Page 5 of Shattered Reign

I changed into a long black dress, noting that I wouldn’t have to go outside in order to reach this restaurant. Plus, due to the weather not being too cold, a dress this time of year was fine.

I checked the time on my new phone and realized that I had a text message.

Tristan: Did you make it there okay?

Tristan was the only one who had this number, but I was still taken aback by him messaging me at all.

Me: Yes, I’m fine. But I’m assuming you knew that already since you and Gabrielle arranged for me to fly here on your plane.

I stuffed the phone into my purse without a second thought. I made sure to check that I had all the essentials, including my wallet, ID, passport, and room key card in my purse before leaving my room.

I couldn’t help but look around as I walked through the historic hotel, making my way down to the front desk. I should have done a better job of memorizing where things were when the front desk clerk pointed things out, but there was nothing I could do about that now.

Stepping into the restaurant, I was momentarily taken aback by the sheer elegance of the setting. There were tables draped in crisp white linens, evenly spaced throughout the dining room, each one adorned with silverware that twinkled under the soft illumination of the candles and warm lights.

I sat down at a table that was set for two and immediately felt self-conscious. I’d never dined alone at a restaurant before. It was always with family, friends, or associates of my parents due to my father’s position. I was entirely on my own here.

As I read through the menu, a warmth filled me. I found a sense of empowerment in being here alone. I had plenty of funds to cover anything on this menu, and I was free to enjoy my own company. I decided on their pasta sampler accompanied by a glass of water, keeping my promise to myself that I wouldn’t have another drink tonight.

When the waiter served my meal, I took a moment to appreciate the way the food was presented to me before I dug into the delicious meal. I closed my eyes as I chewed, taking a moment to enjoy the happiness that was occurring in my mouth.

I wiped my lips and took a sip of my water. Once I placed it back down, I couldn’t help but smile. Eating alone didn’t mean that I was lonely. In fact, it was liberating in a way. All of this showed I’d escaped from a toxic environment and retained my ability to find joy within myself.

The thought forced my smile to grow. I knew I would probably look ridiculous, but I raised my glass and toasted my newfound independence and the adventures that awaited me here.

This evening and this trip and the excursions that I’d asked Gabrielle, Tristan’s assistant, to help me book would be things I would remember for the rest of my life.

I people-watched as I ate my dinner, choosing to embrace my surroundings instead of looking at my phone. I groaned as I ate the last bit of food I could manage and washed it down with a long drink of my water. As I was wiping my lips with the cloth napkin, my gaze drifted to the entrance of the restaurant. For a moment, I froze at the scene playing out before me.

I watched as a tall man stood near the entrance, and I recognized the silhouette immediately. He had the same broad shoulders and the same confident stride as the man that I had left behind. The sight of him sent my heart slamming in my chest, and I was grateful that I hadn’t been holding my glass of water.

Had Easton followed me here?

But when the guy turned around, I realized that my thoughts were wrong. Though he looked like Easton from behind, their faces were nothing alike. The realization left me with a mixture of disappointment and relief, and a part of me wished that he was here.

I shook my head as I tried to shake the results of my overactive imagination. There was no way that the wine I’d had earlier was still affecting me, right? My waiter decided that now was the perfect time to bring my bill, and I charged it to my room. As I made a move to leave, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My first thought was fear and who could blame me due to what I was going through?

When I looked around for what might have caused it, I couldn’t pinpoint anything unusual.

4

BIANCA

Iwiped my hand across my face just before I lifted my hands to stretch. I slept in, but I’d woken up naturally, so I figured it was as good a time as any to get up. It took a moment for me to motivate myself to leave the cozy bed, but I managed. I needed to prepare myself for the day ahead. After all, I had plans for today that I wanted to do, and I refused to allow my temporary laziness to stop me from doing so.

Before I fell asleep last night, I decided that today would be dedicated to exploring Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Although both were known for their beautiful gardens and it was wintertime here, I knew that both would still be stunning during this time of year.

Letting out a deep breath and rolling forward, I stood up and stretched again. I ran my fingers through my hair before I threw it into a ponytail to take a relaxing shower. I enjoyed every moment of it as the scent of my lavender and vanilla body wash filled the air. The water that I allowed to pelt my skin did its job and removed the remnants of sleep that I was trying to shake. It also helped loosen my muscles, which I was sure would be aching by the time I arrived back at my hotel once the day was done.

After I finished, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a fluffy bath towel to wrap around myself. When I was done with my face routine, I made sure not to miss any spots as I applied lotion to every inch of my skin.

Once I finished that task, I made sure to dress in a couple of layers, including a T-shirt and a sweater, a pair of jeans, and sneakers. I knew I would be doing quite a bit of walking today and wanted to be prepared. I packed my purse with everything I thought I might need, including a water bottle and a guidebook that I’d picked up on my way back upstairs from the restaurant the night before, and left my room.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, I found myself walking to Villa Rufolo, the first stop on my journey. Thankfully, it was pretty close to my hotel, but that didn’t stop the slight chill I had while walking to my destination.

As I walked toward it, I could already see glimpses of the landmark standing proudly against the sky. The closer I got, the more my anticipation and expectations grew. I couldn’t help but stare as I strolled through the entrance because the charm and beauty of Villa Rufolo caught my attention immediately. I walked through the historic structure, marveling at everything I could see and just how serene everything seemed to be.

As I meandered around the gardens, I noticed that there were small pops of color from the few flowers that were still around in December. To top it off, I had a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea. I made sure to take photos to memorialize my experience and even asked another tourist if they minded using my phone to take a photo of me.

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