Love Like War

@ FallenHope95

Matteo's eyes went wide when Stella suddenly threw herself onto him. He definitely had not been expecting that. Though his instincts kicked in and he grabbed onto the woman before he really knew what was going on. The man glanced down at her, waiting for Stella to start explaining but the first words that came out of her mouth was that she was scared. Scared of what? There was nothing going on around them. And surely she did not mean him since she was hiding her body into his.

"What are you scared of, Stella?" Matteo whispered top her as his arms wrapped around her body tighter. The man glanced around while she stayed silent, just confirming to himself that no one else was in the room and that there was nothing to be afraid of. Hell, he didn't even see any spiders on the walls. Though when she started to talk again, his attention moved down to Stella and he watched her closely. "What do you mean? Who is in danger?"

When the woman finally revealed who it was, his lips went shut. Mica Novikov. Yes, Matteo was quite familiar with that name. Surely this meant that the woman had remembered something as he was positive that she would not have heard that name between her accident and now. "What makes you say that?" He asked her, a hand gently going through her hair as he tried his best to get her to calm down. "Why do you think someone named... mica is in danger? Did you have a memory or did something happen while I was away?"

To him, it sounded like her familiar had been going after Mica, which was one of his allies. It was actually not too long ago when the man had escaped with only a bullet wound to his arm. It seemed that Matteo had finally found out who was behind that attack months ago and it was making his blood boil.

"You have to explain more, Stella. What happened? Tell me exactly what happened." Matteo looked her right in the eyes as he insisted on her explaining more.

@ Sweet.Persephone
Small sniffles escaped from Stella as she looked up at Matteo. Listening to his voice, trying to relax in his hold. Trying to get her bearings and find out what she was feeling and what that memory was talking about. Was it even a memory, or was her mind just playing tricks on her because of her medication.

"I think it was a memory," Stella mumbled quietly, resting the side of her head against him as she looked into his hypnotizing dark gaze. "There were people in suits, a lot of them. I don't know who, I couldn't make out faces, but. As I walked through the gathering, I noticed lots of guns, big ones like in war movies." Stella mumbled, feeling a little bit lighter now that she was getting things out for Matteo to hear. To speak her mind. "They were gathered in some sort of big building and there were largely boxed surrounding the area. It was also kinda cold."

A small sigh escaped from Stella. She had no idea what else she saw. She couldn't remember. "The place smelled warm and relaxing like that candle though." She mumbled and raised her head to look towards the thing that was burning near the bed. "I felt scared, but also... comforted?" Stella mumbled, confusion seeping into her. She was just scared a moment ago, but. Now that she thought about it she was also comforted. The people made her feel protected as well as scared, how the hell did that make any sense?

"I don't get it," Stella mumbled quietly, her hold on Matteo slowly loosening. Her lips moving into a small frown as she looked up at the man who she was supposed to love. "I don't get what that means. Why would I feel scared of people but also comforted?" Stella raised a hand and ran it through her hair slightly. "I'm scared, Matteo. I don't know what's going on. That really scared me."

@ FallenHope95

The more that Stella explained what she had remembered, the more that Matteo felt that it had to be her family that had been going after her allies. After all, who else would she felt comforted by but also fear? Others in her group. They were a tight team but that did not mean that sometimes it wasn't fear-inducing to think about what another member could do. Or, what you yourself could do. Humans held so much power but only a few of them were willing to use their capabilities to their full potential. Though now Matteo knew who to blame for the accident that occurred a few months ago and now he knew how to protect Mica from it again. And, it seemed that he was right. Stella was certainly going to be useful.

"Maybe you were just remembering a scene from a movie or a play," Matteo explained to her. The more she remembered, the more that Stella would know that was not the case. Though he did think it would be best if she thought he knew nothing about it. After all, Matteo did not want to have to answer questions that made him look suspicious. Or try to make up answers about his rivals that might be contradicted if she were to remember them.

