Empire Records…New York...Roman's Office…

Roman sat at his desk rereading the same paragraph over and over, he couldn't concentrate on his work because Diosa was the only thing on his mind. He was worried for her because he felt she was dealing with so much and he wanted to just jump in and help her. But, he knew that would be pushing the boundaries. Also, he was thinking of their banter of somewhat flirting. That was the first time Diosa openly flirted with him, it was a rush like no other. He wanted more though; he craved this woman like no other woman in his entire life. He just knew he was the right man for Diosa. He wished she knew that and would divorce Steven.

His office phone beeped alerting him of a call. He picked up the phone. "I'm not taking any calls right now, Rebecca."

"If you let me speak first, it is not a call. Mr. Randy Orton is here waiting to see you…Should I send him in?"

There went that smart mouth of Rebecca's, this was not the time for that, Roman was in a bad mood. "Of course, send him in, and later on today you and I need to meet about your performance."

Rebecca crossed her eyes, she knew every time he had a bad call with Diosa, he would want to discuss her performance. She was not worried because she did her job very well and then some. And, she had all the 411 of the Artists and would report it back to Roman. "Yes, Sir."

"You can go right in Mr. Orton." Rebecca said and then went back to doing her work. She laughed to herself thinking they were double trouble.

"Thank you, Rebecca. New hairstyle and outfit?"

Rebecca smiled brightly, secretly she thought Randy was fine as hell. "Why yes, they are…You have such a great memory…Thank you." Rebecca giggled aloud like a schoolgirl. Roman had seen her all morning and didn't say a word.

Randy leaned into her. "It suits you and brings out your eyes beautifully." He then gave her a wink. Randy was a charmer with all the women. Rebecca almost melted in her seat. Randy was wearing a blue Tom Ford tailored suit, which brought out the blue in his eyes more, and he was rocking Stefano Ricci Royal Eagle Gold Fragrance for Men.

Roman's extremely large office offered the perfect outside panoramic views, they were to die for, his office building was by far the tallest in that area, so you just got lost in the view of Manhattan and the clouds. Roman owned this building, so it was not your ordinary office building, Roman's office was on the top floor. Roman made sure to have each area chic and contemporary. (It was a Record Label for goodness sakes.) You could tell by the environment of the entire building it was not some stuffy Lawyer's or Doctor's Facility. Every floor had a Coffee Bar, your every Coffee drinkers desire could be fulfilled. The Coffee was a level above Starbuck's. Modern art, Modern Art pieces placed throughout, and pictures of his Artists on the walls. Roman's office building lacked for nothing, it had the top of the line studio equipment, a Spa room for the ladies, and a Sauna for the males. The Cafeterias were more like high-end Restaurants, the gym's with personal trainers, and to top it all off there was an Olympic sized pool. He had everything possible on site for his artists and they appreciated that.

Roman had no problem signing talents either, and I mean he had Grammy winners (Usher, Trey Songz, and Bruno Mars, and many more). He had the top three Billboard rap artists of today under contract (Drake, Cardi B, and Post Malone). Of course, he had the normal headaches like any other Record Label, and that was keeping your talents from receiving bad publicity/press. And, if someone did screw up it was a nightmare trying to clean it up. Diosa was going to experience this very soon, at least she had experiences in cleaning up messes with her NFL team the Baltimore Ravens.

Roman's office was decorated in a contemporary way, as well, with whites, tans, blacks, reds, and splashes of gold and silver accessories. Two black leather sofas facing one another, two leather love seats, all imported from Italy, glass top triple tier coffee table, along with matching end tables, and a wet bar. It would not be complete for a males office without an 86' inch flat screen tv on one of the walls. The average person could live there because it also had a grand ensuite.

Randy and Roman were best friends. Randy found himself at times closer to Roman than his brother, Ethan. Maybe it was the age difference. They hit it off immediately, Randy got Roman into the Syndicate. Not only were they best friends immediately, but they could also rely on each other regarding The Syndicate's business, meaning someone you could bounce ideas off of or just vent to and know you have confidence that person wouldn't say anything to anyone. That was the type of relationship Randy and Roman had, they shared not only work concerns, but personal issues too, they were like two peas in pod. In Randy's party days, he and Roman could have any female they wanted at the clubs. They worked extremely hard and played the same way. Now that was no longer an option for them because Randy was engaged to Eva Marie now. Randy proposed on a whim to her when they were in Dubai as Roman's guests. However, now the love was fading between the two if it was there really at all.

