"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." - David Foster Wallace

~Recap~

"Of course I care, Lila. I always care for you. Hell, I raised you! Why do you think I don't care? And, I'm now you're legal guardian so you have to listen to the rules! You cannot be sneaking out like this! What has gotten into you! You were never like this, so closed off and cold. What happened?" He replied calmly, still keeping up his blank face, but his tone and eyes reveal all his thoughts.

He's... worried?

Worried about me?

What the fuck is going on?

~Now~

Truth is a dangerous thing.

They have the ability to shatter someone's life.

It can stem from a small truth, you thinking someone's new hair isn't nice, their shoes are ugly, etc.

But they can also grow into something much more catastrophic, truths in a jury about who is innocent and who is guilty, truths about how you feel about someone, truths about your family...

However, the reasons truths are so dangerous is because of their ability to become something else. Something worse...

...lies.

Lies are the most dangerous of all. Convicting the wrongly accused, lying about who you are, breaking relationships apart...

So, as you can see, truths are dangerous.

Because over time, they can cause lies.

And lies and so much worse...

"The fuck do you mean? Of course you don't care about me! You left me here at 11 years old with no contact or nothing, not even a fucking letter! You then enter my life after 4 years and become my guardian again? What the fuck! And then you come back with all these fucking rules! I've not had rules for the past four years, no one on my back or anything! And I've been fine! I'm fine, okay! So leave me the fuck alone and get out of my life!" I scream.

He looks into my eyes , worry and curiosity filling them. "Wait wait wait. What are you talking about? No rules? How the hell did Enzo raise you? What was he doing?"

Now I'm confused. "Enzo raising me? No no no. He left me just like you did! They all did!" I reply.

"What the hell are you on about." I suddenly hear from the doorway.

I look up and am met by the faces of Giovanni and Lorenzo. Confusion is on both of their faces.

"Lila, I've done so much for you! I've tried to keep you safe and happy! I love you so much!" Lorenzo replies.

What the hell is going on?

Why is he being nice?

"What are you on about? You repeatedly told me I was the cause of all you're problems and that I caused the death of everyone!" I reply, frustrated and tired, just wanting to be alone.

Alessandro just looks into my eyes, observing me silently. Then, he turns to Lorenzo. "Is this true, Enzo? Is she telling the truth?" He asks, seething in fury.

He's believing me! Finally!

Enzo only scoffs in return. "Of course not! I treated her with kindness and love and why the hell would I ever do anything to hurt her! She's just lying to get out of facing the consequences for her actions!" He replies. "You know what. I wasn't going to say anything but now seems like the perfect time to come clean. I lied to you. Whilst you were away she wasn't the perfect golden child. She was a devil. She was rude and didn't show up to family dinners and always talked back, just like she's doing now! She was inconsiderate and snuck off to god knows where doing god knows what!" He shouted in annoyance.

What the hell is actually going on.

"What?" I answer.

Alessandro turns back to me, looking at me with disappointed eyes, but still a neutral face. But the eyes, they tell the bigger picture.

"Why did you lie, Delilah?" He replies.

Full name. Ouch.

Isn't that what you wanted? No attachments remember?

Thanks for reminding me, Linda.🙄

"What? What do you mean? You're believing me over him?" I reply, shocked with what I'm seeing. I look into his eyes, but am only met by sadness and disapproval. I then look around the room, only to see Giovanni's eyes of sadness searching my face and a small glimpse of triumph in Lorenzo's. I scoff. "Unbelievable! He said one thing at you immediately all take his side." I say, pointing an accusing finger at Lorenzo. "And you! I cannot believe all these bullshit lies you're making up! What the fuck is wrong with you!" I shout.

"DELILAH HALE RUSSO. THAT IS ENOUGH!" Shouts Alessandro. "What is going on with you! You are NOT the girl I knew four years ago. And quite frankly I am disappointed to hear about you're behaviour from Enzo. Don't think I haven't forgotten about what happened in my office yesterday night. You never gave me your phone because Giovanni convinced me to let you off the hook a little because of this being new and frightening to you, but now?" At this, I look to Gio, searching his face again whilst Sandro speaks. "Now you're in for it! You are going to hand over you're phone, laptop and house keys. You are not allowed out of the house for the next two weeks unless one of you're brothers says so. You are to go to bed by 8pm and wake up at 6am. And any of this sneaking out business and rest assured I will be barricading your window and locking your door at night. So do. Not. Test. Me. Delilah." He says in the coldest voice I've ever heard him speak before. I swear I literally saw Gio and Lorenzo shiver at the tone of his voice.

