Chained Princess

Chapter 1: It’s Good To Be Back

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Two years, 3 months after the ending of Chained Lovers...

K I A R A ‘ S P. O. V

I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes zeroed in on the faint bit of purple still visible in my hair. s**t my mum was going to kill me.

The one thing she hated more than anything was when I screwed with my natural dark brown hair colour. It was something I had been blessed to have inherited from her, she told me, and to mess with it, was an insult.

The purple highlights had been a mistake anyways, and taken several weeks to slowly fade. I would have to dye my hair once more when I got back home.

Home. Could I even call New York that anymore?

I heard a small cry from the other room, just as I zipped up my final suitcase. I grabbed the wedding invitation and dropped it on top of the suitcase. There was no way I could leave that behind, the bride would kill me. Literally.

Pushing open the painted purple door, I carefully walked in, avoiding the mess of toys strewn over the carpet. I was genuinely proud of her bedroom, having created it all myself.

The walls were painted a dusty shade of lilac, grey carpet was fitted across the floor and there was a small wardrobe in one corner with a rocking chair in the other. Her crib lay in the centre, crafted by a woodsman, back in New York.

The mobile was still singing its soft lullaby, gently moving in slow circles. I peeked in the crib, smiling at my beautiful baby girl. Her cerulean coloured eyes were shut, her fists bawled up at her sides and her raven curls wild and unruly as always.

I had tried everything to tame them, but eventually gave up. Choosing to trim them every month or so instead.

She was epitome of her father. She was her father.

Even her nature was stubborn and she had an obvious temper. The other week, she slapped some kid over the head for stealing her teddy bear.

I was proud of my girl for sticking up for herself, don't get me wrong. However, the other kid was rushed to the ER for stitches. Yeah, my girl can pack a punch.

Anastasia Selena Romano. She lived up to her name.

The doorbell suddenly rings, causing my baby girl to stir. I quickly rushed down the stairs of my small condo, praying they didn't press the doorbell again and wake Anastasia up.

Opening the door, a bouquet of flowers was immediately thrust into my face. The same violets I always received whenever he decided to pop over, smelt delectable.

"Bella, I missed you." He swept me up into his arms, kissing me softly. That's what I adored about Alessi, he was always so sweet.

There was no darkness that plagued him, there were no monsters hiding in his closet, what you saw was what you got and after the painful relationships I had endured, this was easy. This was nice. This was what I needed.

Pulling back, his caramel eyes narrowed slightly as he beamed down at me. It wasn't hard to tower over my small stature, but Alessi was almost 6 foot 7. I felt like a mouse compared to him.

"I can't believe you'll be gone for a month." He pouted, his Italian accent becoming more pronounced.

We walked into my home. I guess I had lived here long enough to call it that. After I had given birth, I moved into a place nearer to the city.

I needed the noise, the bustling streets, the smiling neighbours. There was a nursery just down the street and the cafe at which I worked at was only a five minute walk. Life was peaceful here in Verona.

"Technically it's only three weeks." I cheekily noted, replacing the old violets which had died out, with the new ones.

"What would you say if I went with you?" My body stiffened, but Alessi grinned, clearly not noticing my grim expression and ran out the door. He returned with a suitcase, which looked as though it was about to burst at the seams.

"Alessi..." I warned.

"Here me out okay, you'll need help with Anastasia on the plane and during the wedding. She's warmed up to me these past few weeks and I want to meet my girlfriend's family."

He didn't know about the mafia, about the danger, about the bloodshed. He didn't even know about Anastasia's father and I wasn't ready to tell him the story yet. That meant reliving every single moment, including the night he shattered my heart and the day I walked away.

"It's been six months Kiara." Had it really been that long?

Our relationship started off as a friendship and slowly it progressed. Alessi had never hidden his desire for me, even since that day he asked me out in the coffee house. I had refused and the next day he returned with the proposal of being friends instead. I can't even remember when the line blurted between being friends and something more. It just had.

I guess he kissed me one night and that was it. The fact that my daughter had already warmed up Alessi, despite only knowing him a few weeks had made the relationship throw stronger. 

My daughter didn't need a father, not with all her uncles willing to spoil her until it drove me crazy. Yet, Alsssi was like that for her. He took her to the park whenever I worked, he put her to bed some nights, her sang to her, read to her...it's bad I know.

