"Did you found Ara?" Diego's voice echoed in Ella's office as she entered after finishing her meeting.

"What the f....?!" Ella stopped not completing the word as she stood by the door raged in anger.

"Just say it, Ella. You are almost there" Diego smirked that soon turn into laughter, knowing very well she doesn't like saying filthy words yet he enjoys irritating her that way.

"Shut up! What are you doing in my office?!" she walked in shooting daggers while trying not yell at him for entering her office, taking over her place and working on her computer.

"Nothing, just trying to check if you had found anything about Ara" he said casually leaning on the backrest.

"That's my computer! Do not touch it!" she exploded slamming her fist on the desk multiple times which did no effect on Diego.

"There's nothing in this box so, relax"

"Box?! That box gives me money alright!" she continued to barked without realising that she is hurting her fist by slamming on the desk again and again.

"Just shut up and sit"

Ella zipped her mouth, took a few deep breaths and sat on the seat in front of the desk while Diego remain seated on her place. She just finds this particular side of Diego completely rude and ruling which she hates the most.

"What do you want, Deigo?" she asked in a least interested manner.

"Checking if you have found Ara in your database and a secretary for me. You know its been a week since I asked you to do that and how difficult it is to concentrate on other works"

"So? You know the terms and conditions in JobLane when you request for recruitment. There are certain procedures to follow, it isn't foreign for you and you followed none" she wiggled an eyebrow and twitched a corner of her lips.

"Agh... alright. What about Ara?"

Breathing out a sharp breath, Ella spoke "There were only two Ara Agosti found on our database. One is at Bari and the other is at Catania. Far, very far from where we are"

"So, what if they are far?" Diego interrupted.

"Let me finish. I called both of them, neither of them are the Ara we are looking for. They both have parents and they are the Aras' biological parents. So, there is no way they are Demetrio's daughter." Ella leaned forward and rest her chin on her hand.

"Oh, yeah! You went to Lecco, to visit Demetrio's country house, right? What did you find there?" she asked after some time.

"Nothing much. Dust and cobwebs filled house and a burned barn that used to house livestock..." he trailed off.

As the time goes by Diego only felt helpless with no light to the dark tunnel he is heading to. "Am I searching in the wrong place or is the delay in time actually taking me to the right direction?" Diego's mind wavered. The only thing that holds a hope for him is to gather information from his father about the grey haired man once he is back from Rome.

Maybe his father might share some light to the darkness Diego is in.

Ella snapped at Diego bringing him out of his own world, "Where have you lost?"

"Nothing, just wondering where all these are leading us to. Anyway, I'll send you a formal proposal for secretary recruitment. Get it done soon once received" Diego ordered and was about to leave when Ella stopped him.

"Are you invited to the success party of Mr. Russo, next week?" she asked getting back to her seat.

"Who, Jake Russo? Yeah but I don't think I'll be going"

"Well, I suggest you to go." Ella put it out as she set the scattered papers back on stack.

"Why?"Diego walked back to the desk.

"It is because Jake Russo is one of the successful businessman in Italy and many businessmen knows him. There are high possibilities for D'Luca to be present as well. Furthermore, when small company like us are invited, why not D'Luca?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"Are you attending the event?"

"First I thought not to but when other HRs turn the invitation down, I had to fill their gaps on behalf of JobLane. Anyways, I'm going there only for food" she gave a toothy smile.

Diego couldn't help but to rolled his eyes for her never ending love for food.

-----

Warehouse in Brera

"You told me Demetrio's wife and daughter were dead long ago! Then how is it possible for his daughter to be alive?!" Gasparo D'Luca yelled over the phone.

"There is no chance for the two to be alive after the explosion in the barn. I'm pretty sure someone is playing tricks on Diego so they could get to us" said the man from the other end of the call.

"Who could it be?" Gasparo paced up and down. The small victory that he had been celebrating a few days ago went meaningless after receiving the news of Demetrio's daughter alive.

"Find Demetrio's daughter, Gasparo. I want her away from us or dead. There is no way I'm letting it slip out of my hand just when it's getting closer."

The order to Gasparo D'Luca was clear; to find Demetrio's daughter and finish her off. Letting out a laugh, Gasparo patted himself for thinking a solution before hand. "Don't you worry. All the while I had thought sending a man to watch over Demetrio's activity was of no point, looks like its time we about to use the information gathered by my man over these years." he assured the man on the other end of the call "What's her name?"

"The parents call her Ara so, I guess it must be Ara Agosti" with that bit of information they hung up the call.

Gasparo called Mario, the man who had been Demetrio's tail for the past seventeen years and asked about Demetrio's most commonplace that could possibly tell him about Demetrio's daughter's hideout.

"Yes, sir. There are few places that he often goes alone with no bodyguards. The church, two orphanages that are located in two ends of the city, a hostel, a florist shop and the graveyard" Mario listed out some of the places where they could find Ara Agosti.

"Church, florist, graveyard... take them off the list. Now we have three options, the orphanages and the hostel. Send our people to these places and find for Ara Agosti" Gasparo instructed.

----

Thomas was determined to bring Diego out for dinner tonight as the latter have been locking himself in his room every night trying to figure out a way to find both Ara and the murderer. Diego's lack of involvement in social life only worried Thomas even more, in fear Diego might get into mental illness.

God forbids.

Thomas had brought Diego to one of the locally famous restaurant that is much better than the quiet five star restaurants to bring a little life to Diego. Diego felt completely out place when he realised where he was, shaking his head side to side, he took off his jacket rolled his sleeves up and walked to the restaurant trying to blend in with the locals.

He spotted a familiar lady seated a few tables away from them, waiting for her order alone. Excusing himself from Thomas, Diego headed to the table.

"You should enjoy dining not dive into your damn phone screen while dinner, dumbass" Diego smacked the lady's head and sat across her.

"Diego! Go die!" Ella snorted dropping her phone on the table and took the fork pointing it to him.

"Easy there"

"What are you doing here?" she asked slamming the fork down on the table.

"Playing hide and seek"

"Funny" she gave a fake laugh.

"Thomas brought me here" Diego turned to where Thomas was seated.

"Oh", "Thomas!" Ella called and waved at him to join their table for dinner.

After properly introducing each other both Ella and Thomas started chatting away about the good things and food that Diego could find around this place. Since the rich lad had never stepped down to any local areas, their chat almost felt foreign to him. Nevertheless, what they spoke went over his head as he was lost gazing at a woman stood at the counter.

Observing Diego's attention elsewhere, Ella turn to the direction his vision was at. A wide smile played on her mouth as she recognize the lady in blue, "She is pretty, right?"

Realising that they had caught him staring at the lady, he tried to act normal. "hmm... she looks okay..."

"She is my friend, Luciana. We were from the same orphanage before. Let me call her here so, you can talk to her" Ella chirped, turning around to call her but Diego clasp her mouth stopping her from doing anything as such.

Taking his hands off her mouth, Ella huffed "Why did you stop me?"

"I was just looking at her, Ella. That doesn't mean I want to talk to all girls that I find attractive, alright" snapped at Ella as she sat quietly.

"That's sad, Thomas. Diego will never find a girl if he isn't going to initiate small talks to the girl he likes" Ella sadly shook her head as she had no much sympathizing words for Diego.

"Stupid girl" Diego muttered under his breath.

"Shut up stupid boy. Luciana is a nice girl maybe you can give it a try" Ella gave an assuring smile and a nod from Thomas.

----------

For many who are waiting for Ara, you gotta be a little patience, ya ;) :D

Till then keep the comments, votes and love pouring for the story.

-Deva-