ok so I just vanished for so many days I get it and after this chapter, I will vanish again as exams are a curse. I feel like the living dead. so sorry let us ignore the fact that I didn't even check this book out for 10 days or something. this will be my last update for this month (probably) I am still not done with exams. long chapter to make up for my absence.

Isabella's pov:

How dare he I will deal with him right now. what I can't understand is Maximo who has been nothing but a jerk to me suddenly turned so overprotective of me. the day I understand this family will be the day the sun rises in the west. I will find out about his problem later let me deal with that insolent boy first.

"do I know you?" I ask the boy who was smiling like a jerk I wanted to slap him so hard that he would end up falling at my feet.

"of course not but we can get to know each other baby," he said with a smirk.

"Sure we can," I say slightly removing my jacket, revealing the lower part of my pistol Beretta 92. "do you want to now?" I ask with a cruel smile.

"W..what? n..no, of course not you are like my sister, my younger sister," he says nervously standing up with his friends. "consider me your brother," he says fearfully almost running away in his fear.

As I return to the table my brothers look suspiciously at me.

" What did you say to the boy that he looked like he was going to piss in his pants?" asks Leonardo doubtfully.

"oh nothing important," I said uninterestedly.

"well, can we leave now?" I ask feeling uncomfortable with Victor's stare. he was staring at me as though I were a puzzle he was not able to solve. well, I was trained by the Bratva. they all stand and pick up my bags even before I could touch them.

"what are we there for cissy?" asks Romeo with a smile.

"to irritate me" I mutter under my breath taking care that they do not hear me but as usual I underestimated Victor.

"Isn't that a brother's duty? he asks

I kept quiet as I had no wish to insult my eldest brother in public.

the ride back was completely silent other than Romeo and Giovanni arguing about whether homework is necessary or not. As soon as we reached I jumped out making a beeline for my room but was stopped by Leonardo. the atmosphere in the car is tense and uncomfortable. My brothers are mostly silent, lost in their own thoughts, while I steal glances at, who is staring out of the window with a blank expression on her face.

I can't help but wonder what's going through her mind. She's still an enigma to me, and I'm not sure if I'll ever truly understand her. But I know that I want to try.

"What?" why couldn't they just leave me alone? why?

"Maximo will take these things to your room"

"Why the fucking hell should I do it?"

"I am capable of doing it myself"

"it was not a request Max do it," said Victor in a tone that caused Maximo to pick up the bags and march up to my room. I sigh and follow him upstairs.

"do you want anything else?" he snaps at me in anger.

"what problem do you have against me from the first day I came here you hated me what did I do to you? I genuinely want to know" I ask sincerely. I was sick and tired of his attitude towards me.

"my problem?" he scoffed. "you want to know my problem? then hear it you were away from us for so many years and now you suddenly come into our lives again. why did mom take you away? why did you get to spend so much time with her? because of you dad died of grief, and because of you victor was forced to handle the family business and becomes our guardian at a young age. you just destroyed our family and now you come waltzing back into our lives and ask me what's wrong? not to mention you don't care about us and you are so cold and closed of for no fucking reason. why are you even still here?" he bursts out in anger. a few tears rolled down his cheeks after his outburst and on the other hand, I was angry and shocked. how dare he say that our dad who I don't even remember dies because of me. how dare he accuse me of things I am not even responsible for? there is a limit to everything in the world, especially my patience.

"How dare you? do you think I chose to leave, to come back to suffer? the decision for me to leave was our mother's, and the decision for me to come back was our brothers did anyone ever care about my wishes? I was just a few years old when I left do you feel that I destroyed this family? me who was a baby at that time? you accuse me of not caring about you, why should I have you behaved like a brother to me? the day I went out with you, you called me an orphan quite comical coming from you who is also an orphan. I am done with you. I hate you all. I wish I never had any brothers." I shouted in fury my chest was heaving at this point. and my eyes were red due to the tears flowing from my eyes.

"Isabella?"

shit. what the hell? they heard me. Oh god, what did I do? I can't stay in this fucking room for one more moment. it's just too suffocating. I rush out of the room at unbelievable speed. I knew I couldn't leave the house so I just run to the garden. my tears were not stopping at all. I should never have tried to get close to them. I should never have trusted them, never.

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romano POV:

All of us were standing stunned. we all felt as though our hearts were being ripped out from our chests.

wh...What happened here, Maximo? why was she crying did you say something to her? Leonardo asked as soon as he regained his senses.

