The Italian Billionaire and His Run Away Bride

Prologue

Cefalu, Sicily 2009

" Mamu, are we going on a vacation?" I asked my mother as I watched her putting all my clothes in suitcases. Her hasty movements confuse me; she seemed agitated and in a daze.

" Figlia Mia (my baby), you have to leave. It is not safe for you to stay here. You will stay with your uncle John in the US. Finish your school there and never mention your family, do not let anyone know your real name." My mother is packing my clothes as quickly as possible.

She is shaking and looking very anxious. I am only 10 years old, yet she wants me to leave my family and start a new life in a place thousands of miles away from my home.

I don't know what's going on, but it must be something terrible, or else my mother will not send me away. I am frightened and confused, and I am just watching her putting all my things in a suitcase.

I looked around me and started tearing up. This is where I grew up. I will be leaving my friends, especially my parents and my dog Bruno.

" Madre, che succede (Mother, what's going on)?" I asked her in a trembling voice.

" La mia Bambina (my baby girl)," she held my face in her hands and kissed my forehead.

" Mi dispiace molto ( I am so sorry), I am very hurt mia figlia (my daughter), but you have to go. It is not safe. Your father made a terrible mistake with his business. We want you as far away from here as possible. Once it is safe, we will find you. Forget this place, Amelia, promise me; you will never look back."

She is crying now and hugged me tightly. She kissed me all over my face and then continued packing. The door opened abruptly, and in came to my father, who has the same expression as my mother.

" Carina, have you done packing her things? We have to hurry, cara (dear), they will be here any minute. She must be on the plane before this day ends. We can't waste any more time." He ordered my mother but looked at her with a sorrowful and guilt-ridden face.

Then he turned his gaze upon me, approached me, and knelt in front of me. He encased me in his embrace and kissed my head, then he whispered.

" Mio caro ( my darling), I am so sorry, you will not understand for now, but I hope when the time comes that you will learn what I have done, you will forgive me. Ti amo mia cara figlia ( I love you, my darling daughter). We may be far away from you, but you will always be in our prayers and our hearts. Forget this place and bury us deep in your heart. I will do everything in my power to fix the mess I made, and we will come and get you mi amore ( my love)." He kissed my forehead for a long time and stood up.

He grabbed the few suitcases my mother has packed and went outside.

My mother asked me to wear a thick jacket and wrapped a shawl on my neck, almost covering my face. Then we exited my room after making sure everything is clear, and no trace of my things can be found.

They ushered me to the car and drove away from our house. As the car moved away, I looked at our house, my tears dropped, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

I might not be able to come back, and I might not see my parents again. The vision of our house slowly fades, and I cried silently.

My mother turned from the front seat and looked at me with so much pain in her eyes. I glanced at my father driving our car as fast as he could, like the devil himself was chasing us. I saw his misty eyes in the mirror, and I cried even more. What is going on?

What has gone wrong to make my parents so scared that they want me to disappear? I am so scared of what will happen to me in the US. I mean, my uncle John and his wife are nice folks, but still, they are not my parents.

How can I hide where I came from when my features screamed Italian, not to mention my accent and barely speak English. I looked at the scenery outside as we passed by on our way to the airport. This is my roots, and this is where I was born and raised. Cefalu is my home.

Cefalu is a small town in Sicily not far away from Palermo. It is the most beautiful town for me, located just an hour’s drive from Palermo, the medieval town of Cefalù is so picture-perfect that many movies have been filmed here. I love walking along the Cefalu streets and looked at the mosaic-adorned cathedrals, down to lungomare (seafront promenade).

My family loves spending time at the beach during the weekends. Now I won't be able to do that anymore. I'm leaving all of this behind and probably never come back.

I stared in front as we approached the Palermo Airport. I can hear my mother's sob in front and saw my father reaching out his hand to grab her hand. She avoided his touch, and I saw the hurt in my father's eyes.

" Amelia, the flight attendants will take care of you when you board the plane. Avoid eye contact and don't speak unless it's necessary. Your uncle, John, and aunt Suzanne will be waiting for you at the airport. Be a good girl, and finish your studies, do not trust anybody, not even your uncle. Be brave, my Bambina, always remember that we love you so much." My father said and glanced at me in the mirror, he's getting choked, and I too started crying again.

When we parked outside the airport, my dad quickly grabbed a trolley for my suitcases and loaded them all in a hurry.

My mom guided me out of the car and held me so tight by her side, her eyes roaming around as if looking for somebody. Then we all went inside the airport, checked in my luggage, and approached the woman near the gate.

My dad spoke to her for a bit, and they both glanced at me, and the woman smiled and nodded. My dad passed her my passport and ticket and pushed me towards the woman after hugging me one more time.

The woman held my hand and started dragging me inside the gate. I reluctantly followed and kept on looking back at my parents, who are crying and hugging.

We were inside already when I saw men approaching my parents and drag them away from there. My eyes widened, and I wanted to run back to them, but my father's face stopped me.

He looked at me and shook his head discreetly, and the woman then pulled me to enter the door where I'll be boarding. I am crying now and as confused as ever; who were those men?

Where are they taking my parents? When will I see them again? What will happen to me in the US? Questions and more questions ran on my head as the woman led me to my seat on the plane. I am so scared, so lost, and so hurt.

******************************************************************************************************

Hey guys! I am so sorry in advance that this book will now be a 'Pay to Read" book. Since the followers reach 1k, automatically, it is qualified to be in 'Pay to Read." I promise it will be worth the penny, and you won't regret spending your dollars on this book. Thank you so much for your understanding and your support.