OCTAVIA'S POV I was woken by the ping of my phone somewhere beside me. It was already morning, but it was still dark outside. I checked the digital clock on my nightstand; the time was six o'clock. I reached out blindly around me for my phone; I opened it and squinted at the screen. It was a message from Zion.Good morning, Octavia. Hope you slept well.I couldn’t help but smile; he is probably about to go on his daily fun Morning, Zion. I did.As an afterthought, I added, "I am guessing you did too."The reply came almost immediately."I always do," he replied with a smile emoji. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling, feeling my heart tighten as I tried not to remember those times when we used to wake up together and take our usual morning runs around the block. I haven't told Bree or Rose that I have been talking to Zion, but we haven't even been talking that much yet; what's there to tell anyway?"I'm just checking in to make sure you’re okay. Have a great day, Octavia."
OCTAVIA Bree gasped, clutching her chest like she was genuinely offended. “What’s wrong with it? Everything! You’re about to meet the cutthroat people in the Mafia, and you’re dressed like you’re going to a grocery store!”“Ohh, I thought this was fine,” I muttered, feeling a bit self-conscious.“No, no, no,” she said, shaking her head as she grabbed my hand. “Come on. We’re fixing this. Right now.”Before I could protest, she got in front of me and grabbed my hand again.“But Bree, is it really necessary?” I tried to argue as she pulled me down the hallway that leads to the rooms.“Trust me, it’s very necessary,” she insisted, practically yanking me toward her room.When we finally reached her door, she flung it open. This is my first time entering her room, and as I stepped inside, I immediately noticed how different her room is from mine. The layout is very similar, but where my room has a minimalistic and neutral decor, Bree’s room is an explosion of color and her personality. So
OCTAVIA'S POV I just finished dropping my coffee mug inside the dishwasher when I heard someone walk into the kitchen. I turned back to see Aaron walking casually into the kitchen. My eyes widened slightly at the sight of him. He was dressed in a crisp black suit; his broad shoulders filled it out even more perfectly than a mannequin would, and he completed the look with black shades. Even though I have seen him in suits before, something about him today was different. He looked more polished, intimidating, and, as much as I don't want to admit it, exceptionally handsome. “Are you ready?” he asked in his usual low, calm tone. I made to clean my hands over my pants before I remembered that it is leather, and I let it hang awkwardly on my side and gave him a small nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” “Good,” he said. “It’s time to go.” Without another word, he turned and headed for the door. I followed him outside, my heart pounding a little faster with each step. The sight that greet
OCTAVIA'S POVEvery person we passed as we walked by stopped what they were doing and nodded their heads in respect to my father. Lionel walked ahead with his usual commanding presence, and I followed closely; Aaron walked silently to my left like an unshakable shadow, while Mikel trailed slightly behind. It was hard not to notice the curious, borderline scrutinizing stares of everyone. They weren’t even trying to be subtle. I told myself it wasn’t personal and held my head high, not betraying my nervousness. I'm just an unfamiliar face in a world where everyone is practically like family. But still the whole attention made my skin prickle, and this is just the start; I almost laughed to myself. The man leading us, he is a huge man, and he had a complicated tattoo that covered his arms and part of his jaw. He was the one that welcomed us, and he seemed to be the head of the warehouse. His eyes kept darting to me, and I'm not sure if it is just in curiosity. Either way, it made me wa
OCTAVIA'S POV My eyes met Aaron's from across the room, and the buzz, the murmurs, and the quiet conversation—all of it faded to the background. He was leaning casually against the back wall, arms crossed over his broad chest, his face, as usual, was unreadable and stoic, as though nothing in the room interested him. But then, his mouth quirked ever so slightly into the faintest hint of a smile. I blinked, taken aback by the subtle change in his expression. Something flickered in his eyes, something very similar to...pride? Approval? Whatever it was, it made my heart race. For a moment, it feels as if the weight of the day has lifted; I don't feel the stares of the people looking at me; I feel at ease. I held his gaze, the corners of my lips tugging upward instinctively. The room and everyone in it blurred into insignificance, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the world. Wait! What was that?I broke the eye contact, looking around the room to make