Randy proceeded into Roman's office he could tell just by looking at his best friend he had a lot on his mind.

This was very true, not only did he have Diosa on his mind, he had his older Brother, Dwayne (everyone called him Rock though). It hurt Roman deeply watching his older brother get hooked on drugs and booze. This started as soon as Empire was getting off the ground. Roman had to make an awful decision in order to save the company and that was for Rock to transfer all his rights of the company to Roman. At first, Rock protested, but then after some soul searching, he signed his rights over to Roman, he knew if Empire was to become one of largest Record labels in the business, he needed to step down. This did not please Roman because he and Rock had been thinking about starting this business since they were kids. Brothers in arms having it all. Roman did not toss his brother to the curb, he made up some high executive position for Rock. This also helped Roman keep an eye on his brother daily. Roman blamed Rock's demise on the exact woman who raised them, and that was their Mother if you could call her that.

She was sickly now and Roman had her placed in the top Assisted Living facilities in the state. It was called Signature Senior Living. It offered its seniors the opportunity to enjoy a vital lifestyle in a luxurious setting. The gracious lobby was enhanced by a baby grand piano and oversized aquarium and you would be inspired by their welcoming hotel-like ambiance. Their residents basked in the warmth of friends and devoted staff members while taking advantage of the many amenities, stimulating social activities and customized care plans.

Although Roman had not seen his Mother in several years, he somehow felt obligated to make sure she was put away somewhere extravagant.

Roman walked from around his desk wearing a tailored dark brown Giorgio Armani suit, and then greeted his brother with a slap of the hand, and the other hand patted each other on the back.

"What are you doing here Man?" Roman asked while gesturing Randy to the seating area.

Randy sat down and undid his tie. "Looks like you need to talk…Call it Bro intuition…So, what happened between you and Diosa now?" Randy stood up and headed towards the wet bar, he made himself a Scotch and water. "Want one Man, looks like you could use it?"

"I'm good." Roman stated evenly.

"Bullshit." Randy shouldn't have even asked, because he made Roman a Scotch and water anyway. He could tell he could use it right about now. Randy placed both drinks on the coffee table, and then sat down. "Spill it." Randy said and then took a swig of his drink. Mind you it wasn't even close to lunchtime.

Roman exhaled and then gave a slight grin, he then followed his buddy and took a swig of his drink.

"So, spill my Man?" Randy leaning back on the sofa. They were so soft you could sleep for hours on them.

"Who says it has to be about Diosa, it could be Syndicate work?"

Again, I call bullshit. You never look like that when there are Syndicate problems if anything you become calm and quiet…. So, I'll ask one more time. Spill It? I can see you are feeling fucked up right now."

Roman smirked. "This coming from a man who has a fiancée, but then hired a Personal Assistant, and she was green as fuck., but had big tits. I know why you hired her Randy, but she is off limits, remember she is Rock's, old lady."

"What do you want from me, she was the best qualified for the position…End of story."

"Look I couldn't blame you for eyeing her, she is a beauty, and you and Eva Marie are having problems, but let's not make this complicated. Okay?" Then Roman took another swig of his drink.

Roman wasn't giving Randy a warning; he knew this young lady was too good for Rock. He treated her like shit and cheated on her behind her back. But she sticks with him thinking she can get him to change. Sometimes, Roman feels like telling her to move on.

"Trust me I have enough female problems with Eva Marie. I took her to Rehab this morning, this is the fucking second time. How do you deal with this on a day to day basis?" Randy took another swig of his drink.

"it isn't easy, I just do what I have to do to help my brother, that is all I can do since he looked after me as a kid."

Randy tilled his head slightly. "What do you mean he looked out for you?"

Roman took a swig of his drink. "You know what I mean, older brothers always looked out for their younger brothers."

Randy accepted the answer because Roman was already upset, but he could tell it was more than what Roman was letting on.

"I thought you would be back in Cali by now?" Roman asked.

"I told you Bro intuition, I had a feeling you were in a funk, so I delayed my trip." Randy lived in both NY and Cali like his younger brother. Their territory was the west coast, but Fox Studios Headquarters was in NY. Lucky for Randy he had a great Capo in Finn Baylor.

