hiii
ATHENA RUSSO:
"You've claimed your inheritance?" Artemis asks me as we walk through the streets of Paris.
Placing my hands in my pockets, I nod. "Yes, originally I was supposed to inherit it when I was eighteen but my grandfather wrote in the statement I can claim it whenever I want only if I am over eighteen," I tell her, cautiously looking around.
She stops walking when a man shouts, "You've got a nice ass!"
I turn around and see a group of old men, laughing at us, telling us we should come home with them.
Looking at Artemis for approval, thankfully she nods.
I grin and walk towards them, the first one nearest to me, I punch them in the nose. For the second one, I knee him in between his legs causing him to hunch over and cry out in pain.
The others run away before I can kill them.
"Cowards," I mutter.
Turning around, I walk back, placing my hands back in my pocket. Artemis smiles and locks her arm around mine as we continue walking.
"So now you're a billionaire, you own all your grandfather's companies and businesses. Isn't that going to be stressful?" She asks, continuing our conversation from earlier.
I shake my head. "Nope. I'll be alright. I just need to gain more power and taking over everything my grandfather left to me is the cherry on top," I say, checking my phone.
"Oh! Look! The Eiffel Tower!" She says, pointing.
I look in the direction she's pointing at. The Eiffel Tower is in the distance, I would say we're not that far from it.
"Apparently it lights up like a Christmas tree at midnight," I randomly say.
"I never knew that. What time is it?"
"Eleven fifty pm," I answer, looking back down at my phone.
"Can we—"
"Why would you ask such a stupid question? You know I'm only here for something."
"Well is that something more important than the Eiffel Tower?"
"Yes."
She sighs, "Fine."
I stop outside the specific building and take the key from my pocket. I unlock the big dark oak wooden door and push it open. I turn the lights on and take my trench coat off and hang it on the coat hanger beside me.
Artemis follows behind me, confused. "What are we here for?" She asks, curious.
"You'll see," I quietly say, shutting the door and locking it.
I walk through the narrow hallway and into the kitchen. I check the drawers and cabinets but it's only filled with cutlery, cups, and plates.
I go into the living room and look around, there are no hiding places in here.
The room has been painted a nice beige color. There's a small couch and a tv. Two paintings are hanging up on the walls as well.
I look at each of the paintings individually.
There's a painting of a beautiful familiar young woman with "Cara mia, Vivian" written at the bottom. My grandmother. My grandfather painted a painting of my grandmother when they were younger.
I guess she wasn't lying about how in love they were.
And the second painting, it's a tree. A white oak tree. It's painted so beautifully that I feel like I'm looking into a portal.
I run my fingers against the painting, faintly smiling.
"Hey, I got bored of you looking at the paintings so I went upstairs and found this," Artemis says behind me.
I turn around and look at what's in her hands. An old notebook. She passes it to me.
Holding it in my hands, I inspect it. The cover is navy blue with a piece of string wrapped around it, tied in a bow.
I pull the string and watch it as it unties and falls into my hand. I slowly open the notebook to the first page.
This is for you, Vivian.
When I pass, I hope you find it.
In this notebook, I've written about you. Every single page is about you. I know usually go off track when I write things but not this time. Not when it comes to you.
I love you, cara mia.
Please forgive me.
I flip to the next page.
I met you on a gloomy rainy day. I found you, in a park, crying. Crying because your father hit you for the first time. I wish I just took you far away from him. I wish I took you home.
I sat next to you on the bench and tried to hold your hand. You flinched. I tried again. You shook your head, telling me to go away. I didn't. I tried again. You finally let me hold your hand.
I'll never forget that.
I asked you if it is the rain or are you crying. You said the rain. I knew you lied. I could tell from your bloodshot sad dull empty eyes.
Then I looked up and pointed at the dark clouds sky and said, "If it was a clear dark sky, you could see one of my favorite stars."
Then you laughed at me. "Your favorite star?" You asked.
I nodded with no shame. I had no shame in loving the stars, space, the galaxies, the planets. You knew that.
"One of my favorites," I corrected, smiling.
Your hair stuck to your face, your clothes were soaking wet, and I could tell you were getting cold.
I wanted our first time to be romantic cause I knew I would meet you again. I knew we would have a future. I knew we would talk about this when we were older.
And we did.
You got cold. I put my coat around you even when you refused. You always said I was such a gentleman. I was not because if I was, I would've done that sooner.
You then pulled out an umbrella and opened it, shielding us both from the rain.
I asked why are you sitting here in the rain when you have an umbrella.
You said, "Because I was hoping that a handsome man would sit next to me and talk to me."
That handsome man was me. You were waiting for me.
