Hi! I wanted to say thanks for the support and to stay tuned for the next last chapters. Cause they're gonna be a whirlwind of emotional and maybe even tearful? I don't know, I'm thinking that a happy ending is too boring, right? Anyway, thank you guys so so much.
Sofia. He picked up on the first ring and that itself made a grin appear on my face as he answered in his business tone, rigidness, and professionalism joined in one. "Hello?""Hi!" I answered back, my voice sounding squeaky and high-pitched. Hearing his long relieved sigh on the other side of the line couldn't be more than a normal reaction to some but to me, it was more as his voice softened to address me. Warmth spread throughout my body in the most comforting way as he uttered the nickname he has for me with utmost love. "Moya Lyubov..""Bello. How are you? I...I missed you." I instantly asked, clearing my throat as I struggled to keep my emotions at bay seeing as these last few weeks, I had been crying a little more than usual and felt the need to be around someone at all times.I thought that I may have just felt....homesick."I'm doing just... great. We just got home from work and I was about to call you." he chuckled, the sound sounding a little forced as he sighed again and
Sofia.“I thought that loving you was all the space my heart had. I had no idea that it'd expand. I didn't think I had any room left in my chest, it feels so full,” he smiled, the soft tug of his lips making his whole features brighten as he griped her hands.Tears brimmed at the corners of my lids, I shuddered and snuggled closer to Layla our arms linked as I sniffled. Needing the emotional and physical support she provided."You have given me everything that I need and want. I promise you that I will cherish and love you until my very last breath," Dimitri concluded his vows, an affectionate look in his eyes as he gazed at Camille who was already tearing up. The happiness radiating from them was unfathomably pure and heartfelt."That was beautiful." The officiant said, a soft smile on his face. "I now, announce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."The sight of the two of my friends declaring their love and special bond in front of so many people made my heart clench at th
Sofia."No, wait!" I squeaked out, breaking through their warm embrace in a haste. "I have something to tell you.""Right now?" Nikolai whined trying to pull me to him.Giving him a stern look, I crossed my arms over my chest for emphasis and stood still. The other two laughed as he looked sheepish, muttered a 'sorry, love' and surprisedly kept his hands to himself.My nerves glided as I looked around the empty hall, our room a few doors away. "Let's just..." taking the liberty of guiding them to our room, the click of door being locked broke my resolve. The need to just blurt it out and get it out of my system was suffocating me the longer I kept my lips sealed. "I don't know how to s-say this.""It's okay," Nial smiled, caressing my hand in soft strokes. Pressing a kiss to my knuckles, he reassured, "Take your time, darling. We're not going anywhere."Forcing out a harsh exhale, I looked down, then, up and met their different coloured eyes. The green comforting depths in Nadei's. The
Sofia."Yep, I'm definitely gonna be the cool uncle, cause you three can't, for oblivious reasons," Aurelio mocked, boasting himself in the process of roasting Renzo, Luca and Vale. "You're naming your kid after me, right, sorellina?"Holding back a gurgled laugh, I shook my head at him. "You know I'm not doing that.""Meh," he shrugged making me laugh, "Worth a shot."Bombarded with questions after the trio and I returned from the hospital. It was almost an hour since we came back from Delia's office, she was my mother's close friend and co- owned a private clinic with her husband that was also friends with my mom.It was almost ten in the morning now, Nikolai had rushed us to her office at eight AM and I for a moment believed that he didn't get a wink of sleep as he kept dozing off on the car ride, snuggled up to me. His excitement the night before, literally made him lose sleep."What's going on here?" The thick accented voice made the hyped up atmosphere in the dining room, deflate
Sofia.I could feel the boys turning white as the look of absolute rage took over his wrinkly face. The way that he clenched his jaw and squinted his eyes made me slightly cower into my seat, the look in his eyes almost looked like...his...Like.. Adrian's and I gulp, wishing that I haven't talked back as the old bastard yelled causing me to flinch back."WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!"Luca jumped out of his seat gripping the old hag by the shoulders as he hurried over to my side, in an attempt to attack me. And during the chaos of his rage fit, we don't hear the front door unlocking. "Let me teach her a fucking lesson! The whore!" He flailed his arms around wanting to get out of the strong grip that my brother has on him.Mama hurried to interrupt his hatefulness filled words but failed to make him stop. "Father, don't -""Shut up! You're the one that caused this in the first place. You wouldn't listen to me! And look what it got you. A whore of a daughter, marrying three men
