A day later, Anastasia found herself on the way to the Crimson family mansion with her father and rest of the brothers. Arabella blatantly refused saying that she had no interest. However, Anastasia was excited. Her best friend had especially invited her so lovingly.

At the party, strange things happened. Anastasia was worried about Nora but she seemed to be doing ok.

Anastasia looks up feeling eyes on her. Her eyes makes contact with Lucifer who's looking in her and Nora's direction. As both of them make eye contact, he scoffs in annoyance.

Feeling her mood damper, she hugs herself. At the same moment, Allesandro announces that it is time to go home.

Upon reaching their home, Anastasia quickly rushes upstairs but to her luck, she meets Arabella who is coming out of her room.

Miraculously, Arabella ignores her and walks away.

Waking up in the morning, Anastasia dresses up and walks downstairs. All this while, her mind was on the times she was living with Paul. Always in fear, starving and beaten. Her soul shudders remembering those things.

She does not realize that a person is standing in front of her and accidentally collides into them.

Looking up, she finds Giovanni standing in front of her.

"What's wrong Ana?" Her cheeks heats in embarrassment. She is so clumsy.

Out of nowhere, Giovanni places his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"Is something wrong?" He asks, noticing the traces of unshed tears in her eyes.

"Umm n-no. I was just thinking." She answers shyly.

"If you want to tell me what is troubling you, you can always tell us. Alright?"

Anastasia realizes from his words that he was not just talking about himself but the whole family. They are here for her.

A smile forms on her lips.

"I will, Gio."

He almost smiles as she calls him by his nickname and the way she sounded was just so adorable.

"Let's eat breakfast. Others are already present in the dining room." He says, leading her in the direction of double doors.

Anastasia's heart warms as everyone except Arabella greeted her.

As they were eating, their father announced that he and their brothers are leaving for a important meeting. That left Arabella and Anastasia in Matteo and Zeus's care.

"Can you please take me with you, dad?" Arabella asks, her voice small and soft.

Allesandro's eyes softens. He knows that she is scared that Isabella might attack her again. Him and Arabella had a long talk two days ago where she cried confessing everything to him.

How her mother plotted everything in front of her eyes. Anastasia was kidnapped in front of her eyes too but she never said a word. Allesandro was furious but never angry at Arabella nor did he blame her. She was just a child and under her own mother's evil influence.

"The place where we are going is dangerous, love. You will be more safer here." Allesandro speaks to her lovingly.

Only Adriano and Giovanni knows about this truth but they are not planning to tell it to rest of their siblings. It does not even matter now.

Arabella reluctantly agrees.

"I will bring you something on the way back." Anastasio taps Anastasia's shoulder.

She looks up at him and smiles matching his grin. Stefano lets out a quiet humm and leans back on his chair. His eyes watching his family one by one and lastly, stops at Ermanno who is quietly watching his twin Anastasia and Stefano's own twin Anastasio talking to each other.

"Ayy Emo!" Stefano calls him.

Ermanno glares at him.

"What do you want?"

"Don't you feel like our twins are supposed to be sharing strong bond with us? It is all opposite here."

Ermanno does not want to but could not help but agrees.

Stefano is right.

Anastasia giggles at Anastasio's odd 'dad' joke.

Anastasio pauses for a moment staring at her with shock like she is the most adorable creature of this planet.

Not only him but others heard it too.

Arabella rolls her eyes irritated while her father and brothers looks at Anastasia laughing openly and clutching her ribs. They all smile, few showed it on their faces. It was the first time ever they heard her laughing since long 13 years.

Ermanno is jealous that Anastasio and Anastasia are so close to each other, just like their names, but he is content seeing her smiling and laughing.

Apparently, Allesandro noticed this same thing too and remembered the time when his wife Angelina announced in front of him and his sons that she was having twins.

**********************Flashback

Eleven years old Anastasio and Stefano cornered their father with a adorable threatening look on their faces.

"You mean to tell us that you made mamma look fat!" Anastasio glared.

Allesandro chuckled looking in Angelina's direction who was having a difficulty holding her laugh. He counted till three and soon she started laughing. Her hand was on her little round tummy.

"Yes-- yess it is his fault." She blamed Allesandro between her laughs.

"But why are you laughing?" Stefano huffed with annoyance which looked nothing but endearing to his father and mother's eyes.

"But why did you do that? You know it is your fault that she is always sick." Anastasio points out the main concern.

At the same moment, a 18 year old Adriano and a 15 year old Giovanni entered the scene. Giovanni looked at their brothers and parents curiously.

"What's happening, everyone?"

