Chapter 5 - And who... might you be?

V E L I N A

"And who..." he begins, taking a few slow steps toward me, closing the distance between us until I can see him clearly now, every detail of his face. He is drop-dead gorgeous... and being this close to him.. does something to my senses that I'm way too ashamed to admit. I notice how his jaw tenses as he stares down at me, the faint crease between his brows as he frowns at me... and the proximity between us... He is close enough that his scent now fills my nostrils, sending my heart racing and my head spinning as I try to focus on what's happening in front of me. He is an enemy; he is the man that has barged into my family home and threatened to kill us... just because he's the most handsome man I've ever seen doesn't mean I need to lose sight of that...

He continues to watch me, still having the gun pointed right at me. But that's when things change, and he instead lowers the gun and steps even closer to me, his face now inches apart from mine. I am too distracted as I look up at him to feel that he has placed the gun right beneath my chin. The warm metal hits my skin, forcing my head upward, forcing me to meet his gaze whether I want to or not...

"...might you be...?" He finally finishes off his sentence. I feel my breath catch for a moment as I force myself not to react. My heart is racing, my body still weak from the drug and smoke, yet I hold his gaze and gulp quietly, preparing myself to finally give him an answer...

"V-Velina..." I finally answer quietly, my tone soft and timid as I hold his gaze, and as soon as he hears my voice, I watch as his frown falters slightly as his eyes continue to scan me, as if he's trying to figure me out. The more his gaze scrutinises me, the more nervous I feel. Is he simply trying to figure out if I deserve to live, or will I simply be killed along with the rest of my family...?

"Last born daughter of Russello Merrano..." My voice sounds calmer than I expect, even to myself, and for a brief moment, I wonder how I am managing to stand here without shaking. Maybe I am too exhausted to react properly, maybe my mind has not caught up with the danger yet, or maybe I have reached a point where fear doesn't come as quickly anymore.

His eyes narrow slightly as he studies me, and I notice how carefully he looks at me, not just at my face, but at everything. My posture, my clothes, the bruises on my skin, the ash clinging to me, the faint trembling in my hands that I try to hide.

"Is that so?" he says quietly, his voice now lower, so long that I can almost feel it rumbling in the air.

"I didn't know you had another daughter, Russello..." he continues, still standing in front of me as he glances toward my father.

My father shifts slightly where he kneels, and I see the tension in his shoulders. He doesn't respond immediately, and that alone tells me how uneasy he feels right now...

"This one clearly has more guts than all your other children combined," Luciano says before he slowly turns back to face me.

The words settle across the room, and I feel everyone's attention shift again. My brothers remain silent, their expressions tense. Kyla clutches my mother's arm tighter, her eyes fixed on me as if she is trying to understand what is happening. My mother looks equally confused, her expression wavering between worry and uncertainty.

I swallow quietly before speaking again, focusing my gaze on Luciano. "Please... whatever my father did, I'm sure it can be corrected... please... don't kill him..." I say, the words leaving my mouth before I can think them through. I am not even sure why I say them. Maybe habit, maybe instinct, maybe I am still trying to protect them even after everything that just happened.

Luciano lowers his gun slowly, his eyes never leaving my face. The silence is loud, and for a moment I think he might respond immediately, yet he says nothing. Instead, his hand lifts, reaching toward me. I brace myself for what he is about to do to me, expecting roughness, expecting pain, yet when his fingers settle against my jaw, his touch is careful. His grip is firm, but not harsh, and he turns my head slightly, examining my face.

I remain still as he studies the bruises on my cheeks, the cut on my lip, the ash and dust clinging to my skin, and I suddenly become aware of how close he is... His fingers shift slightly as he tilts my head the other way, examining me in silence, and I feel my skin shudder against his touch, a quiet breath leaving my lips as I allow him to continue analysing me.

"You are injured." He finally concludes, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful, and I blink in slight surprise.

"Tell me what happened to you." He then orders before he releases my face, and as soon as his hand drops, I feel the tension return. My chest tightens as I realise what he is asking.

"It's nothing..." I say quietly, glancing briefly toward my family, aware of the consequences if I speak honestly.

At that moment, my lungs burn again, forcing me to cough lightly as I try to control my breathing. The smoke still lingers in my chest, and I press my lips together as I try to regain control. But I fear that it may already be too late. Luciano definitely knows something is wrong now.

"I don't like repeating myself, Velina," he then says to me, his expression intensifying as he stares down at me.

His voice remains calm, yet the warning is clear, and I swallow slowly, looking up at him again, unsure how to respond.

"She's an insolent girl, Luciano. She tried to kill her own sister..." My father's voice cuts in suddenly, and my heart begins racing instantly. I glance toward Luciano, trying to read his reaction, trying to understand if he believes him, and mentally preparing myself for what he might do to me if he does.

"Is that so..." Luciano replies quietly. He does not even glance at my father immediately. Instead, his gaze remains on me, and I feel the tension in my chest ease slightly.

"This insolent girl... was willing to take a bullet for all of you..." He then says, before he finally turns toward my father, narrowing his eyes slightly, and the silence forms again, heavier than before.

I watch my father's expression shift, uncertainty flashing across his face, and for the first time tonight, I realise Luciano has already made his own judgement.

Luciano exhales slowly before speaking again.

"I will take the girl." He suddenly says, and the words land abruptly, making me freeze as I stare back at him in disbelief. My mind struggles to process what he just said, and I stare at him, unsure if I heard correctly.

"W-what...?" I let out quietly, and he stares down at me, not paying any mind to my reaction before he steps away from me and walks towards my family instead.

"I am taking her with me." He repeats more clearly for them, and they all look at each other with confusion.

"You can't!!" My mother's voice rises suddenly, and I turn toward her in surprise. Just minutes ago she wanted me gone, yet now she steps forward, panic clear in her expression.

"Silence, woman," my father orders quickly, yet she does not stop and instead turns to face him, a desperate look appearing on her face.

"Please... please, she's my daughter!" she cries, her voice breaking, but there's something about her outburst... it feels melodramatic, and way too forced. She has never once cared for my well-being, and now, she behaves as if me potentially being taken away is shattering her entire world?

I feel tears burn in my eyes as I watch her. I do not know whether to believe her concern or question it. Everything tonight has shifted too quickly, too fast for me to even process properly.

Luciano turns toward her slowly, raising a single eyebrow as he studies her.

"From the looks of it, you don't seem to be treating your daughter very well. When my men and I arrived, she was already on the floor, with bruises all over her, covered in dust. She even smells like smoke." Luciano explains, gesturing toward me as he speaks, and I stand there quietly, unsure how to react.

"I didn't know you Merranos treated your children like animals." He carries on, not showing an ounce of sympathy for my mother.

The words hang in the air, and my father glances toward my mother, then toward my brothers, and finally toward me.

I watch my father closely, waiting for him to argue, to defend himself, yet he remains quiet. His expression tightens slightly as he considers everything.

Then he exhales slowly, and finally, he speaks up.

"Take her." He says, and as the words leave his mouth, I feel my chest tighten instantly, my heart now thundering in my chest.

"And 15 million as well..." He adds on calmly, making the entire room grow even colder than it felt before.

I stare at him, my mind struggling to process what he just said.

Is... my own father re's really about to sell me off...