Adele was sitting on her bed shaking hard and sobbing. It was disturbing to see how one event could change Francesco so much. That letter had informed him of news that had turned him vengeful. The news had turned him so vengeful that had made him lose all sense. He was going to kill the guilty and the innocent all together with no mercy and with no consideration to anything anyone was telling him. He had lost all reason. Adele couldn't stop him since he had ordered Costanzo to take her to her room and lock her to stop her from coming out to see scenes that were going to be related to his business and from what he knew of Adele, he didn't want her to see. He had told her he would see her later. But she didn't know if she wanted Francesco to come near her after what he had been busy doing ever since the arrival of that letter.
Adele was holding her head in her hands and weeping louder now as she recalled the glimpses of what she had seen Francesco do. That was of course the slip up on Francesco's part torturing his victims at the front yard allowing Adele to see what a monster he could be. As the victims were brought in Francesco had ruthlessly tormented them as they got off their cars and only had stopped when he had heard voice of Adele from the windows screaming her lungs out for him to stop. Of course he had sighed in frustration and after giving her an angry look, he had ordered the victims to be taken inside. The first of many victims.
Suddenly the sound of the key turning in the key hole startled Adele. She got up from her bed and backed away until her back was against of the wall. She was hoping it was not Francesco but it was. Anyone else would have knocked and introduced themselves before entering the room except him of course.
She saw Francesco entering the room followed by Costanzo. As Costanzo closed the door behind them, Francesco spoke firmly " Explain to me what is going on? You can't refuse my orders. I told Costanzo to bring you downstairs for lunch to join me but he came down to tell me you are refusing to leave your room and you are crying. Tell me Adele. Why are you crying? Who has upset you? Why aren't you eating? Just give me a name or I would go out there and beat the truth out of those who are guarding your room. And tell me why you are keeping your distance? Why are you backing away? I would not ever hurt you. Do I have to repeat myself?"
Adele was finding it hard to speak while Francesco was towering over her, looking at her with cold emotionless eyes that made her sob even harder. She was shaking like a leaf but managed to stutter " I am scared ...."
Francesco didn't let her finish her sentence and hugged her tightly rubbing circles behind her back. She was meant to explain how she was shaken up by his actions but Francesco misinterpreted all this.
Francesco whispered " It's ok sweetheart. I know. I am sorry this had happened. But those who did this would pay. I am sorry you are scared sweetheart. You don't need to be. It's nothing. If you see i had to cancel our outings today and cancel our attendance of Hollywood ball is just to deal with these issues immediately. I cant postpone it to later. I will make it up to you. I will keep you safe. I promise. I will make them pay for scaring you and making you cry on top of their crimes."
He then pulled away and held Adele's cheeks in his hands staring into her eyes waiting for a response. But Adele didn't know where to start. She didn't know how to get him to stop his actions. She was having hiccups now from crying. She spoke " Francesco .... Stop this ...."
Francesco kissed her forehead and spoke "I will put an stop to this nonsense that has started against Rosarios before it turns to anything bigger. I will. There won't be nothing left of those responsible for what happened. Nothing. There would be no trace of their existence. Shh. It's ok. Now. Don't worry sweetheart. If you don't feel well to come downstairs, I will send your lunch to this room with Angelo. I will get him to also get you something to calm you down like tea. I am busy for the rest of the day as you can see but will see you tonight when you go to bed. You don't even have to come down for dinner, Adele. Just take some rest and calm down..... Don't cry baby.... Fine.... I leave Costanzo here too for as long as you want.... Would that make you feel better?"
Adele didn't respond but Francesco turned to Costanzo " You don't have to come back to my meeting room for the rest of the day. Keep her company until I return. If Angelo makes her feel worse send Angelo to me so I will kick some sense into him." He then turned to Adele and spoke " See you tonight sweetheart. Rest. Ok." He then broke away and instructed Costanzo as he left the room " I will send her up some food by someone. If she wanted anything else ask the guards at the door. Don't leave this room Costanzo."
When the door closed behind Francesco, Adele sat down on the floor and closed her eyes whispering " I hate them. I really do. Why do they have to be related to Francesco. Your uncle is trying to rip apart Francisco's soul by ordering him to go after those who have attacked his fathers car. For crying out loud. Paulo is not dead. Your father is still alive in the hospital Costanzo. He survived the assassination and is recovering but oh no .. That's not enough for your uncle Piero. He had to send that letter to Francesco demanding him to get revenge on the list of a family he mentioned in his letter for being involved in that attempt on Paulo's life. And of course a request for revenge was not enough by Piero. He had to give Francesco an ultimatum. He had to offer him release of his mother on exchange for what? For wiping off families that tried to murder your father off the face of the earth. This is brutal. I can't get my head around it. Francesco is down there torturing, men, women and children just for the crime of being related to those assassins. Why? Your uncle is a monster for keeping your mother's freedom as bait to get revenge on whoever that has put his brother in hospital." That was when she was losing her voice. She then held her head in her hands.