"I think you just need to rest," Matteo said as he led her towards the walk-in closet. "Just pick up some comfortable clothes and we can head to bed, okay?" He rubbed her back gently, looking over her for a moment to ensure that Stella was going to be okay before he walked away and headed towards his own closet to get dressed. "I can run a bath for you if you want," He called out to her. Only a few minutes later, he came out wearing pajama bottoms but no shirt.

He waited outside the door to the closet for Stella to dress. He was less interested in watching her dress than undress. "Just try not to worry about it too much, Stella. At this point, it could be anything."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Pursing her lips together, Stella said nothing as she listened to Matteo. He was right on many levels but, for some reason, she had this nagging feeling at the back of her mind. She needed to think they were true, she just had to. But, if it was just some random scene from a movie, then she'd be freaking herself out for no reason.

"You're right," Stella said quietly as she walked to the walk-in closet. Her eyes roaming over everything that she had supposedly owned. It all felt so weird to her. The large house, the perfect fiance, the walk-in closet filled with designer clothing. At least, she assumed it was all designer clothing. Stella couldn't really find herself to care about that fact as she just wanted to feel comfortable. "Oh, a bath sounds really nice!" That perked Stella up, pulling her out of her thoughts of despair and feeling lost. A warm bath sounded really good right about now, and a glass of wine. Oh, red wine.

Humming to herself, Stell found her mind transfixed on the idea of having a glass of wine and relaxing in a hot bath. So, she slipped on a cute nightgown and padded towards the door. "I'll be right back, I want to grab something!" Stella called Matteo as she assumed he went to the adjoined bathroom to get the bath for her. Continuing her little humming, Stella went downstairs and towards the kitchen. She hadn't actually explored the kitchen because she didn't want to get in the chef's space but the woman wasn't around because of the time. So, it shouldn't be a problem, right?

Stopping in the doorway, Stella's eyes roamed the kitchen for a moment before spotting the little wine fridge on the right side of the fridge. She looked over the bottles, not understanding the fancy-sounding names on them, and picked one that smelled good. Then, she grabbed two glasses, thinking it would be rude to only come back with one glass of wine. Pouring a nice amount in two wine glasses, Stella then started to make her way back towards the bedroom. A small grin on her lips. "Matteo, do you like wine?" She asked, feeling stupid asking that since he owned a wine fridge that had fancy-sounding wine's in it, but still She was being polite.

Although, as Stella entered the bedroom again. She couldn't help but stop in her tracks. Almost dropping the wine glasses in surprise at what she saw. A toned body, muscles that looked like they've been sculpted by a god, and an oh so delicious looking male specimen in front of her. "O-oh," she mumbled, her cheeks turning almost the same shade of red as the wine.

@ FallenHope95

Once Stella agreed to the bath, Matteo made his way into the bathroom and to the large jacuzzi tub. He turned on the water and sat down on the edge, stretching a bit. What was one meant to put in a bath? The man knew that it was certainly more than just water and there should be some kind of bubbles involved but... Well Matteo felt sure that he was not meant to just put shampoo in to create that effect.

"Okay," He called out to her when Stella said that she would be back. There was nothing to worry about. Stella could walk around the house all that she wanted. Plus, this gave him the chance to get up and go through the cabinet. Hopefully the women had thought about this as well when they went on their shopping. And as he opened up 'her' section, it was clear to him that they had. He pulled out some of the items, looking over them until he saw something called 'bubbly bath bombs'. Well it had bubbles and bath in the name so surely that was what he wanted.

Matteo headed over and dropped it in, watching it start to melt in the water. Well... hopefully that is what Stella was going to expect. It seemed right. In the least, it was interesting to watch. His head lifted up when Stella came back into the room and asked him if he enjoyed wine. "Yes, I do." Matteo told her as he took the glass from her. "Thank you, darling." He purred before taking a sip from it.

