CHAPTER TWO

AVA'S POV 

I could hear my lungs screaming for air, but even at that I couldn't stop, the sound of the treadmill quivering beneath my running feet and my heart pounding against my chest fills the room. Hot sensations travel from my legs,sending jolts of heat to my abdomen then shooting straight into my heart.

I looked at my reflection through the mirror, my crop top was literally soaked, dripping from all the sweat , clinging to my ribs. Stands of my hair plastered to my face, I whipped my ponytail aggressively using my hands to move my hair hanging down my face. I looked like a wet monkey but I really couldn't care less about looks now, my heart was burning more but not from this running but from his words. I could still hear Dad’s words echoing through my mind 

“You are just like you mother Ava , careless and stupid in your actions” 

Heated blood rushes up my veins, a fire-like feeling ravaging up and down my thighs and my chest . My hand instinctively travel to my heart, clenching firmly unto it as his voice kept resounding through my mind “you know you are practically useless sometimes Ava, you can't do anything right, why on earth were you seen by those guard, I don't care if it was just one, you were still seen because you were just sloppy” I clenched hard my heart still pounding harshly as I kept on running. 

“This is why I kept you hidden for all these years” I snarled, slamming my hands on the controls of the machine, making it go faster and faster. The machine started beeping continuously but I really couldn't care less at this point. I just wanted his words to stop haunting me, all I ever wanted was his approval and he keeps on doing this to me .

I did everything perfectly, I carried out the jobs well and he didn't even give me credits. Instead he keeps on raining insults on me. 

I raised my hands swiftly, wiping off a tear that rolled down my face. “This isn't the time to be weak Ava’’ I sniffed in. “I have to make father proud of me, I have to do better, I have to be more clean in my missions, I am perfect in my work” I affirmed , sliding off the machine wiping off the sweat on my face with my hand towel.

My mind battled with different ideas of what I could do to make him feel proud, make him accept me as his own.

I was drawn away from my thoughts at the sound of the burner phone vibrating aggressively against the table, my eyes trailed to the name written on the screen. “DENIS CAVALLARO”, never dad or father just his full name , I hesitated to pick up his call.What if he is calling to reprimand me again, I don't think I would be able to take it , but I can't just ignore his calls that would make everything worse. 

I picked up the call, slowly raising the phone to my ears, my mind raising up its shield preparing for the worst, I drew in a sharp breath “Good morning, father” I said my tone, dry. 

“Good morning, Mija”

My heart dropped, trains of emotions smashing in, I couldn't believe what I heard, he called me ‘mija’ , a name he hasn't called me ever since mom died,a name I have been dying to hear again, why is he calling me that now 

My heart aches again to hear the next words from him, different ideas flooding my mind of what it could be ‘could it be him feeling bad about last night and trying to make amends’ my heart hoped 

“Look Amor, I know how badly I spoke to you last night, but you know it just because I want you to be stronger. In this game of ours you can't afford to be sloppy, if it was someone else I would have had their heads cut off but I can't possibly do that to you” he chuckled awkwardly. His words shattered my hope he wasn't calling to apologize, instead he wants to prove he is right. 

I sighed in disbelief , I don't know why I was hoping something could change. His next words answered my questions of why he was pretending to be loving towards me.

“So now I have decided to give you another chance, you know, to prove yourself to me . I have a new mission for you, this is way bigger than whatever I have asked you to do, I hope you won't be sloppy about it Mija” he purred, I broke my silence. 

“Okay father, i won’t let you down” I responded trying hard to keep some warmth in my voice. 

“Good, Nick will be picking you up,” he continued, his tone shifting from false love to pure business.

“Bring Ellie. She’ll be eyes outside.”

The line dead.

—---------

Nick arrived too fast- had he been waiting nearby?,just waiting for the call? He was leaning against his black audi like a black cat lounging in the sun, with all coiled muscles. His sunglasses were mirrored, hiding his eyes, but I felt his gaze drag over me as we approached, lingering on the knife strapped to my thigh, the swell of my hips in my tactical gear. “Boss is waiting”, he said, voice rough. “Can we get going?” I asked, then, as if catching himself;”Sorry. Got distracted.”