Six years later..Sofia."Momma! Miss Ania gave me this! It's so fluffy!" Throwing his hands up, I break a smile at the sight of his big blue eyes gleaming as he shook a new stuffed toy. It was his birthday today and his friends and his preschool teacher wanted to throw him a little party at the park. It was a win win situation, whereas the kids got out of class to play and have some fun and I had my little boy distracted while I planned his party at home and I thankfully managed to finish everything up in time to pick him up."Look, look, loooook! Lydie gave me this," he blushed at the mention of the cute red head. She was Layla's daughter and Camille's four year old niece."Wow, those are amazing," I gushed matching his enthusiasm, "You know, you can open the rest of them at home. I'll help you. Now, stay with your friends while I go say hi to your teacher, okay?" I kissed his temple, brushing away his dirty blond curls "Okay!" He agreed, jumping up as skidded over to his classmat
Sofia.-Hope that this would give you the justice that you deserve, too.A.H-Ripping the yellow envelope, I pulled a flashdrive, a stack of pictures and a note. I read the messy cursive writing on the folded piece of paper a second time. Unsure of what to feel..I was... relieved but confused. I obviously still didn't know who the stranger was nor did I know how he knew anything this personal about me.However, it didn't matter, now.All what mattered was the slight feel of satisfaction that coursed through my heart. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little happy that they got what they deserved. Honestly, It was long overdue. Revenge felt good. Not great.And it had me questioning everything. The thought itself of Adrian's death, his dark eyes staring into nothingness as his equally dark, sick and twisted soul left his body was... satisfactory but it was still missing something.Closure was something that people took for granted, thinking that that they can just move on
Sofia.Flashback..."Here!" A hand grasped onto a lilly, holding it to my face, blocking my vision of the sweet brown haired boy as he looked at my reaction. "This is for you, Sof!"Awestruck, I blushed, shakily grabbing the beautiful flower. Giving him a blinding smile, my eyes glistened in the warm sun energizing my gloomy self. "It's so pretty. Thanks!""It's no biggie," his lips stretched into a full blown grin, giggling as I caught his warm eyes. I felt myself turn beet red, fidgeting with my hands as he uttered, shyly. "Pretty people deserve getting pretty things!""Y-you think.. that I'm p-pretty?" I stuttered, rocking on my heels, back and forth. Not used to the adorable and effortless way he complimented me in. And in the state that I was in, I couldn't believe that he really thought that I was anything close to being... pretty.The word seemed so foreign.Because I was no match to the flower he had compared me with."Mhm, really cute too.""T-thanks," I stammered, turning my
Nikolai.The sun had just started its lazy climb when I stepped outside, coffee mugs in hand and sleep still clinging to the corners of my mind.The estate grounds were soaked in golden light, the grass jeweled with dew like nature had cried a little last night but decided to make the best of it this morning. A breeze swept through the lemon trees, carrying that light citrusy scent Sofia always said reminded her of summers in Italy. The air felt warm but not heavy, peaceful but not silent—alive in a way that made my ribs loosen.It smelled like hope.And after everything we’d survived—everything we were still clawing our way through—I wasn’t going to waste that. Peace like this was rare in our world. You had to hold it tight, two hands and all heart.Across the lawn, I spotted her first.Sofia sat on a picnic blanket under the olive tree—her olive tree, the one she’d stubbornly refused to let the gardeners trim because “It has character, shut up.” Lorelai was perched between her legs,
Sofia.The house was quiet again. Not the warm hush of family sleep like before—this was different. Tense. Coiled.I closed the door to the master bedroom behind me with shaking fingers. They weren’t here. I’d kissed them all goodnight. Told them I loved them. And then I’d said what none of us had ever dared to say aloud.“I want to be with him tonight too. I want Arsen.”There’d been silence. Tight jaws. Clenched fists. But they’d nodded , nevertheless. Not because they wanted to, but because they respected it. Me. Him.And now I was in the hallway, heart thudding like a warning bell.His door was open.The room was barely lit—moonlight spilling across the bed where he sat, shirtless, head bowed, tattoos twisting over his arms and shoulders like shadows, his scars full on display. He didn’t look up. “Are you going to come in,” he said, voice low, “Or are you just staying and leaving a second after?”My throat tightened. I walked in.He still didn’t move.“I'm sorry I couldn't stay wi
Sofia.The house had settled into sleep. Deep, contented sleep—the kind that comes after too much food, too much laughter, and just enough wine to make your muscles hum. I’d tucked Lorelai in with Aurelio, kissed her goodnight, and left them curled up like something sacred. It made my chest ache in the best way.But now…Now I was tiptoeing back into the room I shared with my husbands.The lights were low, golden and soft like candlelight, spilling across skin and sheets. Nadei was sprawled on the bed like he’d been sculpted there—shirtless, his long legs tangled in the duvet, green eyes glinting as he scrolled through his phone. Nikolai stood at the mirror adjusting his watch strap, because even undressing was apparently a production with him. Nial was at the foot of the bed, all quiet storm in his black tee and sweatpants, sipping his herbal tea from a mug like he wasn’t watching me like prey.My mouth went dry.“Hi,” I said, breath catching a little.Nadei grinned, stretching like
