Third person's pov-

The door burst open, and the former Don of the Russian mafia stood before them. Despite his advanced age, he exuded an aura of vitality. His dark, calculating eyes scanned the room, locking onto Gabriella with an unnerving intensity. He froze, his gaze fixed on his granddaughter. "Avrora," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and longing.

Antonio instinctively raised his gun, his eyes narrowing as he took aim. He knew exactly who this man was, but where his sister's safety was concerned, he wouldn't hesitate to act. "Put your gun down, boy," Vladimir said calmly, his eyes still fixed on Gabriella. "I am your grandfather."

Antonio's grip on the gun tightened. "I don't care. If you're here to cause trouble, I suggest you leave. Now. Or I won't hesitate to pull the trigger." His voice was cold, detached.

Vladimir finally tore his gaze away from Gabriella, his eyes locking onto Antonio's. A small, enigmatic smile spread across his face as he regarded his grandson.

"You caused quite the stir before you were even born, boy," Vladimir said, his eyes clouding over with memories. "Your mother, my daughter, had to leave my house because of you." His voice was tinged with a mix of regret and resentment.

Antonio's face darkened. "What the fuck do you mean by that?!" he snapped, his finger inching closer to the trigger.

Gabriella intervened, her voice soft and soothing. "Tony, calm down. If he wanted to cause trouble, he would've done it already."

Vladimir's gaze lingered on Gabriella, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Just like my Avrora," he said, his eyes shining with affection.

Antonio's anger boiled over. "I asked you a fuckin' question!" he growled.

Vladimir's smile never wavered. "Put your gun away, and we'll talk, boy." He sounded amused, but his eyes betrayed a glimmer of steel.

After a tense moment, Antonio hesitantly lowered his gun. Vladimir sat down comfortably in the chair opposite Gabriella, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and caressed her hair softly, his expression a mix of nostalgia and longing. Gabriella reminded him so much of his beloved daughter.

Vladimir's gaze turned somber, his jaw ticking in annoyance. "I apologize for what Viktoria did to you," he said to Gabriella, his voice low and gravelly.

Gabriella's eyes locked onto Vladimir's, her voice barely above a whisper. "You knew?"

Vladimir's expression turned somber, his eyes clouding over with memories. "Yes, I did. I tried to stop Viktoria from acting foolishly, but she was consumed by her desire for revenge. After all, your brother here did murder her father." His voice was laced with a mix of sadness and regret as he continued to caress Gabriella's hair.

Antonio's face twisted in a snarl. "That's because that bastard tortured my siblings! He deserved to die, and I'd kill him over and over again if I had the chance." His voice was calm, but his eyes blazed with a fierce intensity.

Vladimir's gaze never wavered, his eyes boring into Antonio's. "There are two sides to every story, boy. Don't jump to conclusions based on what you were told or what you saw." His words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

Gabriella's brow furrowed, her eyes darting between Vladimir and Antonio. What did he mean by that?

Vladimir's expression turned contemplative, his eyes gazing into the past. "Let me tell you something, boy. Maxim loved his sister with every fiber of his being. Do you really believe he would try to hurt her children, whom he knows she loves so dearly?"

Antonio's face reddened, his voice rising in annoyance. "My siblings would never lie!"

Vladimir's eyes never left Antonio's face. "I never said they lied, boy. But remember, sometimes things aren't always as they seem." His words dripped with an air of mystery, leaving Antonio and Gabriella wondering what secrets he might be hiding.

Gabriella's eyes narrowed, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice firm but controlled.

Vladimir shrugged, his expression enigmatic. "It's a very long story."

Antonio sneered, his patience wearing thin. "We have time. Talk."

Vladimir's gaze swept across the room, his eyes lingering on each face before responding. "The entire family needs to be present for that. And by that, I mean all of your brothers. No one else."

Antonio's eyes narrowed, a warning glinting in their depths. "You better not say anything that will upset any of them."

With a curt nod, Antonio excused himself to call in the others, "Get in here, all of you!"

The room fell silent as the brothers filed in, their faces a mixture of curiosity and wariness. They exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes eventually settling on Vladimir.

Xavier spoke up, his voice laced with shock. "It's...the man from the picture, our grandfather?"

Xander snorted, rolling his eyes. "He's not our grandfather. He's just Emilia's father."

Matteo asked, his expression thoughtful, "Why is he here? Why now?"

Antonio motioned for Vladimir to begin, his eyes never leaving the older man's face. "That's what I called you all in for. He's got a story to tell."

"Twenty-seven years ago, your mother came to me, pregnant with the Italian bastard's child." Vladimir's voice was measured, but a hint of disdain crept into his tone.

Stephano's eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step forward, his fists clenched. "Watch your damn mouth, our padre isn't a bastard!"

Vladimir's expression remained calm. "My apologies. Anyway, your mother told me she was pregnant, and the father didn't know yet. My father told me to turn my back on her, disown her and the child in her stomach. I didn't want to, I was willing to fight till the very end, but your mother has always been a selfless person. She said she'd leave for the sake of our mafia, our family." Vladimir's gaze swept across the room, his eyes locking onto each face.

