[NICO]Standing before her, watching the excitement fade off her countenance, he had thought he was ready for it, but seeing her now and how she crashed, he knew he wasn't.Though she appeared dressed for bed, he knew she didn't intend to sleep. Damon, who had been standing behind her, safeguarding her privacy, had stepped out of the room, leaving them alone as his phone rang."What did you say?"What was he to do? Hold her? Keep lying that he had everything under control when he didn't? Zayne had forced him to see the truth of what he was."He won't do that" She shook her head in disbelief, walking past him and seeing her hurry towards the bar to grab a glass; he didn't want to know what her inner turmoil would be like.He followed her, and reaching the mini bar, he saw her gulping the contents straight from the bottle, dumping a mouthful into her mouth; she clutched at the neck of the bottle, breathing hard.He knew a panic attack when he saw one.So racing till he was in front of
ELENA'S POVI didn't mean to spew out everything I felt inside like I had done, but after years of holding it in, after years of being neglected, I finally reached a breaking point.Not to mention the terror that had gotten me good. The thoughts that I'd never see my kids again.Zayne had been my last resort after his promise to help in any way he could, even to the detriment of his brother, had spiked my hope and kept me going, but now that his response was negative, willing to let my kids go to waste, all because of a years-long rift, I felt my will to live slowly drain.I wished I could close my eyes, and when I opened them again, Mia and Matteo would be right in front of me, asking me why I had been sleeping for so long. This was a nightmare I wanted to get out of.Added to the fact I was suddenly feeling sick all day long, feeling the puke up in my throat, I lay still at my side, hugging the picture to my chest and breathing slowly to keep it at bay. And to think gulping down boo
[MATTEO]_"Just a little while, champ, Daddy is coming; I swear I'll get you out; just hold on..."_And holding on was what he did, which kept him from sinking his teeth into the hands of the men after the first time he did it.All of his life, he was used to adoration, teachers complimenting him for being a smartass, his mother savoring him in her warmth, and Grandma Maya dubbing him the cutest names.What was unfamiliar to him were the acrid odors of smoke, the piercing stares he reciprocated, and the single instance when he had been struck while trying to shield Mia from being taken away.But that time, the one whom he had suspected was the leader had told the smacker off, despite him placing a gun against the side of his head when he ordered him to speak to his father.He was the one who referred to him as "Little Monster."Since he got abducted, the only time he cried had been when Mia was taken from him; other than that, all he felt was anger for the men that had taken her silent
"Now listen carefully, you offered to give your life in place of your children's as any loving father would, so here's my deal, get the press, call it an... Uhm, let's say a national announcement about to be made in the Quirinal Palace, then turn yourself in.""Done"The voice chuckled in unbelief, "You sure you don't wanna bargain?""No""But that's not all; I thought to keep it from you, but there's no use; you'll comply with everything. You'll be murdered there, Nikolai, right in front of millions, and before you ask, your bodyguard, the buffy one, yeah. I'll send him the location to pick up the kids." Silence, then; "That's my deal.""Done"***So he was here."...What really happened to Fabio Conti."He had felt It might end this way; Fabio's son was never discreet about his intentions to get rid of him, but that it had taken three awful days to come to terms with it finally was what infuriated him.When Nico walked to the podium, lips close to the speaker, he had sighted him rig
Parking was swerving the car to a forced stop, almost crashing into a rock, raising dust and smoke, and zooming out of the vehicle, leaving Noah still struggling to catch his breath. Spotting a group of uniformed men surrounding a Lansia Ypsilon, his heart raced as he sprinted toward them. Despite the short distance, it seemed like covering a thousand miles.The car possessed a moderate sleekness, considering its intended use. The surroundings appeared deserted, yet he anticipated they wouldn't remain so for long. The press had already caught sight of his departure, and the police had taken note of his reckless driving.So soon, he would be given a speeding ticket. He could even hear the sirens from afar."Mr. President, we are about to get them out; just calm down" One of them began to stretch out his hand, walking towards him; what he didn't expect was to be shoved aside.Nico was before the window, which had been wined down a little to allow for ventilation or for him to have a fi
Before the timer exploded.And tiny strips of colored paper covered every surface of the car, some slowly dancing down until they landed on the seat, and even he who was trying to shove his way out of the confusion surrounding him."Wha—what?" eyes widened, and teeth grinding; he had no clue he was holding his breath until he felt his face reddened.A confetti bomb, seriously?!Nico glared ahead out of the windshield, struggling to breathe at the same time.He gripped the steering wheel, slamming against the brake, but either the car was getting out of control, or he was running out of control.He could feel himself growing faint. The road ahead seemed blurry. Was that a wall? Why could he hear the sounds of the waters slushing against beach sands?His grip was becoming limp on the steering, his back slowly dropping to the car seat, staring forward, keeping his eyes on the surface he was about to slam against.Or would he drown? Trying to fight his way out of the water for air and a j
First came disbelief, all thanks to the gravity of the news not matching Milo's tone, then shock when he walked away, leaving the bigger man at the door. He moved like he owned the place, giving me the impression that this wasn't his first time here.I searched the bigger man's face for answers, and he nodded. "Damon is waiting outside." The unbelief still raged when I stepped fully downstairs and found Milo pulling down a canvas on which Nico had painted their mother. When he saw me, he shrugged, "He won't notice."The shock came for me while I stood at the door of my children's ward, and well, there they were. THERE THEY WERE.I let my tears go. Tears made of days of ache, fear, and anxiety. Incisions made of self-blame, I walked into the ward, where a couple of nurses leaned over my children's bed. And I leaned against the door to avoid falling on my face.Their sleeping expressions still bore the traces of the terror they had witnessed. Matteo's appearance showed signs of malnou
But sitting next to awakened Matteo hours later, I had no choice but to gather myself from the wreck I had become in Nico's ward.The Doctor stood before us; I could only make out her lips moving, for most of the words were flying over my head. The much-needed siesta I had taken in Nico's ward on his sick bed wasn't enough to carry me on.The doctor had a lot of words to convey Mia's suddenly being mute. The abduction had taken its toll on her. Matteo's explanation had us understanding that they had separated them. Those monsters had separated my children.Mia was in Nico's arms, and time and again, he kissed her face and whispered things in her ears. She was even more comfortable with him than she had been with me."They'll both be needing psychological counseling," she was saying to Nico. There was a high chance she had observed that I wasn't paying attention to her words.Nico nodded; he was engrossed with the feel of Mia in his arms that he only inputted in the conversation a few