New Year's eve was an absolute chaotic day for Diego. Right from the beginning of the day to the end of it, none gave him a moment to relax except for the few minutes of welcoming the New Year.

The huge bed was the sole comfort he seek to end the day. Though the bed was soft, comfortable and readily welcoming him to retire for the night, sleep was far away to reach. It was an exhausting day, mentally and physically, his mind refused to relax as it kept playing the day's events much to his refusal. 

Tossing and turning, he finally fell into deep sleep. 

His eyes opened like two flashlight beams, abruptly. His room were bright enough announcing the arrival of the sun. He quickly sprang out of the bed and got ready for the day. 

He wish to catch her before she leaves. 

Last try, won't harm.

Within a record time of fifteen minutes, he was on his way to Ella's room. It's still early but he wouldn't be surprise if Ella was all packed ready to leave by the time he reaches her room. Diego quicken his steps to the other end of the house.

"Leaving already?" he gushed into her room.

Ella who was in the midway of packing her clothes, paused and stared at him for a good ten seconds before continue packing. 

"Do you Moretti brothers have no manners?" she chided, walking back to the closet and fetching more of her cloths. 

He simply shrugged and sat next to her luggage that laid on the bed. 

"So, you really going?" 

"hmm..." she replied.

"Can't change your mind?"

"'Nope"

Choice had been made and leaving the house was the best thing she could do for herself. Living as guest in a house for longer than needed could create unnecessary talks within the house itself and to not have such talks making rounds, Ella decided to leave for good.

For her self-respect, at least. 

Diego groaned and begin working on unloading her half loaded luggage. Quite frustrated that she had made up her mind. 

"What are you doing?" She came running back to the bed and stopped him.

"I don't want you to leave" he whined though he knew every well it was not going to work. 

"Stop whining" a smack landed on his hand, he dropped the load back into the luggage. 

After an hour, Ella finally packed her stuffs after he stopped unloading and loading her luggage contents. However, Diego remained seated at the same spot on the bed, unhappy. Hunched,chin resting on his fist with a sulking face. 

She sat across him studying him for a moment. 

'Why is he making it difficult? It's not that I'm leaving the country.'

Telling him about his father made sense to her. Not being selfish but just letting him know sounds better than him finding out himself.

Ella cleared her throat and wiped her sweaty palm on her denim jeans.

"Look, I'm going to tell you something and I don't want you to get furious. Alright?" he nodded in respond. 

"What I told you yesterday is one of the reasons I want to leave but there is another reason for which I'm leaving immediately."

"What is it? Does someone wants you to leave the house?" he asked with all his attention on her. 

Ella nodded lightly with hesitation. 

"It's... uhm... Your father" 

"What?!" he stood, not able to digest the information. "Why would dad do that?" he headed to the door but stopped by Ella. 

"Diego, wait. Please, sit down. 

He wants me to leave because he sees me as an obstacle to fulfill his promise he made to Mr. Agosti"

"What bloody promise was that?" 

"Remember Chandra ma had told about getting you and Ara married soon after she was found?"

Diego snapped his head towards her. 

Ella chuckled a little at his crinkled face. "Stop scrunching your face. You don't look good that way" 

"Is he going to get me married to Luciana?" there was a hint of irritation in his voice.

Ella nodded her head. 

"No way. I was not interested in her then, not now nor will I be in the future. He can keep dreaming about it. 

... but wait. What does it got to do with you leaving the house?" he now stood before her with his hands on his hips, eyes boring into hers. 

She dropped her gaze to the floor, alternatively tapping her feet. 

"Because he thinks that you...

uhm... that you have... feelings.for.me which.might.not.help.him. in getting you married to Ara" she hesitated while blurting the information. 

Diego was taken aback, 'dad notice?' he thought. He face-palmed, it was supposed to be him telling her, not his father. He inwardly scolded Bernardo for doing that. 

"so... You believe what he says?" he asked reluctantly. He was still unsure with Ella's feelings for him. Though yesterday for a moment he thought they were having mutual feelings for each other, he still doubts. 

"partially, yes" her lips curved into a smile. 

Her smile did not go unnoticed by him. Was that a positive sign from Ella? Diego was happy that there is a little hope of ray, he might have a place in her heart. 

Though one part of Diego wanted him to express his feeling to her immediately. The other part of him wanted him to confront his father for asking her to leave the house. Ella is his guest after all.

'Whatever, not that by sending her out, I'll forget her and marry that Luciana'  groaned his inner voice.

A knock on the door brought them both out of their out reverie. Chandra rush to Ella's room as soon as she got the news from the house staff that Ella is leaving the Moretti House. 

"What did I just heard, Ella? Why are you leaving?" Chandra demanded, giving a hard stare to Diego who had no idea on why he was getting that look. 

Chandra assumed it was because of Diego that Ella wants to leave the house. She had incidentally passed Ella's room last night and heard them both yelling to each other. Though she had not heard their argument entirely, Chandra believe it was Diego's fault that Ella had made such a decision. 

