Athaliah Kensington's Pov.



I am feeling nervous. And I haven't felt that in a long time. Last week when we decided to dad over dinner, he couldn't come due to some prior engagements. But he is coming today.

And I am excited. I haven't met him since last time he came here. I am missing him a lot.

We all are sitting in the living room. All the Kensington brothers are sprawled on the sofa beside me, doing God knows what. I am not even paying attention to him. All my attention is on the text that I am sending dad to come fast.

The doorbell rang and I sprinted out of the living room for the door. As soon as dad stepped in, I tackled him in a tight hug. He chuckled.

"How is my junior doing?"

"Okay, because you are here now."

We broke the hug when we heard footsteps of the Kensington brothers. I moved aside for them to greet.

"Hello, Mr. Valkryie." Aldric shook hands with dad.

Dad returned the gesture and nodded his head.

"Thank you for coming." Ezekiel said.

"Of Course. I had to come to see my daughter." Dad said and turned towards me,

"How are your injuries?"

"I am perfectly fine. That doctor just made a deal out of nothing. I am telling you, that doctor just wanted to extract money from us." I huffed.

"Sure. You know more than a doctor who holds degrees and experience more than your age." Zephyrus remarked.

I gave him a side eye, and ignoring him, I let dad walk into the living room.

"So, how's the school going?" Dad asked.

"Besides teaching some animals a little humanity, everything seems well." I shrugged.

Dad gave me a proud smile.

"That, I expected." Dad said.

Aldric cleared his throat and said,

"I wanted to thank you, Mr. Valkryie. For taking care of my sister. She told us some.....things that you helped her with. I will always be grateful for that."

"Whatever I did, I did it for my daughter. You don't need to thank me." Dad said, becoming serious.

"He's thanking you because she is our sister. Might I add, our blood sister." Reuben said.

"She is as much as a daughter to me as much as she is a sister to you, boy." Dad replied.

"Not a blood one." Reuben said.

I don't understand him. I thought he wanted to be in my good books. However, talking to dad like that, he is scoring no points.

Dad didn't reply to his stupid jab.

It was silence for a few minutes until I decided to cut the tension,

"So, let's go. Eat something. I am starving."

Dad chuckled,

"Sure, young lady."

We all went to the dining table. Dad sat beside me, so Zephyrus had to shift his seat.

"How's work going, Mr. Valkryie?" Zephyrus asked.

Everyone in this room knows that a few years ago, dad's mafia was not stable. He had to lay low. But only a few know that he has his heir on the position now.

What nobody knows is that the heir is me.

"It's going good." Dad replied. "Flourishing even."

Dad didn't lie when he said that. In between my hunt for Kiril Stanislav, I had brought dad's mafia to a better level. But nobody knows how that's happening.

"That's good. How's your son doing?" Reuben asked.

That means me. Most people think that dad has a son as a heir for his position. Nobody thinks a women can do it.

"In great position." Dad replied vaguely.

"I hope your wife's health is better now. Athaliah told us she couldn't come because she is not well." Ezekiel said.

"She is good. But she doesn't like social gatherings."

That's true. Ever since that incident, mom cannot stand a lot of people. She feels uncomfortable among people.

"But she will meet you guys. Soon." Dad added.

I looked at him.

Someone cleared their throat.

"Sir, would you like to have some fish?" Kaelen asked, respectfully.

Well, he is the only one who is a little more bearable than the rest of our brothers.

Dad chuckled and said,

"Quit the formalities, boy. You can call me by my first name. And no, I am allergic to fish."

"Wow. Even Athaliah is allergic to it." Kaelen said.

"A daughter takes a lot of things from her father." Dad laughed softly and remarked.

"She is not—"

"Reuben, that's enough." Aldric cut Reuben's yelling.

"Bu—"

"It's okay, Reuben. She is like a daughter to him." Ezekiel interrupted.

"There is a difference between 'like' and 'actual'." Reuben said.

"You really want to fight with me on that." I said, "Because last time I checked we all know what 'actual' blood relatives did to me."

A look of hurt flashed across Reuben's face.

"Liah—"

"No. If you are going to insult my dad at every chance you get, you are not up for any forgiveness from me."

Reuben remained quiet.

"It is not like that, cupcake. My twin is a dick—sorry for my wording but he thinks that Mr. Valkryie is going to take you away from us." Royce defended his twin.

"I know." Dad paused, "I know how it feels when someone takes away the thing that you cherish the most. But believe me, boy, I am not going to take her away. Unless if that's what she wanted."

"I am not a thing." I said with an ugly face.

"That is not the point. The point is that if she has given you a chance to earn your forgiveness then do it the right way. I am not going to take away that chance from you." Dad said.

Nobody spoke after that.

"So, can you tell us what was Athaliah like when she was with you? I mean, we had missed some of her teenage years. And I would love to have a peak in it." Kaelen said with curiosity in his eyes.

"I was like a normal teenage girl. I had a lot on my plate that's why I used to follow whatever my elders said." I said with a shrug.

"That must have been the whitest lie you have ever told." Dad said.

"What? I followed your every word." I said.

"Bambina, even if Mr. Valkryie hadn't said anything, we would know you would not have been obedient." Zephyrus decided to pour his beliefs.

"You wouldn't know." I scoffed.

"Now, I shall lay the truth, gentlemen." Dad said.

"There is a presence of a lady." I raised my hand.

"I will consider you in the gentlemen's category." Dad said.

I looked at him in disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that. You used to act like one."

I snickered.