Ellie shot me a look, smirking lightly. Ignored it,yanking the passenger door open. “Just drive, Nick.” 

The meeting place screamed classic Denis. A copy of rot as a mask to cover his not so good deeds. A gutted brownstone in a neighbourhood forgotten by time, its windows blurry no could hardly see a reflection, its history washed off. Inside the air was thick with the smell of damp plaster and wet cement. An industrial elevator took us down into a concrete tomb that looked completely opposite to the view outside.

My father stood beside a sleek digital projector, its modern look contrasting sharply to the peeling, water-stained background. He was immaculate, a diamond tie pin glinting against his suit. Was he about to make a presentation? A presentation for a hit. The absurdity of it was almost enough to make me laugh but I couldn't risk being insulted again.

He signalled we take a seat, we did silently, Ellie sat closely next to me. 

“We’re removing the foundational pillar of the old guard, as I would like to rephrase, The obstacle in my path to the top” he announced, his voice echoing the empty space. He clicked a button on the remote. The words MISSION X: ROYAL FLUSH appeared boldly on the wall in bright blood-red font. “We’re taking down the Mafia king.” 

This time I could barely hold on to my laughter, I chuckled lightly, The King of Mafia was a ghost story a cautionary tale mobsters told their kids. A myth, A cool one but still a myth, 

Father’s eyes flickered to me, a silent warning before clicking the button again. 

The slide changed. 

A high resolution photograph filled the wall. A man exiting a restaurant in a criminally dark suit probably costs more than most people's houses. He was sharp, elegant, and effortlessly radiating power, his dark hair swept backwards, a faint, familiar scar cutting through his eyebrow.

Beneath the photo, a name. 

DANTE MORETTI 

Air vanished from my lungs in a silent rush, I could barely breathe. The world titled, concrete walls seemingly pressing in. Next to me Ellie’s sharp, sudden inhale sounded like a gunshot in tense decorum. Under the table, her knee violently jerked against mine- a silent scream. 

Denis’s head turned towards us, his eyes narrowing down to our faces, “Why the faces?” he asked, his voice dangerously calm. “Is there a problem?”

Ellie opened her mouth to speak, but my hands shot out under the table, my nails biting into her skin, muting her instantly. 

I forced my expression into a mask of calm indifference, stretching my lips into a smile so wide, it screamed ‘fake’. “No problem” I said, my voice miraculously steady. “Light work, I just thought he’d be… older”

Denis’s suspicious frown instantly shifted to a smile of paternal pride. 

But across the table, Nick’s eyes were narrowed, his gaze fixed on me , missing nothing, he might have noticed the half-second hesitation in my voice. 

At this point that was the least of my worries, all I could think of was him, my mind screaming his name on a loop. ‘He might recognize me. He’ll hate me. He's probably already forgotten my name, or maybe he was already with someone else’ different thoughts collided at the same time in my head. 

Nick led us back to the elevator, his large hand a burning sensation on the small of my back, a suspicious gesture disguised as guidance. Ellie was a live wire, I could visibly see her vibrating with unspoken words. She waited until the heavy elevator doors sealed shut before she jumped on me. 

“Ava, what the hell-” she hissed, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and fury. “You know who he is! You can’t–” 

“Ellie not here”. I cut her off, my voice tuned down to a faint whisper, my eyes darted, pointing to the ceiling cameras. “The walls have ears. Always.” 

The ride down was spent in a thick suffocating silence. 

We both entered the car meekly, the Audi's engine roared with energy. I sighed calmly, desperately trying to hide all the emotions and memories I had bubbling in me. Nick’s gaze found mine in the rearview mirror, his sunglasses now taken off, His eyes were dark, unreadable but they were fixed on my reflection with a strong intensity that made my skin crawl. 

Was he suspicious?