𝔇𝔦𝔞𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔰

𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔰

Kai, Mina, and Jack arrived at the museum, greeted by a scene bustling with police officers, museum staff, and reporters.

Mina swiftly moved towards the activity, only to have her arm grasped by an assertive individual.

"Hey! Only law enforcement is allowed here! Step back," the man stated with a condescending tone.

Preparing to display her badge, Mina retreated a step until Kai intervened, pushing through the crowd.

"She's with me. Show some respect," Kai asserted firmly.

With a nod of gratitude, Mina proceeded to join Jack at the scene.

Inside, the once-secure diamond case lay empty, and an eerie silence filled the room as everyone's attention turned to the empty velvet enclosure.

Jack expressed his urgency, aware of the need to act swiftly.

"This is crazy y'all, we better hurry up before more people come!" he remarked, scanning the surroundings.

Kai acknowledged the urgency, donning his gloves and carefully inspecting the case for fingerprints.

A gasp escaped his lips as he retrieved a feather, offering it to Jack.

"Well damn. Did a bird steal the diamond?" Jack quipped, shaking his head in bemusement.

Mina, feeling somewhat out of place amidst the detective work, shrugged.

She had a preference for hands-on action, unlike with the current situation.

Craving action, Mina hoped her job would bring more excitement.

Kai, deep in thought, pondered the feather's origin, tapping his foot in contemplation.

"Wait. This looks familiar," Kai remarked, inspecting the feather.

"So do you know what kinda bird it is?" Jack asked impatiently.

He struggled to recollect where he had seen a similar feather before.

Unable to recall where he saw the feather, Kai shook his head.

"I'm honestly not sure. Let's just go for now," he suggested, noticing several people entering the area.

With unanimous agreement, they retreated to their vehicle.

Kai, his gaze fixated on the feather, whispered to himself, "Where are you from?"

****************

"Hello? It better not be you Leo! I swear to gawd!"
Gabriella's voice punctuated by her distinctive New York accent, resonated over the phone line with a blend of familiarity and a touch of exasperation.

Leonardo couldn't help but smile.

Gabriella De Luca, his older half-sister, had an uncanny ability to brighten his day, even from miles away.

Their connection ran deep, borne from the shared bond of having the same father, Salvatore, albeit with different mothers.

The stark contrast between their mothers had, over the years, fueled their anger and resentment.

Gabriella had often been referred to as "a mistake," a label her mother never hesitated to remind her of throughout her life.

For most of her childhood, Gabriella had lived with her mother until her abrupt disappearance when Gabriella was fifteen.

That marked the moment when she ventured to Italy to live with their father, Salvatore, in 1979.

Despite a six-year age gap, Gabriella and Leo found their sibling connection solidifying after the death of Leo's mother in 1981, two years prior to their relocation to Italy.