Not Edited. Read at your own Risk.

Stefano Ricci quietly followed the doctor; his face was cold, void of any expressions. Nothing else mattered to him more than the well-being of his family, which now included his newly discovered sister. Raw anger was flaring inside him as he recalled all the incidents under his own roof from the morning.

"Dr Neir- brief me on the medical reports you have regarding my sister"

He posed the question as soon as he stepped inside the Doctor's cabin. His eyes keenly captured the perturbed look on the doctor's face. The doctor tried to hide his anxiety as he flitted through the sheets of the report, and placed it carefully in front of him.

Stefano folded his hands slowly, gathering his attention, "Hmm? So tell me. "

The Doctor stiffened, and replied with a hesitant nod, "You need to be prepared for this, sir. I would like to request that you be patient while I get into the details and particulars of all the test results. But, before I proceed, I would just like to clarify something," he responded with a pleading look in his eyes.

"What is it?" Stefano asked sharply.

The hesitation was clearly seen in his eyes. The Ricci brothers grew up in a world of bloodshed with people fearing their power, and hence the hesitant and scared look on Dr Neir's face wasn't anything new.

With a loud gulp, the doctor asked the question that had been circulating in his mind,

"Has Madam Ricci ever been in an abusive environment?"

Suddenly, the room felt much colder and more ominous than earlier.

"Abusive environment?" Stefano repeated slowly.

"The ankle injury that Madam Ricci has sustained indicates the signs of an abusive household. Further, she is severely underweight and small for her age," Dr Neir immediately explained, trying to keep his life intact. The sweat beads slowly rolled down his forehead as he tried to maintain his composure.

"Hmm, anything else?" He tilted his chin up, signalling the doctor to continue.

"There are mild traces of a paralyzing drug in her blood system. We are currently running an IV to neutralize any remaining effects and counteract the drug. But," the doctor hesitated as he looked down at the reports, not daring to meet his boss's gaze.

"But the drug in her blood couldn't be identified. It could be a test drug that's found on the streets," Dr Neir gulped loudly and looked at his boss, whose deep eyes seemed completely blank. But the air around him turned bleak.

He slowly continued, "Or it could be an underdeveloped drug that someone injected on the young Miss to paralyze her.."

"Continue.." Stefano ordered, his jaw clenched tightly in fury.

"Currently there are no signs of drug addiction, so this might not be anything to worry about. But, it's better to keep an eye on her, along with regular health checkups."

Something was stirring deep within Stefano as the doctor finished the report. The rage he generally concealed to maintain a neutral facade in any situation seemed to slip up. His sister, though the word entirely sounded foreign to him along with its whole concept; no one gets to touch a Ricci and live.

And as much as he might try to deny it, he felt drawn to protect his sister. Further, he wasn't alone in it, his brothers also seemed to feel the intense need to protect her from all the evils in this world, which might also include shielding her from all the sins that they themselves were known for.

Picking up the phone, he dialled the one number that could get him all the immediate answers he wanted to hear. The one man who can bring all the information in this world to his palm.

"Hello Ian, you have a new mission... A very important one. "

******************

"This is the last bottle of IV fluid for the day. After which Miss Ricci can be discharged. But, please bring her for checkups weekly once. I would also recommend a doctor specializing in dietary intake. She can help in formulating a healthy meal plan Miss Ricci," Dr Neir informed the Dons who were sitting as still as a cold statue next to their sister.

The only sign of life was the fleeting looks of concern and warmth contained in their gazes while looking at their sister.

With a slight nod from Vincent, the doctor bowed and rushed out of the room.

From the hard expression on their faces, darkened eyes, stiff posture and cold glares, anyone can guess that the brothers were seething at the reports they heard from the doctor.

"Hey little princess, sorry that we couldn't protect you. Both from your past and the current present. We promise to do better and give you nothing but the best," Stefan muttered softly, his hands brushing against her pale cheeks. Juliette didn't even twitch, her eyes closed in a deep slumber under the influence of the painkillers.

Stefano's mind played images of a poor Juliette being drugged. His mind further drove into fury, with a raw need to wrap his fingers around the culprits and slowly suck their life out.

He would never forget the panic and helplessness that were displayed on his sister's face in the morning. His hand slowly hovered over her forehead, where she got hit in the morning.

" I promise, I'll bring in blood and suffering to everyone who hurt you," he swore silently, with a promise engraved in his heart to rain in hell for anyone who touched his sister.

" She is going to be alright, brother. She is Ricci after all. And further, she has all of us supporting her," Vincent said softly.

Stefano sighed and leaned in to look at his sister once again before standing up from his chair.

