𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝟏𝟖+

chapter three

Stella placed the pan into the stove and sprayed it down with the can of butter spray. She began to place medium sized circled pancake mix onto it. She turns around and her eyes averted to the man sitting on the couch. "Nicholas," she says. Nicholas turns his attention on Stella and lifts his head. "Where's Ronan?" she asks. Nicholas eyes says his words before he even begins. He had no clue.

I presumed they knew where he was. But my presumption was wrong, because they were both clueless. I wondered if what I had seen yesterday, was the reason why they're always breathing down his neck. Maybe, that's the reason why their always here. Maybe to keep him company, or maybe to keep him from going off the rails just like yesterday.

"Ronan is grown enough to go anywhere as he please. And plus, you know how he is about his space. I can't always keep tabs on him," Nicholas argues. Stella flips the pancakes to their other sides. "I mean you are his twin brother, you should keep tabs on him especially since..." Nicholas tilts his head and looks at me then back at her.

"Never mind. I'm sure he'll be back," she places six-eight pancakes on the large white plate. They did it again, they did that thing where they don't finish their sentences and say what they really want say. And the only reason why they're doing this was because I was here. They didn't want me to know.

I'm starting to grow tired of this nonsense. "As much as I would love to enjoy your pancakes, I can't because I'm leaving," I stand from the stool and walk over to the cherry wood door. I place my hand on the knob and twist it open. However, I feel my body bounce back as soon as I hit something hard.

I take a step back and open my eyes to reveal a 6'4" Ronan standing there, his eyes glaring at me. Unlike yesterday, he looks much better. His eyes are fresh, he smells fresh, and his hair is nicely slicked back. He is wearing a black fitted shirt with four buttons and a collar, along with black slacks and shiny, expensive-looking shoes. As my eyes make their way to what he's holding in his hand, I tilt my head in confusion. He has a black cat in his hand. The cat is rubbing its head against the back of his tattooed right hand while his other hand draws circles around the back of the cat's head.

"Where are you going?" he asks. I say nothing but continue to stare at the pretty cat. However, I snap out of my gaze and answer, "Home. I'm going home." I walk around the man and grasp the doorknob, but I come to a stop when he says, "Nico, how about you and blondie go on a walk, hm?" Stella refuses, but Nicholas obediently does as he's told, and Stella hesitantly follows behind him. Before she leaves, she gives me a look. A look I didn't like. It wasn't a warning; it was more of a "don't say anything you're going to regret later." The sound of the door shutting is the only thing that breaks the silence in the room.

The cat meows as Ronan puts it down, and it starts to run around the room and up the short steps. "It's a boy. You could've just asked," he tilts his head upwards and walks over to the couch. However, he pauses, goes back to the same spot again, and then repeats the action multiple times.

"I didn't mind not knowing, but I did wonder. Besides that, why am I here?" I ask, folding my hands against my chest. I continue to watch him, but this time, I do so carefully.

"Sit down." he tells me, but I don't do it. "I'll rather stand," I retort. He stops pacing back and forth, then takes three strides to me. "I don't like women who don't listen when they're told something," he drawled.

"And I don't like men who think they can control women," I spit back. His gaze shifts to the wall behind us before he shakes his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips soon after.

"I'm only asking you to sit so that I can answer any questions you have for me," he says, taking a step back and walking over to the mini bar, which is devoid of any drinks because Nicholas had already disposed of them. He rests his hand on a glass cup and stares at it. "He got rid of them," he turns his head to me and sets the glass back down.

Finally, I give in and take a seat. "Why am I here?"

"You're here because of what your father took from me when I was held in captivity two years ago,"

"Your family holds control of the streets in Costa Rica and New York. It wasn't always in their hands; it used to be in mine. And I want it back, but I can't," he walks over to the bar again, picks up the glass cup, and sets it down once more.

"I have no control over what my family does. What does all this have to do with me?" I ask. He stops pacing and turns around.
"And why can't you just take it?" I add.

"It's not that easy. In order for me to regain control, your father would have to give it to me, or..." his hands fall limply to his side. "I would have to kill him, and then I would have to kill your mother, your twin brothers, your cousins, and your Nonna," he trails off.

"And then you," he is now mere inches away from me, and I can't help but stare into his emotionless eyes. I think his words were supposed to scare me, but I'm not afraid. He is bluffing. He couldn't kill my father unless my father did something worth being killed for. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know that I understand the rules of how this messed-up business works. It's true that in order for him to regain control, my father would have to give up his title, but killing him? That would only make it harder for Ronan. Killing my father would bring him more trouble. My father knows many people in the business, and they would come after Ronan within seconds. And I'm sure Ronan doesn't want that.

"But I can't kill you yet," he pushes back and leans against the dry white wall. "And why is that?" I ask, sarcasm coating my tongue. "There's only one thing your father cares about more than the business, and that happens to be you," he tells me. My eyebrows scrunch in confusion. "How would you even know that? That isn't true," I argue. And it wasn't true, in fact. All my father cared about was money and the business. Our whole lives revolved around it, and he made sure of it. It consumed all of us and took over.

"You are worth more to your father than you know. You aren't just his daughter or just the principessa. You are the only living Morretti left."

・・・

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if you guys are confused about the last scenes in the chapters, it will be further explained in the next chapters.

thank you for reading.