"The Russians have started a war. They know about Lila," Luca Alfonso said looking at his seventeen year old son, Victor.
"Lila? How did they even got to know about her? I thought you'd kept her hidden."
Lila Alfonso. The Don's four year old little daughter.
To the world, Luca Alfonso's last born was dead. But in real, she was always kept hidden inside the four walls of the mansion.
Until someone decided to rat it out to the Russians and now they were coming for her.
Why her? Simple rule, the weakest is to be attacked first.
The rumors of Lila's death started when the Russians attacked the hospital the day she was born.
The day Mia's parents died protecting Don's one day old daughter.
When he saw the poor kid, he decided to take her under his care. Only if he knew the true Mia.
"What are you going to do now?" Victor asked looking at his father who seemed to be lost in thoughts.
"Your mother has been asking to let her go for quite a while now. I'll send Lila with her."
"So you are saying that instead of finding out about the rat, you're going to send Lila away. What the hell dad?"
"It's not important right now. What's important is Lila's safety."
"She's safer with us. I'm not letting her go anywhere."
"Like you've a choice and I very well know what I'm doing."
Victor knew he couldn't win against his dad. So he was forced to follow his order.
Victor and the brothers were told that everything was going to be temporary and once their dad had dealt with the Russians, he was going to bring her back.
Months passed into years and there was still not a sign of the feud to be over.
When the twins turned thirteen, they were told about the mafia and the reason their sister was sent away.
While Xander was his usual cool self, Xavier didn't take the news well.
He refused to believe that everything was done for Lila's protection. He was hell bent on proving that his dad was wrong.
And how was Victor supposed to explain him when he himself somewhere blamed his father for everything.
For he was the reason, Victor was forced to push away the person he held most dear.
His sister.
The helpless look on Victor's face didn't even last a second before it was replaced by a sinister smirk.
"Want to know a secret, John?" He growled in a deep menacing voice that made John cower in fear.
They didn't call Victor devil for nothing.
"I never planned to kill you," Victor said leaning towards him. "Did you really think a bullet was enough to compensate for the two years of torture my sister was subjected to?"
The way his eyes darkened, the way his voice lowered to a deep, spiteful level, now John was seeing the real Victor Alfonso.
The destructive killer people claimed him to be.
"And you like a good boy spilled all your secrets without me even doing anything," He said tilting his head a bit as if the whole scenario amused him.
Victor nodded in the direction where his men were standing and they all, understanding the signal, quietly left the cell.
He grabbed the knife that was placed on the nearby table and moved towards John.
"Now you're going to be a good boy like before and tell me how you know about the mafia?" He said. "One wrong word and see what happens."
"I-I don't kn-," Before he could complete, a sharp pain shot in his hand.
He looked at the gash on his right hand which was the cause of the pain.
"Now will you tell me?"
"I really d-don't k-,"
It was followed by another slash on his hand.
Every time Victor asked the question, John's answer remained the same. It was until there was not a single place on his forearm which was not cut, he replied.
"I-I heard your mother talking about it once," He said.
"About the mafia?"
John frantically nodded.
Victor knew he was lying. When his mother left, she was given a clear warning of not uttering even the word 'mafia' in front of everyone.
So it was hard to believe she disclosed the information. His dad's warnings were something not to be messed with after all.
But the woman who can help someone cheat on his dying wife can do anything.
He called one of his men inside the cell.
"Call the doctor and ask him to bandage his hand. Don't let him bleed to death," He said pointing at John who was on the verge of passing out.
He went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up before heading home.
Victor was going to drag his death to the point where he would beg them to kill him but death would be a privilege he won't have access to.
Whatever happened to him today was just a little trailer, he was yet to see what Victor was capable of.
- l i l a -
"What the hell is this?" I asked looking at the paper Xander had placed in front of me.
"Solve it," He said smiling.
"You got to be kidding me. What the actual fuck Xander? I'm definitely not-," Before I could complete, he cut me off.
"Come on Lila, they are just a few questions on what I thaught you last time. Quickly solve it."
"What did I even do to you? Why are you torturing me like this?" I whined.
"Did you seriously think that just because you don't go to school now, you'll be able to escape it?"
"I'm not doing it."
"How about you solve it and then we can have a movie night?"
"No."
"With lots of junk food."
If he was trying to bribe me into doing my studies, it was successfully working.
"No."
"And I'll take you out after you complete this."
"I mean there are not many questions and it's not like I've anything else to do." He laughed at my response.
It didn't even take me ten minutes to throw the sheet on his face after completing it.
It had been a while since I last went out so I was kind of excited.
By the time Xander finished looking at the answers, the smile on his face was replaced with a scowl.
"More than half of them are incorrect?"
"So?"
"You really are hopeless in case of Math."
"Or maybe you're not that great of a teacher you think yourself to be. And shouldn't we get going, it's late already."
It took us ten minutes to reach the small restaurant which Xander wouldn't stop talking about. While he went to take some urgent call, I took a seat in the corner.
It was when I was scanning the interiors that my gaze fell on the boy sitting on a table near ours. He was already looking at me intently.
I quickly looked away but it was too late. He had already seen me.
"Lila?"
"Daniel."
What a wonderful end to such an amazing day.
~