The Missing Princess (✔️)

2: Truth

So the only thing I care about now is not to find my papa and sorellina, but to find out the truth of what really happened to both of them, and if possible, to hopefully bring what's left of them to our family after I punish those who were responsible for their disappearance.

I stared at the three picture frames I have here on my office table and grabbed the one in the middle; it was a picture of my nineteen-year-old self with my sorellina at her third birthday party. I was securely holding her small, chubby body in my arms while she was tightly holding on to my neck, the both of us smiling widely at the camera. Her adorable chubby face was covered with icing because she had just finished stuffing her face in her cake minutes before Kirill took our picture.

We really do look so much alike. The two of us are the only ones who took after the physical features of our madre.

Oh, how I missed her. But I have to continue to face the hard, painful truth: she's gone, and I'm never going to see her again.

But there is still one thing I could do for her.

"I promise you, my principessa, I'm not going to rest until I find out the truth so that I can bring you and papa the justice that you deserve," I whispered as I stared at my amata sorellina. (beloved little sister)

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Merda." (shit)

Tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes, but I quickly placed the picture frame back in its position and blinked them all away before putting on my cold exterior and telling them to enter.

However, my cold exterior instantly slipped off when I found it was just my fratellino. (little brother)

"Ciao, Nicco. Just woke up?" I smiled, noticing that he was still in his pyjamas and his hair was still dishevelled.

He only gave me his signature frown and nodded his head as he closed the door, walked closer to my table, and stood in front of me. Ever since he was a kid, he would always wear that frown on his face every single time, and it just became his signature now.

"You can take a seat, you know."

"I'll be quick. I just need for you to sign this; it's a parent or guardian consent," He said, giving me a paper he was holding.

I took the paper and read the content of it; my eyebrows raised impressively as I stared back at my fratellino.

"Tomorrow is your school's football championship?" I asked in surprise, and he only nodded his head.

I know Nicco plays football, but I never knew he was part of the football team at his school. All I knew was that he could be quite a troublemaker in his school, as I would get a call or letter every now and then from his principal. But I never knew about this.

"How come you've just told me about this now? I never even knew you played for your school." The frown on his face only deepened even more, if possible, as I said this.

"Can you just sign it quickly?" He asked, his voice almost sounding annoyed for some reason, but I only shrugged it off as him being a ragazzo adolescente (teenage boy) and all.

I smiled in response and picked up my pen to sign my name on the paper. He was already extending his palm to grab the paper from me, but before I gave it to him, I said to him,

"I'll be there to watch your game tomorrow, Nicco."

He removed his frown and looked at me in surprise, as if he were seeing an alien in my place.

"What's so surprising about me wanting to watch my fratellino play?" I chuckled at his reaction.

"I-It's just... It's just you've n-never... I mean, never mind." He stuttered and mumbled words I didn't even understand as his whole face suddenly began to blush.

"Did you not want me to go, Nicco? Do I embarrass you?" I asked as I gave him the consent form, and his eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

"No, of course not, Enzo! But aren't you busy?" His signature frown returns once again.

It's as if he is in disbelief that I wanted to watch his game.

"Nope, I'm free tomorrow, and I am going to go to your school and watch your game if that's okay with you." I smiled at him reassuringly.

My words quickly turned his frown upside down, almost like he was actually grinning at me, and my heart warmed at the sight of my fratellino looking so genuinely happy for once. I can't even begin to remember for the life of me when the last time I saw Nicco smile like that. If possible, I always want to see that smile on his face. I want that smile to be his signature, not that ugly frown he always wears.

"Of course you can come and watch my game if you want. I would love that. Thank you, Enzo!" He quickly exclaimed excitedly and beamed at me.

"So tell me, what is your position on the field? You know, I did play football once in high school as a goalkeeper." I told him, chuckling a little bit as I remembered my high school days.

This apparently caught Nicco's interest, as he quickly sat down.

"Really? Are you...

Unfortunately, before the two of us could engage on our little topic about football, my phone suddenly began ringing. Seeing Nicco's smile almost slipping away and making its way for his signature frown again, I was about to turn my iPhone off as I really would like to talk and bond even for a little while with my fratellino, as I realise I would rarely do it nowadays, but I saw the caller's ID on the screen.

Uncle Ivan

I cursed under my breath. What the fuck does he want now? I already had my secretary give him a reply, and I can't exactly control those two other fratelli (brothers) of mine if they want to go or not.

The phone kept incessantly ringing.

"It's Uncle Ivan; you need to answer that, Enzo; you know he dislikes being ignored." Nicco said as he gave me a knowing look, making me sigh.

"I know."

But it's better not to be about why Alessandro and Giovanni couldn't come that day. Those two are grown men now, and I'm no longer their guardian. I may be their older brother and boss, but that doesn't mean I have every right to control each aspect of their lives, especially their choices and decisions.

I nodded and finally answered the call. But as I placed my iPhone in my ear, little did I know that the next words that I would hear from that uncle of ours would completely change everything in our lives.

"Hello?"

"Come to Moscow now, Mikhail. I'll explain everything here, but hurry and come now. But don't tell anyone just yet, not even your brothers and cousin. I found your sister, Ekaterina; I've finally found her, and she's here with me right now in Moscow. Come and hurry."

***