PROLOGUE
Prologue
here how I imagined the characters would look...
Madison Taylor/ Martelli is played by Hailee Steinfeld
Nikolai Martelli played by Guilio Berruti
Aurora Martelli played by Rebecca Quin
Quinn Martelli played by Colby Lopez
Aria Jacobs played by Kaylyn Slevin
Tristan played by Ian Nelson
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Author's note
This novel has a few Italian words here and there, I don't know any Italian and I got all of it from Google translate so it any of the words are wrong I apologize in advance...
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Behind the scenes
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Nikolai Martelli
POV
«4 and half years ago»
I'm on my way to see my girlfriend Isabella Rossellini, she was my first girlfriend and my first love. She was drop dead gorgeous and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen believe me she's a blonde bombshell well she's got purple hair now, but her real hair colour was blonde, with blue eyes and amazing body... Believe me I know, I’ve seen every inch of her. I used to sleep around a lot until I met her...
When I was younger, I loved Aurora, Rory was my best friend growing up, and when my older brother came to live with us, they fell in love. I just wanted the two of them to be happy did what I knew best, I drank myself into oblivion and slept around. Until I met Issa. She’s the light in my life. I don’t want anyone but her. she’s it for me truly and honestly. I want her to meet my parents. I’m so excited for my mother to meet her.
I knock on Issa's dorm room door... The door opens... It’s her roommate Natalia...
"Is Issa here?" I ask excitedly.
She shakes her head...
I frown she knew I was coming why isn’t she here? "Do you know where she is?" I ask her.
She looks at me ask if she pities me. "Nick I'm so sorry... She left..."
"What do you mean she left?" I ask her, there's a pit in my stomach that I just can't shake.
"She packed up all of her things last night and took off... I'm sorry Nick.” She says softly.
"Fanculo!" [f**k]
And I stormed off... I knew her family stayed nearby off campus... I dropped her off a couple of months ago... I get into my car and head there... I don't have much time... I need to head back to the company soon...
I arrive at her parents’ house... It's a one-story small house, its nothing much but it’s a home... it looked like a two bedroom. I get out and walk up to the door...
I knock on the door... I really pray she’s home. I wonder why she would pack up her things at the dorm.
I hear shuffling inside... And an older woman she looks like she's been drinking opens the door...
"Who are you?" She asks rudely.
"I'm Nikolai, I go to university with your daughter, she packed up her things and left I wanted to know if she's okay." I ask.
She frowns and looks at me confused. "I don't have a daughter..."
"What? But I dropped Isabella off here that one-time." I know she came into this house.
"Isabella? Are you talking about that b***h Isabella?" she asks with so much hate in her voice.
I nod... I refrain from telling her not to call Issa a b***h. The main concern was finding her.
"That b***h took off with my husband... If you find her tell her she's a dead woman... He used our life savings on that bitch..." she shouts.
I didn't know what to say... My words got stuck in my throat.
She made me drop her off here, knowing she was about to f**k another man. She cheated on me with an older man. And took off with him? She took off with an older man? She didn’t love me…
"Sorry for disturbing you" I apologize.
And she shut the door in my face...
I went back to my car and got in... I went back to the company... I didn't have the time to mourn over my failed relationship no I had a company to run... My brother and sister-in-law needed me to keep the company afloat so their careers could grow. I started this entertainment company to help my brother and sister-in-law. We heard about the horror stories that many stars have to face to make it big over here. and to prevent my best friend and sister-in-law from getting hurt or caught up in it. I started the company. I needed a clear head...
When I got to the company my brother Quinn had just walked in... He was not my biological brother but his always been there for me and treated me like his own little brother and he is married to my best friend, my sister-in-law who I had been in love with or I thought I was until I met Bella but she was after money I'm so glad I never told her about the money or the company... from what it sounds like that’s all that mattered to her. I’m so glad I didn’t tell her any of my personal information or tell her about my family. Q and Rory’s safety is my top priority.
"Niki..." My brother says walking up to me...
"Grande Fratello" [Big Brother]
He nods...
"What are you doing here?" I ask him. he wasn’t supposed to be home for another week. He has a big movie coming up.
He gives me the smile reserved for our mother… "Ma wants us home for the weekend" he says...
Just as I suspected… "Mamma wants us to come home?" I didn’t expect her to want us to come over, I thought they would make the trip out. I haven’t been back in our hometown since we moved three years ago after Rory and Q got married.