Roman took another swig of his drink. "You know me too well…It is Diosa, she is going through a lot of shit right now, and I have to stand on the sidelines and watch, fucking sucks."

"If she is just a friend why are you so upset?" Randy already knew the answer, but he liked to make Roman admit it.

Roman looked up from the floor and arched his right eyebrow while looking at Randy. "Don't be an asshole…You know why."

"I don't understand why you just don't make a move on her?"

"Diosa is different, she won't betray her vows, although I think Steven is."

"Get her cornered and make your move, she won't be able to resist…Trust." Randy smirked.

"I wouldn't do her like that, you know she is more special than some average chick."

"I think you are approaching her all wrong, she wants you too, and don't give me she won't betray her vows shit…The heat just radiates off you two."

"You think the Syndicate notices?" Roman asked a little concerned. He wouldn't care, but he knew Diosa would freak out.

"Na, I know because I'm your Bro, I also see you suffering, and I don't like that shit."

Roman took the last swig of his drink, and then put his glass down on the table.

"Let's hit the clubs tonight like the pre-Eva Marie days?" Randy rubbed his hands together.

"Can't, going to a big dinner party tonight at Diosa's. Her Pops and baby sister are in town. So, you know Diosa will want to make this into a mini cocktail party/Dinner."

"Are you going to get laid if you go?" Randy asked.

Roman got a defensive face. "Now you know damn well, I'm not crossing that line with her."

"What if she comes on to you…You gonna turn that shit down?"

Roman softened up a bit. "That is not happening…I know her too well."

"Then go out with me tonight because your ass needs to get laid."

"I'm good, besides I already accepted her invitation." Secretly Roman wanted nothing more than that to happen.

"When is the last time you got laid, because you have been awfully moody lately?"

Roman arched his eyebrow again and then stood up. "Don't worry, I'm good…Why don't we go to lunch…My treat."

Randy grinned. "So, that means it has been a while…That is why your ass has been so grumpy…You need to release some of that tension."

"I'm good, and I haven't been grumpy asshole." Roman put on his coat.

"I bet you haven't been laid since Rhia."

"You would lose that bet, partna."

"So, you got laid in Dubai?"

"Nah, two days after I got back, I hooked up with Sarita."

Randy laughed. "You sure know how to pick the cream of the crop."

Roman and Randy bumped fists. "You know it."

"Oh shit, before we leave for lunch, I need to get Rebecca to do something."

Roman removed one of the pictures from the wall, and there was a safe behind it. He pulled out a medium size black velvet jewelry box." Roman locked the safe and placed the picture back.

He then went to buzz Rebecca. "Can you come to my office?"

"One-minute Sir, I am signing off on those papers you wanted to go out today."

"Alright."

Rebecca was glad Randy was in there because otherwise, Roman would have had an attitude.

"What's that?"

A gift for Diosa, I was going to wait for her Birthday, but seeing how she is having such a hard time right now I thought this would cheer her up. I brought it back from Dubai. Roman opened the box and revealed something Randy didn't expect.

It was a $50,000.00 18k White Gold Half Diamond & Sapphire Necklace with matching $40,000.00 18K White Gold Diamond and Sapphire Pear Hoop Earrings, and a $90,000.00 18k White Gold matching Prone set Blue Sapphire ring surrounded by Diamonds Cushion style ring. He also added in a $160,000.00 18K White Gold Half Diamond and Sapphire matching watch. It was in a claw setting design.

Randy checked out the set and was very impressed. "Damn you have it bad for Diosa, you must have dropped a pretty penny for that set,"

"Nah, I could have gotten her more, but I didn't want Steven getting his shorts in a bunch."

"Well, he might just do that anyway, because that it is an expensive set of jewelry if I were you I would tell Diosa to say she bought it herself. Because that is a very personal gift."

"Maybe you're right, don't want to cause any problems for Diosa."

Rebecca finally arrived in Roman's office. "You needed something, Sir?"

"Yes, I need this to arrive at this address today." Roman handed the address and card to Rebecca.

Rebecca looked at the address and immediately knew it was Diosa's address. She had sent all types of things there before. "I'll handle it right now, Sir."

"Good and thank you." Roman stated nicely.