"How so?" Royce asked.

"One time, she walked into the living room wearing an oversized hoodie that practically swallowed her, paired with baggy sweatpants. She adjusted the hat she's wearing—one that's way too big—and pulls it low, trying her best to look "cool" in that casual, no-care way teenage boys often do."

Everybody was way too interested in this embarrassing act of mine. Every ear was on dad's words.

"However, when she took one step forward in the living room, she fell face front on the floor." Dad said while chuckling.

"That's not it. Then to save her from further embarrassment, she lifted her hand in an okay way and said in a manly voice, 'I am okay. A man doesn't feel pain.' That was so hilarious that we couldn't stop laughing weeks after it."

Everyone laughed at my misery. Pink coated my cheeks.

"That was one time." I said, trying to save my remaining dignity.

"So that's the reason why you steal my hoodies every time you go to sleep." Kaelen said, barely controlling his laugh.

Even Aldric had a small smile playing on his lips.

"Now I have six brothers." Royce said while laughing as well.

"On a serious note, she does think of herself as a boy. She does all the dangerous things by herself, even if it puts her life in danger." Dad said.

If I hadn't done what I had then I would not have been the best assassin and a Mafia Queen.

"That is her biggest flaws." Dad paused, "That and her cooking." He added.

"Oh, not that, dad." I whined.

"Is she really a bad cook?" Ezekiel asked.

"Imagine someone burning the whole kitchen while making an omelette." Dad said.

"No way." Reuben exclaimed.

"I mean even I know survival cooking." Reuben added.

"It is hard for some people." I sulked.

"Tell us more." Zephyrus said.

"Okay, so one time......" Dad continued.

I didn't know they were way more interested in my teenage life.

But it felt nice. All of us having such a moment of laughter and peace. The only thing that is missing is mom. But we will soon get to that.



"Okay. That's enough of my embarrassing stories. I have something to show. I will bring it." I left for my room after saying that.





Zephyrus Kensington's Pov.

It felt bliss. Sharing such a moment with family. After Athaliah was gone, none of us felt like a family. But now with her, even a stranger like Cronus Valkryie felt closest to a family.

My bambina is the light to our darkness.

As soon as she went to her room to grab something, Cronus Valkryie shifted his demeanor.

"I didn't want to say that in front of her but all of you needs a very good lesson for abandoning your sister."

"Trust us. We have been punishing ourselves for that every day. Ever since she told us what happened with her, we have not slept a moment of peace." Ezekiel said.

"She didn't even tell you the whole truth." He scoffed.

"What does that mean?" Aldric said.

"Did she tell you that after escaping that hell of a place, she became mute. She was scared to utter a single word out of her mouth. She was so traumatized that she tried to kill herself."

Air knocked out of my lungs after listening to that. My baby wanted to give up on her life.

"It was so difficult to get her out from that space of her mind. All the stories that I have told you today was her method of keeping her pain aside and giving one moment of peace to her parents. She was torn apart but she held herself together just for the sake of her mom and dad." He continued.

"I am telling you this because I have seen the way she cares for you. If it was anyone else, forget second chance, she might just have slaughtered that person. So, don't break her trust. Earn the forgiveness she has laid out for you. She is still just a child. It might be hard but she will come around."

After listening to the horrors my bambina was subjected to, I couldn't sleep at night. I had to eliminate some of our prisoners to release some of my emotions.

But I know one thing that my bambina is strong. If she has given us a chance, we will hold that chance and change ourselves to our best version.

"I promise. We are all trying our best to give Athaliah what she deserves. Love." Aldric replied.

"She is the best thing to happen to this family. And we swore to protect her at any cost." Ezekiel said.

"I hope it is that way. I am protective of her. But like her, you all are children to me." Mr. Valkyrie said.

"Even you Aldric." He turned towards him and continued, "So, if you need any help, even just someone to complain, I am here." He said softly.

My dad never said that to us. He always told us to be man enough not to show your weakness.

No doubt Athaliah loves him. He is a good dad.

Aldric nodded at his notion.

Athaliah came back with something in her hand.

"So, in school, we had to choose an extracurricular activity. I chose dance. There is a competition that will be held three months from now. But passes are compulsory. So here are those." She said with a shy smile.

I have seen her dance at the club. She is natural with it. I wouldn't miss my bambina's competition for the world.

"If you don't want to be there that's your choice. I am not forcing anyone." She turned to Mr. Valkryie. "Dad here's yours."

Mr. Valkryie took the invitation pass with a smile at his face,

"My junior will ace it." He said, ruffling her hair.

She didn't need to ask from Mr. Valkryie like she did to us. That explains how much she is distant from us.

"Give me my pass. I will be there." I said, extending my hand.

She slid it to me, still not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Wait, are you shy?" Reuben asked with a glint of tease in his voice.

"I am not shy. You are reading too much." She said.

But I think everyone notice the pink hue spreading on her cheeks.

"Okay. Jokes apart. Princess, we will be there, always. You can count us in."

Everybody knew that Aldric was not just referring to the competition.

Athaliah nodded.

After finishing our dinner, we came back to the living room, sharing some memories of Athaliah and us. I felt at peace after so long.

I wish it goes like this. Always.

———🌸———



Here is the next chapter guys.

I hope you like it.

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Also, what do you think will happen next?

If you want anyone else's Pov, please comment.

I deeply apologize for missing the updates, last week. It is getting hard for me to keep up with my work. But seeing you comments and votes, it encourages me to write.

Thank you everyone.