Created by the devil

black paint.

Tommy has been unapproachable for weeks now. Gia had broken his trust, yet he has hope. He hopes for her to come back.

He would find himself staring at her house, remembering the kitchen table they shared, the one that is currently gathering dust, and their laughter around it.

Aunt Polly's yell resonates in the house. He sighs out loud and goes downstairs. "What's going on?" He asks.

"That dog is uncontrollable. How did she even do it? Again, she took my breakfast from my plate." She yells out as she puts the utensils that were on the table away.

Tommy isn't in the mood for this discussion, or any discussion for that matter. He simply pats the dog and takes the paper, placing himself in a single seat.

Polly is normally the one who's able to read him like an open book, but for the last few weeks, something has been off between them. She couldn't even charm the dog with Gypsy witchcraft; she wondered if she was losing her charm.

"What's the matter with you, Tommy?" She asks him after sitting down on the couch. He doesn't even look over to answer, "Just reading the paper, Pol."

She takes the paper out of his hands and looks him in the eyes. "Either you tell me what's been going on in that stubborn head of yours, or you suck it in." She tones.

He only sighs as a reaction and stands up to go to the betting den. "You know, there are only two things that can make a man like you lose your head."

"The only thing that is more addictive than cocaine is love." She tells him as he keeps on walking.

He talks louder, so she can hear him. "Suppose the cocaine is working well, then." He makes his way into the betting den and proceeds to make his way to the chalkboard, which should be guarded by John. He looks at the results before getting back to his work.

He opens the door to his office when he sees his brother lying on Esme. "Come on, the honeymoon is over. You get two minutes to finish and get dressed. John doesn't even need two minutes." He closes the door rapidly.

Tommy has been working non-stop for the past few weeks. When he is seated at his desk with his head in between the numbers, he is sometimes able to block her face out.

But once the night falls and whiskey or breakage get's involved, he loses his footing. That's why he tries to work as long and as hard as humanly possible. It's simply the way Tommy gets on with things, he denies.

Gia is sitting at a big table four days after her father has passed. She is waiting on Angel, who comes in with his fly open. She rolls her eyes; there is no need to search for what he has been doing.

They knew her father was going to die, so it was only a matter of time. Each sibling took it differently; Luca has become really quiet; Angel took his peace the same night the shooting happened; and Gia is being Gia.

She's put on a brave face and has been dealing with business and protection while giving the others time to grieve. She had given herself an hour—the hour when she visited her dad a couple of days ago.

Gia would never advise this to others, but nobody could tell her what to do, and at this moment she doesn't really care.

Gia stands up as the only woman at the table; she tries to directly show which position she is ready to take, not that it came as a surprise for others.

"Voi, on this very day is the first meeting without the ex-don. May he rest in peace. My pa was a man who only trusted blood. You may all not be la discendenza, but you are all part of our family. We grew up together. That's why we will stay together, no matter who takes his place."

"My brothers and I have not yet decided who will. Now that's been said, we can go on with business. We may be grieving; the whole of New York is too, but the rest of the world isn't. These are the times when we are the weakest. People will try to strike."

"Do not sit here like fucking rags. May that tattoo you are so proud of be burning your skin now more than ever because we're being tested. We lost our father; that doesn't mean we lost our pride. Get your asses up and keep working. For the book workers, your recap for today is going to be handed out, and the rest knows what to do." She explains.

Luca walks off into a side room, and his siblings follow. Gia would be lying if she said her heartbeat didn't start beating faster once she stepped foot in that room.

They're all in the office of their father, yet the brothers don't want to sit in his chair. Gia knows it's going to be a big statement if she sits on it; that means she is after the throne, but that's exactly what she wants.

She walks up to his chair and closes her legs once she is seated on the leather seat. "When are we going back?" Angels ask her, which is another sign that she has everything in hand.

"When the plan is ready." She tells him. "Which fucking plan?" Luca asks a bit louder than usual. "We're going to take it all over." She answers as she lights a cigarette.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Angel asks, but Luca doesn't intervene and motions for her to keep going. "What I mean is that we are the second-wealthiest and best-known family in America. Maybe Luca's idea wasn't that shit." Gia waits for a reaction.

"Cazzo You've both lost your minds. There is a reason why they are better!" Angel suddenly stands up. "Yeah, that reason is dead. We have the power to start a stronger organization. There is no way we can do that apart." She reasons.

"Will the men follow?" Angel asks as he sighs. Luca answers for Gia, "They will." He smiles and looks at his sister, who reciprocates. "For pa." he finishes.

Gia doesn't know it, but this moment is going to be engraved in her mind for the rest of her life.

It's going to follow her in good and bad times. It's the start of a series of events that could've been avoided if she hadn't shared her ideas.

It's going to follow her like black paint on her hands that she can't wash off.