Rebecca was almost knocked off her feet at Roman being his old self all of a sudden, she knew if anyone could get him out of that mood it was Randy.

"Oh, and can you wrap it in a gold bow too?" Roman asked Rebecca.

"No problem, Sir…Anything else you need?"

"No, Randy and I are taking an early lunch, I'll be back in the office in a couple of hours."

"Again, no problem Sir, I'll take messages explaining you had a work affair to handle and will return their call as soon as possible." Rebecca replied.

"Yeah, Roman is taking me to Eleven Madison Park." Randy patted Roman on the back. It was one of the most expensive restaurants in Manhattan.

"I'll get you back when I'm out in Cali." Roman chuckled.

The two men left the office building heading to lunch, of course, Rebecca couldn't help herself from looking inside the box. "Damn, I need to ask for raise, this is the bomb."

Later on, that afternoon at Diosa Bisciotti's Mansion.

The doorbell rang, and Thelma stopped what she was doing and answered the door, she knew security had already checked the person out before allowing them on the property. "Yes, Sir." Thelma asked the tall gentleman who looked like a giant dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie. It was Lars Sullivan another one of Roman's security men. "Yes, ma'am this package is for Mrs. Bisciotti from Mr. Reigns."

"Okay, and thank you." Thelma said as Lars began walking towards his black Chevy Tahoe.

Thelma was so happy that Roman sent Diosa something. She knew Diosa was under a lot of stress. Thelma thought Steven would have sent something.

Thelma shut the door and went into the living room area where Diosa was. Diosa had decided to work from home so she could prepare for tonight's party. Diosa looked up from her laptop and looked at Thelma.

"Something wrong, Thelma?"

"No, Ms. Diosa, I am just bringing in this package that just arrived for you."

"Thank you, Thelma…How are we coming along with tonight's dinner, everything has to be perfect for Papa."

And that it was with Caviar, hors d'oeuvres, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold Champagne, Champagne Palate Cleanser, Cream of Crab Bisque, Caprese Salad with Whipped Ricotta, Surf and Turf (Filet Mignon and Lobster), Oven Roasted Asparagus, Twice Baked Potatoes, and for dessert Frrrozen Haute Chocolate. The extravagant dessert uses cocoas and milk frozen to a slushy-like consistency. Five grams of 24-carat gold mix in. Then, whipped cream, more gold, and a La Madeline au Truffe top the dessert.

"We are on schedule, Ms. Diosa, don't you worry about a thing we know how important this is to you."

"Thank you so much, I know everything was on such short notice." Diosa was very grateful to her staff for being so efficient.

Diosa smiled and took the box from Thelma, the way it was presented she thought it was a gift from Steven trying to make up for this morning with his sudden trip.

"I'll leave you now to your business affairs," Thelma said.

Thank you, Thelma. As soon as Thelma shut the sliding doors, Diosa pulled off the card.

Hey Gorgeous.

Thought you could use some cheering up. They say these are a women's best friend. :)

Enjoy,

R

Diosa looked shocked, she couldn't imagine what Roman had sent her. She undid the pretty intricate gold bow. And then opened the flaps of the box, she was astonished at what she was looking at. "Oh my God, what have you done Papi, this is gorgeous?" Diosa said to herself, but it actually was spoken aloud.

Ms. Thelma was listening at the door with her husband Johnny. Normally they never do such a thing, but the box was so beautiful, and they wanted to see if Diosa would be excited by Roman's package. Once they heard her they smiled with joy. "We both better get out of here sweetie; we don't want to get caught." Thelma said. They shared a brief kiss before parting ways.

Diosa took out the necklace and tried it on and looked in the mirror at herself. "This is exquisite." Diosa muttered aloud. The necklace looked wonderful around her neck, each and every stone was sparkling bright.

Diosa couldn't stop looking at herself in the mirror admiring the necklace, then all of a sudden reality began to flush over her. She grabbed her iPhone and pushed on Roman's name and his phone starting buzzing, it was on vibrate. He picked up the iPhone from his desk and answered it.

Diosa: "What did you do, Papi?

Roman began smiling, he knew she got the gift. "I have no idea what you are talking about?" He smirked.

Diosa placed her hand on her hip. "You know damn well what I'm talking about…Your gift."

Roman could now tell Diosa was in no mood for banter. "What did the card say?"

