RUN

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟟: 𝕃𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝

There was a little girl in front of me.
I mean, not literally, but still.

I took the picture out of the open file, my cuffs rattling with the movement.

She was wearing a blue dress, smiling at the camera softly.
Her dirty blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her cheeks were bright pink.

Are they saying that I'm this girl? Yeah, right.

When I lifted my head, already thinking about all the possible ways I could to tell them to piss off, something else caught my eyes.

Blinking rapidly, I reached out to grab another photo from the file.

Looking up at the unknown men with so much confusion, I found out they were already staring at me.

Their gazes were ones of anticipation, eager to hear my reaction.

But I didn't give them one.

Instead, I turned my attention back to the photo in my hands.

What in the fucking world is that?

It was the same girl from the picture before, but this time she wasn't alone.
She was in a huge field, wearing a yellow summer dress.

Leaning forward towards the picture, I scrunched my eyebrows and solely focused on the woman that held her in her arms.

The pain in my head was long forgotten.

I stared at a carbon copy of... Myself.

Sure, she was older than me, but she looked just like me.

"Who the hell is that?" I muttered to no one in particular, not able to take my eyes off this woman.

She was laughing, looking straight into the camera with a big smile on her face.
Her blond hair rested on her shoulders, and she was wearing a matching dress with the girl.

"Our mother, Maya."

There's no way, I--

I rapidly dug through the file, hands shaking.
I had to see more of this woman.

Swallowing hard, I picked up a family photo.
The woman was laying her head on another man's chest, while the little girl was in his arms.
On his shoulders was a smiling young boy, his front tooth missing.
Before the, I guess, couple, were two boys.
They looked around ten, and were trying desperately to break up a fight between another two little boys.
One of them was sitting on top of the other, smiling victoriously.

"That's us." Amadeo pressed his finger softly at the older boys.

I looked at him, eyes wide.

"And that's you." he slowly moved his hand up until he reached the little girl.

"No, this... this can't--"
My words died in my throat.

I feel like a truck just hit me, and dragged me with it a couple of blocks.
And then dropped me, and ran over me again.

I want to tell them that there's no way it's me, but one look at the woman... God.
Could this actually be me?

And this man, he looks so much like Alessandro and Amadeo.
They claim that she's our mother, so that means he's our father? My father?

"I don't understand."
It came out more as a frantic question.
My hands are cold, my breathing is unsteady, and my mind is racing.

This time, it was Alessandro who answered.
He leaned towards me, eyes softening.

"When you were only two, you were taken away from us." his jaw clenched, but he tried to compose himself.

"Taken? What do you mean by that?"

He released a breath before looking straight into my eyes. I had to force myself not to look away.
I needed answers.

"Our father, Leonardo, had a family buissnes which I now own. At the time, his rivals decided to take it a step too far. They kidnapped you, taking the most important thing in our life with them."

His voice was rough and heavy, almost as if saying these words hurt him.

I looked at Amadeo, wishing inside that he'll tell me his brother is messing with me.

But he didn't.

He nodded briefly, and I leaned back in my chair.

This can't be happening.

My whole life I thought I was tossed away.
I thought my mom chose to give up on me, and now I find out that it was a lie?

"Why are you here? How are you here?" I demanded.
I was kidnapped, right? Then how did they find me all of a sudden?

Oh.

"My fingerprints, isn't it?" I realized, nodding slowly to myself.

I tried for years to go unnoticed, and apparently, that's what kept them away.
They could have found me years ago.

I wasn't sure if I wanted them to.

"Yes, but nothing matters now that we have you back. You can finally come home with us." Amadeo squeezed my hands, a big smile decorating his face.

I stared at his hands blankly, his touch was warm and yet... Unfamiliar.
They are still strangers to me.

I slowly retrieved my hands.

Their faces fell.
Amadeo looked down at the place my hands had been just a moment ago.

Alessandro furrowed his eyebrows, blinking in confusion.

Exhaling heavily, I lowered my head towards the table, brushing a cuffed hand through my hair.

"Look, guys..." I stumbled, not so sure how to tell them in a way they'll understand.
"I get it, I really do. But I can't go with you."

Alessandro responded in a hurry.
"Why not? Are you in danger? If it's because of the arrest, don't worry. I already gave them the bail money--"

"Stop, okay? Just stop." I almost yelled.
They shouldn't want me so bad.
I'm messed up, and once they'll figure it out, they'll throw me away.
It happened sixteen times before, and I'm not planning on making it seventeen.

"I don't do family, got it? I've never had one, and never will have. I'm not that little girl anymore, and us being blood means absolutely shit. So, thank you for bailing me out," I spoke bluntly, telling them exactly what I think. "But I'll have to decline."

Chapter 7!
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