JimenaI sat at a table near the pool, braiding Naty’s hair. She was about to take her first horseback riding class, something she had been eager to try after hearing about Melody’s stories.Her request had come out of the blue, and I was against it at first. Of course, Alessio was on her side and managed to persuade me to let her go. He promised Melody had the best instructors, and Naty would be in safe hands.Truthfully, Naty deserved it—there was no question about it. She adjusted well in school and had quickly become one of the best in her class. Her teachers often praised her for her artistic talents and said she was a fast learner.Letting her go on a horse was the least I could do. As always, Alessio was busy with work but by now I was used to it.“Mommy?” Naty called for my attention, her tone sounding serious.“Yes, baby?” I replied, wondering what she could be asking me about."You like spending time with Alessio, but you never liked spending time with Daddy," she concluded.
JimenaWe ended up grabbing some fast food through the drive-thru, and were now parked in a spot near the woods, eating our food.It was more awkward than it had to be from both sides—and it was all because we had yet to discuss the situation."Did you bring me here so you could kill me and bury my body in case I say something terrible?" I joked, trying to ease into the conversation with a bit of humor."You got me," Alessio played along, taking a bit from his burger.We shared a laugh. He and I both shared the same humor that no one else seemed to understand.He put down his food and twisted his body to take a better look at me. His smile fainted, and had changed to a look of concern. “Now tell me what’s on your mind,” he said, and I realized it was now or never.He was not on his phone, he didn’t had to run to an appointment, there was no one else around us—the woods were quiet and he was entirely focused on me. If I was going to do this, I had to do this now.I drew in a breath. "W
Alessio“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you—at least for the first two?” I asked Uncle Stefano, watching him as he prepared for the day. He was planning go check out the new, still empty Fanucci warehouses. Originally, I was supposed to join him—but plans had changed.Melody and Naty had their art exhibition at school, something they had been talking about for a while. Naty and Mena asked me to be there, and I couldn’t let them down. Plus, it would take some burden off mom as well."I need you to be serious today, Gian. Be useful," I told my brother, who would be joining him instead. This was not like the usual small runs he was used to. Making sure the warehouses were in good state was important to our business.Gian scrunched his nose, looking at Uncle, “Is he my dad or brother?”I dismissed his words with a scoff. There was only a year between him and Dante, and then another year between me and him. Despite our close ages, I had always felt a sense of responsibility to
AlessioThe man gestured towards a young girl standing alone in front of a board, displaying her art. She looked lonely, and a sad smile was stuck on her face. There was no friend by her side, and everyone walked past her art."Sure, we’ll take a look," the words left my mouth before I could truly think about it. The situation just looked fucked up, and despite me being an asshole, I did have somewhat of a sympathy for unfairly treated children.I pulled Mena with me, and we made our way towards the girl’s display. Instantly, she grew a big toothy grin on her face.Mena knelt down to the girl’s level and shook her hand."What is your name?""Lily," the girl replied.Mena was quiet for a second, pushing a few strands of Lily’s hair behind her ear. “I like your dress, Lily,” she had her way of making people feel special. "What do you have to show us?" The girl quickly reacted to Mena’s question, giving her an explanation of her art while I stepped back and watched.I ‘just relaxed and
MenaAfter the art exhibition ended, Alessio suggested to buy the children some ice cream. Well, Melody forced him—and he agreed.Naty and Melody were over at the playground, eating their ice cream, while Alessio and I watched them from a bench nearby.Same as Naty, I was surprised that he had shown up. When it came to Naty, I was used to doing everything on my own, without any support and without expectations, because Anson had shown us not to have them.Naty really wanted him to come, and I initially wanted to tell her not to ask him, as I was scared of rejection, but also she might've felt like she had nothing to lose.Thank God he came, because the parents there were not my crowd. It also brought back a reminder of how different we were from each other—but until now, we had made it work.“We left at a good time,” Alessio broke the peaceful silence. “I couldn’t stand being around those children any longer.”I chuckled at his words. During the exhibition, the children all tried to g
AlessioRushing through the halls of the mansion, I made my way to Dad’s office. Once in a while I nodded at some of the guys hanging around, trying to remain as calmly as possible.During a meeting, Dad called me, his voice full of worry as he told me to come over right away. As I approached his office door, Dante turned the corner, heading in the same direction. We stopped, facing each other."He called you too?" Dante asked after a short while."Yeah?” I replied, surprised to see him there. Dad rarely bothered my brothers because he had made me his target for life."And Gian?" he asked, glancing around as if he would appear any second.I reached for the doorknob. "Don’t know—haven’t seen him all day. I thought he was with you.""Me neither. I thought he was with you," Dante spoke.With a push, I opened the door as we stepped inside together. We were instantly met with Dad who was pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin with his fingers as he did so.He stopped walking and our eye
