Chapter 1

~~Ciro's Pov~~

~Seventeen years ago~

“Hi, do you want a lollipop?” a little chubby girl of about 7 or 8 asked, her tiny arms stretched towards me, placing the stick in my hand.

I stared at her intently, that bubbly face looking at me innocently with wide eyes,

“Big brother doesn't want my lollipop?” Tears began to pool at her eyes, her arms were still hanging in the air, her face puffy like she had just been wrong.

The cloud weighing on my chest cleared slightly, the corners of my lips curled slightly, was she really going to?

Streaks of tears began to drip down her eyes, she wiped it off with the back of her hands, “matron says it's bad to reject a gift, I hope your day becomes brighter than the sun” she smiled sweetly before running off.

“Hey, wait” I finally found my voice, but she was already gone before I could blink, how did such little feet have such strength?

A sour feeling spread to my heart, I tuned off the noisy pack, peeling the nylon open slowly and popping it into my mouth.

“Sweet” a smile spread across my lips. “Little sunshine. Thank you” I muttered

“Giovane padrone, il Padrone richiede la sua presenza per il suo tredicesimo compleanno”

[Young master, Master requests your presence for your 13th birthday]. A chill voice spoke in Italian from the shadows.

My shoulders tensed of its own accord, “Hmmm” I nodded, there was no avoiding this,

I pushed off the bench, following the receding footsteps back to the car. Soon we arrived at the cage where I grew up— the Conti mansion.

Crash.

A loud sound greeted me immediately as I crossed the doors. Mark, our family butler, gave me an encouraging smile as I walked in.

“Come ti permetti, donna. Non riesci nemmeno a fare una cosa semplice nel modo giusto”

[How dare you, woman. You can't even do one simple thing right], Father's voice boomed through the estate,

Feets shuffled silently, no doubts the maids were trying to avoid falling prey to whatever was going on right now.

“Dov'è Rosa?” [Where is Rosa?] I turned my attention to Mark

“La giovane padrona è con la sua governante”

[The young mistress is with her nanny]

“Good. Keep her away” I nodded.

I walked straight to where my parents slept, broken bottles decorated the tiles, alongside mirrors, vases and the likes.

I stepped across all these to the inner room where they had their daily fights, mother huddled by the corner whimpering, while Russo Romano hurled things at her.

I swept my gaze over her body, cuts and bruises decorated them, her hair mangled, blood dropped from her body, smearing the floor.

My fists clenched, my nails digging so deep into my palms till I could feel the pain no more, “You called for me. Father”

A wide grin spread on his face, “Sì. [Yes.] You're thirteen today right?” He looked expectant.

“Yes sir.” I nodded, stiff as a board.

“Good. Good.” He burst into laughter like he had achieved something wonderful, “I have the perfect gift for you, come”

Something bitter rose in my mouth, I dragged my feet behind him, ignoring the smell of blood and the clangs of metal across iron bars, a scene I was used to, as he led me down the dungeon.

Finally we got to the end of the dungeon, “Today, I crown you a man, my son” he handed me a gun, “you know what to do”

Steadying my trembling hand, I took the gun from him.

Thud. It fell with a loud thud, I could feel the colour drain from my face, Russo's face contorted then darkened visibly.

“Useless” his hands collided with my guts faster than I could blink, bile rose to my throat, I could taste that familiar metallic tang just at the tip of my tongue. I forced it down

“Useless. Bastard, fucking useless. Good for nothing” the curses rained down, accompanied by fists and kicks.

By the time he was done, all I could see was red, “pick that fucking gun, kill those bastards that thought it wise to betray me before I put a whole through that useless bitch of yours”

A loud ringing sound echoed through my head, then a strange sense of peace and calm. To think I had wanted to give him a chance.

Without a word, I bent, picked the gun off the floor, I aimed directly through the cell door. There lay a figure barely breathing.

Bang. Bang. Two loud gunshots echoed through the dungeon and with that, his chest rose and fell for the final time, he shot me a look of gratitude before he finally slipped into the darkness.

“Hahahaha, that's my boy” father's proud laughter bounced off the walls, his face looking at me with an approval I had once craved at some point in my life.

I trailed behind him, twirling the gun in my hands, watching silently as his face twisted with frustration as he kept turning the knob to the door over and over again, but it wouldn't budge.

“Mark. Mark. Who the fuck locked us inside here” he yelled at the top of his voice.

The corner of my lips titled, it was time, “No one can hear you” my voice was cold, just like he'd taught me.

“What did you say boy?” He faced me, that same condescending look on his face.

“As much as I wanted to enjoy this, I would love this to end very quickly father” I said calmly,

“What the hell…”

Bang.

His body slumped backwards, disbelief shining in his eyes, his blood splurged, I closed the gap between us, looking down at him.

“Vaffanculo!!..... [Fuck you]

Nobody threatens my sister” I said and with that, the final shot that sent him off goes off.

PRESENT DAY

My eyes shot open, beads of sweat rolling down my forehead. My fingers clutched the gun beneath my pillow tightly,

“Reveal yourself”

“Woahhh…. Calm your horses man. It's me” Aiden chuckled casually.

I released my grip, “keep sneaking up on me like that and you just might end up dead.”

“Gasps, you would never” he clutched his chest dramatically, “and here I was thinking we were best friends” he wiped a non existent tear.

“Keep testing the waters then” I shrugged.

“You look dead. Same dream?”

Sigh.

“Yes. What are you doing here”

“Right.” His expression turned serious,

“We've found her.”

“Finalmente.” [Finally.] A smile made its way to my lips.