OCTAVIA'S POVMy body moved swiftly with a practiced ease that I still find fascinating as I kept punching the bag, my fists almost in sync with the beat of the music blasting in my ear, I didn't hear the sound of anyone come in but I saw the door of the gym open through the side of my eye making me still for a brief second. My breath came out in soft pants and I looked at the entrance to see Aaron coming in still in his outfit from earlier. He walked inside and leaned causally again the wall opposite me, his stoic expression still intact as he watched my watch him, he raised a questioning eyebrow at me when I didn't do anything. I felt a bit self conscious under his steady gaze, but I ignored him and turned back to the bag and threw another punch, trying to shake the. But the weight of his presence and his silence was unnerving, and I found myself slowing down. "Are you done?" He asked flatly, his voice breaking the silence. I stopped mid punch and lowered my fists. My knuckles
OCTAVIA'S POV The first thing I remembered when I woke up was Zion's text from yesterday; I had completely forgotten to reply to his message after I got home. The sunlight streamed through the curtain, and I checked the clock on the wall, and it was already past nine am. I didn't know I still slept in till this late; it's been a while. I blinked and sat up, rubbing the drowsiness from my eyes, and groaned as I stretched out across the bed. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, and I opened my messenger app and saw the text. I started typing a reply, "Good morning, Zion. I'm sorry I didn't," I deleted the whole thing and decided to give him a call instead. I took a deep breath, dialed his number, and pressed the phone to my ear. The dialed twice before he picked up “Octavia?” Zion’s familiar deep voice came through, and my heart squeezed slightly; hearing his voice stirred up a mix of emotions. We have spoken properly since… well, since things fell apart between us. "Hi," I
OCTAVIA'S POV Bree popped out of nowhere, startling me as Aaron and I stepped out of Lionel’s office; she had clearly been eavesdropping, and now she is practically bouncing on her toes with excitement. "Was that really Dimitri, like the main Dimitri, leader of the Russian mob?!" She gushed. I almost laughed at her facial expression and her enthusiasm. "Yeah," I said. "You know him?" Her look turned dreamy, "Well, not personally, but that can be rectified, she sighed. "Dimitri is the youngest vor v zakone there has ever been and the most dangerous too. He took power from his uncle when he was just twenty years old, and he is feared by everyone in Russia." Bree continued as we all made our way to the living room."I have only seen him in pictures; he is the most handsome man ever," she shot Aaron a look. No offense to you, Aaron, but we are talking about Dimitri here." Aaron just looked bored. "I wonder if he wants to get married anytime soon," she continued dreamily, and I burst
I waited for Bree to leave for the States before I started packing up my things for the flight the following day. Talking to my dad had helped with the panic attacks and I was able to sleep in my room, but still with the medications. Bree looked gorgeous in her gown. ‘’I’ll visit you in the US as soon as I can,’’ I said to her, hugging her tightly. Vincent had sent a private jet to pick her up, and she was going to be on the flight alone. ‘’Be a good girl, huh?’’She sniffed. ‘’I’ll try my best.’’ she dipped her hand into her pocket and brought out her yin yang necklace. ‘’I still have mine,’’ she said, smiling. ‘’I’ll put it on whenever i miss you.’’I searched my entire room that day for mine and eventually found itt. I held it delicately, smiling at it. ‘’I miss you already, Bree.’’There was a gentle tap on my door and it creaked open. ‘’Heyy.’’ It was Rory.‘’Hey,’’ I said, looking up at her from my task briefly. She stepped in. i hadn't seen her since that day i ha
‘’Lionel Cyro da Vinci,’’ I repeated the name, smiling. Although it left a taste of sadness on my tongue. For the first time in the two years I had been home, I wondered what became of him. Waas he really dead? Or was he somewhere else, just as I was?‘’You were Helene,’’ she said to me, rocking the baby gently.I leaned on the cot. ‘’Helene? Let me guess. That was the name of my mum.’’‘’Close enough,’’ she said. ‘’Helene was the name of your mum’s sister. Her name was Dorothy. We all called her Doris.’’I walked away from the bed and took a seat beside her. ‘’Do you think my brother might still be alive?’’ I asked.She sighed then shook her head slowly, swaying her thick crop of gray hair. ‘’Lionel would have found him if he’s still alive.’’‘’But is he looking at all?’’ I asked.‘’I don’t know, Octavia. He wasn’t looking when he found you. Inmean, he buried the burnt bodies of two babies that he supposed were you and Cyrius.’’I leaned forward. ‘’That’s my point, aunt.
