FOUR

Nicolo stood just a few steps behind me, his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed but curious.

“Nick?” I said, blinking in surprise. “I thought you left already.”

I suddenly felt guilty. I didn’t even get to say goodbye earlier.

He walked over slowly and sat next to me. The breeze lifted his hair slightly, and the sunlight hit his face just enough to make me notice the way his jaw tightened every now and then—like he was deep in thought again.

“I just went with Colton for a while,” he said. “That’s why I disappeared.”

He glanced at me, and just like before, I quickly looked away. His gaze made my heart race for some reason. It wasn’t harsh or cold—it was just... intense. Like he could see too much.

“How about you?” he asked. “What are you doing out here?”

I gave a small shrug. “Nothing really. Just getting some fresh air.” And thinking. A lot.

Thinking about family, about the past, about the way everything suddenly feels like it’s changing—and I have no idea what comes next.

He didn’t say anything else, and for a moment, neither did I.

We just sat there quietly. The sky was clear and calm. It looked peaceful. 

Then, out of nowhere, Nicolo spoke again.

“So… you ran away from home, huh?” he asked, his tone light but curious. “Why? Are you rebelling against your parents or something?”

His question caught me off guard. I turned my head slightly and frowned, my lips forming a soft pout.

“It’s not really about rebelling,” I said quietly. “I just wanted to feel a little bit free. My dad doesn’t let me leave the house unless it’s something important. He’s so strict about everything. Sometimes it feels like I’m trapped.”

I paused for a moment.

“I’m not trying to be a bad daughter or anything,” I added. “I just… I want to know what it’s like to live normally. To make my own choices—even if just for a while.”

Nicolo let out a small laugh and leaned back.

“Ah, that explains it,” he said, grinning. “You really seemed like a pro at running away. No wonder you disappeared so fast this morning.”

I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Huh? Are you seriously bringing that up again?”

He just kept grinning.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “It was a one-night stand, okay? What were you expecting? That I’d stay and wait for you to wake up with coffee or something?” I crossed my arms. “I didn’t even plan for that to happen. I was drunk. Really drunk.”

At that, his grin faded. His face grew serious, and he looked at me carefully.

“You didn’t like what happened last night?” he asked, his voice low.

His eyes locked onto mine, intense and searching. My heart started beating faster. I quickly looked down at the ground, feeling my face heat up.

Why is he even asking that?

“I-It’s not that,” I stammered, avoiding his gaze. “That’s not what I meant.”

I did like what happened. Too much, maybe. But there was no way I was going to say that out loud. That would be way too embarrassing.

Nicolo leaned forward a little, resting his arms on his knees.

“Don’t worry,” he said after a pause. “We’re on the same page.”

I looked up at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

He turned his eyes to the river again, his face calm. “I ran away from home, too.”

That surprised me. I straightened up a little. “Really? Why?”

I knew I was being nosy, but I couldn’t help it. I was curious.

He gave a small shrug. “Well, it’s not really running away... not exactly. My dad told me to leave the city for a while. He thinks it’s safer this way. There’s a scandal going on back home, and somehow, people think I’m part of it.”

I frowned. “A scandal?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. They say I was involved in something bad. Something dirty. But my family is trying to fix it. They told me to stay away from the media because showing my face would only make things worse.”

I watched him carefully, trying to read his expression. “Were you really part of that scandal?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He let out a quiet, deep laugh. “No. At least, I don’t think so. Maybe someone edited a video. I’ve made a lot of enemies. Too many, honestly. I don’t even know who’s behind it anymore.”

I nodded slowly in understanding. It felt familiar—like my life in a different version. People were always trying to ruin us too, to destroy our family’s name. But none of them ever succeeded. My dad always stayed a few steps ahead of everyone.

I turned to look at Nicolo. His features looked even sharper now—his jaw, his cheekbones, the way the light caught in his eyes. I found myself staring.

I swallowed hard.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

The words slipped out of my mouth without warning. As soon as I said them, I blinked in surprise. Why did I ask that?

Nicolo turned to look at me. I panicked a little and quickly thought of an excuse.

“B-Because,” I said, waving my hands a little, “I just… I want to make sure I didn’t sleep with someone who’s already in a relationship. I’d hate that.”

Nicolo gave a crooked smile, then shook his head. “No,” he said. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t really do relationships.”

I looked at him, curious again. “Why not?”

He shrugged like it didn’t matter. “I just sleep with someone and leave. No strings. No drama. That’s how it’s always been.”

Something about the way he said that made my chest feel heavy—but I didn’t know why.

I turned my eyes away from him, trying to ignore the strange feeling settling in.

“Ohhh,” I said, pretending to understand, though I felt a small sting in my chest. “So that’s why you were upset when I left after our one-night stand? Because you're usually the one who disappears first?”

I tried to sound casual, maybe even a little teasing. But deep down, I was disappointed. His earlier words had hit something I didn’t want to admit I felt.

