2. The Beast And His Beauty✔️

Awake

Karina POV:

I sat beside my mother and grabbed her hand.

It had only been a few hours ago that she slipped in her coma.

"Mommy, please wake up."

"She's not waking up.", Gio said bluntly.

I glared at him.

"Why are you being like this? Don't you want mom to pull through?"

"If we don't lose her today, we'll still lose her soon."

"That's what you're afraid of. We're not losing mom anytime soon."

"Do you realize how stupid you sound? Our parents have ties to the freaking mafia. That psycho mistook Aria for our mom. Mom could've been-."

"Stop. You don't think I know that. I'm terrified that one day someone's going to take mom or dad or you away from me."

Tears managed to escape. Gio wrapped his arms around me.

"You're not losing me. Never."

"What about the legacy? You know that Uncle Giovanni and Victor are going to leave this all to you. The throne belongs to you as the rightful Andiacchi descendant."

"I don't want it. I can't do what they do. I want to get as far away as I can from this lifestyle. That's what our parents should've done."

"I wouldn't go that far. If dad never got into this lifestyle, mom and dad wouldn't have gotten together."

"You two wouldn't have been born.", a weak voice said.

We turned to see mom looking up at us.

"Mommy.", I said as I wrapped my arms around her.

I realize how childish I sounded, but I don't care.

Gio wrapped his arms around us.

"I love you two so much."

"We love you too, mom. You scared us."

"What happened? The last thing I remember is having contractions and then falling back on the bed."

"Mom, the doctor said you slipped in a coma. They delivered the baby. She's fine."

"She?", Mom beamed at us.

"I'll go get her and daddy."

Gio POV

I watched as Karina ran out of the room.

Mom grabbed my hand and made me look at her.

"I'm sorry."

"For what? Mom, you didn't do anything wrong."

"I should've hidden you from this lifestyle.  I should've sheltered you two."

"Mom, it's fine. We're fine. I'm just afraid of what's to come."

"What do you mean?"

"Mom in two years. I'll be 18. It's Andiacchi tradition that you enter this lifestyle at that age. I don't want it. I don't want to be like-."

I stopped talking, realizing what I was about to say. 

"You don't want to be like me."

I turned around to see my dad and Karina, holding Aria.

"I didn't mean that, dad."

"Yes you did and it's fine. I was a horrible man until I met your mother. She saw the light through the darkness. I understand if you don't want to take the throne. I'm not upset. I'm actually glad that you want no part of this. I want better for you."

"Thanks dad."

Dad smiled at me before walking over to Mom and kissing her.

"I was so worried. I thought I lost you.", I heard dad whisper.

"Never. I love you, Antonio Andiacchi."

"I love you, Valeria Andiacchi."

"Can I meet my baby now?"

Karina walked over to mom and placed Aria in her arms.

"Did you name her?"

"Aria. I named her Aria, like you wanted."

Mom sobbed and kissed Aria's forehead.

"Hi, Aria."

Aria reaches up and touches mom's face.

"Congratulations.", Uncle Giovanni and Uncle Victor said in unison as they walked in the room.

"Thank you."

"Victor, I need to talk to you.", Dad said.

Victor

I walked down the hall with Tony.

"Is everything okay?"

I could see a mixture of emotions on Tony's face: Anger, Hurt, Sadness and amusement.

"I know you have feelings for my wife."