"I do a thing called what I want." - Unknown

~Recap~

And I'm so fucking tired.

I rest my head on his chest, my legs still hanging off the sides, not even reaching his knees.

He tenses, surprised, before slowly wrapping his arms around me, his huge arms engulfing me all the way around.

My eyes fill with tears at the gesture, but I don't let a single one of them fall.

"I miss her, Rock. I miss her so much." I sniffle, my arms hugging him back, not even reaching around him due to his large, muscular frame. (Btw Rock is her old nickname for him)

He stills before shushing me, stroking my hair gently. "Shhhh. I know, sweetheart, I know. It's okay." He whispers.

"But it's not- it's not okay." My voice cracks in the middle, tears almost slipping down my cheeks, but I catch myself before they can spill out of my eyes.

I sniffle again, almost falling asleep against his chest, hearing the calming beat of his heart and his warmth from his body covering me. I rub my eyes slightly to wake myself up.

"You can cry, you know. You won't be any less strong if you cry." He says softly.

Even then, not a single tear drops.

I rub my eyes again, but they are quickly wrapped by Rocco's hand, stopping me from rubbing them. "Stop that." He chastises. "You'll damage your eyes"

I don't reply, my eyes dropping shut more and more.

He notices and moved to pick me up, but I move back and widen my eyes as a response.

"Okay okay! It's okay! I was just going to pick you up and take you to bed. You look like your falling asleep right here on this counter." He says.

"I can do it myself." I say, then jump down from the high counter and slowly limp out the kitchen.

As I get to the doorway, I turn back around and whisper, "Thank you."

And with that, I slowly walk upstairs.

My vision, clouded with sleep and fatigue, slowly blurs more as I strain my body to get up the stairs, but eventually I make it up

My vision clouds more.

I don't think this is normal-

I don't think-

- this is-

-right-

I stumble to my bedroom, shoving open the door and locking it behind me.

And with that, my vision clouds more.

I can't see...

...anything.

My thoughts...

...what?

...happening?

And with that, I collapse on the bed...

...and the world turns black.

Little did I know, with my clouded vision and heightened emotions, fatigue plaguing me, I had missed Alessandro watching me stumble up the stairs.

I mean, I guess the saying "Sandro knows all" was true after all.

Sandro really does know all...

~Rewind to a few minutes before Lila's return to the house~

(Alessandro's POV)

The clock beside my office desk glares at me in bright red numbers, shining the numbers 03:27 into my eyes, burning them into my skull.

I sigh, knowing I should probably get some rest if I'm to function properly tomorrow.

I shuffle my papers into a neat pile before grabbing the three coffee cups that have accumulated on my desk.

Then, I make my way to the kitchen to wash them before bed.

As I walk down the corridor to the stairs, I pass Lila's bedroom, and am immediately drawn to it.

I just need to make sure she's okay.

Just one little peek.

Just so I know she's safe.

I sigh.

Maybe I should knock?

What if that wakes her up?

Oh for fuck sake it's 3:30am who's awake at this time.

You, you fucking idiot.

Argh.

I eventually give in and decide just to take a little peak.

One little peak won't hurt.

As I say that, I turn the handle and push.

It's not opening. What the hell?

I give it another little shove, but it doesn't budge.

She's locked it? Why would she do that?

What if she's in trouble?

I need to make sure she's okay.

Panic rushed into me.

I don't know what I would do if she wasn't okay.

She needs to be okay.

I grab the spare keys I have in my pocket.

Don't blame me, I needed them in case something bad happened.

I push it into the handle and turn the brass key, before pushing down on the handle once more.

This time, it gives way instantly and opens up.

But my relief is short lived once I see her empty bed.

I walk further in, looking round her room.

She's not here?

How could she have gotten out?

I breathe slowly, in through my nose and out through my mouth.

I need to calm down.

Maybe she's just in the house?

Yeah, that's gotta be it.

I decide to go down to the kitchen and see if she's there.

As I head down the stairs, I hear the front door slowly creak open.

I reach for my gun, pulling it out of my waist band on high alert.

But what I'm surprised to see is a tiny figure, bundled in black with bruises all over her face and neck, limping to the kitchen.

I sneak down the stairs, and I'm about to go into the kitchen, but something stops me.

Something in my body is telling me to just stop and wait.

So I do.