He's not her father, but her father wasn't here, her father would never be here because I didn't want him here. Alessi was good for her and he was good for me. So, why couldn't my family meet him?

"Okay, I'll text my mum that we'll have a guest with us." I gasped as his large hands gripped my hips, drawing me in close.

"Grazie Bella." He murmured, his light brown hair falling forward to graze his eyebrows.

"No thank you Lessi, for being there for me. Going back home, going back to New York...is terrifying for me." I hadn't been back since I was pregnant and Anastasia had never been. Everyone visited me here, in Verona.

I didn't want to risk seeing him or him seeing Anastasia. However the wedding couldn't suddenly be moved here, so I would have to push my anxiety aside and just go.

I couldn't live my life in fear of Aaron Black.

"I love you Bella," My breath hitched in the back of my throat but before I could respond, he kissed me.

I wanted to love Alessi so bad. I felt cruel every time he says it to me and I can't say it back but Aaron ruined love for me. I'm physically incapable of loving anyone else but him.

For some reason, my heart was still wrapped in the tendrils of his dark clutches.

A loud cry broke us apart, and Alessi smiled at me. "Can I..." I nodded, and watched as he dashed upstairs.

Our flight was in 2 hours and Kai would be picking us up from the airport. I unlocked my phone and sent a quick text to my mum, letting her know that Alessi would be travelling with us.

I was kind of glad that I would have someone else to help me with Anastasia. She had never been on a plane before, and at two years old, she wasn't a stranger to long fits of screaming.

"There's my gorgeous girl," I cooed, grabbing my grumpy baby. She rubbed her eyes and wept slightly, burying her face into my neck.

"I'll put the bags in the car." I nodded at him slightly and moved over to the drawn curtains.

"Look Stasia," I whispered, using the nickname I had given her. She lifted her head up, blinking away her tears and we both watched as the waves lapped against the shore.

One of our favourite things to do was watch the tide come in and out. The beach had always provided the two of us comfort it our darkest times. Surprisingly, living by yourself with only a baby for company was lonely.

I had moment where depression had sunk in, especially concerning the months after Nana Maria had passed. She had been such a big help to me with Stasia, and Stasia had become attached. She would cry, I would cry and eventually I would just get so fed up of trying to get her to go to sleep, that I just walked to the beach, sat down in the sand, and we watched the waves.

"Vio!" She called out, nothing the fresh flowers tucked away by the window. We drifted over towards them, and I let her reach out to gently touch the petals. "Mama vio," She giggled.

"Yeah, I know." I smiled and bounced her gently. Alessi bought me violets because purple was Anastasia's favourite colour. It was probably one of the sweetest things any of had ever done for me, because he had done it for her too.

Suddenly, her bottom lip popped out end she started to cry again. "Bunny." She whined, making a grabbing motion with her hands. I knew she was on the brink of a full blown tantrum without that stuffed animal, so I quickly rushed towards the stairs to find it.

"Looking for this." Alessi grinned, thrusting Bunny into Stasia's face. She giggled and grabbed Bunny, hugging him to her face.

"Say thank you." I reminded her.

"Tank youuu!" She screeched, laughing. I looked over from watching my baby girl, to glance at Alessi. He was the epitome of good, of kind, of perfect yet still, I didn't feel complete.

***

"Would you like a drink?" I took the champagne immediately, downing the glass in one gulp.

In Italy, the legal drinking age was 16, so I had no need to pull out my fake ID but in New York, it was still 21.

Not that it mattered much since I would be turning 21 pretty soon. God, if I only I had remained sober until the legal age. I probably would still be in New York, attending college and my biggest worry would be finding a job, but there would be no Anastasia.

And Anastasia was my everything now.

Alessi was knocked out, exhausted just the same as I was, after suffering through a four hour screaming tantrum. Eventually, Anastasia had settled down and cried herself to exhaustion.

I almost did the same.

For the rest of the flight, I slipped in and out of a light sleep, knowing I couldn't fully rest until Anastasia was in my parent's home, safe and sound.

The moment we stepped off the plane, I called Kai who would be picking us up from the airport. Alessi grabbed our bags, whilst I held Anastasia, and together we made our way outside.

An elderly woman stopped to coo over Anastasia, something that was common occurrence these days. My smile has faltered though as she look straight at Alessi and said, "You're a lucky guy, your wife and daughter are beautiful."

"Thank you." That was his response, he didn't correct her. I suppose, neither did I, but still the comment stayed with me, causing this nagging pain in my heart.

