Page 5 of The Hitman's Rose

Chapter Three

Rosaline

The day seemed like any other day around the compound. Men came and went for meetings with Giovanni. Patricia fussed at the servants about their jobs. Mikael and Jacobi watched me like hawks. It was a typical Tuesday until I peered out my window into the garden.

My heart skips several beats, when my eyes land on a handsome man pruning the roses. He’s wearing a black suit that fits him to a tee. His black hair is cut short with it longer on the top. He has a strong jawline, slender nose, and luscious lips.

“Luscious?” I giggle softly.

At that very moment, the man looks up at my window. Our eyes meet for the very first time, yet, I feel like I had known him for a lifetime.

What the hell is wrong with me?I wonder to myself, unable to pry my gaze from his.

He smiles slightly then says something to Tommasso– Giovanni’s brother– who was also in the garden. Mystery man points to my window. Tommasso looks up at me, waves, then looks at the mystery man and shakes his head firmly.

They speak for several minutes but I can’t hear any of it because of the thick window pane. At the end of their words, Tommasso walks inside and the mystery man stares up at me with a questioning look on his face.

He clips a flower then holds the single rose up in my direction. A gentle smile tugs his lips as our eyes meet again. Warmth washes over me, and I feel like there are hundreds of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

I can’t help blushing at his sweet gesture. A cheesy smile I try to hide behind my hand, but when his smile brightens, I know I’ve been busted.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Yes?” I reply never taking my eyes off of the man outside my window.

“Boss says it’s time for dinner,” Mikael answers from the other side of the door.

“Okay. Be right out.”

Mikael doesn’t press me to leave right then. Unusual for him but I’ll count my blessings since I definitely want more time to gawk at Mr. Mysterious.

The man sets the rose down on the bench and smiles. He gives me a slight wave then disappears through the open double-doors that Luca and Vito are holding open. They close the doors behind them, leaving the rose and my curiosity behind.

I quickly run out of my room with Mikael and Jacobi hot on my heels. They demand to know why I am in such a hurry and why I am going the opposite direction of the dining room. When we enter the garden, they watch me with their eyebrows raised as I lift the rose to my nose and inhale slowly. The faint floral aroma dances throughout my nose and is forever burned into my memory.

“Signorina Romano, the boss is waiting,” Jacobi sighs.

“Then let us go,” I say, smiling ear-to-ear, walking by them. They share a look between them but don’t question my sudden good mood.

“Signorina Romano,” they both groan as I head to my room.

“Just dropping something off.” I disappear inside my room, place the rose on my vanity then back into the hallway and onward to the dining room we go.

The doors to the dining room open as we approach. I step inside the room and my eyes connect with the same eyes that captivated me moments ago, in the garden. I suck in a sharp breath as my entire body tenses.

“Aww. The princess has finally arrived,” Giovanni chuckles.

“Signore Tacchelli,” I smile, pulling my attention away from the mystery man and look at Giovanni.

“She insists on formalities,” Giovanni laughs then looks at the mystery man. “Ademaro, this is my beautiful goddaughter, Rosaline.”

Ademaro,I repeat to myself, etching his name into my mind.

The mystery man stands and bows his head in my direction.

“I am Ademaro Bianchi. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Signorina Romano” Ademaro says in a deep, smooth voice. The kind of voice that could melt butter.

He addressed me by my last name; however, Giovanni had only mentioned my first name. Has someone already mentioned my name before? Ah. Tommasso must have mentioned who I was earlier in the garden, when Ademaro pointed at me.

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