NIGHT [GXG] (BOOK 2)

Chapter 11

Thankfully, Dada already woke up and was just resting to regain her strength. She ordered the Mafia to double the security around us, lalo na daw sakin.

Ako lang ang nandito sa infirmary, Dada wants to talk to me.

"Tell me everything that happened to you, my daughter." Dada said. Her hand, usually so gentle, clenched into a fist on the sheet beside her.

I took a deep breath and told her everything, the fear, the pain, the sheer terror of being held captive. By the time I finished, Dada's eyes were blazing with fury.

"Hades, that name again," she hissed, her voice laced with venom. "She's a daughter of Sicilian Hades Primo III. Their Mafia family is an Italian mob. They were the former Apex Predator, before your father gained that title which is still ours until now."

"Ano po ba kasing totoong nangyari Dada? Zephyr really looks mad at our family, is it true that our family killed hers?" I asked her curiously.

Dada shook her head, her eyes hardening. "That's true. It's a fight for survival and power, that's how dirty the Mafia is. Either you kill or be killed."

"Even innocent people get caught in the crossfire?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Dada's gaze softened slightly, but the pain in her eyes was undeniable. "We have no control over that anymore, being in the Mafia family is a curse."

Now I see where Zephyr's pain is coming from. But Dada was right, being in the Mafia is a burden, full of betrayals, and pain. It's a family tradition that was passed down, I was so fascinated to be part of something like this. But now that I got involved, mahirap pala talaga. You have to survive on a daily basis, ineme-eme ko pa yung mga death threats noon. Pero nakita ko na nga...

That's why I wanted to train more, get in shape, and be stronger. I can't run away from this already, I was born as an Antonov... kaya edi go, panindigan ko talaga ito.

The three of us, my siblings and I are currently being trained by Papshy Vanity herself. Umuwi agad siya dito sa Pinas after discovering what happened, lalo na nung nalaman niyang umaatake ang Primo mob.

"Fix your stance, Nyx," I was hit lightly from Papshy's cane, nakita kong tinawanan pa ako ni Vlad. I rolled my eyes at her.

Nung kami ni Vlad ang nagtapat sa duel, agad ko siyang pinakitaan ng aking Ronda Rousey moves. Napatumba siya at dumugo ang ilong niya sa lakas ng sipa ko. It was my time to laugh when she looked up at me with a shocked face, pumalpak naman sina Dada and Papshy.

Pinunasan niya ang dugo niya at agad na tumayo, her movements were swift when she flipped my body hanggang sa natumba ako. They also gave her a round of applause.

Ay lumalaban.

Hindi na kami pumapasok sa school, it was Dada's orders. Matagal ko na ring hindi nakakausap si Zenith pero they told her that I was already found and was safe. Our family moved here, in the main masion. Wala na muna kaming connections sa outside world, Dada wanted us to be trained physically and mentally.

Kahit ayaw ni Dada kaming maagang isali sa Mafia, wala na siyang magagawa dahil nandito na kami.

We were resting when Mom walked in with a tray of foods. I discovered that she's pregnant, kaya pala glowing siya. Sana nga mabuhay na this time ang kapatid namin, dalawang beses nang nakunan si Mom. Maybe, I think, dahil sa stress sa kompanya.

Sinalubong siya ni Dada at pinaghahalikan sa harap naming tatlo. I rolled my eyes when they started being too intimate in front of us, nagtinginan lang kaming tatlo.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat. "Maawa naman po kayo sa mga single."

Ate Vaughn and Vlad laughed, parang walang narinig pa yung mga magulang namin at tinutuloy lang ang pinaggagawa. Kinuha ko na lang yung pagkain at kumain na, I'm very hungry tapos ganun ang ihaharap sa akin.

"Kayong dalawa, Ate Vaughn and Vlad, kain na rin kayo. Tawa-tawa pa kayo diyan, same lang naman tayong walang jowa." I rolled my eyes at the two.

"Huwag mo nga akong idamay diyan, marami ngang nakapila sa akin," Vlad said proudly, "Si Ate Vaughn, cheater kasi kaya iniwan. Diba? Hindi kasi mapakali yung dragon niya, ayun tumira at nakatres, and boom may anak na."

"You fucker! Ikaw ang cheater sa ating dalawa at hindi mapakali ang tite!" Muntikan pa akong mabulunan sa sinabi ni Ate Vaughn, "Ikaw kaya itong kabila't kanan ang mga babae," Ate Vaughn continued to counter.

"Excuse me lang Ate ha, sino ba ang may girlfriend na ngang maganda, CEO, at matalino, tapos nag-cheat lang sa isang Russian model na nakilala nung nagbakasyon sa Russia?" Vlad mocked.

I saw how Ate Vaughn's ears perked up, "Tangina ka! That was just an accident,"

"Ha? Ano yun? So aksidenteng naipasok mo yung tite mo sa puke niya? Delikado naman pala talaga yang dragon mo, Ate Vaughn." So dirty talaga itong mouth ng kakambal ko.

"Hoy! Ano yung mga narinig ko?" Dada spoke, yumuko naman yung dalawa, I smirked at them.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ngayon lang sila napansin ni Dada, kanina pa sila nagbabardagulan.

"Ah, wala Dada. Ang sabi namin, buti naman at nakatres ka ulit kay Mom. Ayan may kapatid na ulit kami," Vlad joked, I snorted.

"Hindi nagsisinungaling ang tenga ko, kayong dalawa..."

Nag-eenjoy lang ako during kumakain habang pinapanood silang pagalitan ni Dada. Deserve!

I've missed our bantering together na magkakapatid

Tumabi naman si Mom sa akin, her hand resting gently on my back. I leaned my head on her shoulder, "Mom, you should keep on resting kapag lumalaki na si baby sa tiyan mo. We don't want another dead sibling, doble na yung sakit na mawalan ng kapatid na hindi pa pinapanganak. Kaya you should take care of yourself na, don't be stressed out."

She squeezed my hand, "Indeed, di bale... I filed a temporary leave as the CEO, my trusted secretary replaced me for a while. Since ngayon na naka-isolate pa tayo dito sa main mansion. So, how was your training?" She asked.

I shrugged, trying to mask the lingering fear that still clung to me. "Getting better, Mom. Magaling mag-train sina Papshy and Dada." But even as I spoke, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't ready, that I was still too vulnerable.

I have to thrive and keep on getting better as I train.

Days blurred into weeks, each one a relentless cycle of training. The mansion became our battlefield, the gardens our training ground. I could feel the muscles in my arms and legs screaming in protest, but I pushed through the pain, fueled by a burning desire to protect myself and of course, my family.

Papshy Vanity had taught us different kinds of weapons. From the elegant curve of a katana to the brutal force of a battleaxe, she showed us how to harness both power and finesse. Dada, on the other hand, her mixed martial arts training was brutal. She is pushing us to our physical limits. We sparred under the watchful eyes of the family's elite guards and other members from the mob, learning to block, dodge, and strike with speed.

Talagang hinahanda kami sa paparating na giyera. We were being molded and honed into weapons, ready to face whatever darkness lay ahead.