He could see the red coming over her face and he couldn't help but smirk. Matteo already knew that he was a very attractive man but it was just nice to see others agree. "Your bath is ready." He whispered to her before pressing a kiss against her cheek.

@ Sweet.Persephone
You know that feeling like your air was stolen from you? Like your heart just stops beating for no reason what so ever? Yeah, it felt like that when Matteo spoke into Stella's ear and then pressed his lips to her cheeks. His stubble brushing against her smooth skin and sending small shock waves to shiver down her body. Her toes curled a little bit at the brief contact and her eyes closed as she savored the feeling before glancing away for a moment before looking from the bath towards Matteo once more.

"Thank you," Stella said quietly, her lips pulling back into a small smile before taking a step towards the bath. Taking a couple of sips of her wine before setting down on the edge of the tub. Glancing behind herself, just checking to see if Matteo was still there before looking ahead. He's her fiance', so surely he'd already have seen her body before. Right? At least, Stella assumed so.

Reaching down, Stella grabbed the bottom part of her nightgown and slowly lifted it off of her body, and dropped it to the side. Revealing a small jagged scar on her left shoulder. Most in the dark underworld would notice it to be a sort of knife wound, but Stella didn't have the faintest clue about it. Nor did she know what the other scare on her lower right stomach was from. To her, they were just birthmarks or how her skin was. Not a clue of what kind of battle she could have gone through before losing her memories.

Keeping her gaze away from Matteo, Stella stepped into the hot water and winced slightly from the temperature. It was hot, but it felt good at the same time, so she stepped in all the way and quickly sat down to submerged herself to cover her breasts. "Hmm, this feels nice." Stella murmured quietly as she relaxed against the side of the jacuzzi tub. Her eyes slowly look up towards Matteo before looking away from him. Her bottom lips moving to rest between her teeth. "Are you, um." Stella paused as she thought about what to say. "Gonna join me?" She mentally slapped herself. She was simply gonna ask if he was going to stare at her the whole time, but then her mouth went and had a mind of its own. Oh well, she couldn't take back her question now. So, instead, Stella reached out and grabbed her wine and took a few small sips to calm herself.

@ FallenHope95

Although Matteo did not originally have interest in watching Stella undress, that quickly changed when she started to lift her nightgown up in front of him. It was surprising to him, that Stella would not want to wait for him to leave but... well it seemed that the lie was working much better than he would have ever expected. She believed him fully, to the point that she just was willing to take her clothes off in front of him. And, as she did so, Matteo took that moment to slowly look over her body. There was no doubting that Stella was an attractive woman. But the scars on her body did momentarily distract him as he looked them over. No surprises that a woman like her would have a knife wound.

"No, I don't think I will." Matteo purred to her before slowly coming over. "I can't say that I am much of a bath person." Once he was besides the tub, Matteo leaned down and pressed his lips against hers deeply. Deciding to press his luck, he moved his hand into the water, grabbing her breast and lightly pinching at her nipple before releasing. Though before he moved his lips off of hers, Matteo nibbled on her bottom lip and sucked on it lightly before pulling away completely.

"I'll be in bed, if you need me." Without waiting for Stella to say another word, Matteo made his way out of the bathroom and soon enough out of her sight. Although he did not originally intend on fucking the woman, it was beginning to sound like a good idea. And the semi hard that was pressing into his pj bottoms agreed. Though he was going to wait to see what she did and how she reacted first. After all, the information he wanted came first.

@ Sweet.Persephone
"Oh.." Stella murmured quietly as Matteo turned down the idea of joining her in the bath. Not that she was hoping that he would join her or anything. She was more than happy to be in the bath alone. Especially since she so foolishly undressed in front of him like a girl who was desperate for attention. Hell, she didn't even know if he'd seen her body before she lost her memories. If they'd done anything like in the few parts in movies she caught glances of.