Diosa reread it to him. And she softened. "They are all exquisite, but I can't accept them, this is too much." Diosa said in a disappointed tone.

"You like them, right? And I bet they look stunning on you…They are just a gift to get that smile and smart-ass attitude back…If you are worried what Steven will say, tell him you bought them." Roman could just picture how Diosa looked in them and that made him smile.

"I don't know, Papi." Diosa bit down on her lower lip, she wanted to accept them from Roman.

"Of course, you know what to do, keep them and wear them for me tonight…Hate to cut you off, but I have an important conference call coming through, I'll see you tonight Gorgeous." Roman said in a deep sexy baritone voice and then hung up. He had no conference call. He just didn't want to give Diosa time to not accept the gift.

"Roman! Damn it!" Diosa looked at herself in the mirror again and just fell in love with the entire set. She started convincing herself what is the big deal, it was a gift among friends. So, she decided to keep them.

Diosa's Master bedroom…

Diosa stepped out of the ensuite after a luxurious bubble bath. She then walked into her extremely large walk-in closet, it could be considered an apartment to most. She began pulling out different dresses, she couldn't decide what to wear. She had convinced herself this was a big evening for her Father, but a deep-down rooted feeling was she wanted to look nice for Roman. "Stop it Diosa, he is just a guest and your best friend, get a grip." She told herself.

She had several dresses on her master bed, but she just wasn't satisfied with any of them. So, she went back into the closet and spotted a dress with the tag still on it. She wanted to save this dress for Steven, but it wasn't her fault he wasn't here.

It was very sexy, it was a silvery white colored dress, and it was a mini. The sheer bodice boasted long sleeves and a small jeweled neckline. The sleek lines shape a curve-kissing fit while bikini lining provides coverage where you need it. The lined skirt formed a subtle flare from the waist to the sensuous, sheer-edged short hemline. "Perfect." Diosa said with glee in her voice.

A beautiful brunette pulled up in a yellow Chevy Camaro and got out of the car. She had a rolling bag with her. She stepped to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Thelma stopped what she was preparing in the kitchen and went to answer the door. "My goodness, where is all of this traffic coming from?" Thelma questioned.

She answered the door and the beautiful brunette walked inside. She was wearing designer jeans and a red leather mid-thigh jacket and underneath that she had on a long sleeve sequin red top with the back opened. "Hi, Ms. Thelma. The woman stated as she walked inside.

"Hello, Ms. Nikki Bella. Diosa is waiting for you upstairs." Nikki smiled. "Thank you, I'll let myself in to see Diosa I know you must be uber busy right now."

Thelma just smiled at Nikki and said thank you. She had no idea what uber meant, Thelma was sixty plus years old.

Nikki knocked on the master suite doors and waited for Diosa to say it was okay to enter.

"Who is it?" Diosa called out.

"Nikki, are you decent?"

"Yes, come in." Diosa was wearing a fluffy white robe and had her hair in a towel.

Nikki stepped inside of Diosa's master bedroom; she was her stylist. "Hi, Diosa…Ready for me?" Nikki asked as she saw all the dresses spread out on the master bed.

"Hi, Nikki…I'm ready for you." Diosa got a moment of doubt about the dress. "Nikki do you like this dress?"

"Girl, that is a showstopper, I love it…And I know the perfect shoes to wear with it." Nikki walked into the closet and went to the shoe area. She picked out a pair of silver clear leather Chrisitan Louboutin 4" inch stiletto heel, pointed toe pumps, they had crystal jewels sporadically throughout the shoes and silver spikes down near the toe area. "Here we go."

Nikki had been Diosa's stylist for years, so they had that kind of relationship where Nikki would talk to Diosa like a friend.

"Perfecto…I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Diosa laughed.

"Let's go into the salon." Diosa said as she began walking towards the double doors.

Nikki followed her as they entered the elevator to go downstairs. "Work your magic, Girl."

Nikki laughed while the elevator descended to the lower level of the home. "You really don't even need any makeup, your skin is so young and beautiful, it is soft to the touch."

"Thank you, but tonight is special, Papa is here with us, along with my baby sister. So, let's get started."

They stepped off the elevator to a full fledge salon. It had chairs for pedicures and tables for manicures.

Nikki started with Diosa's makeup first, she used very little because Diosa didn't need it. "Steven is going to be all over you in that dress, I will make your makeup angelic looking."