"Maximo?"

victor advanced across the room in seconds wrapping his arms around Maximo and bringing Maximo's forehead against his chest who was crying with his eyes shut shocking us all. the last time he cried like this was at dad's funeral. What the hell happened here?

"leave" Victor ordered with finality in his tone.

"but"

"now" there was no chance of defying him.

" romano go and check on Isabella she didn't leave the house as the guards didn't alert us. it seems she is in the garden" he says checking his phone. he just walks away after that

"Sure"

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Maximo's POV:

"I am so sorry victor so fucking sorry victor forgive me please," I begged my hands around him tightening. I could feel his coat getting wet due to my tears.

"what happened? it doesn't matter we can fix it" he says trying his best to comfort me

I shook my head more tears flowed from my eyes.at this rate, his coat would be drenched due to my tears. "you will hate me, how could I say all that to her"

"What should I say to make you believe me? I promise whatever it is I won't get angry, please tell me what happened." "it's okay" He whispered as my cries grew louder and heavier "it's okay there is no problem we can't solve," he says rubbing my back and trying his best to comfort me. I just shake my head and weep even more strongly making him even more concerned.

I didn't even have time to open my eyes when I was jerked back and victor's hands were holding my shoulder tightly forcing me to open my eyes. "look at me focus on me max" he pleaded causing me to look into his eyes.

"What happened?" this time his voice held command, strength and anger.

I...I said things I shouldn't have said to Bella.

" ok..what did you say to her that caused her to not want any brothers," he asked slightly worried about the answer.

" I...I accused Bella of killing our father, destroying this family and taking mom away from us" I said weeping. To say victor was shocked would be an understatement. "d...did you say all that to her? Maximo!"

"I am sorry. so sorry brother "

By now I had fallen to my knees in shame.

he kneeled and placed his hands on my shoulder his eyes softening. "let it out, let it out, everything." tell me why did you do this?"

"when mom left my heart broke that she didn't care about any of us only her daughter it was as though she didn't have any other children. why her brother? why her? why is she back now? our lives were destroyed because of her how can you all accept her? " I ask tired of hiding my actual feelings.

" Maximo I get it you were very close to Mom when she left your heart broke and when she took Bella she destroyed you, I get it. you and Bella might not remember completely but I remember you both were attached to the hip you both were inseparable just like how you are with Romano your twin. whatever happened years ago was not her fault it was our mother's she also suffered like us she was just an innocent baby when all this happened. now when your sister returned you were an asshole to her just because you were jealous. jealous that she got our mother but didn't you get our grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and all your brother's love also which she didn't get for years? She didn't even get to see our younger cousins so why are you jealous? I think the real reason is not that you are jealous but that you are afraid she will leave us and go away again. you can't handle losing her a second time can you?"

his words made me realise what the hell I just did. Mom would have been so disappointed by my actions . "what did I do brother? she will never forgive me"

As I continued to weep, Victor gently rubbed my back, offering comfort and reassurance. victor knew that his brother had been holding onto a lot of pain and resentment, and it was finally coming to the surface.

"Max, I understand that you're hurting," Victor said softly. "But you need to realize that blaming Bella for things that were beyond her control is not the answer. It's not fair to her, and it's not fair to you either. We need to work through this as a family, together."

I nodded, tears still streaming down my face. I knew that Victor was right, but it was hard to let go of the anger and hurt that had been building up inside of me for so long.

"Tell me what you're feeling," Victor urged. "Let it all out. No judgments, no anger. Just be honest with me."

And so I did. I poured out my heart to my brother, telling him about the pain I had felt when our mother left, the jealousy I had felt towards Bella when she returned, and the anger that had fueled my outburst.

Victor listened patiently, his hand still resting on my back. When I was finished, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"I understand where you're coming from. I really do. But you need to understand that Bella is not the enemy here. She's our sister, and we need to support her just like we support each other. We can't change the past, but we can work towards a better future. And that means letting go of the anger and resentment that's been holding us back."

I wiped my tears and looked at my brother, feeling a sense of gratitude and love wash over me. "You're right, Vicky," I said, smiling for the first time in what felt like ages. "I'll do my best to make things right with Bella. And thank you for being here for me. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Forgiveness is something to be earned not given max," he says sighing. "try and earn it and if I am right Romano would have gone to talk to her. It will be difficult but you can earn her forgiveness "

"I will try my best Vicky"

"stop calling me that," he says groaning "And wipe your tears and go talk to her."

I just smile at him, what would we have done without Victor in our lives?

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Should she forgive him or should she beat him up? I am not sure myself

and as I said I am going to vanish for a long time soo byeeeeeeee.