Raising her eyes, Stella watched Matteo and almost instinctively closed her eyes as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. They were dry but still soft. Molding to hers and moving in a rhythm that felt easy to follow. A small moan escaped from Stella's lips as she felt his hand on her breast, her body leaning forward into his touch and to chase after his lips as he pulled away from her. Her legs that were covered by the raised buddles and hot water squirmed a little bit as a wave of arousal rashed over her because of the things Matteo did to her. A soft sigh escaped from Stella as she felt his teeth nibbling on her lip before releasing her.

Raising her gaze slowly, Stella couldn't find the words as she listened to Matteo. So, she just whispered "Okay," as she watched him walk out of the bathroom. Her bright gaze on the door for a few moments before she looked forward and leaned back in the tub. Her right hand moving to grab the wine glass on the edge of the tub as her left rested on her heart. Feeling the thing beating at a thousand beats per second. What a whirlwind today's been.

@ FallenHope95

Part of Matteo had hoped that the woman would come hurrying out of the tub to come fuck him. Though he understood why that might not have happened. After all, the woman didn't remember anything. Even if he was telling the truth about everything, she didn't know it. So even if she had a memory about how good he was in bed, it certainly would not come to her mind in that moment. Plus, someone in her condition probably had bigger things to worry about than suddenly being turned on.

Even so, the man would remain hopeful unless Stella came back and truly did just lay down to sleep on the bed. If she did, it wasn't a big deal. Matteo had plenty of girls he could call to fuck the brains out of them. Perhaps he just might use one of his girls tomorrow...It was always fun to have such an eager bitch on one's cock.

As the idea was going through his mind, Matteo leaned back onto the bed and let out a low, hungry hum. He was horny now, and could feel his cock pressing against his boxers. At some point, undoubtly, he was going to get Stella to fuck him. It was just a matter of time. Especially as Stella was almost as moldable as clay. Easy to work with.

@ Sweet.Persephone
It took a couple of minutes for Stella's heart to go back to normal, but once it did she was able to relax in the back. Her head falling back and resting against the edge as the warm water washed over her. The bubbles had a light sweet smell to them and caused her to relax a little bit more in the back. Raising her right hand, Stella focused on the bubbles as she soaked, trying to ignore her heart as it sped up at the thought of Matteo touching her and the feel of his lips on her. Closing her eyes, Stella took in a deep breath and held it before slowly exhaling. She had just restarted her heart's rapid beats.

Around ten minutes later, the water started to turn cold so Stella decided to get out. Emptying the tub and drying off, Stella looked at herself in the mirror and froze. Her eyes momentarily going down to the little scare on her. What is that? She wondered to herself for what might have been the millionth time. Then, she tore her gaze away from it as she got dressed once more before heading towards the bedroom once more.

Upon the sight of Matteo on the bed. A small sigh escaped from Stella as she felt her shoulders relax and her anxiety over that little scar to go away. "I thought you would have fallen asleep already." She said quietly as she slowly made her way towards the bed. Moving towards the unoccupied side, Stella pulled the blankets back and laid down on her side so that she was facing Matteo. Her bright blue eyes taking in his features. From his beautiful dark eyes to the scruff that was on his chin. He was such an attractive guy, a nice guy. A good guy. Being with Matteo like this made Stella crave to have her memories back, to remember him. To remember them together. They were engaged, surely they'd have a lot of good memories together. Right? "I'm sorry," Stella said quietly after a couple of moments of stating at the handsome man's face. "For forgetting you. Us." Her gaze traveled down as she moved to lay on her back and looked at the ring once more. It was so pretty, and she had a feeling that Matteo probably did something super romantic as he proposed. Wait, was he a romantic? Or was he just a nice guy? Ugh, why couldn't she just remember?

