Point of View - Elma Farfalla Bianchi
Breathing in and out again. Let's do this! Walking through the inside garage door that goes to the main entrance. Now seeing things in a different view than being overwhelmed earlier from my new surroundings. I see a chandelier in the ceiling. The entrance seems to be two stories so there is a balcony over facing it. Standing in the middle of the room facing the way you come into a door.
On my right under the balcony it looks like there is a lounge area with a room behind the stairs. Turning around facing the door I see a table. It was just a plain dark wood table by the door. What's the purpose of it? Shrugging my shoulder and just started to walk to the kitchen. Let's see if I can find it again.
Bump, I look up and see the sweet and kind Mateo. He's like six feet plus and I am just five. When he saw who he bumped into he hugged me. "I am glad you returned." We both peel each other.
"Of course I did. Didn't I say that I will return." I said being the sweet angel in a sarcastic way.
"Ya, at breakfast and it's past lunch right now." Mateo exposed my lateness.
"I got sidetracked." I started scratching the top of my head with a smile.
We sat down in the living room. "Things went boom when you left and I can't believe you fought Father." Mateo had an impressed reaction on face.
"It's a thing I have been trying to manage recently." My cheesy smile came back while shrugging with my shoulders.
Mateo changed his poster. "You should go see Damien and Father." His enthusiasm went away.
"Do I have one too?" I lowered my head looking to the ground as I whined.
"Yes," Mateo says while dragging me by my arm to the third floor. Where the offices are.
"M-a-t-e-o!" I whined at him as we went up the second set of stairs. Planting myself hard on the floor not wanting to continue.
My older brother stopped and let go of my arm. "Do you want me to do it the hard way?" His voice turned hard as he looked into my blue eyes.
Putting my frustrated face on, "Fine Mateo." I grumble loudly to him putting one foot in front of the other. He looks at me like I am adorable. Come on, I am mad, not adorable. My face was beaming red after looking at Mateo's face.
We now stop in front of a plain light gray door. Mateo knocks on the door. Waiting for a minute, he gets permission to come in. I see Dad behind the desk and Damien sitting in front of the desk on his iPad. Looking to the right I see Dante and Ricco going through paperwork on the coffee table. Dad looks up, he sees me. He puts down his paperwork and smiles. "Ricco, Dante and Mateo." Dad made it clear out loud. They left Dad's office, wanting to stay and listened to the conversation.
I kept my head facing down to the ground and I played with my fingers. Hearing a chair being pushed back. Now having fingers lifting my chin. I saw Damien's face after my head was leveled. He let go and put me into a hug. I froze again, my muscles tended but then relaxed. Melting into his arms, starting to cry into Damien's figure. "Hey, hey, we still love you, Principessa. (Princess.)" My eldest brother rubs my back.
Dad gets up from his desk and joins the hug. Making me a squished sandwich in between them. Tilting my head up, "I-I..." Mumbled into Damien's chest while still crying.
One of them moves my bangs while saying that. "We know you are, Principessa. (Princess.)" I recognize Dad's whispering voice to me but also loud enough for Damien to hear. We all pulled out of the hug and used my fist to wipe my tears. "Let's sit down, Principessa. (Princess.)" I hear Damien say while holding me on the shoulders. Nodding my head up and down to them. Letting go of them and sitting next to Damien on the couch. Dad pulled one of the office chairs and sat on it in front of the coffee table.
Wiping tears from my eyes and cheeks off. "So we need to understand what happened yesterday?" Dad's face was synthetic when I looked up to him.
Fiddling with my finger again and looking at Damien who is right next to me. I feel a hand on my back again and it feels relaxing. "I-I..." Closing my eyes, breathing in and out. "One of my projects when sout-h and I-I also need to spen-d time with my friend-s." I mumble half of my sentence while still looking at the ground.
Lifting my head up to see how Damien and Dad will react. "I am sorry, Principessa. (Princess.) We didn't realize that we pushed you so much."
Reacting quickly to Damien's sorry face. "No, you did, I just didn't let Brooklyn take over my responsibilities." I made it clear to them as I waved my hands back and forth in a motion of say no.
