Eleanor's POV:
A few minutes ago I bumped into Lorenzo and he told me that he was looking for me to take me up to Francesco's office.
I look around and see Gino sitting on one of three couches in front of Giovanni.
Francesco is sitting behind his desk looking at some papers while Matteo and Lorenzo are talking to each other on another couch.
The room is dark, the only light source is the one the sun provides entering through two large windows with drawn-back black curtains. The couches the men are sitting on are surrounding a small, circular coffee table
Two chairs stand in front of Francesco's desk, a square ceiling light right above the desk. Behind him is a painting made up of four vertical ones. Two bookshelves, which were built into the wall, stand on either side of the door.
I stand near the door with my hands by my sides, looking around the room, waiting for someone to say something.
"Eleanor," I turn my head once I hear Francesco speaking, nodding to show him I am listening " please sit down we would just like to discuss some things with you."
I go to sit on of the chairs but a voice stops me.
"There's no need to sit on the chairs, this isn't a meeting. Come sit on the couch." I look behind me and see Lorenzo and Matteo now sitting further from each other with a space in the middle for me.
I don't feel comfortable sitting so close to these people but I don't want to make them angry so I comply.
Francesco brings one of the chairs that were in front of his desk and sits opposite me at the end of the coffee table.
They all look at me as my heartbeat starts to increase. My palms feel sweaty making me wipe them off on my pants. I feel butterflies in my stomach, which feel like they're travelling up into my heart.
It feels like the time Tim and Karen had set me down to tell me why they truly had adopted me. To tell me that I will serve as their slave and would get punished for a single mistake.
It feels like the first time I got beaten when I was 11. The times when they would force me to shoot innocent people. Feels like the day of my escape when I barely made it out alive.
I force myself to return to the present, blinking so my tears don't fall. I take small breaths through my nose so they don't get suspicious if I take deep ones.
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Matteo's POV:
Looking at Lea I can tell she's nervous. I notice the tears in her eyes. How she wiped her hands on her jeans. How her breaths came out shallow as if she's trying to not take deep breaths.
I know she isn't comfortable around us. That she doesn't trust us. But I understand, I can't expect her to just be all cuddly with us. It's obvious that this is hard for her. Having to get used to knew people.
But I can't help but feel that there is more to her story than she showing. It can't be all sunshine and rainbows. Otherwise she wouldn't be this stiff and on guard around us.
While I want to do a background search on her to get more information on her, I also want to respect her privacy and wait until she is comfortable to tell us herself.
We need her to trust us. Without trust nothing works. In situations like these trust is not easily obtained. If we do get her to put her trust in us we have do everything in our power to not loose that trust.
Once we loose her trust I know we won't get it back.
For her to trust us we have to show her that we have trust in her. The way to do that is by telling her about our mafia. We won't just be telling her to gain her trust but because she has a right to know.
She is the mafia princess to the Italian mafia. We can't keep that title a secret from her. She should know. But for that to happen everyone has to agree.
I don't just mean my immediate family but the whole Russo family, except my youngest cousin as he is too young to know about the mafias. While my dad may own the Italian mafia he was in line to inherit the Greek mafia.
The mafia that my grandpa had ruled for years, until the time came to pass it over to his eldest child. But by then my father had won the Italian mafia in a war. So the Greek mafia went to my father's sister, my aunt.
My aunt was the first female in the Russo family to inherit the mafia.
I just hope we can tell her as soon as possible, cause the more time passes the more the chances increase of her finding out on her own. And then she will think that we have have been hiding the truth due to lack of trust.
The news has been delayed for over two years. We just have to wait till she settles in and tell her. Any longer and we won't be able to explain why we kept such a huge thing from her.
"Eleanor as I had told you a few minutes ago, you will be getting rules. These rules are simple, rules that all your brothers follow but they will be adjusted in the future to fit age or maturity." My father explains. Lea nods maintaining eye contact with our dad.
"You are free to give your opinions once the rules are all stated. You can disagree and if we can, we will adjust them to your liking." This time Lorenzo speaks looking at our sister with a soft smile.
Looking at Lea I can tell she liked what Lorenzo said. I saw the twinkle in her eyes when she noticed that we were willing to negotiate.
"First rule is that until you turn 18 you are not to have alcohol or smoke, if you have already we won't be mad. But if you haven't and decide to try it when you're officially an adult then you are to have with us."
El gives Dad a look and he immediately goes to explain.
"This is so we make sure you are safe. From then on you can drink on your own once you have a good grip of it," El nods satisfied.
"Second, when you are leaving the house we would appreciate if you inform us ahead of time giving us a place and an estimated time of when you will be back.
"Third, when you have homework and are planning to go out you have to finish your homework. If it's homework that is due for a week or more then you won't have to worry. Your grades in general must be between 70-80 percent.
"Fourth, when you are talking to us you are not to cuss."
"Fifth, we will respect you if you respect us and vice versa. If we ever disrespect you or you us, you and us consequences will be given accordingly," Lorenzo follows up.
"Sixth, while there will be no set chores everyone is to help out around the house. And if you make a mess after doing something you have to clean it up. You can ask for help from the cleaning staff but you are not aloud to let them do the cleaning for you.
"Seventh, we expect verbal answers when we talk to you and we will do the same. This is so we understand better what is being said and agreed upon.
"Lastly, be responsible. Be careful with what you do, how you spend money, just because we have lots of money doesn't mean you can buy whatever you want. Though If you ever need money you can ask us, and don't be afraid to; what's ours is yours as well." Dad finishes looking at me silently telling me do continue.
"El if you want to ask something or talk about a rule you don't understand you are free to do so." I study my sister's face watching for any signs of misunderstanding or anything in general, but I am met with an emotionless face.
"I do have a few questions." She crosses her right leg over the left doing the same with her hands.
"Go ahead"
"First things first the second rule, I am fine with giving you a location but a time is another thing. You see when I go out sometimes I lose track of time and end up taking longer. Moreover, having to remember to give you a time even when I am in a rush is too much so I hope when can rule that out.
"Second I am only telling you as you have a right to know as my guardian, I have drunk before but it was only twice. I promise I have not and will not drink again.
"Lastly I would like you to talk with Bryson as I did not appreciate him yelling at me and disrespecting my mother while she wasn't here to defend herself. While she may have separated me from you, he has no right to talk about her the way he did. I understand his anger as I would be too but he went to far. "
El finishes but she made it feel like it was a business meeting. Her tone of voice was one I would use with my men. It surprised me how well she worded everything. It was as if she practiced what to say beforehand.
When she spoke about her terms to rules, she never directed her words towards just herself. When referring to Bryson's behavior she merely talked about he bad mouthed her. It was mostly about her mother. I can tell she looks up to her. She always did.
I remember when she was younger, even though she looked up too mum and loved her to bits she always tried doing the things dad did. When he made the emotionless face she always tried to copy him but always ended looking cute instead. Now she looks like an exact replica of him. She's stone called. I almost don't recognize her.
What has happened to my sister?
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Author's Note
Words: 1730
I'm pretty sure you guys are tired of reading same thing in every author's note and you know what you need to do. Sorry for slacking off here is the long awaited chapter 13. Hope you enjoyed it. The question for today is what is your favorite school subject ? Mine is accounting. Have a lovely day or night.
xoxo
Purple-writer