Alessandra POV
If there was one thing I learned that morning, it was this — La Rosas don't do anything quietly. It started with a simple argument in the driveway.
Well, simple might be generous.
My new brothers — were standing in front of a lineup of sleek, expensive cars that probably cost more than my entire old neighborhood combined. Elio was dramatically waving his hands in the air.
"We're taking the Ferrari. It's fast, it's fun, and it's red — like the family name. It's fate!" Leonardo scoffed.
"We're not cramming four people and shopping bags into a Ferrari, you idiot."
My dad, Alessandro and Emilio wasn't coming with us, thankfully — they had already left for some business meeting — so it was just me, Leonardo, Elio, and Nico. Or, as I was quickly learning to call them:
The Chaos Trio
"We're taking the Range Rover," Leonardo said firmly, crossing his arms.
"Boring," Elio complained. "That car screams 'retired bodyguard.'"
Nico, who had been quietly scrolling on his phone, finally said, "We could take the Maserati." Leonardo gave him a look.
"You just want the quietest car so you can avoid Elio talking." Nico didn't even deny it. "Exactly." Then all three of them turned to look at me.
'What?' I wrote on my whiteboard, eyebrows furrowed.
Leonardo smirked. "You're choosing, piccola sorellina. Which one?" I blinked, glancing between the cars — sleek, glossy, absurdly expensive machines that all looked like they belonged in a magazine. I didn't know the difference between a Maserati and a microwave, so I just pointed at the one that looked the nicest.
Elio grinned. "Ha! She has taste. The Ferrari it is." Leonardo groaned, muttering something under his breath in Italian, but didn't argue further. I got the sense he was already regretting bringing me.
***
The drive to the mall was loud, filled with Elio's playlist (mostly English pop songs from 2010) and Leonardo's increasingly colorful threats about throwing him out of the car. Nico drove in calm silence, sunglasses on, completely unbothered by the chaos beside him.
By the time we pulled into the underground parking of a massive shopping mall, I was already exhausted — and we hadn't even started shopping yet.
The place was enormous — glass walls, marble floors, people dressed like they were walking into fashion week instead of a mall. I froze near the entrance.
'This is too much,' I wrote, shaking my head.
Leonardo noticed, his tone softer than usual. "It's fine. Just get what you need."
Before I could protest, Elio had already grabbed my hand. "Come on! You need clothes, shoes, accessories — the whole makeover experience!"
"God help us," Leonardo muttered, following behind.
The next two hours were... chaos. Elio was a whirlwind — dragging me from one boutique to another, holding up dresses, jeans, and tops against me with zero hesitation. "This looks perfect! And this! Oh, and definitely this one!"
He looked like a kid in a candy store — except the candy cost thousands of euros.
Leonardo stayed mostly silent, though every now and then I'd notice him set something aside — practical stuff. Hoodies, sneakers, a few jackets before nodding subtly at the salespeople. He wasn't flashy like Elio — he was careful.
Nico disappeared halfway through. I assumed he'd gone to escape the madness, but when he came back an hour later, he was holding several shopping bags — sleek black ones from an electronics store.
He set them down beside me and said simply, "Laptop, phone, earbuds, and a watch. You'll need them."
I blinked up at him, stunned. Before I could even write anything, he added quietly, "You don't have to thank me."
I still wrote it anyway. 'Thank you.' He nodded once, a small smile ghosting his lips.
When we finally reached the undergarment store, I stopped, hesitating. Elio turned red instantly. "Yeah, no, we'll be right outside. Far, far outside."
Leonardo rolled his eyes but told the shop associate, "Get her everything she might need — full sets, every color, whatever fits."
I wanted to sink into the floor.
Nico just handed me the credit card Lorenzo had given him earlier. "Take your time," he said, then steered Elio away before his brother could start another embarrassing comment. The store associate helped me quietly, her tone professional. I picked a few basics — simple, comfortable things. I didn't want anything fancy. The last thing I needed was more luxury I didn't understand.
When I stepped out again, all three of them were waiting near a bench, surrounded by shopping bags. Elio spotted me first. "Finally! Let's eat before Leo murders me."
"Tempting," Leonardo muttered, but his eyes softened slightly when he looked at me. "You done?" I nodded. "Good," he said. "You handled that better than most of us."
We went to a restaurant on the top floor — glass walls overlooking the city, the kind of place that served water in crystal glasses and food you couldn't pronounce.
Elio ordered half the menu. Nico barely said a word, just quietly handed me a plate and refilled my drink without asking. Leonardo stayed alert as always, glancing at the entrance every few minutes like a soldier on guard.
I ate in silence, watching them — their easy rhythm, their unspoken understanding of one another. I was still trying to understand how I fit into all of this. But when Elio leaned back in his chair, grinning like an idiot, and said, "Not bad for our first sibling day, huh?"
I couldn't help it — I smiled back.
Maybe this family was loud and chaotic and way too much. But maybe... they were exactly what I needed.