An Empire of Guns and Lies (18+)

Twelve (Dodici)

Sunlight filtered into the room from behind the drapes making my stir in my sleep. My eyes felt heavy which was understandable given all the crying I did last night. I sat up and noticed Iliana was already gone, it puzzles me how she wakes up early every morning nevertheless, I reached for my phone to check the time but realized I left it in my room, on the bedside there was a bowl of fruit and a little note sat on top of it.

"If you don't feel like coming down, at least eat this- Ana"

I smile at the note and put it back at top the covered bowl. I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom, to say I looked horrible was an understatement, my eyes were red and puffy and had bags under them, my hair was unkempt and greasy. I decided to take a hot shower to fix everything, after about spending 45 minutes soaking up the heat I turned off the shower, the mirror now completely foggy. I pulled on some of Iliana's clothes before quickly drying my hair and heading downstairs.

In the dining room my father greeted me,

"Good morning il mio fiore" (My flower)

"Buongiorno, papi" (Good morning) I kissed his temple.

My brother, Iliana and August also sat at the table eating breakfast, I extended my greeting to them as well, "Morning Jax, Ana" I paused for a moment before saying "Mr. Alessi"

Jaxon let out a snort and I shot my eyes to him in warning.

"You know you can call him August, Vera"

"No thank you, we're only working together so I should keep things professional" I dared not look at him in fear of my tears overflowing once more. I got breakfast and told my family I wasn't feeling well and I would be eating in my room, Iliana also excused herself and followed me up.

We went back to her room, a tray of breakfast in my hand I plopped down on the sofa and sighed.

"Whenever you're ready" her small voice said. I did owe her an explanation so I began telling her the things I felt towards August, how he made my heart flutter and sex drip, I told her about what I saw at the gym and the events that followed in my room and lastly I told her about Maeve.

She was silent for a very long minute, she moved from her placed on the bed and sat next to me hugging her knees and just stared at me.

"What is wrong you with?" I playfully hit her

"Ah nothing, I'm just soaking in the fact that you're in love"

I recoiled at her statement, in love??? What did she just say? Me? In love? That's absurd.

"Ana please, there's no way I'm in love with August"

"Whatever you say, you'll recognize it on your own but I do think you should listen to what he has to say Vera" she made her voice steady but gently, "he looks like a child when someone takes their last chocolate bar, he's depressed V" she continued.

I would be lying to myself if I didn't see that as well his face was absent from the light it once held but in remembering what I saw I pushed the thought back into my head

"Did you just compare me to a chocolate bar?" I raised my eyebrows at her

"Maybe I did, I mean he was eating you-"

"Iliana!" I whisper yelled

We burst out laughing and it felt good to smile again however, that laugh was very temporary as a maid frantically swung open the door the panic in her face evident.

"Ms. Di Genova" her voiced called out to me shakily, the smile dropped from my face as I stood up.

"What's wrong Mary?"

"Don Di Genova needs to see you in his office, he said it's very urgent"

"Okay, I'll come down now, thank you, you may leave" I dismissed her, she closed the door on her way out.

I only looked at Iliana and said "Duty calls" before I took my belongs and left.

I could hear Jaxon shouting from across the estate, I entered his office to find him standing, leading forward against his desk with his two hands on them for support, his shirt unbuttoned slightly and his tie came loose and was now hanging around his neck.

My father sat in the leather couch at the corner of the room. There were 4 men standing in front of him, Jaxon was furious he demanded answers from them, his language colourful to say the least.

When I entered the room his cold eyes looked at me suggesting that if I was anyone else there would be a bullet in their head.

"Get out" he growled at the men with urgency, they filed out of the room leaving me, my father and Jaxon alone.

Jaxon took a swig off the brandy that sat on his desk before throwing me a document, no words were exchanged when I picked it up and began to read.

                                                                       __________________

"We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us."