@ FallenHope95

As Stella came into the bedroom, Matteo's eyes lifted up from his phone. He turned it off and set it down onto the side of the table, as though he was now giving her full intention. Though the truth was, Matteo just did not want Stella to see anything that was on his phone. It would be bad if she found out the truth about him... Which maybe he would be able to convince her that she already knew everything about him but that seemed like much more work than it was really worth. And too high of a risk that she would start to remember about her own family and her own position. He wanted her to remember some things but not everything.

"I had thought about it," Matteo told her, his voice soft and tired. "Though it has been a while since I have been able to see you, so I wanted to see your face again before I headed off to bed." As Stella came towards the bed, Matteo lifted the blankets up for her to come join him. And once she was settled, he took a moment to tuck her in. All of these were words and actions that the man typically would not do. Though he was hoping that laying it on thick would convince her of everything. He felt as though he had to be as sweet as pure sugar for her.

"You should not be apologizing to me, it is not your fault." Matteo reassured her. "The accident was not your fault and even if you never get your memories back, it will be okay. We can always make new memories as long as we are together, okay sweetheart?" The man leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek before moving down and pressing another one against her lips. "Besides, I am sure that you will start to get some of them back soon." As he said that, he was pulling away and getting settled into the bed.

@ Sweet.Persephone
As she laid in the bed, a small smile played across Stella's lips as Matteo tucked her in. It was a sweet gesture. It caused her heart to flutter at how sweet it was. Especially when he spoke those kind words to her. Warming her heart more than it already was. "Okay, Matteo," Stella said quietly as she listened to the reassurance that she was being given. Her eyes closed as she watched Matteo leaning down towards her. Her heart fluttering at the soft feel of his lips upon her cheeks, remembering the soft feel of them on her lips just a few moments earlier while she was in the bathtub.

Then, it was like Matteo was reading her mind as his lips moved down to hers. Not even pausing this time as she felt her lips reacting and pressing against his. It was a simple and sweet kiss, but it wasn't enough. It felt like it could never be enough. Following his lips, as he pulled away, Stella paused after a moment and opened her eyes. Her bright blue gaze shifting to look over towards Matteo as he laid back down. Her gaze lingering on his lips before she looked back up towards his dark and intoxicating eyes. "You're a very positive person," Stella murmured quietly, her right hand moved up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Without thinking it through, Stella leaned over and pressed her lips against Matteo's once more. Just wanting to feel his lips against hers. To get that crazing of his lips against hers out of her mind. Then, she pulled away quickly. Her eyes wide, not believing that she had just done that. She gulped and pulled away. Turning her back towards Matteo as she laid down on her side. Her left heart moved up and rested against her heart. Feeling it fluttering like crazy in her chest.

@ FallenHope95

A little satisfied hum left Matteo after Stella kissed him. Yes, things were looking up indeed. It wasn't as....intimate as the man had been hoping with after occurred in the bathroom but it was certainly a step forward. They were getting closer to Stella truly acting like his fiancee and that was certainly a goal that he would like to achieve.

But enough about his desires for the two of them. It was late and Matteo did have quite a busy week. So, after Stella settled into the bed besides him, Matteo shifted until he was laying on his side, his back facing hers and rested his tired head into the pillow. Not long after, the man was in a deep sleep and did not wake until the morning came around.

After the sun had rose, Matteo started to finally stir from his place on the bed. He shifted this way and that before slowly opening up his eyes with a light groan. The man could not say that mornings were his favorite but it was what it was. It took him a few moments before slowly he sat up in the bed and started to scan the bedroom. Though when he noticed that Stella was sleeping peacefully besides him, he stared down at the woman, taking him a moment to remember why they were sharing a bed.... But once his mind was coming back to him, Matteo slowly got up and disappeared into the bathroom.

@ Sweet.Persephone
Sleep didn't come easy to Stella last night. She kept dreaming about that weird vision that she had when she smelled that candle last night. The warmth gave off, the feeling of being safe and scared at the same time. It was just so odd feeling. Who in their right mind would feel safe and scared at the same time? Wasn't it usually one of the other? By the time Stella finally managed to fall asleep and stay asleep, it was the early morning hours. The sun had barely started to peak through the windows from what Stella saw before falling asleep.