Diosa was touched by Nikki's words. "Thank you, but Steven is out of town on business. Everything is being done right now is for Papa."

"You and your Dad are very close, that is so nice, I wish I had that kind of relationship with my Dad, but oh well, no need of crying over spilled milk." Nikki's parents had divorced, and Nikki did not see him much at all while growing up. Her Mom was remarried now, and she loved her stepdad, John Laurinaitis, he was currently a Senior Producer at WWE.

Diosa felt bad for what she had said knowing about Nikki's situation, she was just so excited her Dad was here. "Sorry, Nikki, that was insensitive.

"Girl, stop I think it is great you have such a special bond with your Dad, never apologize for that."

Nikki began on Diosa's hair now. "So, is it a big party?"

"No, it is small and intimate."

Nikki did not ask about Diosa's Mom, because every time she would try and bring her up, Diosa would become defensive. But, Nikki couldn't help but wonder why their relationship was so strained.

Nikki turned Diosa around to look at herself in the mirror. "Love it or hate it?"

Nikki had done just what she said she was going to do with Diosa's makeup. It was an Angelic application with Buff Liquid Lipstick. This was a Matte Metallic Liquid Lipstick.

Diosa didn't know what to say, she hadn't felt this pretty since her wedding day with Steven. It saddened her he was not there to see it and share in this moment. "You have outdone yourself, Nikki, I love it."

"And your hair?"

Nikki had styled Diosa's raven hair with waterfall curls with lots of volume because Diosa's hair was so long, it went to her mid-back, so Nikki wanted it to withstand the evening.

"I love it too…Thanks, Nikki, you are a lifesaver. Diosa liked what she saw. "Time to get dressed now."

"Do you need some help getting ready?" Nikki asked.

"Maybe just to zip me up, so use to having Steven here to do that. Oh well, the show must go on with or without him." Although, Diosa was disappointed Steven was not there she refused to let him ruin her good time with her Papa and the others.

Diosa and Nikki proceeded back to the master bedroom, and Diosa began getting ready. Her perfume of choice was Clive Christian Absolute Jasmine Inspired By X, it was $7,000.00 a bottle.

Diosa began getting dressed in the walk-in closet while Nikki sat on the master bed. Diosa had everything on that Roman had given her, and she was finally fully dressed. She just needed to be zipped up.

She walked out of the master closet and Nikki clapped like a High School Cheerleader. "You look beautiful, but hold up a minute, I never have seen that jewelry set before, it is magnificent, and goes so well with that outfit."

Diosa hated to lie, but she had to. "I bought it a while back…You really think it goes well with my outfit?"

"Let's put it this way, Steven is going to be sorry he went away on business and missed this stunner of an outfit and how sexy you look in it." Nikki boasted.

Diosa was smiling to herself inside. "Stop it…I'll wear it for him someday."

Diosa looked at the breathtaking watch and noticed it was seven thirty. "Oh shit, I'm late."

"No, you are going to make a grand entrance as all…Now you go strut your stuff girl." Nikki teased.

Nikki was right, everyone was waiting on Diosa. Coco and Alexa had just arrived themselves a few moments ago. Alexa was already opening all her gifts from Grandpa and Nana.

Coco was striking as always in one of her own creatures. It was a peach colored sequin plunged neckline dress embellished with fabulous frothy feathers hemline.

Dani still had not shared her secret with Diosa, but she was there at the party dressed in a black fitted sheer bodice with a V-neckline and back embellished in beaded lace appliques. The skirt also featured beaded lace appliques and ended mid-thigh. The dress had a thick belt around the waist and ostrich feathers on the shoulders.

"I see we were on the same wavelength tonight." Dani loosened up and joked with Coco.

Coco gave a little chuckle. "You are right, feathers must be our thing. The important thing is we look great."

The doorbell rang once again. Thelma was dressed in an all-black skirt suit; she was the Household Manager. She answered the door once again.

It was Diosa's friend Ava and her fiancé, Hayden Hurst. He was a rookie TE for the Ravens, but he was twenty-five years old. He started off in baseball, but that didn't work out for him as he developed a psychological problem with throwing the ball. So, he went back to college for one more year and played college football. He was then drafted by the Ravens in the first-round draft.