Elena found out I was sleeping in Bree’s room a few days later. She came into Bree’s room one morning when I was still knocked out from the pill and found me sleeping in her bed.‘’Why’s Octavia in your room?’’ she asked. She had come to spend some time with Bree as she was leaving very soon.She shrugged. ‘’She likes my bed?’’She didn't believe the story because she was in the room the following morning, and Bree said the same thing. I was awake and just sitting on the bed, feeling down and upset.‘’Good morning, aunt Elena,’’ I said. She had a tray of different arrays of fruits that she had been feeding Bree with every morning. She said it would make her conceive easily and have a healthy baby.‘’Are you okay, Octavia? You look pale,’’ she said to me.I looked at her, my eyes heavy. The tablets were putting me to sleep, but I'd always wake up tired. I was feeling a bit more depressed daily.‘’Yes, aunty. I’m fine,’’ I said, looking at the tray of fruits in her hands. I
I turned around to the sound of his voice. ‘’Did I wake you up?’’ I asked, walking away from the mirror.He squinted his eyes and groaned. ‘’Where are you all dressed up to?’’‘’I have a very important meeting in town, babe. It was so sudden,’’ I said, walking over to him and kissing his cheeks. ‘’Good morning.’’He creased his brows. ‘’I can’t let you out just yet, Rory. You were attacked just last week and you aren’t fit to be going out yet.’’I laughed gently. ‘’I know you are bothered about me, and I love it so much. But you seem to be forgetting who you are, baby. You are Lionel da VInci.’’ I walked over to the mirror to brush my hair. ‘’No one can mess with you.’’He shook his head. ‘’I’ve been proven wrong one too many times,’’ he said.‘’Well, I am Rory Morano. No one can mess with me,’’ I said, chuckling dryly.He sat up. ‘’What is this urgent meeting about?’’I patted my lips against each other gently. ‘’My cousin,’’ I said. ‘’I have a meeting with the security chie
‘’You are a cat.’’ I laughed as I walked into the room with a tray of food. He leaned up to receive the food.‘’A cat with nine lives,’’ I continued.He winced and quickly masked it with a smile. ‘’It wasn’t really a good shot.’’Aaron had had a hernia when he was a teenager, and the surgeon had left a mesh frame when he did the repair. It was that framework that had trapped the bullet that had been fired at him, stopping it from hitting his liver. The doctor said it was one of the wonders of the world.‘’What life number are you on now?’’ I asked.‘’Should be three,’’ he said.The room became silent suddenly as our minds drifted to the event of that day. I had the opportunity of putting the lives of two of my enemies that day but I had hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I was not going to regret it eventually. Another concern was the man I had seen.‘’I saw the man behind the door, Aaron,’’ I said, looking at him. His brows were furrowed. I had a feeling he knew what I was about
‘’I will never let what happened to repeat itself again,’’ i saqid, grubting as the pain hit my bones. He was bent over me, and i saw the look of confusion on his face.‘’Let what happen?’’ he asked.‘’For another Giovanni to be taken by a da Vinci,’ i said, my breath hitching.He tied a warp of cloth over my arms. ‘’The doctor is on the way,’’ he said.—-I had heard their arguments everry night when the doors were shut and the lights were turned off. Each day, as i rrolled on my bed wide awake, i heard them. The arguments got more heated, but the subject never changed. ‘’I love Elena, John. that’s someting you can never understand,’’ Antonio said.‘’She is a da Vinci,’’ my dad would yell and the arguments woould go on.Antonio had fallen in love with Elena while he was working as a spy. My father tried to let him see that such a union could nver work. Theyy would recognise that he was affiliated with us and they would dhave his head. But it was never easy to advise people
I had received a call from Nile that he had found my phone and wallet. When he said ‘found’, I knew he meant he was ready to return it. I was willing to let him keep the phone and wallet, but I needed some cards in my wallet and some files on my phone. So despite not wanting to see him again, I decided to return to the house.The first clue I got that something was wrong was the gate was not manned by any armed person. Nile never left the gate unmanned. I thought it was weird. So, I called him. His phone rang, but he didn’t pick it up. I became concerned. I hurried in, hoping nothing had happened.Then i saw the man lying on his pool of blood. My heart raced. There had been an attack. I searched for my phone, attempting to call the police when I heard a gunshot. I stood still. The gun shot had come from within the house. Whoever had come to attack my brother was still there.I wasn’t sure who to call for help. Calling the police was going to bring light to a lot of our affair
The third bullet hit the floor just a few inches beside him and he yelped out in pain. Aaron walked up to me and looked at me, asking me if he should finish the job.‘’Drag him downstairs,’’ I said to Aaron. Slow down the bleeding, and tie him to a pole. No clothes on.’’He nodded and gave instructions to the men. I enjoyed the show for only a few minutes before I decided it was time to leave. Even though I had a raging anger in my heart, I couldn't bring myself to kill him. But the humiliation was enough. He would leave the rest of his forsaken life in misery.I knew Aaron was concerned that I had let him live. ‘’Boss,’’ he said to me as we approached our car. ‘’We can’t let him leave. That is not the mode of operation of da Vinci.’’‘’It isn’t him we have to kill. It’s Nile,’’ I said.‘’But he gave the order too. Leaving him is a sign of weakness. Da Vinci does not forgive,’’ he said, anger creeping into his tone.In the last two years, my name had grown to become a sens
I put off the phone and hid it in one of the drawers. Axel was trying to kill me? It was unbelievable. I had spared him even though he deserved nothing from me, yet he wanted me dead. By an assassin.Even though I tried to justify my own attempt on Rory’s life, I could not anymore. I wanted Rory gone and seeing someone wanted me gone too was a blow that I hadn't expected. I had not been to Eleganz clubhouse since i left. It was a place that brought much trauma to me, but i knew it was the only place i could find Axel. i was going to personally pull a bullet through his brain. I took Aaron along with me, and three other armed men. I knew things were going to get pretty messy.Whenever he was at the clubhouse, he was always at the VIP section, either at a game or in a room with the girls. I knew he was at the clubhouse because I could see his truck and those of his entourage parked outside.‘’VIP section,’’ I said to no one in particular as I led the way.It was afternoon