Kai, Mina, and Jack arrived at the museum, greeted by a scene bustling with police officers, museum staff, and reporters.
Mina swiftly moved towards the activity, only to have her arm grasped by an assertive individual.
"Hey! Only law enforcement is allowed here! Step back," the man stated with a condescending tone.
Preparing to display her badge, Mina retreated a step until Kai intervened, pushing through the crowd.
"She's with me. Show some respect," Kai asserted firmly.
With a nod of gratitude, Mina proceeded to join Jack at the scene.
Inside, the once-secure diamond case lay empty, and an eerie silence filled the room as everyone's attention turned to the empty velvet enclosure.
Jack expressed his urgency, aware of the need to act swiftly.
"This is crazy y'all, we better hurry up before more people come!" he remarked, scanning the surroundings.
Kai acknowledged the urgency, donning his gloves and carefully inspecting the case for fingerprints.
A gasp escaped his lips as he retrieved a feather, offering it to Jack.
"Well damn. Did a bird steal the diamond?" Jack quipped, shaking his head in bemusement.
Mina, feeling somewhat out of place amidst the detective work, shrugged.
She had a preference for hands-on action, unlike with the current situation.
Craving action, Mina hoped her job would bring more excitement.
Kai, deep in thought, pondered the feather's origin, tapping his foot in contemplation.
"Wait. This looks familiar," Kai remarked, inspecting the feather.
"So do you know what kinda bird it is?" Jack asked impatiently.
He struggled to recollect where he had seen a similar feather before.
Unable to recall where he saw the feather, Kai shook his head.
"I'm honestly not sure. Let's just go for now," he suggested, noticing several people entering the area.
With unanimous agreement, they retreated to their vehicle.
Kai, his gaze fixated on the feather, whispered to himself, "Where are you from?"
****************
"Hello? It better not be you Leo! I swear to gawd!"
Gabriella's voice punctuated by her distinctive New York accent, resonated over the phone line with a blend of familiarity and a touch of exasperation.
Leonardo couldn't help but smile.
Gabriella De Luca, his older half-sister, had an uncanny ability to brighten his day, even from miles away.
Their connection ran deep, borne from the shared bond of having the same father, Salvatore, albeit with different mothers.
The stark contrast between their mothers had, over the years, fueled their anger and resentment.
Gabriella had often been referred to as "a mistake," a label her mother never hesitated to remind her of throughout her life.
For most of her childhood, Gabriella had lived with her mother until her abrupt disappearance when Gabriella was fifteen.
That marked the moment when she ventured to Italy to live with their father, Salvatore, in 1979.
Despite a six-year age gap, Gabriella and Leo found their sibling connection solidifying after the death of Leo's mother in 1981, two years prior to their relocation to Italy.
Gabriella, at seventeen, played both the role of sister and mother to eleven-year-old Leonardo.
With Gabriella, Leonardo felt unburdened, revealing his true self, a facet of his personality he shared with only one other person.
Gabriella's four year old son, Jace.
Leonardo exhaled before replying in his thick Sicilian accent.
"Yes, it's me, Gabriella. But I need to talk to you. I'm stressed."
Gabriella's response was characteristic of her straightforwardness. "
What is it now? Lemme guess, the staff annoyed you? Grow some balls Leo! Cmon there's other things to be stressed about in life!"
Leonardo rolled his eyes, an act Gabriella was quick to notice, her familiarity with him unmistakable.
"I know you just rolled your eyes, little boy. Don't do it again," Gabriella scoffed as she nonchalantly filed her nails.
Leonardo was taken aback by her uncanny perception.
Gabriella knew him better than anyone else.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but it's not just the staff. It's Vegas, Gabriella. I can't stay here after what happened," Leonardo admitted with a tinge of sadness.
Gabriella the ever supportive older sister, shifted into a more comforting mode.
It was a role she had grown accustomed to, especially with her baby brother, Leonardo.
"I know Leo, but you have to conquer your fears! You can't hide in your shell forever! Plus, now that you're in Vegas, you can start looking for a woman!" Gabriella teased, a smirk evident in her tone.
