Days later
Vincenzo was sitting at the bar at one of Rome's prestigious hotels.... There was a ballet show happening behind him but he didnt spare any glances at the show girls as he was drinking soda.
It was time for Emanuelle O'Neil and his father to meet with a client at the hotel that was owned by Arturo Agostini. The hotel was one of the safest places to meet. No police dared even come in the street next to the hotel, let alone inside it. The place was packed with criminals... He watched from far how the other boys were playing billiard at the side or having food at the restaurant section while watching the performance... He was not hungry. Neither was he in the mood to watch ballet... It reminded him of her too much when he glanced at the show happening at the stage... It reminded him the first time he felt he wanted no one but her.
Vincenzo remembered that day clearly when his heart warmed up for her.... She was singing at the school production standing out from the band. She was taller than others. She sounded much better than the others too.
Vincenzo chuckled to himself as he picked the soda bottle and took a sip. He remembered how he went around the back and sabotaged the electronic wiring that connected to the microphones of others in the band... That helped... He only wanted to hear her voice and no one else's. He didnt like the kind of music she was singing... It was for hippies but he loved to hear her voice that was the only voice he wanted to hear that night... He even went onto complain to the principal after the performance... He complained that they had to let the performance happen again after the wiring got fixed. He did the same of course again.. He sabotaged the wires and only liked to hear her voice one more time.
Vincenzo waved his empty soda bottle at the waiter who quickly gave him another one. He popped open the new soda bottle and took sips from the cool liquid still not sparing a glance at anywhere else in the room but the walls that had his favourite paintings on them from Italian artists.
Vincenzo was having one of those nights with a nostalgic feeling. He wasn't sure what had brought this on. Maybe it was because he was sitting at the same hotel he played hide and seek with her years ago.
Vincenzo looked at the roof. It still had a mirror. He remembered being here years ago and using the mirror on the ceiling to find her easily after he finished his count down. He remembered looking at that mirror and teasing her once he spotted her. He warned her " Run... I give you ten seconds and I will hunt you down..." She did run and hid somewhere better listening to his warnings as she always did.
Vincenzo ran his hands in his hair thinking about how much he wished his life had turned out differently. He had a first love. He only had one love but he couldn't be with her... Not when she didn't even glance at him or any other boy for that matter. She was in her own world. She was not interested in any boys yet. She was not ready for him to overwhelm her with his confessions. But part of him was not so optimistic that she was going to return his affections when the time came to admit to loving her. What was he to do if she said no? Kill every man who came close to her or hit it off with another girl? He used to think that the second option was best but he had thought wrong. He recalled clearly how it felt when she was once dancing with his own brother... When they had been at the O'Neil mansion weeks ago, Viggo had danced with her and he had fought the urge to storm the dance floor and claim her like the wild wolf he was. He thought he could look the other way but he was wrong. He had ended up questioning Viggo about if he had feelings for his beloved. Viggo had sworn that he didn't. He could never kill his brother but he was going to hurt him if he confessed to loving her.... But if anyone else had eyes for his beloved, they were going to meet a painful deadly end. He didn't share. Not that his beauty cared for boys. She didn't glance at boys to his relief. It didn't matter if she wasn't ever going to love him. He was willing to live alone but was vowing to himself to kill anyone who could have what he couldn't.
Vincenzo had thought through all the scenarios. He had thought he could love another woman and get over his jealousy but the day he had seen his brother dance with Clarissa all of those thoughts had gone out of the window. If he loved another then it meant that she was allowed to do so too and that didn't sit well with him. Needless to say he couldn't love another woman. Letizia came close but he didn't love her. He looked at her as a friend like how he saw Cristina and Tiziana, Vitale's sister. He found it easy to talk to those girls like breathing was natural to him. They were his best friends and women he hoped could be his female allies one day. But not one of them came close to his beloved. He thought maybe he could ever love another if Clarisa said no. But from experience it didn't seem possible. He had to have her. He just had to. At all costs he was going to make her his. Just not yet. He knew Vitale was uncertain of the future for Letizia but Vincenzo had some plans to get Letizia out of his life if he had to. If his beloved loved another he wasn't going to watch and stand by.
Vincenzo suddenly found Tristan right next to him " Hey... You have been too quiet tonight.... What's on your head right now? I am willing to pay to find out what you are thinking..."
It was ironic for Tristan to ask him that.
Vincenzo nodded " Hey there... One day you will know what I am thinking..."
Tristan suggested " Fine. Suit yourself... Let's go up to the roof. The guys are coming up there... They will have fire works soon.... Lets go now..."
Vincenzo muttered under his breath " Fire works? Give me a gun and I will show these people real fireworks..." He then stood up " I come for the fresh air..."
