19. Chapter 19

19

" G ood morning," Ilaria called out as she breezed into the dining room, smiling at Galen and ignoring Soren, who were both refreshing their cups of coffee..

It was nearly lunchtime. She had rolled around and hadn't fallen asleep until the early hours of the morning. But once sleep came it was deep and dreamless. And when she awoke, she no longer felt such a weight on her shoulders.

Galen looked at her with a relieved smile. "Looks like you got a good night's sleep."

Ilaria filled a cup with coffee and leaned against the buffet table as she took a sip. "I slept like a baby, actually."

A glance at Soren told her he had not slept like a baby. While he still looked polished in his daily outfit of a pressed dress shirt and slacks, the beginnings of shadows were evident under his eyes, and there were tinges of red on his eyelids.

He met her gaze, expression impassive.

A small sliver of satisfaction rose in her before she tamped it down. She was done playing games, and what he did or how he felt wasn't her business.

"That's great, love," Galen said. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that."

"Yeah, I feel great," she said honestly. "What are you up to today?" She rarely saw Galen out of a suit, even on the weekends. If he was like her father had been, he worked seven days a week.

"Just catching up on paperwork," he responded. "Why don't you help yourself to some fruit while Magda makes lunch?"

"I was hoping to go into Inverwick for lunch, actually," she said. "And do some shopping."

"I'll take you," Soren finally spoke up.

Ilaria nodded, knowing she had agreed to be accompanied everywhere.

"Great," Galen added. "Then after you get back, we can talk again about what we're going to do next."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. If she didn't know better, Galen and Soren had already come up with a plan, and it likely consisted of parts she wouldn't agree with. But she held her tongue, deciding she can raise hell later.

"Okay," she acknowledged. She looked at Soren. "I'm ready when you are."

"Give me half an hour to finish up a few things," he said as he headed out of the dining room.

Galen turned to her to give her a one-armed hug. "I likewise need to finish up some things. Have fun and I'll see you later."

"See you later, Uncle Galen."

Ilaria ran back upstairs, deciding to change into an outfit more appropriate for a sunny day strolling through a charming little town. She slipped into a white, sleeveless sundress that showed off her olive skin and a pair of flat silver sandals. She slicked on her favorite tinted red lip gloss. Then she grabbed her sunglasses, a small red bag, phone, and headed downstairs to wait for Soren.

Ilaria: Feeling amazing today. Going into town for some lunch and shopping.

She snapped a picture of herself and sent it to her friends.

Emmy: Gorgeous! Will Mr. Conflicted be going with you?

Ilaria: Unfortunately, yes, but maybe I can lose him somewhere.

Noe: Pretend he's your personal assistant. He can carry your bags for you.

She laughed.

Ilaria: I'll try that and make sure to have photographic evidence. Have a great day. Love you guys.

Ilaria was still smiling when Soren came into the foyer. He had also changed into a medium blue polo shirt and tan chinos. She tried not to notice how his shirt brought out the blue in his eyes.

"Ready?" he asked. His voice was slightly better than a growl.

She rolled her eyes, wondering if she was going to put up with his attitude all day. "Ready," she confirmed, and followed him out the door where his car was waiting.

She let herself into the front passenger seat—after briefly debating on getting into the backseat but decided it would be too petty—and quickly snapped in her seat belt before he could instruct her to. Which, by the way his mouth had opened, he was about to do. She smiled inwardly to herself when his mouth snapped shut.

As they drove down the hill into Inverwick, she felt a lightness she hadn't felt for a while, even with her surly car companion. He wasn't going to ruin her day. She rolled down the window, stuck her arm into the breeze, closed her eyes, and let the warm summer air flow through her hair.

"What do you want to do first?" Soren asked as he rolled into the main street.

"Lunch," she responded succinctly. "A sandwich."

She knew he would stop at Crust bittersweet chocolate in a thin outer shell and a soft truffle center. She watched Soren's reaction. He didn't make a face, which was a downright victory.

She elbowed him. "Good, right?"

He shrugged. "It was alright." But she noticed he finished the rest of it.

For the next few hours, Ilaria led him into nearly a dozen other stores, buying clothes for herself, gifts for her friends, and trinkets unique to Inverwick that she could use to decorate her condo.