Leonardo scoffed at the suggestion.
Finding a woman in Las Vegas seemed like an unlikely prospect to him.
He was not the type to engage in casual relationships.
He valued commitment and would never share a bed with someone unless they were in a genuine relationship.
In fact, Leonardo had only ever been in one such relationship, an experience that had left him emotionally scarred and wary of dating again.
He was different from the stereotypical mafia don, as he disliked tattoos, violence, and had never taken another person's life.
Only Gabriella and his cousin Emiliano were privy to this last detail, as Emiliano was the one who carried out such acts on Leonardo's behalf.
While Leonardo rather enjoyed for tormenting others, it wasn't a love for violence.
Moreover, he harbored a hatred for the act of killing.
The traumatic loss of his mother had left him unable to bring himself to take a life in the same manner hers had been taken.
Nevertheless, Leonardo's life outside the mafia remained a distant dream.
He yearned to settle down, have a family, and experience true love.
Leonardo just wanted to be loved, craving to have someone that loved him regardless of his money, or his looks.
But sadly, he knew it was never possible for someone like him.
"No thanks. No relationship for me. Especially not with a woman here, they're all crazy! Leonardo replied with a hint of annoyance.
Gabriella sighed and was about to respond when Jace, her four-year-old son, eagerly seized the phone.
His innocent perspective injected a welcome dose of lightness into the conversation.
"Hey, Uncle Leo! I overheard Mommy talking to you, and you sound sad. Don't be sad! At least you're alone now, and Mommy can't bother you anymore. I'd be happy if I were you!" Jace chimed in playfully.
Leonardo chuckled heartily, and Gabriella, although less amused, couldn't help but crack a smile.
"You're right, Jace! I should be happy that Mommy isn't bothering me," Leonardo replied with genuine warmth.
Jace giggled before Gabriella interjected with a dose of her characteristic sass.
"Yet you still bother me! The two of you can't survive without me! I'm a world treasurer! Both of you shut up!"
Leonardo and Jace shared another bout of laughter.
"All right, Gabriella. You win. We can't survive without our Gabriella, can we, Jace?" Leonardo said, continuing to chuckle through the phone.
Jace nodded eagerly and planted a kiss on his mother's cheek, shouting,
"Yes! Mommy is the best ever!"
Gabriella accepted the praise with a gracious nod, her playful demeanor intact.
"Well, I'll see you soon, Leonardo. Richie says we can visit within the next month or so!" she announced excitedly.
Richie, or Richard, was Gabriella's husband and the only individual who could manage her boisterous personality.
He was also the only person Leonardo trusted with his sister.
"Nice. I'll have a spacious suite ready for you guys," Leonardo assured, fully aware of Gabriella's penchant for luxury.
"Yeah, you better. Also, it can't be one of those stuffy ones. I want the one biggest you have!" Gabriella demanded with a pout.
Leonardo chuckled, knowing that Gabriella's visit would only occur if she was treated like royalty.
"Of course, Gabriella. See you soon. Love you, sorella!" he exclaimed warmly.
(Sorella- Sister in Italian)
"Love you too! And remember what I told you, you jackass!" Gabriella playfully giggled before ending the call.
Leonardo laughed, momentarily lifted from his worries.
As he lay on his bed and gazed out the window at the sprawling city he had come to despise, wondering if Las Vegas might hold unexpected surprises for him.
He sighed and stared out of the window, seeing the huge city he loathed so much.
Well, not the only city he loathed.
Tokyo also came a close second.
But perhaps, in the pursuit of a legendary diamond, he would also discover something he'd always dream of having.
Leonardo was one of the biggest "funders" for the Diamond and wanted to find it before anyone else did.
But, one thing he didn't know was that he was the top suspect by the LVPD.
Although, he would soon find out by the woman who would one day steal his heart.
Hi friends!! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
I don't really want this book to be super long, so it's going to fly by these next chapters!
Anyways, what do you think of Leonardo, and who do you think stole the Diamond?
What do you all think of Gabriella?!
(She's my favorite btw!)
Comment below!! Till next time!!! XoxoSaf