Tristan walked side by side with Vincenzo still curious about what secrets he harboured. Tristan still thought about Vincenzo's words from the party night at O'Neil mansion. He couldn't wait to find out. But patience was a virtue and he knew Vincenzo was not going to tell him anything unless he wished it. Tristan could somehow persuade people to talk but Vincenzo was not just anyone.
The boys entered the elevator and pressed the button for the very top. Once the elevator reached the top floor, they made their way to the nicely laid out seating area on the rooftop and breathed in the crispy fresh air. They walked towards the edge as the other boys also joined them. Then the fireworks started.
Tristan noticed Vincenzo didn't look at the fireworks. His attention was elsewhere.
Tristan asked " Why do you look the other direction? Don't you like the fireworks?"
Vincenzo's stated " Fireworks? I see that everywhere... The real treasure is right at the doorstep in Rome... Look at that.... I wish I could build one in my home...."
Tristan laughed " Of course... You are obsessed with the roman colosseum.... You have visited that place hundreds of times now.... What do you like about it?"
Vincenzo kept looking at the massive building that was not far from the hotel " I just told you... I want to build one in my house one day.... "
Tristan stated "It's ancient history..."
Vincenzo stated " I can't build the real thing ... But a football stadium would come close ... There are football stadiums that have the same style and design... I guess I could build one of those if I can't build this real thing..."
Tristan asked " What do you see when you look at this colosseum?"
Vincenzo turned to look at Tristan " What so you see?"
Tristan shrugged " I see death... Nothing else..."
Vincenzo smiled " I see triumph..."
Tristan asked " Roman Empire doesn't exist anymore ..."
Vincenzo argued " Its legacy lives on... Don't you agree? I totally want one in my house..."
Tristan nodded " I agree but that colosseum is no longer in use... No more unnecessary deaths for the entertainment of the privileged..."
Vincenzo chuckled " I don't see it that way.... The emperor sat there and his people cheered on the gladiators to fight each other for the purpose of entertainment ... But it wasn't always for fun... Sometimes gladiators fought for something or someone... The winner was always honoured.... I respect that... Don't you fight for what you want... How different are we to those gladiators... We fight and fight ..."
Tristan stated " We are free... Those gladiators weren't free... We have choices... They never had choices..."
Vincenzo nodded " Exactly... I agree... That's why we are not only the gladiators.... We are the emperors too... We are a combination. We are the rulers and the fighters of the arena of our world... Don't you agree? It is impossible in theory to be the emperor and the gladiator at the same time but I always have been feeling like I will be a combination of both. I have always wanted to be a fighter and a ruler at the same time. I want to rule like a roman emperor alongside my empress and fight hard for my family and my business empire like my life depends on it...."
Tristan was looking at Vincenzo with questioning eyes. He laughed and joked " Really? Empress Marciano? I don't think so. I foresee that one day you might feed her to the tigers in that arena the first chance you get and will get yourself another girl... That's a possibility..., Don't you think?"
Vincenzo stated " It might come true... But do you really want me to get another girl Tristan? Do you think if I chose another girl, would there be a time that you would wish Letizia was my woman?"
Tristan smiled weakly " You can have any other woman and everyone would be happy as long as it's not Letizia... Its your choice who you pick but other girls at least can keep the peace unlike Letizia."
Vincenzo asked " Are you sure about that Tristan?.... What about your sister?"
Tristan was taken back " What about my sister? How do you mean?..."
Vincenzo asked " What if I loved your sister?"
Tristan shook his head " You don't love my sister... You can't love her.... If you did, you would have claimed her by now...."
Vincenzo spoke " What makes you so sure?"
Tristan stated " I am not so sure .... That's only what I hope to be true... You are the last person my father wants for my sister... He calls you future son in law from hell..."
Vincenzo nodded " I know your father calls me a lot of things .... I don't dispute those titles he gives me... But I fight for what's mine... If I want your sister I will have her... If I ever come for her, he can't stop me... Neither can you... So I conclude it doesn't matter what you think or what your father thinks .... It matters what she thinks... She would be the one saying her wedding vows in a church and she is the only one who can stop me if I wanted her...,"
Tristan was getting annoyed at the direction of the conversation " I never thought I would say this but I am glad Letizia remains as your girl... I am fully aware what you are capable of Vincenzo. You are a wild beast in my father's eyes who should be kept away from his princess... If you weren't with Letizia, I would have thought you are actually threatening my sister ... I am actually glad you have a girlfriend right now otherwise I had to take your words differently..."
Vincenzo smiled and looked into the distance as he thought to himself " This wild beast of a wolf would have the Little red soon. I vow, that one day I would have her and no one else will...."