17• Sullivan.

I heard it all. But I pretended as if I was deep asleep.

Micah is, really, a drama actress. I had concluded after hearing her footsteps fade away.

My mum sat on the bed beside me and I could feel her staring at me just as Micah had done and how I had enjoyed every scent of her and how her breathing had surrounded my face, I'm sure she hadn't planned on staring at me when she had walked towards me.

I had heard my door opening and had woken up but slept back when I realized it was Micah who had no idea had glanced at her when she turned her back to me to shut the door and how she had stood with either glares or just surprised look at me.

"Sullivan." My mother called me with a tap on my lap. "Wake up Tesoro." Her usual phrase of calling me 'honey always makes me feel more welcome ever since I got adopted by her and Dad.

I mumbled as if sleeping. "It's dinner time. Sweetheart." She called again and I slowly opened my eyes facing with her motherlike smile. "There, you're awake." She smiled and I returned it taking my gaze away from her in an instant.

I raised my head, about sitting on the bed while my mum helped me up.

"How was your... Day?" I asked arching an eyebrow, my gaze shifting from one place to another.

"My day went well. And yours? I hope Micah didn't give you a tough time?" My mother questioned and I nodded positively. "Good to hear. Now let's get you downstairs." She says and I stand up with her little help.

My mum placed her hand on my arm as we began walking out of my room.

As soon as I stepped out of my room, we saw Micah rushing towards us with a worried look but I didn't get to stare properly at her as I was too busy dancing my eyeballs.

"Is everything alright, Micah?" My mother inquired as Micah stopped at our front.

"Huh... Gin. She's not in her room." Micah replied and I shot her a look before returning to my autistic self.

"What!" My mother exclaimed. "Do you check if she's in her bathroom?"

"I did... But she's not inside." Micah answered.

"Maybe she---she is already downstairs," I suggested and my mum nodded at my suggestion.

"Yes, we should probably just check the dining room." My mother added in.

"Sure, let me check if she's there," Micah said hurrying to the staircase while I continued my walk with my mum.

As we finished climbing down the stairs, Micah walked towards us again. "She is nowhere to be found," Micah announced and my mother would be collapsing right now if I hadn't held her waist firmly.

"Where the hell would she be?" My mother looked worried. I guessed she was even more worried that Ginevra's boyfriend got shot because he might be a bad guy and might even endanger Gin. "Rosa! Rosalina!" She called and Rosa showed up from the kitchen, sauntering in our direction.

"You called for me signora," Rosa spoke standing beside Micah.

"Where's Gin?"

"I have no idea where she is signora. I will check with the security man." Rosa said and my mum gave her permission to and she walked away.

"I hope that girl didn't go to Elvis or whatever his name is... He should handle his problem himself." My mum cried out in Sicilian.

"Gin would be fine," I muttered dryly as if the words were forced out of my mouth.

"You should sit down, ma." Micah seemed to empathize with my mother and that was a side of her I've never seen.

Maybe the spanking was what she needed to be gentle and obedient.

Micah helped my mother to the living room and she sat her down. "Let me get you some water." She hurried back to the kitchen and I would have thought she was pretending right now.

It was strange to see her behaving in such a different way. Usually, she was cold and harsh, but now she was acting compassionate and understanding. I was curious to know what had caused this sudden change in her demeanor. Maybe she was just putting on an act. But then that was nothing to worry about. My sister was in danger!

I opened the door, and stepped out of the mansion, leaving Micah to coax my mother.

As I walked to the compound, I met with Rosalina who stood at my front with a look that I came to understand that she hadn't found Gin yet.

"What do you figure out from the security?" I queried with a command tone rather than asking if she saw Gin.

"He saw Ginevra leaving the house..." Rosa replied informatively. "He said Gin was on a call and it seemed urgent but she was looking worried," Rosa added and I breathed out a silent word.

"Where the fuck is she... I let out an anxious exhale. "Try phone calling her," I said and Rosa made a swift move bringing out her phone from her pocket while she operated on it I looked around wondering where in the hell Ginevra must have gone.

Rosa glanced at her phone while I looked questioning at her... "What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's not picking," Rosa answered and I bit my lips while she tried calling Gin again before raising her eyes at me. "It's not going through." She told me and I guessed something was definitely up with Ginevra's disappearance.

"Try again," I asked her but while she was about to press the call's icon, her phone began ringing and I raised my eyes at her. "Is it Gin?" I asked my voice quivering in anticipation.

"I'm sorry." She apologized glancing at the caller ID before staring up at me. "It's Black." She said and I would almost start wondering why Black would be calling. I looked around as if making sure no one was peeping before collecting the phone from her.

