Love Beyond Love

Chapter 49

EDITED

A gasp broke their reverie and Sonia and Drago pulled apart, looking at each other with widened eyes, her browns clashing into his blues.

"Oh my God." Sonia could hear her sister say to herself but didn't bother turning back to face her nor did Drago. "Dad, let's go from here, clearly they need some privacy!"

Hearing Dad, Sonia stepped back quickly as they realized that her father must be present at the spot and she turned back, only to see her sister drag Alexander away and she sighed before turning back to him.

"Would you...like to...I mean, let's go back...to the wedding." She said, her mind still jumbled up in various emotions.

"Okay." He said and nodded, clearing his throat.

"I have... to give a speech...we should-

"Okay." He said and tried to hide his smile, the same way she tried to hide hers.

"Can I...hold your hand?" He asked and felt like a teenager. She nodded slowly and he almost jumped in excitement but controlled himself. He softly slipped his hand in hers and they walked to the wedding.

As they entered the tent, Tara glanced in their direction and looking at their locked hands, tried to hide her excitement and surprise. Sonia went to her as Drago sat on a chair.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Tara whisper-shouted as Sonia came smiling towards her. "Did you guys-

"I guess." Sonia blushed and grinned.

"And did you-

"Yes." Sonia said and bit her lips and Tara laughed. "Thank you."

"This is the best wedding gift. So thank you!" Tara said and Sonia hugged her tightly.

--

Drago looked at the friends talking in hushed tones but his eyes were mostly glued to his...woman? Girlfriend? Love? He chuckled to himself and shook his head and didn't notice the seat beside him being occupied by someone.

"So, you are the infamous Drago Barzetti." Alexander said and Drago turned.

"Oh...yes Sir." He said and sat up straight.

"And you are planning to...date my daughter?" He said and Drago gulped.

"Yes Sir...if you permit me-

"You don't need my permission. Just hers. She can do whatever she likes, I am no one to stop her. She isn't my property and I hope you'll treat her the same." Alexander said and Drago nodded.

"Yes, absolutely Sir. I really care for her, she is very important to me." Drago said and Alexander looked at his daughter.

"She is very important to me too. And I am trusting you." Alexander said. "I don't want to but my wife and daughters seem to quite like you, although two of the three of them haven't even met you yet." He said and pointed at his wife, Sandra and his younger daughter, Alexa who were looking at them with smiles on their faces. Drago smiled back and nodded as Sonia walked back to them.

Alexander stood up and hugged his daughter and no words were needed. He left for his seat and Sonia took his place.

"So, I was thinking of leaving tonight." She said and Drago frowned.

"Leaving?" He asked and she shrugged.

"For Milan. Italy." She said and he nodded. "So, should I book your tickets as well?"

"Any doubt?" He said and she smiled before they turned to enjoy the party.

--

As they sat in the plane a few hours later, they couldn't help but not believe what was happening.

Was this their reality now?

Were they seriously dating?

What if it's all a dream?

Sonia sighed as she put her bag away and Drago looked at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked and she just shrugged.

"Nothing." She said and shook her head.

"Something is bothering you, tell me?" He said and turned towards her as she looked at him.

"I am just...you know, I can't-

"Are you having second thoughts about...this...us?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No, no. It's just that...this is stupid-

"What is?" He urged and she sighed.

"I still can't seem to believe...that you...you-

"That I like you? That I love you?" He finished her sentence and she nodded slowly, looking down.

"It's just that...you had such strong, old feeling for...Gina and this is all so...new and sudden and what if...it's nothing and everything is just a fleeting attraction-

"It's not nothing. And it's not fleeting." He said and held her hand. "It's different, my feelings for Gina, I won't say they weren't there but they were...always hollow. They always hurt me. I pursued her for so long because I liked her...but after a few years...it became like a necessity. A thing which I just had  to do. It was always fruitless; it was always hurtful but I couldn't stop myself. I always had to remind myself that I love her. I always had to say it to others. But with you...it's like...my heart knew that it's you. Even though I never said that to anyone...my heart did. I don't know how or when I started to feel that but it hit me like a damn truck." He chuckled and Sonia tried to hold back her tears amidst her smile.

"And then." He continued. "You were angry with me, due to Gina and the investigation and then you said about the wedding and I felt that my heart was...ripped out from my chest. It was so bad; I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry."

"You thought that...I was getting married because the information said that Liam was my boyfriend?" She asked and wiped her tears as Drago nodded. "Liam wasn't my boyfriend. He was Tara's. Liam is my friend...I introduced them."

"That's good. What I don't understand is...why did she say that I only have twelve hours? It's not like you were getting married." Drago said and Sonia chuckled.

"Maybe she was giving you an ultimatum." She shrugged and he nodded.

"It's a good thing she did that then." He said and she grinned. "It's funny, you introduced them and Tara introduced us."

"Huh?" Sonia frowned and Drago chuckled.

"Well, didn't she, as your lawyer, advice you to sign the land deal with me because my legal papers were flawless? I mean, if she hadn't, we never would have met. And also, she called me here today." He said and Sonia sighed.

"Well, then I definitely owe her a big one." She said before moving to kiss him once again.

--

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