I glance round the doorframe, watching as she struggles to get something from a cupboard.

I suddenly hear more footsteps heading my way, and decide to rush under the stairs, out of view.

I want to see how this plays out.

She's usually so observant, I'm surprised she didn't see me on the stairs. I want to see what's wrong and I know she won't tell me if I ask her. This is the only way.

All of a sudden I see Rocco enter the kitchen.

He sees her struggling and... goes to help her?

I expected to hear them arguing. Tearing the house apart.

But what I saw next was even more shocking.

Lila was... letting him help?

What on earth?

My mouth is agape as I see him lift her onto the counter and gently clear her wounds, surprise at her lack of flinching and also at letting him clean the wounds.

Eventually, I see him carefully set her down standing on the floor and she slowly makes her way out of the kitchen. In a silent flash, I'm back out the doorway and hiding under the stairs, allowing her to climb then without me seeing.

"You can come in now, you know."

I sigh and enter the kitchen.

"How long have you known I was there." I ask.

"Since I entered the kitchen." He replies.

"And you didn't say anything?" I ask curiously.

He just shrugs in response. "I knew you would have a reason."

After a few moments of silence, he starts to speak again. "She didn't even cry." He says softly.

"What are you talking about?" I say, confused about the change of topic.

"When I hugged her. She was so so sad. She's not okay, but she didn't even shed a tear? I don't know what to do. I'm so fucking sorry but I don't know what to do." He whispers.

He looks heartbroken.

I go towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Hey hey hey it's okay. You just need to do something to show her how sorry you are."

He sighs and nods. "I know I know. I'm gonna head on up, good night."

"Good night." I reply.

I sigh, wash up my mugs and head up to bed.

But not before glancing a glimpse of Lila.

I quietly enter her room and see her collapsed on her bed.

I sigh and gently lift up her covers, tucking them around her shoulders. I lean down and give her a gentle kiss to her forehead before standing back up and silently leaving the room, shutting it as I leave.

Now time for some sleep myself.

~Now~ (Lila's POV)

I wake up with a pounding head, my ribs hurting with each breath I take.

What happened last night?

I lift my head from my pillow, finding myself tucked under the covers.

When did I even get in bed?

I glance around my room, trying to remember anything about last night after I collapsed on bed.

What on earth?

As I'm glancing, I spot the unlocked door.

Shit I forgot to lock it.

It doesn't look like anyone's been in there though. Who would?

Feeling more rested then I have in a long time, I lift my arms and legs out of the soft covers and stretch them out, hearing the cracking of my bones.

I sigh in content, then slowly stand, feeling the blood rush into my head and face.

I slowly make my way to my bathroom, attempting to sort out my hair before heading down for breakfast.

I brush out my unruly hair with my hands before chucking on a random oversized hoodie and heading for the door.

But as I open it, I'm immediately walk into Giovanni.

"Ouch." I say in surprise as I bash into his chest and ricochet off, almost falling to the floor.

He quickly grabs my arms before I do, rescuing me from the fall. "Oh my goodness are you okay?" I says worriedly.

"Erm... yeah I'm fine?" I say, surprised that he even cares.

"I'm so sorry, bambina. Anyways, where are you heading?" He says, surprise lacing his voice.

"To breakfast...?" I say obviously. Where else would I be headed?

"Oh. OH." He says, looking surprised for some reason.

What the hell is this kid on?

Whatever it is get me on some too.

Shut up Lisa.

"I was just coming to get you, let's go!" He says happily.

I begrudgingly walk beside him, not too enthusiastic about his energy this early in the morning.

I need coffee before I can handle this.

As soon as I enter the kitchen, I make my way to the coffee machine and pour myself a large mug of black coffee.

I think back to all the stuff I've left. I've literally put my life on hold for what? For just staying in this house? I need to get to work! I've got so much to do. Fuck.

I'm broken out of my thoughts by someone grabbing my steaming mug from out of my hands.

"Hey! Give that back!" I shout, jumping to get it from the hand that holds it above my head.

"You're way to young to drink coffee." I turn around, ready to pounce on the culprit that stole my coffee.

"Give. It. Back." I say in a deathly voice, staring up into Alessandro's eyes.

He gives me an amused smile. "No." He says in response, slowly taking a sip of MY coffee.

My eyes grow dark, ready to literally fight for my coffee.

