TESORO (His hunted Treasure)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Present-day

Iva's Condo(Sicily)

"Okay girls, it's time for you to sleep, you have school tomorrow," Iva said trying to hide the pain in her voice.

Telling her story to Luna has been more difficult than she led on, she had tried to filter it as best as she could for her innocent ears, but other things had to be told as they were.

While telling her story, she did notice the slight flashing of Sumeya's crowned heart pendant, she had smiled to herself thinking how smart her boys had grown to be, it was obvious that the necklace wasn't just a necklace, she hoped they did hear the story it would save a lot of time on her part, but if not, then she would retell it one more time, her babies did deserve an explanation, Alunamida was young, but they had been big boys who would have noticed their mother's absence and felt it.

"No, I want to know what happened after, how did you fight off the guards, did they hurt you?" Alunamida pressed, holding her mother tight.

"I couldn't fight them off baby," Iva sighed as a tear slid down her face at the memories of what happened after that messy night in Milan.

"Then what happened?" Sumeya asked this time around, hearing the raw emotion on the girl's voice, Iva looked up and saw that she was struggling to keep her tears in, and she could see it wasn't just from her telling her story, the girl has been through a lot, and Iva would like to hear about someday, but for now, she was going to offer her comfort, comfort that she wished someone had given to her all those years ago.

"Come here sweet girl" she opened her arms and beckoned Sumeya to her arms, she made space for her on the couch as she came into her embrace without hesitation.

Iva hugged both girls to her and gave them time to cry silently, it became obvious to her that the hug was for herself as much as she was reassuring the young ones that all is now well, but she too needed reassurance that indeed things will be okay soon, she was tired but she knew she had to be strong for one last time because this was only the beginning of another sh**storm and she was the one who will let it rain hard on all those responsible for her long-suffering.

When she heard the girls had calmed down she began speaking with difficulty because this part is one she can not wrap her head around, she had tried to think and make sense as to why Emilio suddenly betrayed her but this one wound had cut her too deep and thinking straight seemed to be impossible, rage suddenly blinds her whenever she thinks of what she had to endure because of him, she may not be able to kill Emilio without hurting her kids, but baby daddy or not Emilio Morelli was going to pay.

"I couldn't fight them off" she starts again when she could tell they were again listening to her.

" So I surrendered, I was counting on your father to clear things out, he would never let me be killed or punished for something I didn't do" she takes a deep breath.

"But I was wrong because he did, maybe because he didn't believe that I was not the one who pulled that trigger or he felt betrayed I had a plan and executed it without his knowledge, but whatever reason, the punishment was too great and unfairly delivered to someone who only tried to protect her family".

Silence followed that statement.

"I was sent to prison, I could tell at first that Emilio made sure I still had comfort, whatever little comfort a prison could offer, my bed had a nicer mattress than other inmates and my cell was more like a private ensuite room than a prison cell, which is why I wasn't worried at first"

"At first?" Alunamida interrupted her mother.

"Yes at first, after a week in there without seeing your Father and no talks of a trial I began to get worried, Emilio wouldn't keep me away from you for such a long time, you were still a baby, and you needed me, I missed you so much," she wipes at her face again.