"Where is she?" He asked sharply.

"Currently being held in the underground basement first level. It might be better for you and Leo to visit her before the little one wakes up," Vincent comments while glancing at them.

Leo perked up, hearing his name. A mad, crazy look covered his face.

"It's high time for us to engrave the rules strongly on every soul that lives in this estate brother," he commented with a wicked glee.

******************

(Caution: Trigger warning. The content ahead contains mentions of violence.)

On the blood-covered floor of the prison chamber Lily, the woman who dared to hurt the Ricci bloodline was kneeling, tears and snot running down her face.

"I'm sorry! Leave me, please" Lily shouted at the top of her voice, as the guards surrounding her poured extremely hot water on her bloodied body.

Behind them, the door opened with a creaking sound revealing the Dons. Lily's gaze froze. She gulped loudly as she looked at them entering the cell with a predatory look. Though they looked calm with no expression visible on their face, she felt her heart drop. A cold shudder ran down her spine, as they gazed at her.

"Don," the guards saluted with a deep bow in greeting.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me. I will never do this ever again," Lily shrieked as tears once again streamed down her face.

Stefano stared at the girl with a dark expression on his face, while sitting on the chair directly in front of her.

"Looks like we haven't been accommodating her properly. Get up and sit on that chair," he motioned pointing at the chair opposite to him.

Lily's eyes were wide in shock. She couldn't understand the thoughts going on in Don's mind, nor grasp the sly smile spread on the younger Don's face. She felt trapped even without any restraints binding her.

"So, what are you apologizing for?" Stefano asked calmly. His eyes were clear of any emotions.

"I swear I didn't know she existed. I won't hurt the kid again" she sobbed out at the overwhelming pressure.

The air shifted slightly, and within a minute's gap, she suddenly felt a searing pain in her right palm. She missed the moment when it pierced through her palm. The moment it registered in her brain, the searing pain of the stab exploded all over her body and she screamed.

"Shh- why are you screaming now?" Leonardo implored with a playful smirk on his face.

"Learn from your mistakes. Address her properly and with respect. The gap on your palm will serve as a reminder for even thinking that you had another chance to hurt her.," he stated as he slowly walked around her, while effortlessly twirling a sharp knife between his two fingers.

Her eyes widened as she tried to stifle her screams. Her body continued to shiver from the intensity of the pain she was feeling. The cold, unwavering eyes of the Dons washed over her as she slowly started fearing for her life.

Lily had always lived a carefree life. Working as a maid in the Ricci quarters came with a lot of perks, and having connections with the unit leaders gave her a strong footing as she dominated around most of the maids with ease.

She had broken a lot of rules, but they were always swept under the rug due to her prominent connections. Her whole life was shaken apart due to a small girl. Her mind was unable to grasp that.

"It's her fault. She didn't introduce-" yet another painful scream tore across the basement, as another knife was inserted on her left palm.

"Bad move Lily. Who gave you the authority to find faults with a Ricci," Leo spat out with a dark look on his face.

Anger flared across Stefano's face, as his eyes flashed lethally. Before anyone could blink he grabbed her by the neck pulling her forward, effectively bashing her head on the iron table with a large force that the sound echoed through the basement.

She screamed in pain. Her screams echoed throughout the floor, causing everyone to wince in utter horror.

"We don't need dogs that can bite their owner," he hissed

"Send her to the Basement Level 6 testing lab," Stefano ordered coldly, as he stood up, walking towards the exit.

"No-" Lily howled, desperation leaking out of her voice, " I will beg her to forgive me. I will apologize to her solemnly, I swear. Please don't do this to me," she begged, her voice cracking with fear.

"We were not playing a game here, Lily. You reap what you sow. Know your position before you bark. Take the lesson like a good girl," Leo stated as he tapped on her cheek with the tip of his knife, a dark smile on his face.

Lily's shoulder dropped, admitting defeat as she saw the Ricci Dons walk out of the chamber with powerful strides. Her life was left intact, but at what cost?

***************

(1800 words)

Hello guys!

Thank you for being super supportive, and waiting for me patiently to update the book. Your love and support has been incredible.

Apologies for the delay. Initially this chapter was ready by December, but the perfectionist in me didn't like the flow and I ended up deleting and rewriting it from scratch. I know it is extremely unfair to keep you guys waiting. But, I honestly hope to release chapters sooner (weekly if possible) from now on.

Show all your love and support. -'ღ'-

Did you all like this update?

Poor Juliette, how do you think her brothers will treat her from now on?

Thank you again to all of you, who have waited patiently for the story's update.