He nods...
I nod "Okay I'll see you there Fratello" [Brother]
He gives me a smile. I was taller than my older brother, though Q and I weren’t related by blood, he was my older brother, and no one could change that. I loved him as if he was blood.
"Fratellino" [Little Brother] He ruffles my hair and gives me a side hug before heading out of the building...
I let him do as he pleases, but I fix my hair when he leaves. I shake my head walk to my office.
Quinn wasn't Italian like us, but momma and papa made sure he learnt how speak... Most of the time he would only spoke in Italian if he is pissed of... The same for me... I'll start speaking in tongues if I'm pissed off... Now to deal with my family this weekend I'm not exactly thrilled because ma is going to make me go on blind dates with her friends’ daughters...
This was why I didn’t like going back to our hometown, I didn’t want to date anyone, I wanted to go to sleep and forget all about what happened today.
But the thought of seeing Rory and my brother for an entire weekend and not have to worry about the paps was a dream come true.
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Two years ago
"What the hell are you doing here Isabella, I told you not to contact me again!” I whisper yell. “I said I'll give you money. But coming here was not the best thing to do!" I said exhaustedly I was tired of this, I was tired of her coming to me every day, at work, when I'm out chasing girls away, she’s always been this way, she was jealous of girl’s just looking my way. I knew she's always been that way she had always been jealous of girls speaking to me. I was constantly accused of cheating when she was the one sleeping around. I get angry just thinking about that again.
"Niki I just wanted to see you, and our son needs you, we need you Niki" she said tears pooling in her eyes. I wasn’t falling for her act.
"Isabella... Why would you use my brother to speak to me... I told you already it’s impossible" I said honestly, I was annoyed and tired.
"Yeah, but pinning over your sister in law isn't either she'll never love you Nikolai..." she said. That’s old news and her speaking about it was so f*****g out of line.
"I don't love Aurora... I used to love you, but then you left..." I remind her.
"I left for you" she said, but I knew it was total and utter bullshit she left because she thought she was pregnant with the old man's child.
I shrug my shoulders. "So, you say..." I say sarcastically.
"Nick are you being ridiculous right now... You know, max needs you... You need to see him" she says trying to change the subject.
"I told you... I can't... That life isn't for me... I'll send you money... But pretending to be a fan and getting my brother and sister-in-law to get to me wasn't smart Issa" I say I was angry.
"You don't answer my calls Nikolai... Your son doesn't want your money he wants and needs your freaking love..." she says angrily.
"Issa..." I try to speak.
"No... don't Issa me... You don't get the right after dumping me..." she fakes being angry, I know this had nothing to do with my son she wanted me back.
"You freaking left me as soon as you found out you were pregnant, then you returned as soon three years later? What do you expect me to do Issa give up everything because our son is sick? I gave you money why are you here?" I ask angrily. She was pissing me the f**k off.
"Just look at him Nik... He looks exactly like you... You'll love him" she says.
"I don't want to talk you right now Isabella..." I say turning I see Quinn standing there watching us argue... How much did he hear?
"Quinn" I say in an exhausted and strained voice.
He shakes his head and walks away...
"Niki..." she starts to say but I cut her off.
"No this was all your damn fault if you had just stayed the hell away from me in the first place... Urg how I want to strangle you to death right now Isabella" I say walking away.
I walk downstairs to see Quinn sitting on the awful sofa I bought them as a joke... I sat next to him and asked. "How much did you hear?"
He puts his hands up to face and turns to me. "Enough..." He says.
I nod and look ahead of me.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks.
"She came to me when you were in a coma... Apparently she needed money I said no of course then she tells me I have a two-and-a-half-year-old son... I gave her money and told her to leave me alone... She didn't she wants me to be a part of the kid’s life..." I explain.
"Why can't you be... Niki you'll be an amazing dad..." He says.
"His sick, Leukaemia... What if he doesn't make it? I have lost way too many people... Meeting him and then getting attached to lose him... Q, I-I could never survive that..." I said with tears running down my face the thought of losing my own flesh and blood haunts me she came to me right after Q got into his accident and I had to be there for my family I couldn't think about this still, I would love for the kid to live a happy life but the thought of getting attached to him and him dying haunts the hell out of me.