"Big brother Rio and Gio." Anastasio ran up to them.

Adriano ruffled his hair and after him, Giovanni hit his head lightly.

"Don't call me that brat!"

"Hey! Who do you think you are calling my twin 'brat', you big gorilla?!" Stefano spat out angrily and lunged at him.

Giovanni stared uncaring while Adriano helped his mother to the couch who was suddenly feeling exhausted due to the whole laughing.

Allesandro held Stefano mid-air as he thrashed around making killing motions at Giovanni.

Anastasio ran to his mother and sat down beside her watching the whole drama while Adriano stood behind them, watching them with a faint trace of smile on his face.

"Alright alright alright! You all should calm down now!" Their mother's stern voice instantly paused Giovanni and Stefano's bickering.

"Now all attention on me! You too Mr. Romano!" Hearing these words, Allesandro straightened up and looked at her.

"What did I do, Angelina?"

"Well it is all your fault." Angelina glared at him pointing at her stomach.

Allesandro paled at the sight of her glare.

"Yes dear. I take the blame."

"*cough* whipped *cough*." Giovanni and Stefano mumbled together under their breath but not too loud so their mother or father could hear. They didn't even hear each other.

"Now as we all are calm, I would like to announce a good news to you all." Angelina said.

Adriano, Giovanni and Allesandro having known about it, didn't react. They just simply listened.

"You three should pay attention too, ya know?!" Angelina huffed, crossing her arms.

"We are listening mother." Adriano said for his father and brother.

"Well, Stefano and Anastasio, you are going to become big brothers soon."

Stefano's jaw dropped and Anastasio beamed happily.

"Really mamma?"

"Well yes."

"Another brother? That's boring." Stefano said annoyed.

Angelina raised her brow at him. He paled and said instantly.

"That's a wonderful news, mother!"

"Now, there are two things more that I would like to share with you all."

This got everyone's attention.

Angelina looked at Allesandro's confused face and smiled brightly.

"We are having twins again."

"Nothing interesting. I bet they will be like these tw--"

"One of them is a girl." Angelina sharply but gently cut off Giovanni's words.

Allesandro paled all together.

Even Adriano blinked at the news.

"A-a g-girl?" Allesandro stammered for the second time in front of his wife. First time he stuttered when he met her for the first time.

"Girl ehh? But I have heard from my friends that their little sisters are annoying and brats." Stefano voiced out his concern.

Giovanni slapped the back of his head lightly.

"Not our sister." He corrected him.

"Yeah. I think our sister will be the most precious person. I won't let her become a brat." Anastasio stated loudly and seriously.

"Dad. I need to start training as soon as possible. I want to protect her and become someone on whom she can rely on and trust with her protection." Anastasio looked at his father, wiping all childishness away and mustering a seriousness no-one knew that he ever had.

Stefano stared at him wide-eyed.

"Me too!" He exclaimed loudly. He should not let his twin take all the limelight.

Angelina smiled a teary-eyed proud smile. Adriano placed his hand on her mother's shoulder.

"What about names, mother, father?" Giovanni diverted the attention to their parents.

"When we got to know that I'm pregnant. We kind of thought 'Ermanno' name. But we didn't know that there will be twins and a girl on top of that. Now we just need to select your baby sister's name." Angelina told them.

"Hmm. How about Steffany? It will be like my name." Stefano suggested.

"That's not fair!" Anastasio glared at him.

"Hmm. I think this is a good idea. We should base her name on your names guys." Angelina clapped her hands.

She made her sons stand in front of her and Allesandro in proper line.

"So, from Adriano's name. We can name her Adriana." She squealed hugging Allesandro's arm.

"Calm down, love. Don't get too excited just now." Allesandro placed his arm around her waist.

"From Giovanni's name, Giovanna. Stefano- Stefania or Steffany as he suggested and in last Anastasio-- Anastasia." She smiled.

"Now you four play rock paper scissor."

Stefano and Giovanni groaned at their mother's demand but Adriano and Anastasio obeyed wordlessly.

Anastasio had the odd one sign out of them.

"Oh man! Can we do it again?" Stefano pleaded to his mother.

"No my darling. It was just one time thing." Angelina kissed his forehead.

"So Anastasia. Is it? I like the sound of it." Adriano said showing a rare hint of smile on his face.

"Yup!" Angelina exclaimed happily and looked at Anastasio who was still shocked that he actually won.

Allesandro placed his hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I will become the best big brother dad! Just you see!"

Thus, the arguing started again from this precious statement.

Thanks for reading!

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I will see you again, Davina...💞