A small groan escaped from Stella as she stretched her arms above her head before she slowly cracked her eyes open. The feeling of the bed shifting had disturbed her sleep but didn't actually wake her. It was the sudden coldness of the spot next to her. As some time after Matteo had gotten up, Stella somehow ended up on his side and felt the temperature difference. "Matteo?" Stella murmured quietly as she slowly sat up in the bed and looked around tiredly. Sounds coming from the bathroom caused a small sigh to escape from the young girl. She wasn't alone in the large house yet.

Moving back to her side of the bed, Stella laid back down and placed her right arm over her eyes. She was still quite tired and didn't want to get out of the nice warm bed just yet. The idea of falling back asleep was heavy on her mind, could she get away with it? Should she speak to Matteo before he had to leave for work? They didn't really have much to talk about though because Stella couldn't remember anything. A small sigh escaped from the young girl. Annoyed that she couldn't even decide if she wanted to get up for the day or not.

@ FallenHope95

Matteo came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, having just taken his morning shower. The steam from the bathroom escaped into the bedroom as he opened the door but it quickly dissipated into the cooler air. Walking into the room, he glanced around his surroundings for a moment before looking down at the woman that was still laying in his bed. Though, at closer inspection, he could see that she had waken up for the day.

"Good morning, lovely." Matteo whispered as he headed over to her and pressed a kiss against her lips. Some of the water from his hair dripping down onto the side of her face. "I see you are already having a lazy morning today," The man chuckled as he stood back up, tightening the towel around him a bit more as it had gotten a little loose from the movements. "Are you planning on getting up or heading back to sleep?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and made his way to his walk in closet. The man disappeared into it but let the door to the closet open so that the two of them could continue to talk if she desired it. Though he was now getting dressed for the day, pulling on one of his suits. "You could always have them bring breakfast up to you."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Hearing Matteo's voice, Stella couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. "How'd you know I was awake?" She murmured quietly as she removed her arm from her eyes and smiled up at the older man. Wiping off the little water droplets that had fallen onto her. Then, as he walked away, Stella turned to her side and blushed at what she saw. Matteo's well defined back muscles, sculpted calves, and what she could only assume was a firm butt hidden under a towel greeted her as she watched the man walking to the closet.

"I don't know. I didn't sleep well so I might." Stella replied honestly. Then, she slowly moved into a sitting position and shifted her legs off of the bed. The cool air causing a small shiver to run up her back as her bare legs were met with the air difference in the room. "You wouldn't mind if I had breakfast up here?" Stella asked, arching an eyebrow as she stared at the closet. Her head tilting a little bit. For some reason, she had this suspicion that Matteo was a clean freak. "Hm, actually. I don't think I should think about that. Then I'd never leave the bed if I ate up here." She added on after a moment of thinking about the option.

Thinking it was probably best to follow Matteo's lead, Stella walked to her own closet and started to look for something to wear. Her bright blue eyes looked over the rows of clothes. The range surprising her, she was such a shopaholic. There were so many different dresses, shirts, pants, and shoes. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to wear the same outfit in a year. Trying to focus on the task at hand, Stella decided to just pick out a couple of simple things. A pair of form-fitting yoga pants and a V-neck top that looked like it'd go nicely together.

Stepping out of her personal closet, Stella ran her fingers through her hair. She'll brush it later. Right now, she just wanted to spend some last morning moments with Matteo before he left to do whatever it was that he does. "Hey, Matteo," Stella called, walking back to the bed and flopping onto her stomach as she rested her arms under her head. "Did I have a job, before everything?"

@ FallenHope95

"It was just easy for me to tell," Matteo said with a light chuckle. He didn't want to explain how he knew the difference between an awake person, an asleep person or a dead person from afar. Though all three were a little different when laying down. Mostly Matteo knew by the way that they were breathing - and in one case, how they weren't breathing. But it just seemed like the type of thing a 'normal' person would not know. "We have been together long enough at this point."