"His not Micah Niki... He’s your son... Your own flesh and blood... He doesn't need your money, the boy needs support, he needs your love... Niki what if he survives? What if he doesn't survive and you never got a chance to hold him? Never get a chance to see him smile... losing a child hurts like hell, but I didn't have the opportunity you have to be able to hold my child, to see my baby grow up... My point is Niki don't decide just yet... Don't shut him out..." He says with tears running down his face.
He was thinking about the baby they had lost.
I nod... I knew he was right... when Rory lost their first baby, the whole family was broken, we all know they never tried for another baby because the fear of losing another baby would completely break them.
"How did you meet her?" He says suddenly.
I look at him confused. "Issa?" I ask.
He nods.
"We went to college together... You and Aurora were doing your own things... I was looking for a girl to take home for the night... That time she had purple hair... I took her home... after that we became friends, I asked her out she rejected me and left... Apparently, she knew she was pregnant, and she had no plans of telling me that was three years ago..." I said Well there was a lot more to the story than that I wasn't going to tell my brother my sob story Micah was definitely not made from a one-night stand.
He nods and doesn’t ask further. Which I’m grateful for.
"Do you still love her?" he asks.
"Quinn... I don't know... Whenever Issa shows up things get heated... we've never had a civil conversation... that's why I've been avoiding her... I don't know how to feel... I remember having to identify my brother's body because mom was too broken, and dad was at the police station... seeing every single one of his bones being broken scarred me for life... You know... Then just before I got the call about you being in an accident, she shows up saying I have a son that might be dying... Then getting a call from your manager... Hearing you might never wake up it hurt me so darn much..." I explain. I wasn’t in any way capable of making any life altering decisions.
He nods and hugs me.
Q knew me better than anyone did. Q was there for me when no one else was, Q helped me through one of the hardest times of my life. He made me into the man I am today. If I needed him my brother was always there for me.
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Six months ago
Today was a special day. Today is my princess’s birthday.
It was Alyssa's second birthday we had this small party with my parents and my brother Quinn and his wife and my best friend Aurora... I was swimming in the pool in our back yard when Quinn called me to into the house...
"Lyssa you want to swim with Niki?" I ask her.
The poor princess shakes her head... She loved refusing anything I asked no matter what it was if I asked her if she wanted something to eat, she'll say no and then take a bite of my food a few minutes later...
I look at Quinn and ask him.
"What's up big brother?" I give him a lazy smile. Putting my butt on the ugly sofa I bought them.
"Have you seen the photos yet?" he asks looking at his laptop.
He surely found new information on Isabella who ran away with my money and son two years ago... I got played by her twice... I was so f*****g pissed off I wanted to strangle her.
I shake my head. "No not yet... I'll check it just now... Thank Marcos for me." Marcos was a buddy from our hometown and one of my best friend’s he was a bodyguard for our company. We use his security company for Q and Rory. We only trusted him to protect them and their second. Well, it’s no longer a secret but back then their marriage was a state secret.
My brother nods...
And Alyssa jumps into Aurora's arms... The doorbell rings and Rory offers to open the door... We nod as she leaves with Lisa...
"Where is she?" I ask Quinn.
"They spotted her at LAX an hour ago..." Quinn says.
"Fanculo. You think she’s coming here to ask for more money?" [f**k]
I get up from the sofa and I wrap a towel around my waist and sit down next to Quinn...
I was about to ask him where she is now when Rory shouts my name... "Niki!"
I get up but before walking off I turn to Q… "Find out where she is right now for me" I ask Quinn.
"Niki!!" she shouts again...
"Yeah, yeah... I'll be there in a sec..." I shout back as I grab a top from the sofa and walk to the door...
I look at Rory and Lisa and this little boy who is standing there.
"Who's the kid?" I ask looking at him then Rory.
"This is your son Micah" Rory says.
I look at the boy again he does kind of does look like me.
My eyes widen. "No... No... No... Where's your mother?" I ask frantically.
"She told me I'm going to live with my daddy and to forget about her" he says...
"Is your mom's name Isabella?" I ask just to be sure.
He nods...
I pick him up and walk into the house...
He hands me a letter and I hand him to Quinn reading the letter... It basically says she can't raise him anymore, and her fiancée wants to have his own kids and he doesn't want to raise another man's kid... And to never look for her...
I explain the letter to Quinn, and he hugs me, this is too much for me... She first kept the boy a secret then pretended he was sick, to get money out of me and then she drops him on my doorstep with a stupid note... I promise to love and protect my little boy.