Page 74 of (UN)Bounded

The nerve of this woman, asking for a flight and an appointment with Gabo. I guess I needed this to happen for me to believe what my brothers have been trying to tell me all along: our parents only care about money. Now that they know their sons are billionaires and I’m dating a billionaire, they want to be part of our lives. The math is mathing.

I don’t want to add more invisible scars to my heart, especially to give a space in my life to people who don't deserve it. After a lot of thinking, I decided to block her email and never think about my parents again.

I’m lost in thought while letting Margareta spoil me with a delicious fresh pastry and a coffee when I get an incoming video call from Luca.

“Hi, brother dearest. How’s everything going?” I ask once the video connects.

A warm smile spreads on my face as I see my brother is positively shining.

“Oh, everything is peachy. Is Gabo around?”

I twist my eyebrows in confusion. Why does he need Gabo? He could have just called him.

“No, he went into the office today,” I say. The moment my brother moves the phone and Karina comes into view, holding a precious bundle of joy in her arms, everything makes sense.

“Well, it’s his loss. We wanted you guys to be the first to see Enzo Bianchi,” Luca says, his voice full of emotion.

“Oh, my goodness. Hi, baby. Hi. I’m Auntie Bella.” I coo immediately at the phone, and Luca moves closer to Enzo. He’s happily asleep in his mommy’s embrace. His face is scrunched up, but he’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. My heart expands with love for this tiny boy who I’ll be able to spoil for the rest of my life.

“Isn’t he the most gorgeous baby you’ve ever seen?” Karina asks, a beautiful smile on her face.

“He sure is. How are you doing, Kari?”

“I’m okay. The pain meds are working, so I’m feeling great.”

I chuckle, and she gives me a small wave as she readjusts her position; maybe she’s going to nap while Enzo is asleep. I’ve heard that’s what moms are supposed to do.

“Thank you for calling us first. I can’t wait to tell Gabo when he comes home tonight.”

My brother smiles at the screen; I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy. He’s shining brighter than when he married Karina, and that says a lot.

“Just promise you and Gabo will come to meet your nephew soon,” he says as his voice breaks. I hate that he has no family in Chile with him. I mean, Karina’s parents are amazing, but I’m sure he wishes he had some support, as well.

“Of course, I can’t wait to meet him. Gabo has some things at work that he needs to take care of, but I promise as soon as his calendar clears, we’ll make our way to Alamo Peaks.”

We chat a little bit more before saying goodbye, and once we do, my heart is full. I love my family.

We’ve been staying at the villa since the kidnapping, and I don’t want to ever leave. Gabo has been going to the office in Bologna twice a week, and he’s been handling everything else from home.

I’ve been trying to paint and dance, trying to get my groove back, but so far, nothing sticks. I didn’t want to finish the summer class at school. I want to focus on getting better before I go back to uni, and I’m sure the gossip is running wild about the fraud of a professor who kidnapped the billionaire’s girlfriend. Giacomo even reached out to check in, and I told him I wanted to postpone our project, which he completely understood. So maybe next summer, I can pick it up again when everything has died down.

I finished the assignment for Gabo’s company since that was something I could work on remotely. I honestly loved it, so it was no hardship to finish my task. Both Gabo and the design team leader praised me, and although it felt good to be recognized for my work, I wanted to focus on my mental health first.

Every trace I make on the canvas reminds me of the cabin, the chains, and the weakness I felt when I woke up on that bed. I want all this pain to go away, lock all these memories away in a box, and throw the key as far away as I can. But that’s not how life works, and I know I need to face my demons, but I’m not ready yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.

“Principessa,” Gabo calls my name as he enters my studio. I turn around to face him, and he’s looking so good in a pair of dress pants and a white shirt. This is his relaxed fit when working from home.

“Hey, G,” I say as I extend my neck to kiss him.

“What are you doing?” he asks as he stares at my canvas.

“Nothing.” My shoulders sag.

“This is not nothing, this is art.”

“This is the mess I have in my head, G. I don’t like it. It’s heavy and sad and depressing. I don’t like it,” I say, pouting like a little kid who doesn’t get her way.

“Bella, don’t you see, my love? This is amazing. You’re creating something beautiful out of all that pain and sorrow. You’re creating light out of darkness. This needs to be celebrated too. It tells a story—a story of resilience and strength, of love and healing.”

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