Costanzo walked to her and knelt in front of her " Adele. You have to be strong. You have to keep it together. That's my uncle for you. Valuing revenge above no other. He asked Francesco in specific detail what he wanted done and to whom and of course detailing what he was going to give Francesco in return. You know when a monster like him drops a bomb like this, it would take many of us to fix the damage. We will fix this Adele. Don't worry."
Adele put her hands down " How? How will we fix this? He is going to kill innocents and he won't stop until he tortures everyone of the people he has brought to this mansion to death. Tell me I am wrong. I know what I saw. I know what I heard. It's out of our hands." She then sobbed.
Costanzo sighed " You heard Francesco. He wants you calmer by night or Angelo would be blamed or even I. Who knows. At least do your part so I can leave your room in one piece and ........ can help Antonio to get some people out after midnight."
Adele took deep breaths and looked at Costanzo hopefully " Really? Would you mean that? Are you going to save some people?"
Costanzo nodded " That's the last resort plan. Antonio is good at negotiating. He is going to convince Francesco to spare the women and children somehow. The women with young kids are easier to negotiate about. Those kids won't remember anything in future about ...... who killed their father. I am sorry Adele. That's impossible to save the men also. All those adult men in that mob family that assassinated my father have to die in Francesco's eyes so they can't strike any more Rosarios. In his eyes he would be protecting us. This revenge mission won't be about just what my uncle offers. This is not just about fulfilling his wishes to get his desired revenge on those who dare attack a Rosario. This is not just about getting to see our mother. This is also about Francesco securing a safer future for Rosarios. This family is too dangerous to be kept alive in Francesco's eyes...."
Adele swallowed hard " What about women with older children. What then. Would you be able to save them somehow?"
Costanzo sighed " I really don't know. If Francesco kills a woman's child in front of them, I assure you the woman would beg to be killed too. That would happen from what I know about this family Francesco is dealing with. But ... Antonio knows what he is doing.... He told me he has a slim chance of saving older kids by offering to ...... Sending them abroad .... I don't know maybe he is going to offer to send them somewhere in Europe or Australia maybe and get written contract from them not to re-enter America or die upon return. But Antonio is not sure if Francesco accepts to let older kids close to adulthood live in that family at all costs. But I have faith in Antonio and his negotiating skills. So don't worry too much. There is nothing you can do about these captives but you can at least save me and Angelo. As I said, if anyone lives past midnight, I maybe able to help them sneak out with Antonio somehow but only women and children can be saved since Francesco is least likely to pursue them if they escape. But he would go after any adult male that escapes. So now Adele, Please get up, freshen up and calm down. Please. You could drive Francesco to kill all his captives on the spot right now if you push it with him. The fact my uncle has asked for punishments lasting over days buys time for saving some victims but also ..... condemning victims too to worse fates if Francesco get motivation from your side to go crazy. Please try to keep calm so it keeps Francesco satisfied to some extent. Please try."
Adele sighed and took a deep breath. " You keep telling me to not give up on Francesco. Look at how he can change so quickly. Just when I thought Francesco could change he commits to even more despicable actions. Do you still want to look me into my eyes and tell me Francesco can ever change?"
Costanzo's expression became more pained. He spoke in a sorrowful voice " I know. But he is my brother and I am hoping that there would be a glimmer of hope for him to change one day. Maybe I am naive and keeping my hopes up for baseless reasons. It is likely. But look at it this way. I have more fate in Francesco changing in some ways at least but I don't believe that ..... people like .... Sancia ...... can change in any way. Sancia chose this life. No one forced her to kill the first man she killed. she was never pressured into becoming a criminal and remaining one since she was a girl born to a criminal family and it wasn't essential for her to get tainted by that life. No one forced her to be a sadistic monster that she is. But Francesco was forced into this life by my father and other catalysts in some ways pushed Francesco further into this life. I am sorry my brother loves you. But you are the only innocence in his life right now. He needs you Adele. He really does need an innocent ray of light in his life like you. I really wish that ..... Sancia also was not such a lost cause and I could have a chance of having a life with her but she loves her criminal life more than she could ever love me. But I know that Francesco loves you more than this criminal life. He would try to refrain from acts that would disturb you if he can help it. He has proven it. If you give up on him, there would be hope for no one else either to change him even in the slightest ways. Before you arrived at this mansion he had a much shorter temper. He would shoot guards for glancing at him for abit longer than he liked. He would have surely beaten me senseless for even talking to Sancia since he forbid me from seeing her. There are many other changes too. They may not seem like much but they are something to me. Something I can't ever do for my brother, you can do for him. You can at least do some damage control about Francesco. But Sancia is beyond repair for me."