"We meet again, son." Salvatore grinned. Antonio was frozen. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His eyes widened, filled with disbelief and fear, that terrifying fear he had for his father. Beside him, Isabella was speechless. She couldn't believe it. His father was still alive after all these years?Salvatore seemed to enjoy the look of pure shock on their faces. He rose to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. "You look surprised to see me." He continued. "Surprised that your old man cheated death and is standing right in front of you."He took a step forward, then lifted his hand and touched his face. "The bullet you shot disfigured my face." He muttered casually, like he was discussing the weather. "I had several surgeries, including a brain surgery where they had to drain out the excess blood to keep me alive."He dropped his hand, and his grin widened. "You didn't really think it would be so easy to kill me, did you?" He asked. "That it would be so easy to bury me. You
A LITTLE OF THE PAST~~~~~~~~~~The day Antonio killed Salvatore, it rained heavily. The wind howled violently and the storm crashed against the mansion. He stood in the middle of his room, body rigid, hands curled into tight fists. He was sweaty, and his knuckles were bruised and bloody from pounding on the wall in rage. A memory replayed in his mind, over and over again, like a recurring nightmare. He saw his father, Salvatore, standing over Karina's body. He held a knife, the blade dripping with blood. More blood pooled beneath Karina's body, spreading out in a wide circle. Her head turned to the side and she looked straight at him. Slowly, life faded from her eyes. Salvatore looked at him, and that same sick grin appeared on his face as he leaned down and plunged the knife into Karina's chest one last time. It had been a week since Salvatore killed his mother, yet he couldn't get the scene out of his mind. Salvatore had gone out of control, drunk and mindless, and the firs
Antonio's blood ran cold the moment the call ended. Clenching his jaw tightly, he stormed towards his car. "Who was it?" Mario asked as he hurried after him."Someone took her." Antonio answered. "The bastard behind the threat calls I've been getting. He's holding her hostage at the Sky Dome.""I thought it was Leonardo." Mario frowned. "I thought so too. But this is a new threat, and I can't even think of one person it could be. He has Isabella and the babies, and I think Esmee too. Marcello has probably been knocked out."Mario's heart pounded as he slid into the passenger's seat beside Antonio. Memories surfaced, memories of when Serena died as he held her in his arms, crying from a broken heart. He wouldn't survive it if something happened to Esmee, not when he was just opening his heart again to love. He lost Serena, then he lost Isabella who couldn't be with him. He couldn't lose Esmee too. Antonio drove like a mad beast, spurring the car down the highway. The smell of bur
The sound of water dripping softly roused Isabella awake. She opened her eyes, wincing from the sharp pain that tore through her head. Her vision was blurry, and a persistent ringing made her head ache. She moaned softly, shutting her eyes for a moment. Where was she? Something wet spilled down the side of her face, and she lifted her hand to wipe it off. However, she realized she couldn't move. Her hands were restrained. She opened her eyes again, and her vision wavered for a moment before becoming clear. She took in her surrounding, frowning with confusion. This wasn't the apartment. She had been transported to another place while she was unconscious. She was locked in a dim room, with several water pipes around her, fastened to the wall. She looked down and realized her hands were bound before her. She lay sprawled on the floor, on her side. She suddenly recalled how she got there, and her eyes widened in fright. Her babies! She sat up abruptly, and a wave of nausea hit he
"Did you and Mario do it last night?" Isabella asked. She was sitting in the living area with Esmee, cradling Adriana in her arms while Esmee held Romeo. Esmee turned bright red when she heard her. She looked around to make sure Mario wasn't in sight. "Why the hell would you ask me that?" She hissed. "We're taking our relationship slowly. One day at a time.""It didn't sound like that last night." Isabella murmured smugly. Esmee's jaw dropped open. "You snake." She laughed. "How did you know?""Thin walls." Isabella laughed. "If it had been back at the villa, I probably wouldn't have heard you screaming at the top of your lungs.""Oh stop it!" Esmee threw a pillow at her and hid her face. "I feel so embarrassed.""There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Isabella teased. "I'm glad you're with him. I just hope you never hurt him. He's... very special to me.""You know I would never hurt Mario." Esmee replied. "Remember how I used to walk you to the parking lot after school, all fo
In the middle of the night, after Isabella fed her babies, she crawled into bed beside Antonio. He had stayed awake with her for hours, holding Adriana while she breastfed Romeo. Then rocking Romeo to sleep while she breastfed Adriana. Now that both babies were asleep, she felt exhausted. "Are your okay, my love?" Antonio asked, pulling her against him. He kissed her cheek, her lips, her neck, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "Just tired." She mumbled. "You should sleep. You need rest.""I know, but I don't feel sleepy." She nuzzled into the warmth of his body and sighed. As the room turned silent, she heard something. Muffled moans came from the room next to hers, the room Mario and Esmee had taken. She raised her head slightly, straining her ears to listen harder. The sound came again, a soft insistent moaning followed by a deep groan. She looked at Antonio, only to find him grinning at her. "Is that...?" She paused, laughing softly. "Is that what I think it is?""It