As I quite literally pounce up in the air, I'm grabbed by two hands. "Woah woah woah, let's calm down." He slowly places me down on the ground, keeping two hands on my shoulders to keep me in place. "I'm sure one cup of coffee every once in a while won't hurt, right" he says calmly, grabbing out a fresh mug out and pouring a load of fresh, steaming coffee into it. "Here you go, sweetheart." He says, handing it to me.

"Thanks." I murmur, taking a gulp and moving away from him.

Hey don't blame me I'm not into this lovey dovey sibling stuff.

"You don't want milk or sugar?" Alessandro said, eyebrows raised.

"No." I say, annoyed.

I just want to drink my fucking coffee in peace.

I head to sit at the counter, once again my legs dangling down from the tall chairs. Once again, all my brothers are surrounding the table in various positions.

After my coffee, I quietly leave the room, leaving somehow without any protests.

I quickly go upstairs and change into my spare work clothes, black trousers and a black blazer with a black bralette underneath.



I quickly button up the blazer so that I won't get stopped at the door by any of my brothers, before slipping on some black scrappy heals and heading out of the door.

I head down the stairs, my heals clicking on the hard floor.

"Hey Lila is that you? Come in here a sec." I hear Giovanni shout.

Confused, I make my way to the kitchen.

"What's up?" I say, entering the doorway.

As soon as I enter, I'm met with 7 shocked faces. "Where the hell are you going dressed like that? And what the hell are you wearing?" I hear Matteo shout.

"...Work." I say bluntly in reply.

"What the hell do you mean work?" Alessandro exclaims.

"Work. I'm going to work. What do you mean what do I mean?" I reply, bored of this already.

"What the fuck are you talking about Lila? You don't have a job?" Lorenzo asks, exasperated.

"What?" I reply. How can they not know who I am?

My middle name is literally Hale. And my first name is literally Lila and her name is literally Lucy. You literally only need to know my fucking full name to figure it out.

Lila Hale.

Lucy Hale.

Fucking idiots.

I thought they knew?

"Where do I work?" I ask, worried with the answer I'm about to face.

"Huh? Hold up I'm still getting over the fact that you have a job? Where? Since when? What do you even do?" Angelo asks confused.

"Bambina you know you don't need to work, right? You're only 15 and we have more than enough money for you to have a comfortable life. You certainly don't need to start working now. And if you did want to, you should have asked and I could have set you up in one of our offices." Alessandro states.

"Do you even know where I work? What I do? It really doesn't even take an idiot to figure it out." I reply dubiously.

"How the fuck are we meant to know?" Rocco asks, annoyed.

"For fucks sake you literally just needed to ask. I mean you shouldn't need to ask considering you would literally be able to use my fucking name and work it out." I reply, severely pissed off.

"Hey hey hey no need for that language. Why don't you just tell us what you do, hmmm?" Gio asks curiously.

"...I run... a company." I reply ominously.

"What. The. Fuck." Rocco replies.

"But... but you're only 15!" Elijah says, shocked.

"What company?" Alessandro replies, a curious gaze on his face.

"That is for you to figure out. You can't be that fucking dumb. It's not bloody rocket science." I reply, annoyed at the fact I'm now getting late.

I turn to leave, but all of a sudden I hear chairs get up.

"Wait wait where are you going?" Gio asks.

"I already fucking told you. Work." I reply, getting fucking frustrated.

"Yeah you're not going anywhere. Not until you tell us where you're actually going and what you are going to do." Rocco replies.

"Oh for fucks sake!" I shout. "I own a company, owned it for over three years now. And since I own it, I have to get to work. If you really want to find out what I do, which you should bloody already know considering I don't keep it a secret from everyone, you literally just need to get my name and figure it out! Now excuse me I've got to bloody go!"

"Make sure you're not back too late. And as soon as you are back, come to my office. We need to chat." Alessandro says as I've got my hand on the door knob.

I do an almost imperceptible nod before turning the handle and walking straight out, my heals clicking on the floor.

Shit another talk in his office?

The last one didn't go too well did it.

I climb into my car and speed out the drive, placing my shades over my eyes to shield them from the sun.

They're going to go fucking mental when they find out...

...And I can't wait.

Sorry about the long wait! Got ill for a week and missed loads of tests and school work!

I promise I have no intentions of stopping this book and will continue updating (even if updates are slow)!

Thank you!