While Matteo was getting ready for the day in the closet, he was only half listening. Just enough to get the information he needed to respond to her. Though his mind was partly somewhere else. He was trying to go over his schedule in his head, thinking over where he needed to be and what he needed to do. It was going to be a normal day for him, going over the books to try and get as much of his money laundered properly. "I wouldn't mind. The maids will care for the room after you're done so no need to worry about crumbs or spilling."

By the time Matteo walked out in his perfectly tailored suit, Stella was already back in the bed. He eyes her for a moment before turning to glance out of the window of the bedroom. Although Matteo was perfectly safe at home, he could not help but check the grounds every so often. It was just part of his job, to have to be aware of his surroundings and his safety the whole time. Though he didn't mind it much, Matteo was used to it. Plus the money and power he had certainly made it worth it.

"You did have a job... Well, you had a job up until a few months ago that is. Shortly after I proposed, we discussed you quitting. I make more than enough money for the both of us and your boss was an ass. So we agreed you didn't have to work if you didn't want to. You quit. The last couple of months, you have been talking about what to do with your time once the wedding was over but no decision had been made yet. You talked about possibly going back to work somewhere better, doing volunteer work, maybe becoming an consultant." Matteo turned back to Stella. "Though you shouldn't worry about all of that now. You should focus on getting better and doing whatever makes you happy."

Matteo glanced down at his watch. "I should be heading out."

@ Sweet.Persephone
Rolling over and then sitting up, Stella faced Matteo as he spoke. Her lips pursing together as she listened to him. Her lips slowly pursing together. It wasn't that she was unhappy listening to Matteo or anything. Quite the opposite actually. She loved being able to talk to him, as he was so kind and understanding. It's just, she felt like he was hiding something under all of this niceness that he was portraying onto her. It was just a small itch in the back of her mind really, so, she didn't want to dwell on it too much.

"Are you going to be back for dinner?" Stella asked quietly, scooting to the edge of the bed and walking towards Matteo. Looking up into his hazel eyes as she spoke, wondering if he had meetings or something that might keep him busy and not able to come back. After all, once she was released from the hospital, she had been in the house alone for about a week. Sure, the doctor that Matteo brought here was someone she could talk to but, she didn't really want to talk to him. Having her brain picked at first thing in the morning didn't really seem fun to Stella.

Releasing a small sigh, Stella stepped back and then headed towards the door. Holding it open as she turned and looked towards Matteo once more. "I think I'll have breakfast downstairs." She said quietly and waited for Matteo to leave through the door before following him out of the bedroom that they now share. Stella's mind wondering to what she should, or rather could do to spend her time.

@ FallenHope95

-A month later-

It had been a little over a month with Stella by his side and Matteo had found some use for the woman. Her flashbacks were inconsistent as to when they came and how many. In truth, there had not been a lot of new information that the woman had provided. Though Matteo was still hopeful that soon she would remember important items from her old group. But that now was just becoming the ice cream on top of the cake.

As the daughter of his greatest enemy, having Stella by his side increased his reputation. It showed that he was not a man to be messed with. That even a great rival to him would have to take huge blows and it made people question if they were really ready to stand up to Matteo. Bringing her around to events, and business meetings allowed him to show her off. Plus, Stella had learned to become the perfect arm candy. She didn't ask questions when she wasn't suppose to, the woman charmed anyone they ran across, and she was attractive to look at. Which pleased his clients.

Though while at home, Matteo had been finding joy in having her around. Stella became his good little trophy wife. She made the house nicer and was a good fuck. Stella was just a good girl to have around to ease himself after a long day. So, Matteo had been keeping her close and bringing her around. Tonight, they were at an office party. Matteo had told Stella to ensure that his two best clients were having a good time. And Matteo had been by her side as well until one of his workers told him there was an issue.

