By Darkness I Burn [EN]

Chapter 10

Isabella – 19 years old

On Saturday morning, the mood in the mansion was tense. No one commented on it, but the feeling was there, hovering over our heads. My uncles and Greta's parents looked confused, apparently no one had told them how the night ended.

It was great. Who didn't love a good family drama?

Sitting around the breakfast table, Greta finally broke the silence:

"Could we be in peace just for today? It's a special day." She sighed.

"I'm completely at peace." Hana shrugged, throwing a grape in her mouth.

Nevio managed what I thought was a smile.

"What happened?" Uncle Luca asked.

"Your son freaked out yesterday." Hana was the one who answered, after we were all silent.

"With Greta?" He frowned.

"We'd be having a different kind of spirit if he'd freaked out on Greta." Nevio intervened.

"He freaked out with Isa." Hana continued the tea.

Uncle Luca glanced my way.

"What happened?"

"Apparently it's not safe for me to dance with a man. Even though this man is my security guard, handpicked by my father." I replied condescendingly.

This time, he turned to Amo and raised an eyebrow.

"He had his hands on her booty." Amo defended himself.

"What is none of your business." Hana hissed.

"It's really not." Uncle Luca replied. "That said, I would have interfered too."

I looked at him shocked.

I was about to open my mouth, when he continued:

"Your security has to know his place. I don't care what you do, but I do care what my men do and they should know not to treat you with anything less than true respect."

"It would be disrespectful if I felt uncomfortable, which was not the case." I snapped. "I asked him to dance."

"What Luca is trying to say is that he doesn't want his soldiers to think they have any claim on you. Or talking about you." Aunt Aria plead.

"I don't care what your soldiers think or think. It doesn't change anything in my life." I shrugged.

Aunt Aria laughed lightly.

"I do." Uncle Luca finally spoke. "And I hate your mother."

I wrinkled my nose at him.

Aunt Aria giggled again and patted his arm.

"You don't hate anything."

"Sometimes, yes, I do hate her." He said and I rolled my eyes. "I think we've come to an understanding each other." Finished.

"Yes. Next time I'll choose an outsider to get their hands up my ass." I murmured, stirring my yogurt to mix in the honey.

"You'll have plenty of opportunity for that in college." Hana remembered and I smiled.

Uncle Luca and Amo snorted, but Remo, Serafina, Aunt Aria and Nevio laughed.

The mood seemed to improve instantly.

"Thank God, I couldn't take this dark silence any longer." Aurora murmured. "What college are you going to, Isa?"

"Columbia."