obeyed his request.

He sat in his seat, in awe of the woman that was his wife as he realized just how blessed she was to have her as his better half.

'Let me help you with that" Leonardo stood up from his seat and offered to help Aurora clear up the table, she quickly took the plate from his.

'You will do no such thing" she playfully warned him, leaving Leonardo stunned that she would refuse his help.

'But why not?"

'You cooked and now I must clean, this is a partnership, remember that" she explained, smiling as she told him. Her smile melting away any insecurities that Leonardo had in that moment.

'How am I this lucky to have you as my wife?"

'I believe I am the lucky one" Aurora placed a light kiss on Leonardo's lips and just as she was about to pull away, he pulled her back and pressed her against his chest.

'We just ate" her eyes grew wider, surprised that Leonardo was already craving for her.

'I believe that there is no rule when it comes to me making passionate love to my wife" he teased her.