--A little action (boring :|)scene coming up-- 

"If she is doing all these than keep an eye on her or better follow her. My conscience says, Ella must be up to something fishy that she is not interested in involving us" 

Thomas was right, about Diego suspecting that Ella was hiding something from him. Thomas had simply told Diego that she might be doing this awkward stunts out of desperation probably.

Desperation to make things straight, if his prediction of her being threaten again is real. 

And when Diego saw her walking out of her building from the coffee shop opposite her apartment, he confirmed.

"This woman will never learn to share"

He mentally thanked himself for waking up early for a coffee and without much of a thought he followed her.

He followed the bus she boarded. As the bus headed outskirt of Milan, Diego wondered what she had to do here.

Diego abruptly stopped his car when he lost track of Ella as soon as she was out of the bus. 

He was both panic and angry. She might have noticed him. Why she had to hide from him? Is she involved in something? He shook his head at that thought.

Diego tried to call Thomas to get his help to track Ella's location but unfortunately the network was extremely bad in that area, the call did not go through.

It was almost an hour since he lost her track. His mind juggled whether to leave or stay. Diego's mind apparently chose the later.

He slowly drove the car through the empty road. The bright sky had turned grey and it begun pouring in no time.

Out in the hazy view, Diego spotted a familiar figure walking by the side of the road and he immediately recognised her as Ella.

"Ella"

As he was about to get out of the car that was when the damned network came live. A message from Ella, her current location. Shaking his head, he threw his mobile in the car and stomped to get her.

Ella was completely drenched in rain yet she did not bother to find a shelter. Lazaro's words kept repeating in her mind leaving her, confused.

"I know where and who Ara is..." and he leaned over to whisper nothing but "have fun searching for her"

How she wished he had just said who Ara Agosti  is and where they could find her. She understood from the small talk they had that Lazaro must have a very close connection with the so called revenge-taker but she couldn't figure out why had he not bring Ara forward?

Does he want to safe Ara or—

 "Ella!"  

A known voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

For a moment Ella wondered how he knew where she was and realised that it she who sent the location. Diego marched towards her, completely drenched in rain. His stare sent shiver down her spine. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked, pulling her closer to the building for shelter.

"I-I came here to— I had some w-work to do" she stammered. Ella, herself couldn't justify why she isn't telling the truth, as if this is something that will make him worried. 

His intense gaze somehow indicates that she is in real trouble for hiding this matter. Keeping the thought to safe herself, she made up her mind to tell him about what Lazaro later.

"Actually— I came to meet someone"

Diego knew that was a lie. He rolled his eyes, unable to digest her action he pulled her back to the car. It made him upset and decided to ask again later.

As they walked to the car, Diego noticed a car approaching them, he hurriedly pulled Ella to the side to avoid the hit. Shielding her with his body. 

It happened all too fast, the car knocked Diego's that was parked not so far from them and crushed it to the building both Ella and Diego took cover.

"Are you okay?" Diego asked Ella. They both were inches close of being crushed between the car and the building. Ducking next to the crushed car, both heaved a sigh of relieve.

"Yes" she said barely whispering. "Okay... It was just an accident. We survived" she said wiping off the water on her face that's continuously dripping from her hair. 

The feel of relieve did not stay longer for Ella when her gaze fell on the men with arms getting out of the car that just hit theirs. A sense of fear begin to replace the assuage as they both stood surrounded by armed mans. 

"This can't be happening. They are really after our lives? What do we do? what do we do?" Ella murmured thinking of her conversation with Lazaro earlier and stood closer to the only man she can count on.

"Who are these people and what do they want from us?" Diego mentally searched the faces in his memory that matches with those surrounded them. Simultaneously grabbing Ella's hand firmly as a gesture to protect her.

There were no exchange of words between the two parties and neither there were any time for conversation between Ella and Diego.As though on cue, one of the man came forward throwing a strong punch on Diego's face while another man grabbed a fistful of Ella's hair from the back. 

It was two against ten. 

Diego stood straight trying to put the pain aside, while blinking his eyes multiple time to get his vision clearer. His only thought at the sight of Ella being manhandled was to quickly bring her away from these people but first he has to fight, safe himself. Safe himself from all these mans who are attacking them for god knows why.

For Diego, fighting isn't in his muscle memory but as much as he have watched in the movies, it was always stomach first then face. Diego did just that to his opponent who gave him a punch. That was the very first real punch Diego have given to someone in his life, it was a hard one, Diego wiggled his fingers to relieve the pain. 

Then came the second, third and the first man once again as he grew tired. A glimpse of Ella held him in place for a moment before the first man threw another punch on his face. 

How?' he questioned while trying to weaken his opponent with lots of effort that was weakening him as well. From the continuous punches he received, gave him a taste of his own blood, he couldn't fight any longer.

And slowly he lost his consciousness after one of the man pounded at his chest.

******

A quick short update ;)

I know if its a ------------------

I also know that you guys don't like me telling that again and again *giggling* I still wish totell, so I did but to myself... you can fill up the sentence however you want :P

Wishing you'll a very Happy New Year!!!

Love, Deva