"What's it?" I asked after Rosalina clicked the answer icon. "What's up there?"

"Everything is fine here Don," Black answered. "It's about Gin. Your sister." He started and I breathed out taking a glimpse at Rosa who was gazing around the compound as if securing it with her eyes.

"Tell me." I permitted.

"Earlier, we found out Ginevra had taken a phone call from her boyfriend who demanded her because he needs someone who can act as his guardian in a hospital and had told Gin that if she cannot reach him, that means he's dead." Black paused.

"Continue." I gritted understanding why Gin must have left the house in a hurry.

But it turned out that some men working for Geraldo's boss had kidnapped Elvis, Gin's boyfriend at the bar, and taken him hostage. Black paused again. "It seems they used him to contact Ginevra and made him lie to her, telling her he needed her at a hospital as a guardian. Unfortunately, she fell for the trap, and our current theory is that she was taken captive while on her way to the hospital her boyfriend had mentioned," Black stated, making me clench my fist balls. "In return for Geraldo's death. His boss sent us a picture... And we found out that... Ginevra was killed. She's dead." Black announced and somehow that word made me briefly remember my past.

.

"Mr and Mrs. Giacomo died in a fire accident..." The voice echoed in my head, and I started seeing our cottage burning, the screams, my fears, Adam's tears.

"Aaahhh." I let out a low, pained moan as the phone fell from my hand and Black words came ringing to my ear. "She's dead." And then I saw people running around, and the voice. "Your parents are dead." Suddenly struck me hard as I clenched my fist on my chest and the voice began echoing more.

"Sir, are you okay?" Rosa asked as I continued groaning, feeling breathless as if I was being strangled, my heart began beating fast as the memories of my parents' burnt body began showing itself.

I started feeling dizzy that I didn't even hear Rosa anymore as her presence was a blurry vision to me, and before I knew it. I blackout!

.

"Abramo, Adamo." The lady's cheerful voice sang.

"Mum please, I prefer being called Abraham." The little boy protested.

"But Abramo is your original name." The man beside the lady smiled.

"Why would you name me that." The little boy hissed.

"It's uncle's suggestion." The lady smiled. "He loved Italian names."

"What uncle?" Young Adam asks.

"He is like a father to you, and close friends to me and your mother." The man replied pinching Adam's cheek.

"But not everyone has an uncle right?" The little boy whom I guessed to be me asked.

"Yes. And we are lucky to have an uncle like Mr... Because we're special. So as you too." The lady added pinching the little boy's cheek smilingly.

"When would we get to meet Uncle then?" The little boy asks and my parents exchange glances with each other.

"Huh." The lady looked back at her two sons with beams of smile. "For now, Uncle is pissed with us so we would have to wait until his anger subsides."

The man whispered to his wife, "We'll be done with the Fernando family soon enough." Suddenly, I snapped out of my daze, my breath catching in my throat.

What was that?

I ask myself aware that it was my memory.

I was about to sit properly on my bed when I felt a soft warm touch on my wrist.

I raised my head to see who it was and I met with Micah's gleaming greens.

For a second I wanted to be trapped staring at her eyes forever but I still needed to get to the action as my brain replayed Black's words which must have not been true.

"What are you doing here?" I asked rather rudely still staring at her green eyes.

"You collapsed." She replied softly.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I asked flatly freeing my hand from her touch.

"It's morning already." She answered walking over to my bedside table and I guessed I must have slept for that long. "I'm sorry for your loss," Micah said and I looked sharply at her.

"Is it, really, true?" I stammered.

"Weren't you the first to hear it?" She beckoned. "Ginevra is dead." She mentioned lowly, and I closed my eyes feeling the burden on me again.

I clenched my fist, gritting my teeth remembering my little sister's smiley face. Would I ever get to see that again?

Have I really, lost another family member again?

"Where are my parents?" I ask slowly.

"Mrs. Stone is in her room. Your father is busy with the police..." Micah replied calmly.

I opened my eyes, recollecting the word "uncle" and the Mr which I couldn't hear properly began bothering me. I would have to start from that clue even though I'm still confused that Geraldo wasn't the only uncle my parents had when they were still alive.

I stood up walking to the bookshelf. I shifted some of the books aside and the safe came into view.

I inserted some pins on the lock opening it. I stared at the file before taking it out of the safe.

I opened the file and ran my eyes around some words in it ignoring Micah who must be staring at me.

My mind was engulfed by rage and I didn't want to think about Gin yet, because it would only weaken me. Even if she was dead, I would stop myself from crying like the baby I was when my biological parents had died. But I knew I would much rather avenge them.i