The Devils Of Harvard

Chapter One

Twelve Years Prior
  

Adrian Winters

How was I supposed to know all of this would happen?

I should have known better or done something but I couldn't because that's not how life works. I was old money. I came into power when the world was changing and quickly. I couldn't have imagined what it may have been like but I knew.

I'd gone through a lot but my biggest challenge was looking into my children's eyes one to many times to see these large eyed kids I'd helped create looking at me in awe. I could still feel the first time they were in my arms after birth, and they held onto my fingers while looking at me. The city I was raised in called me a devil but there were three of these cute kids I'd do anything for to prove that maybe we all have a devil inside of us begging to be released.

Walking downstairs of the villa on Lake Como which was more like a compound since I'd bought four properties side by side and made a large shoreline complex with my main villa, a guard house by the gate, a guest house connected to the floral gardens of traditional Italian flowers and trees. A helipad for one of four helicopters I owned a boathouse to hold the lake boats to go out and spend the day.

I had a lot of my homes redesigned many of them at the least renovated to be more fitting to what I liked which was often a sense of homey natural connectivity along with a modern element that of course changes depending on where I am in the world I change that styling to be fitting but it will always remain very me in nature.

Standing in the grey marble topped kitchen with a steel lined hardwood panel back of the island. Four steel and cloth spinning stools sat, two filled with my two eldest children, six year old Nathan, and five year old Isabella, four year old Abigail was being held by my beautiful wife Olivia as she made the kids breakfast.

Her coffee coloured hair was pulled up into a neat bun, a kimono pulled around her and fastened at the waist with the ribbon belt provided, where on experience there would be scarring from some of the nights and events that marked her physically, and for me mentally.

She stood there cooing softly to Abigail who'd insisted on being there in Olivia's arms.

"Buongiorno bellissima" I greet walking to them and kissing Olivia's cheek where a soft blush grew.

"Dad, can I have an extra pancake?" Izzy asks looking at me with the golden grey eyes she got from me.

"Ask your mom not me, she's cooking" I say looking to Olivia who stared back at me with the 'really' expression.

"Putain, je ne peux pas dire non à leurs petits visages".

"Ne jure pas devant les enfants" I laugh effortlessly and she rolls her eyes.

"W-what does putain mean?" Abigail puzzles tilting her little head to one side.

"Its a bad word don't say it" Nathan chimes in while simultaneously trying to fit his fourth pancake into his mouth.

"Nathaniel..." I drag out and he looks up, "smaller bites please".

Taking the bite of pancake he began using his fork to make small squares out of the pre existing bites on his plate.

Domestic life felt comforting; it wasn't abnormal to me. I felt like this was where I was meant to be. At least it's where I wanted to be, but I ran a global company and even if me and my family were on vacation I couldn't be lacking on my responsibilities as a parent or CEO.

I then moved to the counter before getting a cup of coffee and walking into the living room where my computer sat shut still from the night before where I'd left it.