So, Matteo made his way down two floors and to a room where they were keeping a very special guest. And have a little arguing with this man, a growl left Matteo. "How about I just keep beating you until you beg me to give me the information I need." With that, Matteo took a crowbar and smashed it down onto the man's knee. Once he heard the familiar sound of bones breaking, Matteo dropped the bar and punched the man against the face twice.

@ Sweet.Persephone
A small smile plastered itself on Stella's lips as she stood with the two men that Matteo had told her to make sure we're having a good time. Making sure that their glasses were always filled and making small talk. It was easy, especially when she felt her lover's eyes on her. She could always feel the warmth from him when he was in the room. It made her feel loved, wanted, protected. It's been a little while since she woke up without her memories and Matteo's been with her almost every step of the way. She owed him for his kindness, so if having her please his guests were his request. Then it shall be done, Stella was more than happy to plaster a fake smile on for them and talk. Her real smiles were saved only for Matteo.

Speaking of Matteo, it's been a little while since he'd disappeared. Excusing herself, Stella moved through the small crowd that was at the office part. It took her a couple of moments, but finally, Stella managed to get one of the guards that Matteo had to tell her where he was. A meeting a few floors down. It was getting late though, and Stella felt like it was odd to have a meeting while all of the guests were upstairs dancing and drinking. Stepping away from the guard, Stella blended in with the crowd once more. Her pale dusty pink dress making it easy for her to blend in since it wasn't an eye-popping color. It was innocent, making her seem like the Princess that Matteo's men nicknamed her. It was amusing to Stella, but she wasn't sure that Teo found it so.

When a couple was heading towards the elevators to leave, Stella hid behind them and moved as well. She waited for the intoxicated couple to leave before pressing the button for the floor that the clumsy guard had told her about. Moving her hands to rest on her lower stomach. A bolt of nerves started to slowly form. What if he's cheating on me? Was the first thought that entered Stella's mind, causing a small frown to appear upon her lips as she looked up at the little numbers that told her what floor she was on. No. Teo loves me, he'd never do something like that. Right. Stella lightly bit her powder pink lips and looked ahead as the door opened. "I need to trust him more, he'd never cheat on me. It probably is a meeting and I'm probably going to be interrupting it."

The sound of screaming caught Stella's attention, pulling her out of her thoughts. A rush of ice felt like it started to fill Stella's veins as she felt her feet start to move towards the sound. Someone was in pain, but. It wasn't Teo's voice. No, he didn't sound like that when he was mad, Stella would know. She'd overheard him yelling at his guards a time or two. So, then who was it? Parting her lips, Stella slowly took shaky breaths in and out of her mouth. The air coming in warm and leaving ice cold, almost like the heat from the vents was changing the temperature in her body. As Stella neared the room, she closed her mouth and gulped. Parched, her mouth was suddenly dry. She should run, Matteo could be upstairs looking for her, then she could tell him what she overheard. Right? But, this man sounded like he was in pain.

Before Stella could stop herself, she reached out and grasped the doorknob. Turning it, the knot in Stella's stomach dropped at the sight in front of her. The room was darkened, the floor made of concrete. Two of Matteo's more scary looking men stood at the far end of the room, standing with their legs slightly parted and their arms crossed. Watching, observing, waiting for orders. Their eyes were solely focused on the man or rather men who were in the middle of the room. Matteo stood in front of a man who was seated in a chair. Arms tied behind the chair, blood dripping from a couple of cuts on his face.
Everything seemed to have gone dead silent when Stella stepped into the room, only to return when the sound of the door clicking shut behind her echoed through the room. Reverberating in Stella's ears, causing a slight buzz to fill her head. Her breathing picked up once more. "Teo?" Stella murmured quietly, her eyes flickering between the man in the chair and her brutal-looking fiance. What had she just walked into?