Happiness… easily appears, same as when it disappears. “Are you ready, piccolina?” Marcella enters Mariella’s room to check on her.“Am I pretty with this dress mamma?” Mariella is giggling while playing with the blue gown she is wearing. She’s like a princess in a Disney movie.“You’re always pretty whatever you wear, piccolina.” Marcella sweetly smiles at Mariella while caressing her cheek. “Really, mamma? You're not lying?” Mariella asks while looking at her mother in the reflection of the mirror in front of them.“Mamma isn’t lying, piccolina.” Marcella’s heart slightly breaks because Mariella seems to start doubting everything she is saying. “Mamma?” “Yes, piccolina?” “Don’t leave me, hm?” She presses her lips into a thin line. “Mamma won’t leave you until you can stand on your own. I promise.” Marcella gently makes Mariella turn to face her. “Please, piccolina. Don’t doubt me, it really breaks my heart.”“Breaks your heart?” Mariella asks with widened eyes. “Hm…”“Oh… don’
“Does it hurt?” Her eyes become watery. She can’t watch someone in pain because of her clumsiness.“N-No.” The boy looks away, and doesn’twant to see her cry because she really is about to tear up at any moment.“Let’s go. Let me clean your wound.” She gently holds his hand and is about to pull him inside the villa but he stops and withdraws his hand covered with dust.“I c-can…” He clears his throat. “I can handle myself. Just lead the way.”"If that's what you want." She said in a small voice, embarrassed by what happened.Mariella walks first and the boy follows him, silently handling the pain in his arm."I'll just get the first aid kid. You sit there." She points to the sofa near them. The boy watches her run towards somewhere.He looks around, only the large photo of Mariella is hanging on the wall across from him. No family photos. The boy unconsciously smirks when he sees the yellow balloon tied up on the corner. Like what she said, it's not floating anymore. While waiting fo
“Do you wanna die?”“Papà!” “Elmo!” Tears fall on Mariella’s eyes when she sees hope. Hope that there is someone to protect her.“Papà, what are you doing?” He walks toward his father, Eduardo Giordano, Enrico’s first cousin. “Pointing your gun at Mariella? Really? You’re scaring her!”“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me, Elmo.”“I’m sorry, papà.” He lowers his voice. “Please papà… put the gun first.”“She’s supposed to be dead.”“Papà!”“Leave, Elmo. I’ll deal with this.”“But papà… someone might see you.” Elmo doesn’t know what to do. He can’t just let Mariella die on his father’s hand.“I said leave!” Elmo is horrified when Eduardo yells at him. Elmo steps back, looking at Mariella and his father back and forth.“Elmo…” Mariella is afraid to be alone with her uncle who wants to kill her.“Señor,” Leo joins the picture as soon as he finds them. “Señorito Marchetti,” Eduardo is surprised to see the heir of Marchettis. He immediately hides the gun at his back and simply looks at
More practice and you’ll master it.Mariella can’t take off the words Leo uttered last time in her mind. She becomes interested in playing violin because of his influence. He’s really good at it though, and it inspires her to do what she thinks she can’t and doesn’t like before.“Piccolina,” Marcella catches her attention. “You’re going to attend school next school year.”“School, mamma?” Her eyes shine when she hears about school. “So… I will meet a lot of kids? We will play, learn how to read and write, and do a lot of things? Right, mamma?”“Yes, piccolina.”“Yay! I want to go to school.”“You will, piccolina. You will. Now… finish your food.”“Okay!” She puts a spoon of food inside her mouth, and slowly swallows it. “By the way, mamma—”“Piccolina, what did I tell you?” Marcella wants to remind her daughter of something. “Don’t talk when your mouth is full.”“Oops.” She covers her mouth with her little hand and quickly swallows before continuing what she is supposed to say. “Can y
CHAPTER 10She smiles like crazy."Are you that excited to go to school, piccolina?" Marcella notices her daughter's bright morning. "It's just your enrollment day. The classes will start next month.""I'm just happy to go, mamma." She responds though the truth is… she can't move on from the magical moment last night."Finish your food, piccolina." Marcella wipes the dirt beside Mariella's lips."Yes, mamma.""I'll just check on your sister." She puts the spoon and fork neatly on her empty plate before standing. "I expect that you're ready to go when I come back.""Yes, mamma."Marcella kisses the top of her head and leaves the small villa. "Is this school, mamma?" Mariella asks while looking at the colorful buildings."Yes, piccolina. Let's go." Marcella holds her daughter while entering the school premises.The teachers like Mariella very much. She's a smart, kind, adorable, and bright kid. Even though they only accept kids, six years of age, she becomes an exception."Thank you."
August 11, 20238 P.M.Never in her entire life did she miss a shot.Marcella’s aiming for her target that is approaching. Leonardo Marchetti, ten years of age, is her target according to the order from higher-up. Regardless of age, gender, and status in society, Marcella doesn’t mind. She’s a sharp-shooter and the most famous in the organization she belongs to.She is about to shoot the boy in the chest when gets distracted by a familiar voice. Marcella accidentally pulls the trigger and shoots the boy in the shoulder.“Ahh!”“Leo!” They hear another gunshot that almost hit Mariella. Marcella immediately roams her sight and notices someone hiding from afar. She points her gun at him and shoots the guy in the hand. The guy shouts in pain before escaping. Marcella gives her daughter a quick glance before taking her exit.‘How come you’re here, piccolina? Damn it!’Leo cries in pain while Mariella’s eyes are bloodshot and cannot think straight. It’s her first time seeing someone bein
"Señor… an accident." One of the guards is in a hurry to report. "The Giordanos.""Call for a rescue immediately!"Ambulance arrives at the scene and gets Enrico's half conscious body. He's groaning in pain while searching for Mariella using his blurry sight."M-Mariella… my daughter." He mumbles while the surrounding spins in his perspective. Another stretcher is being taken to the van. It's Mariella… covered with blood and wounds."Señor… Señor… do you hear me?" The medical assistant asks while waving his hands but Enrico cannot respond anymore. Everything went black.+++"Fratello…" Lean checks on his older brother while the others are outside for some reason. "Does it hurt, fratello?""Fratellino…" He says in a tired voice. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your bed sleeping.""Does it hurt?" Little Lean asks while staring at the bandage where blood is marking. Leo's bleeding."N-No…" He utters contrary to what he really feels. "Go back to your room.""I'm not s
"... Do you hear me?"Leo is in complete silence waiting for Mariella to respond but she is still in deep sleep."Mariella," he holds her warm little hand. "Please… wake up." He lightly shakes her hand.'Who dared to do this to you? Hm?' He says in his mind."Mariella—"He hears footsteps outside the room and the clicking of doorknob. Leo immediately hides on the other side of the bed.Under the bed, he sees a foot wearing slippers and hospital pants. Also, an IV stand. Curiosity kills him so he takes a peek of the man standing at the other side."You haven't woken up yet?" He utters in a sad tone. "Too weak to survive this world."Leo widens his eyes when he witnesses what the man is going to do."This is for your sake, for the Mafia." "Señor!" Leo reveals himself and the man, in his surprise, accidentally drops the syringe in his hand."Who… what are you doing here?!" Anger is written in the man's face."Señor Enrico…" There is no fear in Leo's face while clenching his fists. "What