"Kiara!" My eyes searched the bustling crowd until I found Kai. I rushed over with Anastasia in my arms and hugged him as best as I could.

"I missed you so much." I whispered, pulling back.

Kai's eyes fell on Anastasia, and he immediately pulled her into his arms. "Oh my god, my beautiful niece got so big. Look how gorgeous you got baby, oh you're adorable,"

I let Kai fawn over her and as usual, she giggled, soaking in all the compliments and attention. Alessi placed the bags in the car, before introducing himself to Kai.

Kai barely said hi, too preoccupied with my baby girl. I managed to steal my daughter back from him and together we all drove back to the house.

The huge mansion I had called home for years still looked exactly the same. Wilson, the main guard, greeted me by the gates. I got out the car and gave him a big hug, before introducing him to my daughter.

"She looks just like A..." Wilson knew everything and that's exactly why I knew that the next words out of his mouth would be my Anastasia's father. He kept mum after the deathly glare I shot him, and busied himself with getting a lollipop for Anastasia.

"Thank you." I murmured.

Wilson straightened up, his eyes never straying from Anastasia, who was struggling with opening her wrapper. "He's hasn't been here since last October. Just thought you would want to know,"

I nodded, a feeling of relief flooding through me. As much as my father tried, Black co-operations still had business tied with Romano enterprises. There were contracts in place that my father just couldn't get out of.

Anastasia began to wander up the drive, her lollipop in hand. I smiled, watching her laugh at the butterflies that flew by, and try to catch them. I gestured for Kai and Alessi to go straight up, and followed her up.

The door was already open and the bags were taken upstairs by the time we got inside. I ended up having to carry her up the majority of the drive, so I was practically panting by the same we walked into the living room.

Everything was the same, except now, pictures of Anastasia lined the walls too.

"Mum," I breathed out, setting Anstasia down to hug her.

"My little girl." I hugged her right, basking in the feeling of being in her arms. My brothers all swarmed around my daughter, fighting her attention.

They hadn't seen her since she was one, and now she was full blown toddler, walking and talking...well kinda.

"How was the flight? Are you hungry? Do you want to sleep?"

"I'm fine mum." I assured her, smiling brightly. I hadn't known how much I had missed my family until now. Until...seeing them all with Anastasia.

It made me realise that she needed family around her. Back in Italy, she only had me and Alessi. Was that enough?

"Kiwi," My dad had grown out his stubble over these past months, into a full blown beard. Specks of grey lined his hair but still, he didn't look old enough to be a grandfather.

"Daddy." It broke my heart. Hugging my father, realising how much I had missed me, realising that Anastasia wouldn't have this with hers. It made me feel...guilty.

No Kiara, you did the right thing. You gave up everything for Anastasia, you protected her from...him. He wouldn't be able to be her father, he would have broken her heart too.

"And who's this?" My dad said, as Alessi wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Guys this is..."

"Kiara!" I heard the scream, before I saw her. My heart began beating wildly in my chest and I ran over to her, almost tripping over the sofa.

Her blonde hair was shorter now, more tamed, barely brushing over her shoulders and she had side bangs that swept over her eyebrows. Tessa was gorgeous. She always was.

"I missed you so much!" I squealed.

"I missed you more, oh my gosh, we have so many things to talk about and did you know that Natasha got fat?" We both tried to stifle our laughter. "I mean really really fat. I guess karma's a bitch."

"Oh god, definitely and what about..."

"Girls!" My mother shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room. I immediately shut up and turned around to meet the amused expressions of everyone. "You can have your catch up later but do you mind introducing..." She looked over at Alessi cluelessly.

"Alessi." I walked over to him, linking our hands in solidarity. "This is Alessi, my boyfriend." As suspected, everyone gave me a concerned look but I brushed them off, standing up on my tip toes to kiss my boyfriend.

As our lips met, I shut my eyes, allowing myself to slowly drift off into his touch. My heart was waiting for the sparks that used to appear, the tingle of warmth that affected my entire body and caused it shudder from one touch. But they didn't come.

I pulled away and plastered on a fake smile to try and hide the singe of disappointment that filled me.

I didn't feel the sparks, or the warmth. It was just a kiss. I didn't know why my heart was still expecting them, because no matter what, Aaron Black would never touch me again.

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A/N: I’m so excited for Kiara to be back!! I love writing her as a character!

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