She had expected him to be even more ill-tempered as the day wore on, thereby proving her point, but he seemed to relax, becoming decidedly less prickly.

She, in turn, realized, to her slight horror, that she was having fun.

It was also baffling that Soren was recognized and greeted like an old friend at every store and along the street. He knew every person by name, remembered the names of their loved ones, and didn't fail to stop even for a few minutes for a quick chat. With her, he was usually cantankerous and contrary, but with everyone else he was downright personable.

Ilaria took a sip of water as they walked out of the bookstore. "Okay, I think I've had enough. Ah, wait!" She crossed the street, her shopping bags bouncing against her legs, to the large fountain that stood at the center of the town.

"Coins." She held out her hands to him.

Soren dug into his pockets and produced two coins and handed them to her. She gave one back to him. "Make a wish."

She clutched the coin in her hand, closed her eyes, wished silently that her parents were happy, and vowed that she would make them proud. And health, wealth, happiness and all that. Then she opened her eyes and tossed the coin into the center of the water spray.

She looked at Soren, whose eyes were on her, with an expression she couldn't read.

"Your turn," she said.

Soren turned and looked at the fountain for several beats, then flicked the coin in the same spot as hers.

"Good. One more thing. Will you hold these, please?" Ilaria handed him all of her shopping bags. Then she pulled out her phone, stepped back a few paces, and quickly snapped a picture of Soren holding her shopping bags, water fountain in the background.

She chuckled.

"What are you doing?" he frowned.

"Taking your picture," she answered.

"Why?"

"Because I want to." Her shoulders shook.

Soren dropped all the bags and moved to snatch her phone. She twisted out of his reach, releasing a peal of laughter.

A smile played on his lips. Her eyes widened in mock surprise. "Soren, are you actually having… fun ?"

He growled and moved to grab her. She spun away and, still laughing, ran in the direction of the car. "Don't forget my bags!" she called back to him.

Ilaria: My ever so helpful personal assistant

She attached the picture of Soren, with narrowed eyes, holding shopping bags.

Noe: You did it! You charmed Mr. Conflicted.

Emmy: Hahaha

Soren powered the car back up the hill to the mansion. "So you're coming to the festival." A statement, not a question.

"Will there be cupcakes and ice cream?"

Soren's lips twitched. "Almost assuredly. You mean you wouldn't go otherwise?"

"If I have to put up with you tailing me all night, then that's my consolation," she said lightly.

"Admit it, you had fun today," he said.

"I had fun despite your prickliness," she retorted.

"Semantics."

Ilaria hid her smile.

**********

Ilaria settled herself back in Galen's office, standing at the window and admiring the peaceful view out to the gardens. The good mood she'd had all day continued to show itself. Even Soren looked unusually relaxed.

After they had gotten home, Soren wouldn't let her carry any of the bags, and instead brought them all up to her room and deposited them on the bench at the foot of her bed. Surprise nearly made her forget to thank him, to which he merely grunted a response and walked out without a word.

Still, she liked this easy camaraderie between them and wanted to keep it this way.

Galen peeked between them, noticing a change in both of their attitudes. "Have fun in town?"

Soren looked at her to answer Galen's question. "Yes, we did have fun," she declared, speaking for him as well. He merely nodded, but she counted that as another win.

"Good," Galen said. "Well, we won't take too long here since we'll have to get ready for the festival." He looked at her. "But Soren and I wanted to give you our plan for Chicago."

"Our" plan?

"Soren will be going back to Chicago with you," Galen continued. "He'll root out the person responsible for ordering the hit on your parents. He's already taken care of the hired killer here, so that threat is neutralized. And he'll also help you get situated as the head of the family and make sure you're up and running."

"What does that mean, he ‘took care of' the killer here?" She tried to keep her voice even, but she was shaking.

"We found the hired gunman," Soren answered. "He's no longer a problem."

Ilaria stared back and forth between Galen and Soren in disbelief. Her good mood vanished, replaced by an anger that flared up so quickly she had to hold herself back from screaming.

Instead, she turned on her most forceful, unequivocal, and firm tone of voice.

"No."