Blank Canvas (A Risotto Nero Love Story)

A New Hand

Risotto watched the woman walk away, a heavy sigh flooding from his nose. This wasn't right. The whole situation reeked of nefarious plans. Someone was holding something against her, and he'd rather die than have her go through this pain alone. What could be so horrific that she couldn't even ask him for help? He was incredibly strong, she had seen that first hand. Whatever it was, it outweighed his own capabilities - by a lot. Was it related to her being Anonymous? Perhaps whomever it was that was holding her mind captive was threatening to expose her.

No, the fear in her eyes was far too wild for that. Risotto thought to himself, now making his way back to his car. It was primal, almost. This was something far more precious than her career. She was protecting someone. But, it couldn't possibly be... Risotto pressed down harder on the gas.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-wait. Aurora has a brother?" Formaggio asked, face pale as he listened to his boss tell the squad of what he discovered. Risotto had promised to tell no one of her family, but the situation called for dire measures.

"Yes. Whoever has Aurora scared is using him as leverage. The terror written on her face..." the leader trailed off, eyes lowering. The men had never seen Risotto with this expression. It was raw, unaltered rage. To be on the receiving end of such a look, even if not the cause, made them all pale a bit further.

"So... who would do this to Aurora?" A timid voice spoke up; it was Pesci. Rather than ostracize him Prosciutto hummed in question, his cigarette hanging loosely from his fingertips. Who would do this? A number of groups most definitely would do something as vile as this, but of that number who would even know about her brother? It was something not even the Squad knew until she had told him. From what she had said, only a select few besides him knew. Possibly his caretakers, if one had to wager a guess.

In reality, while many groups would do this, none were actually capable. If La Squadra didn't know, it was virtually impossible to find out. There was only one other option... Passione.

———

"Just a latte, please," Aurora asked, gloomy and unbelievably tired. The older woman gave the poor girl a sad smile. She had been so distant as of late. They used to chat about their days and now... now she looked like a shell. A hollow, cold shell. Rosemary hadn't seen any of her friends around as of late either, so she couldn't ask what was going on. Every attempt to the woman herself was met with a 'I'm fine.' One of these days she was going to lock Aurora into the pantry and force it out of her!

Aurora gave a thankful nod as she took her drink and returned to her normal table. It was a rather slow day, so it was thankfully empty. Upon sitting, she found herself wondering. What should she do? Beyond what to order, beyond what to paint... what should she do? It all felt so hopeless. She hadn't heard from anyone in a few days, nor had she heard from Illuso. The silence left her lonely and terrified. She hadn't the nerve to contact her brother to make sure he was alright. She felt so foolish.

"Ah, Signorina, mind if I sit here?" Aurora jumped at the sudden voice, eyes shooting up to greet the stranger. Before her stood a gorgeous man. He was donned in a white suit, black spots dappling it. She made out an intricate heart tattoo across his exposed chest. Looking to his face, she was stunned by his bright ocean-like eyes. They held a calm sophistication, wise and comforting. He also had two golden clips in his stylish black bob, which she found to be interesting. At her silence, the man chuckled and motioned to the chair.

"R-right! Ah, no—er, yes. Go ahead," Aurora mumbled, cursing her inability to talk to pretty people. The man nodded and took a seat, his coffee placed upon the table. Every move he made held a certain elegance to it, filled with grace and purpose. All he did was sit down, and yet she was memorized. Who was this man? He looked oddly similar to... oh no.