The room was silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the siblings.

Vladimir's expression turned somber. "I want to clear up a misunderstanding regarding my son, Maxim."

The brothers exchanged uneasy glances, their faces rigid with tension. The twins and Matteo looked particularly uncomfortable.

Domenico's voice was low and menacing. "What misunderstanding? You're going to say that bastard didn't hurt our siblings?!"

Vladimir's eyes never wavered. "Maxim never wanted to hurt any of them. He loved them just as much as he loved his little sister."

Xander's face twisted in anger. "He didn't love us, that bastard tortured us!" he yelled.

Vladimir's expression remained calm. "Maxim was forced to do those terrible things."

Gabriella's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Vladimir looked around the room. "My father was behind it all. He took Viktoria and Maxim's pregnant wife, and used them to make Maxim do what he wanted."

The room was silent, the brothers looking at each other in shock.

Matteo whispered, "Why would your father do that?"

Vladimir's expression turned sad. "He wanted to hurt your family because he hated your father. Maxim didn't want to hurt you, but he had no choice."

Vladimir's eyes filled with sorrow. "Maxim was forced to hurt your family, but he secretly left clues for Antonio to find your brothers. When my father found out, he was enraged and killed Maxim's wife and unborn child."

The room fell silent, the brothers exchanging stunned glances.

Vladimir's voice was heavy with regret. "I took revenge on my father, killing him with my own hands. But in the end, Antonio killed Maxim, an innocent man. This fueled Viktoria's desire for revenge."

The brothers sat in stunned silence, struggling to process the shocking truth.

Alessandro broke the silence. "Why show up now?"

Vladimir's eyes locked onto Gabriella, filled with love and concern. "When I learned my granddaughter was in danger, I had to act. I couldn't stay hidden anymore." He gently stroked Gabriella's hair.

Vladimir's expression turned serious. "And now, the Russian mafia needs a new leader."

Domenico shook his head. "Antonio can't take over the Russian mafia. We don't consider you Russians part of our family, and Antonio already runs two mafias."

Vladimir's expression remained calm. "I wasn't thinking of Antonio."

Xavier's brow furrowed in confusion. "Then who?"

Vladimir's eyes locked onto Gabriella. "She will be the heir to the Russian mafia."

Antonio's voice was firm. "No way in hell."

Vladimir held up a hand, his voice calm. "That's not up for you to decide. It's Gabriella's decision, and hers alone."

Xander cut in, "She refuses."

Antonio's glare intensified. "She's just a child! Leave my sister out of your mess."

Vladimir's expression remained unruffled. "There's no rush for her to take over. I'll handle it until she turns eighteen, and then I'll hand it over to her."

Domenico's face twisted in a scowl. "No, you won't. Ask anyone else to rule your stupid mafia, but leave her out of this. Understand?"

Vladimir's gaze remained calm, but a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "Why don't you ask her what she wants?" he asked, looking down at Gabriella.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered up, her gaze locking onto Vladimir's. She seemed lost in thought, her expression unreadable.

Vladimir's eyes never left hers, his expression softening. "Gabriella, do you want to be the leader of the Russian mafia?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

The room fell silent, all eyes on Gabriella as they waited for her response.

"I don't know," Gabriella whispered, her voice barely audible. "I need time to think it through."

Her head throbbed with pain, the weight of recent revelations still bearing down on her. Exhaustion etched her features, and the conversation was clearly taking a toll.

Leonardo's eyes narrowed, concern etched on his face. "We're stressing her out. Let's give her some space to rest."

Vladimir's gaze lingered on Gabriella's fragile form, his expression softening. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he murmured, his lips brushing against her forehead in a gentle kiss.

With a final glance around the room, Vladimir turned and left, leaving the brothers to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Are you actually considering what he said Gabriella?" Alessandro asked as he saw her staring into space.

"I don't know, I still have a few years till I turn eighteen, that's plenty of time to decide" she said after some time.

"Do any of you want a relationship with him?" Antonio asked suddenly.

"What do you mean Tony?" Stephano asked.

"I want to know if any of you want a relationship with him, get to know him as your grandfather. Because if you do, I won't stop you" he said.

"What about you?" Xander asked.

"I killed his son. I highly doubt he'd want a relationship with me" Antonio said with a shrug.

"It wouldn't hurt to get to know him" Matteo said softly.

"I don't want to" Xander said, a look of disdain etched on his face.

"Do you feel okay bambina?. You look pale" Antonio asked as he stared down at Gabriella.

"I'm just tired" she mumbled weakly as she closed her eyes.

"We should leave, she needs rest" Domenico said.

They all hesitantly left her alone to rest. None of them could sleep peacefully that night, each mind occupied by the revelation.

______________________________________ Hey guys,

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Tell me what you think in the comment section

There is just one more chapter till this book officially ends and I'll immediately begin with the sequel. But as I've said before, it will only be posted next year. I'll let you guys know the exact date next year

Please help this book reach more audience by sharing and recommending to your friends please. Help this book reach 600k reads before the year ends

Please don't forget to vote and comment. That'll be all for now, have a good day/ night