Author’s POV.The house had quieted down into that soft, post-dinner lull—where even the shadows on the walls seemed to breathe slower. Distant murmurs echoed from the living room, where the others were watching some awful old mafia film Luca claimed was “a classic.” Someone was already asleep on the couch. Probably Renzo. He always passed out after too much pasta like some kind of carb-loaded bear who was getting ready to hibrenate.Aurelio wasn’t with them.He was in the hallway upstairs, sitting at the edge of his old bedroom—the one he hadn’t dared sleep in yet. Too many pieces of him still scattered like glass inside it. Too many ghosts watching from the corners.He stared at the room like it might bite him.The bed was made. The same comforter. Same shelves. Someone had even fixed the frame of the photo he’d apparently shattered during one of his more violent post-surgery episodes. A picture of the five of them—Sofia in the middle, arms folded, eyes rolling. Him grinning with an
Author's POV. The dining room buzzed with the strange, delicate noise of almost normal. Silverware clinked. Someone—probably Valentino—had already cracked a joke that made Sofia roll her eyes but smile anyway. The scent of roasted garlic and marinara filled the air like nostalgia on steroids. Aurelio sat at the long table—not at the head, but somewhere in the middle—flanked by people who were supposed to be his family. Despite their warmth, their laughter, the endless attempts to make him feel at home, he still felt like the odd man out. But he noticed things. Like how Nial grumbled at his overcooked chicken while quietly passing napkins like he was trying not to breathe too loud. Arsen sat at the far end, balancing Alexei on his lap, slicing soft bread one-handed while talking to Sofia, who had Jade snuggled against her side. They were so, in their element. In their nature. Then— “Uncle Liooo!” A high-pitched squeal cut through the hum of conversation. A tiny bolt of cur
Aurelio.The toy soldier hadn’t moved.It still sat like a goddamn sentinel on my nightstand. Plastic. Ugly. Important.I don’t know why I hadn’t thrown it out the window.Maybe because it felt like it belonged more than I did.Jade had curled up next to me earlier, warm and trusting like he didn’t know I was broken. And even after he left the room—pulled away by his father—I could still feel the ghost of his tiny arms around my waist. And that? That shook something loose inside me more than any punch ever could.-Later in the day.I was in another room, arms up against Nial as we circled each other. We were sparring. That was their fucked up version of making me remember, it wasn't conventional. Wasn't something in one's right mind would do but I was willing to try as long as it meant they wouldnt look at me in that empathetic way they all did. I was going to try to find me.Whoever that was.“Stop thinking.”Nial’s voice snapped like a whip. Cruel and unforgiving.He was circling
Aurelio.The name was just a sound. Letters. Noise.But the weight behind it? That wasn’t noise.That was pressure. Gravity. Like I’d been dropped into a life that expected me to perform, to remember, to be this person they were mourning like he was already dead.Aurelio Verticolli.Everyone in this room knew who he was.Except me.And the worst part?I felt like I was disappointing them just by existing.Sofia hadn’t let go of my hand. Her grip was gentle, but I could feel the tension in her fingertips—like she was holding onto hope with every fiber of her being, and the second she let go, she’d fall apart.That made my chest ache.Even if I couldn’t remember her.I studied her profile—soft lines drawn tight with exhaustion. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Weeks, maybe. Her eyes were red-rimmed but fierce. Protective. She was a fighter. I didn’t need memories to know that.Sofia Verticolli. My sister.“Why are you all still here?” I asked suddenly, voice rough, a little cra
Aurelio.The man on the other side of the glass had a smirk that felt like it belonged to someone I should know. Someone important. Someone close.But I didn’t know him.I didn’t know myself.I clenched my jaw, something burning in my chest—frustration, maybe. Anger. A gnawing sense of wrongness that had been there since I woke up.The name they kept calling me—Aurelio Verticolli—felt like a suit that didn’t fit. Too tight in some places, too loose in others.I should recognize it. I should recognize them.But when I searched my mind, it was just… nothing. blank.Like looking into a fogged-up mirror and knowing there was a reflection behind it, but never being able to see it clearly.The man at the window tilted his head, still watching me like he was waiting for something.“You ready to remember who the fuck you are?”The words scraped against something raw inside me.Was I?I didn’t answer.He smirked again, but there was something sharper behind it. “Don’t worry. We’ll remind you.”
Sofia.The world blurred around me.The sound of my own breath—ragged, sharp—was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality as I clutched Lorelai in my arms.Aurelio is waking up.Vale’s words echoed in my skull, but my body had already moved before my mind could process them. I was rushing to get to the door.The air rushed past me as I made it to the front door, barefoot, heart hammering, pulse wild. Luca grabbed my arm before I could get into the car, his grip strong but careful. “Sofia, relax—”“I need to see him,” I snapped, shaking him off.“We’re coming with you,” Nikolai said from behind me.There was no room for argument. I didn’t care about security, the logistics, the doctors, or the tests.I just needed to see my brother._At the hospital.The room smelled sterile. Like antiseptic, bleach, and something too clean to be comforting. It made my senses twitch at the overly powerful smell.I stood in the doorway, my pulse thundering in my ears, my hands clenched into fists