"Who is Brooklyn?" Dad brought up the question. Wondering who she is and wanting to do a background check. That's my guess because they are the Italian Mafia and I am their princess.
"Brooklyn and Huston have been my best friends ever since I was eleven. I think that's right if I'm not around then." I told them while scratching my hands on my scalp with a cheesy confused smile.
"Ok, Principessa. (Princess.) Now back to the topic of what do you mean by Brooklyn taking over your responsibilities?" Dad's voice was curious and intrigued to my half rant. I stand up, starting to pace back and forth against the opposite wall of the couch.
Taking a deep breath, I should tell them part of the truth. "I will be blunt with both of you." Turned my business voice on. My business voice is the middle point of my angel and devil. "I have been working and managing my two businesses ever sinc-e. I-I..." Closing my eyes and stopping my pacing. Letting out one tear of sadness out of my left eye. "Since I-I was-s e-leven year-s o-ld." I croaked out quietly but loud enough for them to hear. "I-I have been supporting myself with my friends and my other family for the last four years." Finishing my words with full confidence.
Just seeing Dad face with total shock and anger. Damien's face was full of sadness and some tears. "Wow, you started working at the age of eleven." My eldest brother Damien just blurred out not watching his words.
Adding to Damien's comment. "Ya and that was only the surface..." My face turned emotionless as a stone cold statue. Showing no emotion even in my body language for a minute. Being reminded of my mentor Domoto Natsuo, the previous Don of the Japanese Mafia. He was everything to me at the time. Natsuo had taken care of me and chosen me to be the next Don.
Breaking my train of thoughts. "Padre, penso che ci sia dell'altro nella storia. (Father, I think there is more to the story.)" Damien said in Italian thinking that I don't know it. Acting clueless in front of them and sitting back down next to Damien on the couch.
"Penso che tu abbia ragione, Damien. (I think you are right, Damien.)" Dad replied back with a worried look to him. I can't wait until I don't have to act in front of them. It's gonna get old quickly, I rolled my eyes. Oops they saw that...
Looking at the time on my watch. "Is it ok if we talk another time? I had promised my Papa that I would call him right now." I requested Damien and Dad with a straight weird smile. This feels weird right now because I brought up my other family.
Damien looks to Dad. "Of course Cucciola! (Female Puppy!)" He said with a smile to me.
Getting up from the dark gray couch. I bang my knee, "O-w!" I groaned out loud, why did I have to bang my knee where the bruise is. Damien was about to get up from the couch. "I am fine, I just hit my knee where I have a bruise." I shared the truth with them.
Seeing Damien's and Dad's worried faces calm me down. It showed me that they cared for me deeply. "Are you sure Ricco can just check it out to make sure it's ok?" Damien offered to me.
Playing the confused card again. "Ricco?"
Damien chuckled a little bit. "He is your second oldest brother and a doctor." After Dad said that my mouth was in an O shape. "Also the brother who you pickpocket for his keys." Damien gave me a smirk of proudness with me and I giggled.
B-u-z-z, b-u-z-z, my phone goes off and it's Papa's profile that pops up.
"U-m, see you guys at dinner?" I told them as I have both Dad and Damien separate hugs.
"Of course, Principessa. (Princess.)" Damien told me with an amazing smile and joy. Ug, that reminds me I need to get the bug for the offices here. I don't want to be a spy but I am not initially trusting of them yet. They need to pass my different test and each test reveals more of my true nature to my blood family. "Principessa? (Princess?)" I heard it with a soft voice and ignored it.
"Elma?" I hear it's deep and not Damien's voice, I think it's Dad's.
Shaking my head and snapping out of my trance. I have been just standing in between the doorway and Dad's desk. "O, sorry I got lost in my thoughts." I answered with my normal voice and scratched my head at the same time. Leaving the office quickly and closing the door behind me. Turning right and left going down to the second floor to my bedroom. Flopping down on the soft comfy bed... Something that just hit me is where Mom is. I have not seen her recently, what is she up to?
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Thank you for reading Chapter Fourteen, Hurt. About 1,147 words in Chapter Fourteen. PLEASE VOTE!