BACK WITH THE BILLIONAIRE’S ONLY SON

Eva’s POV Bologna, Italy. It’s been six years since I last drove down the streets of Bologna. Bologna was one of my favorite cities in Italy, that was until Dante ruined it for me. Dante! That cursed man. I rolled my eyes as I once again felt the pangs of betrayal shooting through me. People say time heals wounds but this wound was ever fresh. Maybe too fresh considering that the wound left me with a son that looked exactly like the father. I try my best to forget him but each time I see my son’s face I’m reminded of the man who stabbed me in the back and stole everything from me. Raising Lorenzo as a single mother had been a grueling, emotional battle for the past six years. Yet, every time he called me "mom," it reminded me of why I had fought so hard to make a comeback, to return to Bologna. As the driver drove us through the lovely streets, Lorenzo laid his head gently on my lap, his soft brown hair tickling my legs. I gently ran my fingers through his soft hair, a habit I had developed since he was a baby. As I stared out of the window, lost in thought. Thoughts of his father crept into my mind, uninvited and unwelcome. I shook my head, trying to clear out the memories. I needed to focus on the present, on my precious boy who depended on me. Today was his birthday, he was clocking six, and I intended to make it special. We arrived at the mall, and I helped Lorenzo out of the car. His excitement was high, and his hand slipped into mine as we made our way inside. I removed my glasses, tucking them into my bag, and knelt down beside him. "Alright, buddy, what are we getting today?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips. He looked up at me with sparkling eyes, his small face glowing with anticipation. "A toy, Mom! A really cool one!" His excitement never ceased to amuse me, and I chuckled in response. "You got it, champ. Let's go find the perfect toy." Inside, Lorenzo’s joy was infectious. His laughter echoed through the mall as he darted from one aisle to another, exploring the colorful array of toys on display. He made excited noises, and I couldn't resist smiling as I watched him. Single parenting hard and filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, but moments like these were worth every second. I followed him closely, our hands never parting. He suddenly stopped in front of a wide display of toy cars. His eyes widened, and he pointed excitedly at a sleek, red car that shone under the mall's lights. "Mom, look! It's so coooooool!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder. I bent down to his level, admiring the toy car with him. "Wow, Lorenzo, that's a good toy." But before I could react, he was off again, running towards another section. "Mom, come!" My heart couldn't help but soar at his excitement. I followed him, but this time, he was too fast. "Lorenzo, wait for me!" I called after him. But he was too fast, driven by his excitement. "Lorenzo, please, slow down!" My voice seemed to only lead him on as he raced further away and disappeared around a corner. Panic clawed at my chest as I couldn't spot him among the aisles of toys. I called his name repeatedly, my voice quivering with worry. "Lorenz honey? Where are you?" No response. I hurriedly searched down two more rows, my heart pounding in my chest. Concern twisted in my gut as I realized he wasn't just exploring; he was lost. I couldn't hold back the fear any longer, and I began to shout his name. "Lorenzo! Lorenzo!” Other shoppers turned to look, some offering sympathetic smiles, others with disapproving glances. I didn't care, I ignored them all; my only concern was finding my son, a child I had fought so hard to raise. After I’d spent a long time searching for him fruitlessly, I made my way to the mall manager's office. My voice trembled as I explained the situation, and I begged them to check the security cameras for any trace of Lorenzo. The mall was too wide and by now he could be in the farthest areas. As the footage played back on the screen, my heart leaped into my throat. There he was, my precious boy, at the very last row of the mall. How had he managed to get there so quickly? And who was that stranger dressed in all black beside him? Without a second thought, I ran across the mall, sprinting as if my life depended on it to reach the last row. My heart pounded with worry. "Lorenzo!" I shouted as I almost reached the last row, my heart pounding with equal parts relief and worry. “Lorenzo!" I shouted, gasping for breath as I neared the last row, my eyes locked on my son who stood there, smiling at a stranger in black. Anger surged within me as I saw Lorenzo with the stranger. "Lorenzo!" I shouted, my voice high and harsh. “Haven’t I told you not to talk to strangers? Come here right now.” “I’m sorry, i was showing him my toy,” he said sadly as he ran towards me, immediately holding my hand as if to calm my anger down. I turned toward the man in black, whose face I couldn’t see well because he was wearing a cap. “Grazie,” I said thanking him in Italian since I met my son safe and smiling. “Thank you for keeping him here.” Once the stranger raised his head up, I felt my heart stop. My facial expression shifted entirely. I froze. It couldn't be. It was him. It was Dante. The man who still haunted my nightmares no matter how hard I tried to forget. The father of my child. I had rehearsed this moment a million times, I’d told myself that once I saw him I was going to be the badass woman that I was, that I was going to spit in his face and curse him in the worse Italian words available. But seeing him now all of the rehearsals skipped my head, my heart beat fast and my mouth went numb. All I wanted to do was take my son out of there before he even noticed him. He began to speak, "It’s nothin—" but stopped abruptly, realization probably dawning on him. "Oh, Eva," he said with a hint of surprise and mockery, "I didn't know it was you. What are you doing here?” He paused eyeing me from head to toe. “I didn't think you could still afford to shop in expensive stores like this." I rolled my eyes at him, immediately pulling Lorenzo close. "Let's go, Lorenzo," I said firmly and proceeded to walk away from Dante. All I cared about right now was getting my son faraway from him. Dante, however, grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks. "Whose boy is this?" he asked arrogantly. “Are you still jumping into mens bed trying to fix your daddy issues?” His questions struck a nerve inside of me and I felt my blood boil, my eyes reddened. He had no right, no right whatsoever to say anything like that to me. I was in no mood for idiots like him and my anger was already over boiling. Determined to put Dante in his place, I did the unimaginable. My hand, fueled by anger and frustration, rose and landed with a loud hot slap across his face. His eyes widened in shock, his hand instinctively reaching for the stinging mark. “How dare you Eva?” He asked angrily while still touching his face. "I dare to and I’ll do it a thousand more times if you don’t leave me and my son alone!" I shouted, drawing the attention of other shoppers and workers in the mall. "He's the one who took my kid," I said loudly so everyone around could hear me while pointing an accusing finger at Dante. The mall manager, alerted by the commotion, hurried over to us. "What's going on here?" he asked, trying to solve the situation. I wasted no time in explaining, my voice still laced with anger. "He’s the one who took my kid.” I said, pointing accusing fingers at him once more. The manager immediately turned to Dante, about to ask him some questions to clarify the situation but I was in no mood for that. I just wanted to leave the mall. “Look” I told the manager, “I just want to leave, I don’t feel safe with the likes of people like him around.” “I understand madam, i sincerely apologize. Please do trust that we will handle the situation appropriately.” The manager said as he eyed Dante disgustedly. Dante opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't wait to hear what excuses he might have. I turned on my heel and left the mall, not looking back. My driver opened the back seat door, and I climbed in with Lorenzo beside me. As the car pulled away, I couldn't help but glance to see Dante still standing there, his expression a mix of shock and confusion. But I had no intention of sticking around to find out what he had to say. My priority was my son, and I was getting us as far away from him as possible.