Alessio"Just look around the place real quick, we have two more to go," I instructed, turning to the guys."Levi and Donni, you're with me. You two take the other side.”We walked inside, and the first thing I noticed were the flickering, dimmed lights. The warehouse had a smell of a musty scent, and the only noise was the sound of dripping water, probably from a leak.“Where were you guys yesterday?” I attempted to lead a conversation, trying to remain as casual as I could as we looked through the warehouse."I took a jet, flew this hot babe to a hotel," Donni boasted proudly. "At the beginning of the day, her mouth worked like a damn machine, at the end of the day—she couldn’t talk anymore."“Good for you,” I said, expecting nothing less from Donni. Women and work, that’s what his life was—and what my life used to be.From the corner of my eye, I caught Levi bending down to grab something from the floor. As he was about to put it in his jacket, I grabbed his arm to stop him. “What
Alessio“Ales,” Gian opened his eyes, trying to speak. His teeth chattered uncontrollably, and only a few murmurs slipped past his lips. He didn’t have a lot of energy, and whatever was left—he used to gasp for air."I’ll call for help," Jay yelled, sprinting away with Sal behind him.“I’ll call Domenico,” Levi said."Don’t tell him about…" My voice trailed off, thinking about Uncle Stefano. That was not something to tell him over the phone, and if anything—I should be the one to do it. Who knew how he would react?"I know," Levi nodded, then made his way outside. If it were up to me, I would’ve picked up my brother and driven him to the hospital myself, but I was no doctor and didn’t know how much more harm that could cause him.“Uncle…dead,” Gian managed to whisper, fighting through the pain. “He told me…hide…survive…I went…and then—“ his words were cut short by a fit of coughing followed by more shivers."Stop talking," I urged him, unable to bear seeing him like this any longer. T
IsaacIt was only afternoon when Isaac carried a large bucket of grapes back into the mansion. As he walked, he was surrounded by the giggles of the children running around him.Among them were two of the many children of Amaro Ortega, a ten-year-old and an eight-year-old girl. They reminded him so much of his own daughter.The older one, Milena, looked up at him with wide curious eyes. “Can I help you carry the grapes, Mr. Isaac?” she asked.Isaac glanced down at her with a kind smile. "Maybe next time, kid. You know your brother doesn’t like you working."“So what? He doesn’t like us talking to you either, but I still do it,” Milena retorted. Isaac chuckled softly as the kids ran off.He had been brought to the house of Amaro Ortega, Julian’s brother. Amaro was a lawyer, a good and quiet man who didn’t say much. When Isaac first arrived, he had prepared himself for the worst, expecting some form of punishment or at least harsh treatment for all the damage he had caused the Fanuccis.
MenaI smiled down at the baby in my arms, his tiny fingers curled around mine as I admired how perfect he was. His full head, his dark eyes, the little sounds he made.Naty sat on Alessio’s lap, her eyes warm and curious as she gazed at her new baby brother.“What do you think?” Alessio asked her. “Do you like him?”Naty giggled in response. “He’s really cute, and I already love him so much!”Alessio and I shared a smile. Over the past months, we had both worried about how Naty would adapt, but for now, she seemed to be doing just fine. The delivery had been smooth, just as smooth as the pregnancy. Alessio stayed by my side the entire time, and I hoped raising him would be just as easy.I was still at the hospital, and after some visits, it was finally just us—a moment of peace.Naty reached out and gently grabbed the baby's hand, giving it a little shake. "Hi, baby—it’s your big sister," she spoke softly, a pout on her lips.The baby cooed, and we all laughed softly. "Does he have a
Mena "Look, Mommy, it's pink!" Watching her excitement filled my heart with warmth. "Is it for me? Can I open it?" Naty asked eagerly. "Is this the thing that's better than the candy ring?" Flustered, I looked at Alessio as he took the box from her. "I will open it for you, and while I do that—there’s something I want to ask you," Alessio spoke tenderly. He took Naty's hand across the table, and she smiled at him. I relaxed in my chair, wondering what he was about to ask her. “I’m not good at speaking,” Alessio began, “But I want you to know that what I’m going to tell you comes from the bottom of my heart,” his voice was sincere. Naty nodded, giving him her full attention as her eyes turned wide. For a moment, the air filled with silence as Alessio paused, thinking about his words. "Naty,” Alessio said, nervously. “Having you and your mommy in my life is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love everything about you, I will always be there for you—and I will do
