Antonio Dante's pov,Lisa and I stood, hovering over the papers that lay before us. We didn't know what to say to each other.We were just silent. Deep in thoughts.There was a knock on the door. Lisa moved to answer it before I could. The maid came into the room. She bowed her head as a sign of greeting and respect.“There is a box delivered to you. It is downstairs sir,” she informed. I looked at Lisa. Lisa looked at me.“Okay,” Lisa acknowledged.“We are coming.”A further bow and the maid was gone. “I didn't order anything, “I stated.“You might as well go and check. It could be anything of help.”I obliged. I went downstairs and the package was already on the table in the dining area.“Grab a scissors Lisa.” Lisa exited and came out with scissors shortly. I took it and ripped the box open. I was not sure how to prepare for the sight that met me. Two pairs of eyes stared back at me in horror.“Help my ass!” I hissed angrily. Lisa peeped.“Fucking hell,” she muttered. She kept
Antonio Dante's pov,“Okay I'm listening.”I walked around the empty dark room with the moon only as a source of light. The once dark windows were illuminated with bright lights. Almost as if the moon was too close.The moon.Stella’s face flashed in front of me and flew out as quickly as it came. I shook my head.Lisa looked at me inquisitively, waiting for me to deliver the truth to her. I tried to remember my footing and continue from there. I took a peek at the window and slowly came back to position.“The Rocks has enough resources to raise the weakest army in the Mafia ranks to the top.”“That's how powerful he is,” I spoke. I hated the fact that I was saying this. But it was the truth. To deal with events such as these, one must make do with reality.“So what do you say,” Lisa asked. She moved closer to me. I could feel her heated gaze on my cheeks, eyes, lips…“We should go.”“After all, what harm might there be if they don't try to kill us,” I chuckled. “Okay, you're posit
Antonio Dante's pov,His hair was ragged and highly unkempt. He had slices through his skin and several cuts on his face.“Did my men treat you well?”No answer. I lifted my eyebrows at him. Lisa and I walked over to him. He tried to move back with his chair in fear and it almost toppled over but my foot landed on one of the legs and I pulled it back up. He was once a handsome man. With a bright face that spoke of the country he came from. But now, his eyes revealed nothing but fear. No guilt.Just fear.And even though he tried so hard to hide it, he couldn't. It was written all over his face.Like an ink on a paper.“Let me go,” he commanded. I heard Lisa audibly gasp and I threw my head back in laughter. “The guts you have there to command me. You haven't changed Rahul.”His blood ran cold when I mentioned his real name.“Rahul?”I heard Lisa say. His attention turned to her. His chest rose up and down. Lisa turned to me and immediately understood.“It's so nice to change your
Antoinio Dante's pov,“Please,” she whimpered, managing to remove her hands from the guards and falling on her knees.“Please,” she rubbed her palms together at me. Tears flowed from her eyes. Her voice was laced with sorrow and high anxiety. I saw Lisa roll her eyes.“I will advise you to tell your husband to speak up.”The Korean woman looked from me to Lisa and then to her husband. “Rahul, dangsin-i aneun geos-eul geudeul-ege malhaejuseyo. Nan dangsin-i jugneun geol wonhaji anh-ayo! (Rahul tell them what you know, I don't want you to die!)”She yelled.“English please,“ I snapped my fingers continuously at them.“My acquaintance here,” I pointed to Lisa"Doesn't understand."“Rahul, jebal,” she continued, bowing even further. Totally ignoring me!My head fell back in annoyance.“I said English!” I shot the gun at the ceiling. The trajectory caused the guards to flinch slightly. The echoes rolled through the halls before exiting loudly.“Hey,” I directed the gun at the woman. She fe
Stella Romilly's pov,PastA story told once is a story of truth.I exited the dining hall and ran after Hannah.“Hannah,” I called as I searched through the walls. I needed to talk to her. I needed to understand what was happening. Cause I had no idea what was transpiring. I had no idea Hannah and I could be siblings.I had no idea my father had gone into the arms of another. I wanted answers. But Hannah was already upset. “Hannah,” my voice went up an octave. “Leave me alone!” I heard her distant voice from a far corner of the hall I was in. I wandered around to that place.“Hannah where are you?” I called. No answer.“Where are you?” I pleaded.“Leave me alone,” her voice was closer. I nagivated through the panes of wood and books arranged in shelves. I passed by the teacher's desk and a random room with only a table and a chair. Hannah was there. Curled up and crying. Her nose had turned all red.“What are you crying for?” I asked, genuinely confused. Her cries progressed
Stella Romilly's pov,Past “That's maltreatment!” Hannah exclaimed.“What's that?” That was a very big word.“Mama told me it's something bad someone does to you.”I nodded. “Oh, I forgot,” I gasped slightly. I lifted my weight off the ground and stood up straight. I tried to reach my zip at my back. Thankfully I did. And it slid faster than I expected. Maybe because I had nothing underneath to interrupt its slide. The scar.“Look,” I pointed to the place with a long mark on it. There was no need to see it to confirm it. I could feel its embedment into my pale skin. It was imprinted into my skin like a tattoo. “What is that?” Hannah gasped, running her hands silently over my scar. “My dad used a cane on me and struck my back so hard. It was painful.”“It looks very painful Stella," Hannah agreed sympathetically. And then she was angry..“Why did he do this to you?”“He told me it was my punishment for disobeying him,” I told her again. “How can someone do something this bad?”
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,Antonio Dante's pov, It had been a week since I was told that my father was in the Mafia. I had remained in my room all week even after my mother convinced me to accept my life and my fate. I refused to accept it. But deep down I knew it wasn't a choice. It was an update to the pieces of information delivered to me all my life and all I had to do was to suck it up like I did with the others. I had acquired a better understanding on my own in my room. Why my father had insisted on training lessons. Why we had to exercise… Why there were guards everywhere? It finally made sense. Mafia people do stuff like that. I couldn't believe there were multiples of them. The world was a dangerous place to live. Lisa hadn't come to visit since and I was starting to worry about her. I had texted her and she had barely replied. There was a knock on my door and I opened it to a guard who bowed in front of me. “Your father wants to meet you,” he delivered. “Tell him I'm coming.”
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,Antonio Dante's pov,"We have adoption," I repeated my statement like I had won a jackpot. “We can adopt an already grown kid. We can-”“Stop Antonio!” My father suddenly yelled and I flinched at his voice. “If we had the opportunity to adopt, immediately you said you didn't want to be a part of this, we would have had adoption papers running!”My heart sank. Not because my light was dulled and my hope crushed but because he had made me feel like an option. Someone who could be tossed away if I was not of any importance to him. He was breathing hard. But my heart was beating in my ears. My mother had gone to comfort him. Instead of me.It was a business deal. Right from the start. “You are the one and only legitimate heir to this business. If you don't inherit. Our business is gone just like that,” he snapped. My head was bowed in thoughts, oblivious of my surroundings. “We need you. All our ancestors' hard work and money was put into this. We can't let it go t