Fate is such a beautiful thing, I say that because fate brought us together.
A few hours later, we were talking like we knew each other for years, laughing, smiling, and teasing each other.
Then we promised to meet each other there every day and we did.
Most of these pages are about when we came there every night. I hope you don't mind, I just want you to know that I'll never forget these moments we had.
I smile and look up from the notebook. "Thanks but this isn't what I'm looking for," I tell her as I walk past her and go upstairs.
Artemis quickly follows behind me, "Then what are you looking for?"
I look around the second floor and open a door. I look around the room. It's a bedroom. I check under the bed, the pillows, the mattress, the closet, and the desk and find nothing.
Artemis stands at the doorway, carefully watching me.
"If you could tell me what you are looking for, I can help you find it," she softly says with a frown.
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
I leave the bedroom and go into another room. A study. A very messy study. Piles of books and papers lay around the room.
"Okay. I need your help."
✮ ✮ ✮
"Is this it?"
I take the book from her and flip through the pages. I close the book, "No it's not this one."
We've been at this for ages, looking at nearly every book in this room. I know it's here, it has to be. But what if my grandfather destroyed it?
Maybe someone else did. It holds so much information I don't think he would ever want it to get into the hands of someone else.
We go through the piles for another ten minutes before Artemis speaks up, "Hey, this one is about Yavok. That's weird—"
I snatch the book out of her hands and flip through the pages. Slowly, a grin forms on my face, and the feeling of victory runs through my veins.
My grandfather somehow figured out what Yavok Orlav was planning in the years ahead, he also found every building, safehouse, warehouse, and mansion located.
Every secret of Yavok's in this book. Every weakness and dark mystery is unraveled in this book.
How do I know if it's a bunch of bullshit? It isn't. Yavok talked about this book, saying if he doesn't get it and someone else does, he will be finished.
But now I've just got the key on how to take down his mafia. I only planned how to take him down, taking down a whole mafia is quite hard.
I could just kill all of them, but I'm sure a few would run away. I need every single one of them dead.
Or...
Artemis clicks her fingers in my face. "I don't like that look on your face," Artemis whispers to me.
"Kill or take over?" I ask.
She tilts her head, "What?"
"Kill? Or. Take over?"
"Hmmm. Take over."
"Soon or later?"
"Soon," she proudly answers even though she has no idea what I am on about.
God, I can't wait for her reaction at the last ball.
My grin grows even wider, "Thanks Temi."
She furrows her eyebrows, "Temi? Who is that?"
"It's your nickname," I deadpan, rolling my eyes.
She blushes and lowers her head, shy all of a sudden. "Temi," she quietly repeats, smiling.
I think she likes that nickname.
I lift her chin with my hand and place a small kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for finding the book," I genuinely say.
She blushes even harder.
I don't think I've even seen my best friend like this. She's never been shy before from what I've seen but here she is. Blushing like a little girl.
Cute.
I stand up and stretch my arms causing my shirt to go up halfway up my stomach.
"You've got abs," she points out, pointing at them.
I look down and hold my shirt up. "Yeah I do, although they are quite faint," I mumble, tired.
She mutters something under her breath.
I drop my shirt and look down at her, "What was that?"
"I said whoever you end up getting with is one lucky man."
I smile, "You never know, I could end up with a woman."
Her eyes light up, "Fuck Dante, get with me."
"I was joking, I'm into men."
She sighs, disappointed then shrugs, "I could treat you so well, Athena but sure, whatever you say."
I bend down and grab the two books I'm taking with me. I crouch down and meet her eye level, holding the books to my chest.
"You'll find someone who will love you more than you love. I can't wait to see you happy with that person," I genuinely say, softly smiling.
She looks at me bilwereded, "Have you hit your head or something?"
Shaking my head, I say, "Nope. Just in a good mood. Now c'mon, let's go home."
I hold out my hand and she takes it and we both stand up and go downstairs. I take her into the living room with me and pass the books to her. Then I take the painting of my grandmother off the wall.
We then leave, not forgetting our coats, and lock the door.
Noah waits outside with his Porsche. "Got everything you need ladies?" He asks, leaning against his car.
"Yep," Artemis says, getting the back seat but Noah stops her and closes the door. Then re-opens it for her, "Now you can come in."
She looks at us both, "Something is going on with you two and I don't like it."
"Just get in the car Artemis," I say, smiling.
She sighs and gets in the car, Noah shuts the door.
I take a few steps toward him, "When we go back, I need you to deliver something for me."
He puts his hands in his pockets, raising an eyebrow. "And what would you like me to deliver? And to who?"
I hand him the painting and my grandfather's book, "I want you to deliver these to my grandmother. Vivian Russo."