MenaI wrapped a scarf gently around Naty’s neck, making sure she was warm for the evening. She looked adorable in the dress I had chosen for her, for the dinner Alessio had planned.He hadn’t told me much, only that a driver would take us to the location. Whatever he told me, I just went with it—because I was too tired to investigate. I had already done that a lot lately.Naty showed me a wide grin.“What is it?” I asked, curious about the reason behind it."Nothing, I’m just really happy," her eyes sparkled.I immediately pulled her into my arms, caressing her hair with my fingers. She was really happy, that’s all I wanted to hear. After everything we had gone through, this was what she deserved. A joyful and carefree life.“Come on, let’s go,” I took her hand in mine.As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I noticed Liza in the foyer. Our eyes met and a smile spread across both our faces. It was the first time I had caught her alone since she handed me that letter. The letter that
AlessioI stepped into the room, letting the door slam shut behind me. Isaac, who sat on the bed, his back turned against me, turned instantly and our eyes met. His were full of regret, but mine were empty.He looked different, better indeed.His face was still bruised, his neck where the scissors had been, bandaged—but overall he looked good.I stuffed my hands into my pockets and leaned back against the door, watching him in silence. Would he be the one to speak up, act like we were just two old friends catching up—or perhaps offer an apology—or was he really smart enough this time to know he had to keep his mouth shut?Minutes stretched out, and neither of us broke the silence until he finally spoke."I know you still have a lot of questions," Isaac began. “And if you want to know more, I can explain—“I grunted. “There’s nothing more for you to explain, and I don’t have anything else to say to you,” I spoke coldly. "I’m here to give you instructions, and that’s it."Isaac nodded,
AlessioI sat in the chair in Julian’s office, waiting for the man to arrive. He had called me yesterday, told me Isaac was fully recovered, and now it was time to figure out what came next.Quite some time had passed, and I began getting impatient when the man decided to walk in at his own time, with two glasses in his hand. “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite fed lover,” he greeted me, handing me the drink before making his way over to his chair.A grin spread across his face, as if he was proud of his own joke. I scoffed, eyeing the drink in my hand.“The drink isn’t poisoned if that’s what you’re thinking,” Julian spoke.I released a chuckle, setting the glass down without taking a sip. “It’s not that,” I said. “I trusted you when I asked for your help, and I trusted you when I left Mena in your care—but now, I just want to discuss what needs to happen to Isaac.”“And that’s why you won’t drink?” “I don’t have time to drink,” I stated, my tone urgent.Julian’s expression changed, and
MenaI stared at my reflection in the mirror of the boutique, the dress hugging my flat belly. “Can you believe there’s a baby in there?” I caught Pilar’s gaze through the mirrors.It had been a few weeks since everything settled down. Life had returned to normal, or as normal as it could be for us. Domenico and Giulia had returned to Italy, and Alessio was back to his long hours leading the Fanuccis.“I’m sure it’ll grow,” Pilar smiled. “But have you already thought about what we’re going to do if you go into labor while I’m away on a gig?”I pouted, as did she. Pilar would soon be heading back home to continue her career, and I understood she had her own life to lead. As much as I wanted her to, she couldn’t stay here forever. The thought of not having her around had already started to make me feel lonely. She wasn’t just a friend, over time she had become like a sister.She was the one who always had the best advice, the one who made me laugh and forget the stress around me. Who wo
Alessio"Being a good leader means doing what you believe is right, even when it’s hard. You’re doing that. And that’s why you’ll be a great head of this family."I tried to focus and pay attention to Dad’s words, but it was difficult since I didn’t deserve them. After we’d arrived back at the mansion, I found myself in the study with Dad and my brothers to discuss today’s events.As far as he was concerned, Isaac had died. That’s what his little spy, Gian, had told him—and that’s what I would make him believe for the rest of his life.That didn’t mean I didn’t feel bad. I felt like shit. Lying to my family on such a scale was something I had never done before. I had always tried to prove myself and do whatever was necessary to keep this family together—but this time I failed.It was as simple as that. Letting Isaac live? I had no real explanation for why I did what I did. The only thing I knew was that Mena told me to listen to my heart, and it answered for me."I knew there was no r
MenaJulian walked over to his little bar and showed off his three special bottles. "What do you want to drink? Tell me.”I examined each bottle, picking it up to inspect it closer before letting out a deep sigh. I knew I couldn’t touch it, but looking would be alright. “I think I should probably take the one without alcohol.”He looked surprised. "You don’t drink?" Julian questioned."I do...just not now," I replied, setting the bottle back down gently.As Julian looked down at my stomach, I wondered if he knew what I meant. “Hmm,” he hummed, not going into it any further. He grabbed another bottle, waving it in the air.“I think this one is for you,” he poured me a drink. Then he led me to a sofa."You remind me of my niece," Julian started talking as soon as we sat down. He swirled the drink in his hand. "I haven’t seen her in a while, but she’s just like you."“What am I like then?"Julian smiled, "You’re soft, determined, and have these curious eyes—like you want to know everythi