"Adriano!" Anastasio's loud voice echoes in the once silent office.

Hearing his shout, Adriano tenses up a little in alert.

"What's the matter?" He asks watching his brother as he tries to catch his breath.

"Paul-Paul is dead. I just checked. Fuck! There are stab wounds all over his body. Someone fucking killed him!" Anastasio curses. It was not like he was mad because of Paul's death as he would have personally liked to kill him over and over again but Paul held information of their past.

He did not want him dead just yet.

"Did you check the security footage?" Adriano inquires. He looks blank as ever. It was hard for Anastasio to even read his expressions.

"No. There's nothing. Someone deliberately erased it. You know what I mean?" Adriano listens to him, feeling his jaw clenched tightly.

"There's a fucking rat present here!"

Adriano stands up from his chair and grabs his coat.

"Where are Anastasia and Arabella? Have you checked on them?" He asks while putting it on.

"I did. Both of them were sleeping when we returned." Anastasio states a little calm now.

"Call Matteo and Zeus. Tell them to stand outside Anastasia and Arabella's rooms. Their duties are to guard them until we return."

Anastasio nods while carefully listening to his brother.

"Was there any news on Ermanno and Father? When are they returning back from the business trip?"

Adriano asks while they make their way out of the office.

"Probably by tomorrow evening." Anastasio answers while calling their best men and Adriano himself went to check on his sisters in their rooms.

He first enters Arabella's room to found her sleeping soundly. But when he noticed the trail of tears rolling down her closed eyes, his brows furrows.

He crouches down in front of her and gently wipes her tears away. He places his hand on top of her head and feels that it was a little warm.

"M-mamma." She whimpers in her sleep.

Adriano says nothing but pats her head lightly until her whimpering stops and she falls into a deep sleep.

Next, he heads to Anastasia's room that was between Ermanno and Arabella's rooms.

He enters her room. His lips tilts up slightly at the sight of her being curled up under the blanket.

He was about to place his hand on her forehead but pauses as her eyes snaps open. She looks straight at him but her consciousness is still asleep.

A second later, she closes her eyes.

Andriano pats her head in a soothing manner. Then, he stands up and walks out of her room.

He heads downstairs. In the living room, Anastasio, Zeus and Matteo are present. Zeus had a cigarette dangling between his lips and he was as usually smoking.

First, Adriano turns his attention to his brother.

"Call Luna in the morning and tell her the first thing to check upon Arabella."

"Is everything ok?" Anastasio asks a little concerned.

"A little warm. Nothing to worry though."

Then, he directs his attention at Zeus and Matteo to give them usual instructions.

Both brothers walk out of their mansion in the dead of night.

"Where are we going?" Anastasio asks a little curious as his brother sits behind the wheel. He takes the passenger seat.

"Gray family Villa."

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

Anastasia wakes up in the morning. Surprisingly, last night she had no nightmare. Her shoulders feel light. After her 'talk' with Paul she feels much relieved now.

First, she pulls herself out of the bed and heads into the bathroom to start with her morning. A while later, with a fluffy towel wrapped around her small body, she walks into the closet.

She picks her clothes for the day, shivering with cold. The weather was starting to turn freezing cold. As she glances at the never ending lines of her clothes, a realization sinks in her mind.

She never had enough clothes to wear in winters and the clothes available to her were always no effective in protecting her from freezing to almost death. Dread pools in her stomach as the scene of her past plays in her mind. She tries to ignore it with a shake of her head.

Her eyes suddenly catches her reflection in the mirror and she bites her lip. Her body has started to put on a slight weight after following her new diet plan with the doctor her brothers recommended to her. Still she was so skinny and small unlike other girls.

Again, she shook her head to clear her thoughts with a mantra repetitively playing in her mind that she must not dwell in past any longer. She dresses up in a random shirt and a huge jacket over it, so she could protect herself from falling sick in cold, despite the heaters installed at every corner of her room. She paired it up with some extra warm leggings.

At last, after putting her shoes on, she walks out of the room. As she opens the door, her breath hitches in her throat at the sight of a buff man standing in front of her. A cigarette dangling between his lips and his stare bored into her wide eyes, observing her head to toe with scrutiny.

Anastasia did not know how to feel at the sight of some stranger standing outside her door.

Her shoulders hunches slightly in fear and he reads her body movements carefully as she almost cowers back.

"How can you even belong to this family? You really have no spine." He criticizes her.

Anastasia shrinks back even more.

"That blonde bimbo of your sister is better than you but from what I have observed, she's a bitch."

He takes a drag of his cigarette and crushes it under his foot before lighting up another one.

"Aren't you gonna answer? Do you not even have a tongue to speak?"

Anastasia flinches hard as he takes a step forward. She backs away from him two steps back, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

He freezes, like something clicks in his mind. He lets out a huff, full of exaggeration before reaching his huge, tattooed hand forward.

"Zeus."

Anastasia stares at his hand and then his eyes curiously. His eyes were blank as ever.

"Your brother have sent me here, so I could keep you company until he return."

She cautiously holds up her hand and wraps it around his hand with such tenderness like she was touching some fragile thing not a strong hand that could easily crush her throat.

Just like her brothers, his hand looks much bigger compared to her. Anastasia watches it a little fascinated. It had always occured to her that her brothers were really strong.

She never thought about it but her brothers were actually like comic book heroes. They saved her in a same way the heroes do.

"The cooks have prepared breakfast if you are ready to eat."

She quietly nods her head and follows him out.

They passes by another huge man who is standing in front of Arabella's room leaning against a wall and a huge book engulfed in his hands. Anastasia noticed his thick glasses framing his eyes.

"Ayo nerd. We headin' to kitchen."

Matteo lifts his gaze up from the book and puts up a thumbs up.

After eating breakfast, Anastasia heads into the living room with Zeus following her shadow silently. He was on his fourth cigarette already.

God forbid, his lungs would not be on the brink of death.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings. A maid goes to open the door and in comes Luna with a small smile on her face.

"Anastasia!" She smiles brightly at the sight of her niece.

Anastasia tries to smile back at her.

She had met her mother's both sisters that day almost a month ago. Her red hair similar like hers were not hard to miss. Zeus watches the interaction quietly.

Luna tells her the reason why was she here and soon passes by Zeus to walk upstairs to check upon Arabella.

"Umm."

Zeus looks down at Anastasia curiously as she extends a little note in front of him. He reads it thoroughly and lets out a small sigh.

"Fine. But I would have to ask your brother first."

She nods politely and plays with her fingers while he texts Anastasio.

A short while later, the reply finally comes and Anastasia watches him eagerly.

"Go put on some more warm clothes. It's freezing out there."

Anastasia almost springs up to her feet eagerly. She skips past him to head upstairs while he watches her back a little intrigued.

He pulls his wallet out and glances down at the picture in it. His usually stoic features softens as he caresses the picture softly.

If only things were rainbows and sunshines?!!?

Thanks for reading!

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I will see you again, Davina...💞