My First, My Last, My Everything

Chapter 9

Gabriella

The moment I stepped into my penthouse, frustration overwhelmed me. With a tense scream, I knocked a vase off the small table by the door. The sound of shattering glass failed to ease my anger.

"Hey, Gabby, take it easy. What's going on?" Liana asked, entering the room, followed by my concerned parents, the two knuckleheads Noah and Marco, and Jay and Jeremy.

They exchanged worried looks as they watched me. Jay rushed over, attempting to help me with my coat. I roughly pulled it off and handed it to him before running my fingers through my hair.

"Who does he think he is? Walking into a private event, making threats in public? This can't go on! I should've dealt with him when I had the chance. Now everyone who secretly hates us will come after us, all because of Anthony Castillo!" I vented angrily.

"Relax, sweetheart. We'll figure something out. Remember, we're more powerful than he is. We can handle this," my mom reassured, with my dad placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We can't just handle this, Mom! He's just started some dead pool game. How are we supposed to deal with surprise attacks from people coming after us?!" I snapped back.

Impulsively, I grabbed a cushion from the sofa, venting my frustration by emptying my gun's bullets into it. The others in the room flinched at the sudden noise of gunshots hitting the harmless cushion.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" I exclaimed with each pull of the trigger.

Done with my impromptu release, I slammed the gun down on the floor. Liana and Jay jumped back in surprise.

"If you're going to wreck everything here, count me out. Marco, you coming?" Noah said, pressing the elevator button. Marco gave me a look before joining Noah in the elevator, ready to leave.

"We'll have a meeting at home tomorrow. Be there at 10 in the morning. We can't discuss this while you're still furious. We'll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep. Try not to break anything else, okay?" Dad advised, planting a kiss on my forehead. Mom hugged me briefly before they left.

As the elevator doors closed, I sighed loudly and slumped onto the sofa.

"Need help cleaning up, or...?" Liana offered, looking at the mess I'd created.

"Don't bother. Let the maid handle it tomorrow. Right now, you guys should get some rest. It's been a long night," I told Jeremy and Jay, who exchanged glances before looking back at me.

"Sure you're going to be alright?" Jay asked, concerned. I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine, Jay. Liana's here. You guys go, I'll call you tomorrow. And Jeremy, make sure you're here before 10 for that meeting."

"Got it, boss," Jeremy responded, giving Liana a quick kiss before they both entered the elevator and left.

Liana was looking at me with that knowing expression. The one that said, 'I know something's up, so talk to me.'

"It's been four years," I scoffed.

"Time flies, doesn't it?" Liana tilted her head, studying my face.

"Were you expecting to see him again?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

If I was expecting to meet him again, it wasn't for a standoff involving guns and threats against my family in public.

"No. I thought maybe it'd be like forty years or something before we accidentally ran into each other. That's what we agreed on four years ago, to avoid suspicion. Whatever happened at the gala tonight really pissed me off, and I'm holding him accountable."

She nodded, her expression curious.

"He seems different, and he's hell-bent on taking your royal title. What's that about?" I shrugged, looking away.

"I have no fucking idea. And who does he think he is, trying to take away my royal title? If we were still together and he'd come up with that idea, I'd have given him a piece of my mind."

Liana looked at me as if I'd sprouted an extra head.

"Feisty and ruthless. You really can be dangerous when you're angry."

"Tell him that, and he'll learn just how much more I can do when I'm pissed!"

I stood, heading to my bedroom and shutting the door behind me with a slam.

I stripped out of my dress, heading to the bathroom. Turning on the shower to full cold, I stood under the icy spray, eyes closed.

I needed the cold to cool off. As I stood there, memories of our college days flashed in my mind.

How did we meet?

Long story short, we crossed paths during my sophomore year at UCLA after I returned from Paris. Back then, we were both undercover, unaware of each other's true identities.

We grew close, and that's how it all started. We kept our relationship secret from Noah, Marco, and our parents, so as not to complicate matters.

But our secret relationship brought complications of its own. It became clear he was hiding more from me, just as he realized I wasn't the person he thought I was.

During an unexpected business party, our families ran into each other and that's how we both found out about each other's true identity. A few days later, he ended things between us. I was stubborn, not ready to let go since I'd fallen for him. I was even considering telling my parents about us.

Our families' history complicated things further. The Castillo and Antonio families had a long-standing feud in the mafia world.

We agreed it was best to end our relationship before our families discovered it. We swore to keep our past hidden, never letting our families find out. Otherwise, it would lead to a bloody conflict.

Only Liana, Jeremy, and Tyson, his best friend and now his second-in-command, knew about us.

I didn't expect him to pull a gun on me and threaten my family tonight. It shocked me after four years of not seeing each other.

But then it hit me.

I didn't know him anymore. The Anthony I knew had changed. The Anthony from tonight was willing to kill me to take my title.

If he really wanted my title, he'd have to get through the new Gabriella. It was shaping up to be a bloody conflict after all.