The Indifference of a Man Forgotten (BOOK I)

BONUS CHAPTER #2

--Giovanni POV--

She was an odd girl, that's what I thought when I first met her. Aurora Vandenburg was her name, she's the daughter of the famous Lucian and Angelina Vandenburg, friends and business partners of my father, Marcos Romano.

But I thought she was pretty. And I liked how confident she was. That's all I needed to see in her to start thinking of our future together.

"I don't approve, just because you're a cute child doesn't mean you'll be cute forever," Mr Vandenburg pointed an accusing finger at me, and if it weren't for the fact that he was clearly a few decades older than me, I'd think he was either the same age or younger than me with the way he's picking a fight with my ten-year-old self. 

"Here, Gio. Have an apple," Mama put an end to the apparently amusing conversation by handing me an apple slice which I took, going to eat it but pausing when a striking set of blue eyes pointed themselves at me.

"What?" I asked her with furrowed brows.

"Nothing," She quickly grinned, going back to talking to my younger sister.

I went to eat the apple slice again, but paused once more of my own will this time, looking down at the fruit in my hand as a thought came to mind.

"Want it?" I asked, showing her the apple. She curiously looked at it with shimmering eyes that couldn't even try to lie, but turned to look at her parents for permission before her mother nodded, and she turned back to me, taking the slice from my hand.

"Thank you!" She grinned, and I'd never admit it aloud, but my heart skipped a beat in that moment. Never had I seen anyone react so happily to a mere apple slice, especially when that someone already held the world in their hands.

"Mama, can I carry on playing with Fred?" She turned to ask her mother.

"Who the hell is Fred?" Her father beat me in asking.

"He's that ginger boy over there, with the freckles," She pointed out, and I followed her finger to catch sight of the said boy that was currently drawing on the ground with chalk.

"As much as I'd prefer for you to not hang out with boys, I won't stop my daughter from making friends. But it's friends only, okay?" Her father poked her nose as he spoke to which she replied by laughing and vigorously nodding her head.

"Come on, Lilliana. Let's go." And grabbing my sister's hand, I watched the two of them run off, not taking my eyes off them until I noticed my father leaning down to speak to me.

"You need to compliment her," He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Compliments always make a woman happy," He grinned.

"She's not a woman, she's a girl," I pointed out as he rolled his eyes, ruffling my hair.

"Females then. Flowers too, everyone loves flowers,"

"What if she's got hay fever?"

"Good point, ask her first then, and if it's no then give her flowers, preferably roses,"

"Roses are too basic. And if I ask her and then give it to her then it won't be romantic anymore."

"Yeah? Then do you have a better idea?"

"A flower in the colour that's her favourite. I'd say pink,"

"How do you know pink's her favourite colour?" He asked with a raised brow, a small, amused smile on his lips which looked more like a smirk than a smile.

"You can just tell by looking at her," I stated, going back to looking at her where she was dressed in a pink dress, a bow of the same colour in her hair with matching shoes.