As I entered the house, I marched straight to Antonio's office and knocked. After a brief pause, I heard a curt "Come in." I stepped inside to find Ales and Dom already seated with Antonio.

"How was your day at school, bambina?" Ales asked, his tone gentle.

"It was okay," I replied. "I need to tell you something."

Antonio's curiosity was piqued, his head cocked to the side. "Sit," he said, gesturing to the plush sofa.

I settled in, and they all turned to face me.

"I spoke with Alessio today," I began.

Antonio's expression turned quizzical. "Who?"

I sighed, expecting this reaction. "Alessio, the guy who warned me I'm in danger."

Comprehension dawned on Dom's face. "Oh, that one. What did he say?"

"Alessio's brother is the Don of the Spanish mafia," I revealed. "Someone wants to hire an assassin from their mafia to take me out."

The room fell silent, tension palpable.

"Is Alessio a Satori?" Antonio asked, his eyes clouded with a mix of emotions.

"Yes," I confirmed. "He offered to help."

Ales leaned forward, intrigued. "How?"

"Alessio said he'd speak with his brother, and he's willing to assist," I explained.

"We don't need their help," Tony said, his jaw set, eyes narrowed.

I stared, incredulous. "How can you say that?" My voice trembled with frustration.

Tony's expression remained unyielding. "We can handle this on our own, bambina. We don't need to involve others, especially the Spanish mafia."

"But I thought they were your allies?" I asked, confusion etched on my face.

"They are," Tony acknowledged, his deep voice firm. "But we don't involve them in personal matters like this."

The office fell silent, the tension between us palpable. I fidgeted with my hands, anxiety building.

"But—" I began.

Tony's sharp tone cut me off. "Bambina, that's enough. We'll find a way to sort this out on our own."

I pressed my lips together, irritation simmering. "Fine," I said curtly, turning to walk away.

As I left, the soft hum of the air conditioner and muffled voices faded into the background. My mind whirled with questions. If the Spanish mafia could help, why didn't Tony want them to? This wasn't about pride; we needed all the help we could get

I settled into my favorite armchair in my room, lost in the pages of my book, when Matteo and Xavier burst into my room.

"You could at least knock," I said, my expression flat.

Their mischievous grins faltered for a moment before they chimed in unison, "Want to have some fun?"

Their sparkling eyes made me wary. "What kind of fun?" I asked, skepticism lacing my tone.

Xavier leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. "We're going to prank Antonio."

My eyes widened in alarm. "Are you insane? He'll ground you for life!"

I slammed my book shut, my gaze stern. "I'm not participating in this. I never saw you two, we never had this conversation."

I turned back to my book, ignoring their persistent giggles. Matteo and Xavier exchanged a look, their faces still aglow with mischief.

"Come on, bambina, don't be boring," Matteo coaxed, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Imagine Antonio's face when we pull it off."

"I know exactly how he'll react," I said dryly, not lifting my gaze from my book, "and I want no part of it."

Xavier chimed in, his voice persuasive. "Just this one time. Lighten up, it'll be fun." Matteo nodded enthusiastically, his grin infectious.

I sighed, marking my page before setting my book aside. "What exactly do you want to do?" I asked, eyeing them warily.

Matteo and Xavier exchanged a knowing glance, their faces breaking into synchronized chuckles

I shook my head, a resigned smile creeping onto my face. These two are definitely going to get grounded for life.

"You'll see," Matteo and Xavier said in unison, their sly grins hinting at mischief. They left my room, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Antonio being pranked.

Dinner arrived quickly, and we gathered around the table. The meal began quietly, until Antonio let out a sudden, stifled cough. His face flushed, he took a deep breath and reached for his water glass. Another cough racked his body, drawing everyone's attention.

I glanced at Matteo and Xavier, their faces struggling to contain smothered smiles.

"What's wrong?" Dom asked, concern etched on his face.

"It's really spicy," Tony said, gulping down his water.

"Spicy? How's that possible? I made it myself, and it tastes fine," Emilio said, taking another bite of his food.

Ales, however, took one bite of Antonio's dish and his eyes widened. "Fuck, that's spicy!" he exclaimed, hastily grabbing his water glass.

"But—" Emilio began.

"It's fine, Emilio," Tony interrupted, rising from his seat and storming upstairs.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?!" Tony's enraged voice boomed from upstairs. We rushed to his door, finding him drenched and fuming.

"Which of you little brats did this?!" he thundered.

"What happened?" Xander asked, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

"Someone hung a water-filled balloon on my door. When I opened it, the balloon fell on me," Tony growled.

"Who did this?" Dom demanded, his gaze scanning us sternly.

"I just returned from Pedro's. It couldn't be me," Stephano said.

"Bambina?" Ales asked.

"I didn't do anything," I replied flatly.

"I'll find out who did this," Tony vowed, his eyes burning with anger, "and when I do, I'll deal with them personally."

This is exactly why I didn't want to get involved in their prank. I mean they could prank literally anyone else in the house and get away with it but Tony? Nah they're cooked

Morning arrived quickly. I got ready for school and headed downstairs to eat. Matteo and Xavier were surprisingly early, which raised my suspicions. They're usually the last to rise.

As everyone gathered at the dining table, Antonio sat on his chair, which promptly gave way beneath him. He fell to the ground with a thud. I gasped in surprise and rushed to help him up.

Matteo and Xavier wore stupid smirks, confirming my suspicions. Do they want to die? That's exactly what will happen if they continue these pranks.

Antonio's jaw clenched in anger, but he accepted my help. His gaze swept the room, danger flashing in his eyes.

"I give you one minute to come out and confess. If I find you on my own, I will seriously-"

"Calm down, Antonio," Ales interrupted. "You can't threaten our younger siblings."

"Yet they get to behave like absolute brats and disrespect me and I'm expected to just take it?!" Antonio's voice rose in indignation

"Calm down," Ales said. "Whoever did this, I suggest you start talking right now."

I glanced at Matteo and Xavier, seeing fear in their eyes. I almost laughed. I had warned them.

"We have to get to school," Xavier said, attempting to deflect.

Antonio's gaze locked onto him. "None of you are leaving this house until one of you tells me who did this." His voice was surprisingly calm, a stark contrast to his previous outburst.

Matteo exchanged fearful glances with Xavier. Their guilt was glaringly evident, making it almost amusing.

"Oh my fuckin' gosh, Matteo and Xavier did it. Can we go now?" Stephano said, his bluntness catching the duo off guard.

"We did not!" they protested in unison.

"Your behavior says otherwise," Stephano replied matter-of-factly.

"Did you two do this?" Antonio asked, folding his arms.

Matteo shrugged, pouting. "We were just trying to have some fun."

Antonio's face darkened. "Fun? How is ruining my appetite, drenching me with water, and messing up my chair fun?!"

Xavier stepped forward. "We're sorry."

Ales intervened. "Antonio, let them go for now. They're getting late, and we have a meeting to attend. We'll discuss this later."

Antonio's expression remained stern. "You're both grounded indefinitely. I expect all your devices and games on my table when you get back. You're both on dish and laundry duties."

"We're sorry Tony" Xavier said but Antonio didn't look like he would budge

"Get going" Tony said coldly and barged out of the house

I stared at the two with a tiny smile on my face. Classic family drama

______________________________________ Hey guys,

Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been really busy

I hope you like this chapter, let me know what you think about it in the comment section

Also do you guys want me to split the book in two? Make a sequel? Or you prefer one long book?

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