Ava was wearing a black and gold slender sleeves extended to shimmering appliques at the wrists, and the stand-up collar made a decorative debut at the bodice. A tailored fit fashions a curvy silhouette along the bust, waist, and hips while the subtly flared skirt fell to a sheer-edged hemline. Sparkling metallic appliques added glimmer. Hayden wore a black suit, black shirt, and gold tie to compliment Ava's dress.

"Please come in." Thelma said as she welcomed them into the mansion.

Thelma didn't get a chance to get their coats or shut the door as Roman and Diosa's Mother approached the doorway.

"Please come in." Thelma welcomed them both into the mansion. Thelma knew this was going to be bad as Diosa and her Mom did not get along at all.

Roman now had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew Diosa did not get along with her Mother. So, he knew this dinner party was not going to go Diosa's way. Roman wore a gold and black floral suit jacket and matching vest. The rest of his attire was a black shirt, black silk tie, black trousers, and Christian Louboutin Greggo Men's Lace-Up Leather Dress Shoes. He wore his hair in a low hanging bun.

"Nana." Alexa squealed as she ran into Apollonia's arms. Apollonia kneeled down to hug Alexa. "Let me look at you…You have gotten so big since the last time Nana saw you." She looked at Coco. Their relationship was not as strained as Diosa and their Mother.

"I missed you, Nana…And thank you for all the dresses and toys, I love them so much." Alexa then kissed her Nana.

"You're welcome, Baby."

Apollonia stood back up and handed her coat to Thelma. She was wearing a simple red Gucci pencil skirt dress. She flew right over from her business meeting. She walked over to her daughters and kissed and hugged them. "You two look beautiful…Where is Diosa?"

Paul walked over to his beautiful brunette wife and kissed her on the cheek. "We are waiting for her grand reveal."

Right on queue Diosa stood at the top of the staircase, Roman's breath was taken away at how enchanting and dazzling how Diosa looked. Diosa was smiling until she saw her Mother. Diosa had to force a smile and walked down the long staircase.

All heads turned to Diosa, her guests were quite pleased with her whole entire outfit, especially the jewelry. Roman gave her a small nod as he took a glass of champagne from one of the servers. That set looked exactly how he had imagined. It looked superb on Diosa. He had to watch himself because he could just take her right now. Every time he saw Diosa the craving for her would get stronger.

Diosa touched her necklace and smiled at Roman to acknowledge she wore the set for him. As Diosa approached the last step, her Mother was there with open arms. "You look amazing."

Diosa did not hug her Mother back. Instead, she whispered in her ear. "We need to talk right now."

Nikki came down the stairs next. "I'll see you later, Diosa." Nikki was glad she was not staying after seeing Diosa's Mother there.

"Thanks, Nikki…I'll be in touch." Diosa said as she lightly tugged on her Mother's arm and led them into the living room area. Once they were inside, she shut the sliding doors. "What in the hell are you doing in my home?!" Diosa protested.

Her Mom starred at Diosa for a few seconds expressionless. "I came to be with my family."

"I told you in the past you are not welcome in my home…I need for you to make an excuse and leave!"

Apollonia sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs. "Why can't you just let go of the past and focus on the future like the rest of us?"

That callousness from her Mother set Diosa off and she got right in front of Mother, they were faced to face. "Look, you old hag you are not staying…. You can leave on your own accord or I can have security throw your ass out."

The sliding doors opened, and it was Paul. He shut them after walking inside. "What is going on in here?"

"She knows she is not welcomed in my home, and she just sashed shay her way in here ruining my party!"

Diosa was irate at her Mother. And to add fuel to the fire, Apollonia smirked at Diosa.

"Sweetheart, remember you promised to get along with your Mother?"

Diosa wanted to wipe that smug smirk right off her Mother's face. "That was supposed to be in Mexico, not in my home. She knows she is never to step foot in my home."

Paul sighed. "Diosa, this is a practice for you, please do it for me?" And, then he hugged Diosa.

"Fine, just don't talk to me." Diosa pulled out of her Father's embrace and went storming out of the living area heading straight for the patio, she needed air badly. Everyone in attendance could see the anger in Diosa's face.

Coco, Dani, and Ava were about to follow Diosa, but Roman motioned to them to let him go instead. "I think she needs a friend now."

