Blade

Chapter 70: A Risk Worth Taking

Sienna

The twins cling to their mother's skirt, crying and probably pleading for more ice cream, but she ignores them and keeps walking. One of the twins, a girl, accidentally bumps into a man who is focused on his phone, causing his ice cream to fall to the ground.

The mother quickly apologizes for her child’s mistake as the cleaners rush over to tidy up the mess. Then she turns to her children and begins to scold them.

For a brief moment, I wonder what it would feel like to have children. I had never thought about it before, assuming I would spend my life alone, but that is no longer my situation. Blade hasn’t really brought up the topic, and now that I’m thinking about it, I have no idea if I want children, especially since things between us aren’t completely smooth and all our troubles have us both on edge.

Still, it would be nice to see a little version of both of us running around someday.

A few tables away, a teenage couple seems to be on a date until another girl stops by their table and says something that immediately disrupts the moment. From the girlfriend’s expression, trouble has arrived in paradise. They exchange a few words before the girlfriend stands up and leaves, and the guy chases after her, offering apologies.

Hah, teenage love and teenage drama—not for the faint of heart.

I never fell in love during my teens, but I had a few crushes here and there and dated enough to learn plenty about relationship dramas.

"My mind is still blown that you're the Queen of the Italian mafia and Blade's empire," Isabel says with a slight smirk. "How does that feel?"

I scoop a spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream, letting it melt on my tongue as I savor the sweetness. "I haven’t really thought about it much, but now that you mention it… it’s a mix of emotions, I guess."

After the grand opening of Blade's casino, Isabel, Azzurra, Camilla, and I had all agreed to hang out and enjoy ice cream together. The next day, we found a charming little parlor tucked between two high-end boutiques.

"And I’m guessing all of this is normal and necessary?" Azzurra asks, gesturing with her spoon toward the guards in black suits stationed nearby.

"Absolutely. Blade ensures we are always accompanied by security personnel for our safety," Camilla says, rolling creamy vanilla on her spoon before tasting it again. "The past few months have been… chaotic."

The air smells of sugar, chocolate, and waffle cones. Laughter from a nearby group of men bounces off the pastel walls.

I haven’t had ice cream in forever, and tasting it now only makes me long for that sweet flavor.

"That makes sense," Isabel says.

I rest my elbow on the table, my fingers brushing the black leather of my jacket. "So, Isabel, is it just you and Diego, or do you have other siblings?"

Camilla leans across the table with a smirk, scooping a spoonful of Azzurra’s Neapolitan ice cream and licking it off. Azzurra rolls her eyes but smiles slightly, saying nothing.

Isabel purses her lips briefly before answering. "Yeah, it’s just us. We had an older sister, six years older than us, but she died when we were little. Car crash. She died along with two friends."

I pick at my ice cream, letting the creamy chocolate coat my tongue as I absorb her heavy words. My chest tightens for a moment at the thought of the loss she and Diego endured, growing up without their sister in their lives.

"That must have been… hard," Cam says softly, her expression solemn.

Azzurra drops her spoon and rests a comforting hand on Isabel's shoulder while tracing the rim of her cup absentmindedly. She swallows and nods once. "It was. But we had each other, so we managed. You learn to live with it, even if it never really goes away."