Ella gently made Chandra sit and explained why she wanted to leave. She simply had said that she wants to go home and that she had stayed here longer that intended. Ella left the father requesting part for the son to tell the mother. 

----

"Not fair, El. You are leaving me with this dumb-ass. 

Never mind, I'll barge into your apartment soon and we will have fun. Netflix, pizzas and long drive, maybe.

Oh wait! We should go Venice." Thiyagu bragged while Diego passed a deadly stared to his brother.

"Of course. Why not? That will be fun" Ella too joined. 

"Shut up, Thiyagu!" 

Diego went on and spoke to the drive before helping her into the car. 

"Take care, Ella. Be safe."

The three Morettis who were dear to Ella bid good bye to her with heavy heart. She had made a special place in them in a short period of time. Her departure now leaves a huge void in them. 

It wasn't easy for Ella either but she had to do it for herself. For she had to get used to the lonely environment in her two bedroom apartment. 

Far from the entrance of the house, on the first floor, in a room that had the view of the main entrance, stood Luciana by the window, waving to the car that disappearing from her vision. 

"Good bye, Ella. Now you won't be able to come in between me and Diego" Luciana laughed devilishly and made her way to the bathroom to have a soothing bubble bath. 

It was an absolute vexing moment for Luciana when she caught the sight of Ella in Diego's arms last night. She had come running up to the terrace and happened to see them both embracing each other. It was dark but the fireworks gave enough light for her to witness the sight.

Luciana tighten her hold on the edge of the bath tub as she recalled her encounter last night.  She wished to tear them away from each other but she couldn't. She couldn't yet. 

A sly grin worked across her lips, remembering Bernardo's words. 

'I have made a promise to Demetrio that I will get you married to my son, many years ago. At that moment, I never knew you were alive, now I do. And I will hold on to my words' 

"Diego is mine, Ella. And you will never ever get closer to him. I'll make sure of that" she said with utmost confident. 

----

On her way back, Ella noticed the person behind the wheels was a new person she haven't met before. 

"Hello, signore!" 

"Yes, ma'am"

"Oh, ditch that ma'am. Call me, Ella. And you are?" 

"Carlo."

"Hi, Carlo! I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Yes, ma'am" he caught Ella staring from the rear mirror, he corrected himself. 

"Yes, Ella. I'll be accompanying you ... almost everyday. Mr. Diego Moretti's order"

"What?! When did he get you into the job?" she asked quite surprised. 

"A couple of days ago. I was said to drive you around but since you have planned to go back. I'll be following you everywhere, now. Escort in short" 

Ella smacked her head. Diego is being too protective, which seems unnecessary for her but she thought it will be better to not argue on this to him. 

As the car whooshed through the free road, Ella's mind wavered back and forth to the time Bernardo called her to his study room and the moment she told to Diego about it. 

 "Mr. Moretti?" Ella peeped into the study room to where she was called to meet him.

"Ahh, yes. Coming in, Ella" he waved his hand gesturing her to enter the room.

It's a rare occasion that Bernardo engages with Ella in any type of conversation and  surprisingly he had called her right after Luciana was introduced as Ara.

He spoke a little on general topic like the day and weather before he jumped into the main reason she was called for. 

"Just like the weather changing every now and then, Diego had changed as well. The boy who had his only focus on work and home, now his attention turned to something else or perhaps on someone." Bernardo spoke.

"Yes, perhaps on someone would be right. He has been into searching Ara Agosti for the past couple of months. Certainly, he is bound to change as he faces different kinds of scenarios in life which he doesn't get to face in office or home." She countered understanding the meaning behind his lines.

The past few weeks, living in the Moretti House and being the silent spectator of the house, many things became notable. Ella had noticed a significant change on Bernardo each time Diego speaks about Ara Agosti and when inquiries about the same.

She presumes, he either wasn't happy about the search of Ara Agosti or he did not like his son taking incomparable measures to find for her.

"I would be happy if he is changing for good." he laughed. A laughter that did not reach his eyes. 

"Look, Ella. I don't want to beat around the bush. I'm his father I can read him like an open book.
Including his love interest on you." he disclosed Diego's feelings as he sat back on his huge leather seat.  

Ella was stupefied for a bit to the information said. Though she knew Diego had been flirting with her for quite sometime yet she did not know it was a serious one as what Bernardo claims. However, Ella regained her composure in no time. 

"See, I don't oppose love. But if I had not given my word to my dear friend. I would happy asked your hand on marriage for my son. You are a pretty, sweet and smart girl. Even Chandra loves you. 

But I want to live up to the word I had given to Demetrio. Since, Ara is here I wish to get Diego married to Ara and strengthen the bond between both families. 

In short, what I meant is, the sooner you leave the quicker Diego will move on and give Ara a chance to prove herself to be worth of him." he concluded without much talk. 

Ella was so lost in the replaying the conversation in her mind, she did not realise they have reached her apartment. 

Her home. Her comfort. Her world. 

Loneliness.

******

Do leave your comments, if you wish to. 

Also vote if you find this update worth a star.

Thank you.

Happy Sunday!