Ava was one of Diosa's closet friends, she was a model and UFC Ring Girl. They met at a UFC match Steven had taken Diosa to, and they hit it off immediately and have been friends ever since.

Dani contorted her face. "Excuse you, she is our sister."

Coco thought about it for a minute, and she agreed with Roman. The last thing Diosa would want was all three of them in her face. "Dani, let him talk to her first, she will feel ambushed if all of us go out there."

"Didn't stop all of you from ambushing me today." Dani said irritated.

Coco was about to yell at her sister, but their parents came back into the room. Roman took this as his opportunity to go after Diosa.

He walked out to the patio and saw Diosa leaning against the railing. Her silhouette looked amazingly sexy in the moonlight he thought, how he wished she was his. He took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, it was early November, and quite the chill was in the air this evening in Maryland.

Diosa was startled at first until she saw Roman stand beside her. "Thank you…But now you are going to freeze."

"I'm not worried about me right now. I'm worried about you." Diosa and Roman faced one another and shared a long stare with tears in Diosa's eyes, this upset Roman so, they moved closer to one another and Diosa threw her arms around Roman's neck and sobbed a little into his chest. Roman held her tightly and lightly rubbed her back and let her get it out of her system. "It is going to be okay, you have so much support inside there that they will not let anything happen to you, especially me." Roman whispered.

Diosa pulled back, luckily she was wearing waterproof makeup. Roman wiped her tears away with his thumb. "It is going to be okay, I'm here for you." He lifted her chin with his index finger. "Don't ever forget that, besides you look absolutely stunning tonight, don't let your Mom steal that away from you."

Diosa looked into Roman's eyes deeply and gave a half smile. "Thank you and sorry for getting your shirt wet."

Roman let out a small chuckle. "I'm fine, let's go back inside before you get sick from the cold." He then leaned down and kissed her cheek ever so gently. "You got this, don't let her win."

That was something else the two shared in common as well, neither could bring themselves to be close to their Mothers because of past doings.

Diosa gathered her emotions. "You are right, I'm not going to let her ruin this party." Diosa looked down at her necklace. "Thank you so much, the entire set is just lovely."

The two were standing so close, that they were almost touching each other again. This made Roman's heart race. His chest heaved and he was leaning down getting ready to kiss her on the lips, but Thelma interrupted them. Thelma put her head down. "Sorry, Ms. Diosa, but the police are here to see you."

Diosa was getting irritated again. "What else can go wrong tonight…Did they say what they wanted Thelma?"

"No, Ms. Diosa, they just stated it was urgent that they speak with you."

Roman didn't like the sound of that because normally if the Police come to their homes it means something has happened to one of their warehouses or one of their people was found dead and they needed to know how to proceed with the Press. "Remember what I said, Diosa."

She gave Roman his suit Blazer back and she began heading back inside, Roman followed. He was so fucking mad, of all times to be interrupted.

Diosa stepped back inside and saw Detectives Cody Rhodes and his brother Detective Dustin Rhodes. Paul was practically going down their throats because they wouldn't give him any information about why they were there. "This is an outrage." Paul said. "Do you have any idea who I am?!"

"It's okay, Papa…please excuse me again, my apologies to everyone."

Diosa walked the Detectives into the living area and shut the sliding doors. "This is really not a good time; you can go see Sonya Deville for this."

Sonya was like Diosa's right-hand person. Sonya was very efficient at her job and very good at shooting her targets.

Cody stepped up closer to Diosa. "We are sorry for interrupting your party, but this is something Sonya cannot handle, we are going to need you to come with us."

Diosa frowned. "Look, Cody, I'm not going anywhere right now, this will have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"I wish it could Diosa, but it can't this is a very urgent and a delicate matter."

Diosa's blood pressure began to rise. "If you haven't forgotten Cody, you work for me, not the other way around."

"I'm aware of that Diosa, and believe me if I could have avoided coming to you, I would. You know that." Cody stressed.

Diosa folded her hands to her chest. "What is so urgent?"

Cody swallowed hard. "It is about Steven."

A/N: Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter, it meant so much to me. I know this is a long chapter, so I thank you upfront for reading…A lot has happened in this chapter…What do you think about Rock?... What secret is Roman holding back about his Mom and childhood?... Why is there so much hatred that Diosa harbors about her Mother? Until next time. xoxoxoxo