"I told you before. I. Am. Not. Doing. A. Fucking. Thing. You. Say. And for fucks sake I didn't do a fucking thing." I say back.

"Hand over everything now or so help me God I will barricading your window now, as I should do, and removing the door from you're bedroom." He says deathly calm.

"Sandro" Gio starts, but is abruptly cut off.

"No. She needs to learn. And after what we've heard surely you agree the same." Alessandro says. Then, he turns back to me once again and says "Now hand them over. Now."

I'm at a loss.

I've not had to deal with this in so long.

What do I do?

"Lila, sweetheart, just do as he says." Giovanni says calmly.

There's no way out of this, I guess. And there is no way in hell I'm losing my window or door.

I sigh and move to my table to grab my keys before grabbing my phone out of the table next to my bed. I put them into Alessandro's awaiting hands and watch as he pockets them.

Little does he know that the phone I've given him is a backup that I only use to sign up for spam newsletters and for my biological family to contact me. I have at least 5 more phones for each of my company buildings and my personal phone for my most important calls. He had the least important phone of mine. I had actually forgotten it was here.

And as for the keys? I have tons of spare keys all around the place. Who does he think I am, an amateur? Of course not.

"Okay, well, it's now," he checks his watch, "3am. Go get changed for bed and go to sleep. Now." He says.

With that, I slowly make my way to my bathroom for a shower, hoping they're going to make their way out of my room by themselves.

As I'm undressing in the security of my locked bathroom, I hear Giovanni and Alessandro talking.

"Sandro. You were too harsh! She's had a rough time, come on. Anyone can see that. You could've been nicer, or you could've asked her what was wrong." Giovanni says.

"Do you honestly think that would've worked? She isn't going to open up to us and I'm pretty sure she hates everyone in this house. She isn't going to have changed overnight." Alessandro replies.

With that, I step into the shower and turn it onto the hottest setting, letting the steam fill the bathroom.

The water drops down my face and onto my body, drenching me from top to bottom. The hot water relaxes my muscles but burns the surface of my skin at the same time, leaving a painful sting in its wake.

I stay like this for a few minutes, allowing the hot heat to envelop me, to help me feel something.

And for the first time in days, I feel. I feel the burning of my skin, the sting of the fresh bruises from the fights, the heaviness that's always on my heart. I feel the beating of my heart in my ears. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. I feel the rushing of blood around my body. I feel the heat return to my once cold cheeks.

After a while, when my skin has become completely red and raw, I step out of the shower and onto the bath mat, covering myself like a burrito in my towel.

Whilst I dry myself, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My scars are all on display, the slashes on my arms, the gunshot and knife wounds on my shoulders and legs, and countless more.

I almost feel the tears brimming to my eyes at the sight, but I suppress them, not wanting to deal with this today.

Instead, I turn away from the mirror and chuck on another long-sleeved T-shirt and sweatpants.

I roughly dry my hair before adding in my straightening oil into it so that it dries as straight as possible. Then, I toss it into a messy bun and slowly make my way out of my bathroom.

However, I don't expect to see Alessandro still sitting on my desk chair on his phone. He turns in my direction once he hears the bathroom unlock and slips his phone into the same pocket as he has mine in.

"What are you still doing here. Get out." I say.

"I just wanted to make sure you were going to bed and not trying to escape again. I don't want a repeat of before ever again." He says.

I slide into bed, sitting up against the pillows as he stands and makes his way to the door. Just as he is about to leave, he says "And Delilah, make sure to take your phone with you whenever you leave this house. You need permission to leave, and I will be finding out how you snuck out in the morning, but when you do go out, WITH PERMISSION, I expect you to answer any calls or messages from us. It is unacceptable for you to have over 200 phone calls from us about your location. Take your phone with you at all times." He says.

With that, he turns off the main light, leaving only the side lamp on, and shuts the door, leaving me alone in my solitude.

I should be going to bed, it's late and I'm tired.

Yet all I can think is that they didn't believe me.

He didn't believe me.

No one ever believe me...

And now I see. Truths are a dangerous thing.

Because as soon as Lorenzo shifted the truth, he turned it into a lie.

And that lie might have cost any chance of my brothers fixing their relationship with me.

... they didn't believe me.

Hello, dear reader!

And here is the next chapter!

I hope you enjoy! I just had a sudden spur of energy and motivation and so just went for it!

Let me know if you have anything you want for the next chapter!