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug, like it didn’t matter either way.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I looked away and let out a soft scoff under my breath.

Typical. Just another player. The kind who acts cool, says what you want to hear, then walks away like nothing happened.

Then he asked, “How about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

I turned my head slightly, giving him a side glance. He still wasn’t looking at me—his eyes stayed fixed on the view in front of us, like it held the answers he was searching for.

“No,” I replied simply. “Why are you asking?”

“Same reason you asked me,” he said.

I gave a small nod, then let the silence return.

Then, finally, he broke the silence again. “Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” he asked, this time turning his head to look at me.

That question made my heart skip. I felt something flutter in my stomach.

I gave him a soft laugh. “They never last.”

He raised one eyebrow, clearly wanting more. “Why not?”

I smiled, a little shy now, and looked down at my hands. “Well,” I began slowly, “my family has this rule. It sounds weird, but it’s very serious to us.”

I paused, then looked back at him. He was really listening now.

“In our family, if someone wants to marry one of us, and their family is ranked lower than ours, they have to give up their last name. They have to take ours instead,” I explained. “It’s a tradition, I guess. A way to keep the Giulani name going since there aren’t many of us left.”

I gave a small sigh. 

“Most of my past boyfriends didn’t want to agree to that. So the relationships always ended. They said it made them feel like they were losing a part of themselves.”

Nicolo was quiet, but his expression showed that he was thinking deeply about what I’d said.

“My sister Bianca’s lucky,” I added with a soft smile. “Her boyfriend agreed. They’re getting married soon. My dad really likes him.”

Nicolo nodded slowly, then gave me that playful grin of his.

“So if I wanted to pursue you,” he said, “I’d have to agree to that rule too, huh?”

I turned to him quickly, caught off guard. My heart thudded in my chest. I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

“What?” I asked, trying to hide how flustered I felt.

He raised his hands, still smiling. “Nothing,” he said. “It’s just... that’s a pretty intense rule. Feels kind of old-school. But hey, if it’s what your family believes in, then what can you do, right?”

Then he looked at me directly.

“What’s your full name, by the way?” he asked. “I’m just really curious.”

Our eyes met, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

This man is dangerously handsome. The way he looked at me… it felt like he could see through every wall I’d ever built.

I blinked quickly and forced myself to speak. “Giulani,” I said. “Freah Mireille Giulani.”

As soon as I said it, Nicolo turned his head sharply to look at me. His eyes narrowed for a second, like something had just clicked in his mind. But then he smiled again.

“So,” he said, his voice calm but firm, “if I wanted to marry you someday, I’d have to give up my last name—Grimaldi—and become a Giulani instead.”

He stood up slowly, brushing the dust from his hands, and looked down at me with a strange seriousness in his eyes.

“Got it. Noted.”

I stood, completely stunned by what Nicolo had just said. His words stayed in my head, repeating over and over like a quiet echo.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice he had already turned and was walking away. By the time I realized, he was almost back at Meva’s house.

It took me a few seconds to snap out of it. Then I quickly stood up and followed after him.

My heart was beating so fast, it actually hurt. I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm it down, but it just kept pounding harder. I didn’t understand why I felt so nervous, or why his words had shaken me like that.

When I stepped inside the house, I saw Meva smiling and talking to Nicolo near the kitchen. It looked like he was saying goodbye, and for some reason, that made my chest feel heavy. I felt... sad. Like something important was ending.

Is he really leaving?

Are we not going to talk again after this?

Just as I stood there quietly, not knowing what to do, I suddenly heard my name.

“Frei!” Meva called out, using the nickname only people close to me used. I blinked, surprised.

Nicolo turned his head toward me too. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a smile.

Meva walked over, beaming. Her face was glowing with excitement, and before I could say anything, she gently took my hand in hers.

She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but before she could say a word, we heard Colton’s voice calling from outside.

“Ma! I’ve finished setting up the apartment where Nicolo will stay!”

My eyes widened, and I turned to Meva in confusion. “Nicolo’s place? He’s staying here?”

Meva gave me a playful smile, like she had been waiting for me to ask that.

“Oh, he’s not just staying for one night,” she said cheerfully. “Nicolo said he’ll be here for a while—at least for the whole vacation. He rented one of our apartments. Isn’t that great?” Her eyes were twinkling with excitement, but my mind couldn’t keep up.

“W-What do you mean—” I started to ask again, my voice stammering.

But I didn’t get to finish because Nicolo suddenly walked over to where we stood.

His right hand was casually tucked into his pocket, and that same confident, charming smile was on his lips. He stopped right in front of me and leaned in slightly, just enough to make my heart skip again.

“I’m staying here, Freah,” he said softly. “So please… be good to me. And maybe… let’s take this chance to get to know each other better.”

My heart started racing again—faster than before. I could feel warmth rising to my cheeks, and I didn’t know what to say or how to react.

Why is he saying things like that? What does he mean?

And yet, even though I was confused and flustered…A part of me felt excited. Nervous. Curious.