The Family

New Family...

Two weeks after the Ball...
"Have you heard anything yet?" Nicolas demanded to Antonio. My father didn't so much as flinch from Nicolas's harsh tone.

"No, but we definitely know she's with the Avenito's." My father stated blankly.

"That's not enough!" He raised his tone. Seraphina, who was standing in the corner of the office with her crutches, slightly flinched at the loud tone.

"Calm yourself boy, we are doing as much as we can." My father warned with a glare.

"What....what was that....that night....Valentine....didn't look like herself." Nicolas sheepishly asked.

My father sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Come with me." He commanded as he walked out the room.

Nicolas glanced over at Seraphina and she nodded in understanding.

Antonio and Nicolas ended up in the garden. The last remnants of sunshine peeking through the trees.

"Nicolas, you truly don't know my daughter...she ain't the girl that you've seen on that day." Antonio began.

"There's.....a part of the story I didn't tell you before..."

Nicolas listened closely.

"Valentine has always been....different. My mother saw dark things in her future. But, my wife and I loved her the same. She was never the talkative type...always kept to herself. She would come home sometimes with blood on her hands or scratch marks around her body. Her sister never stood up for her.... and I guess that's what caused Valentine to hate her." Antonio said, taking a puff of his cigar.

"Her sister always got good grades, always had close friends and the teachers loved her. Valentine however, she got good grades as well but the teachers hated her. She would have these....outbursts and her sister would get in the way. At one point....I found Amelia on the floor and her sister hovering over her with a pair of scissors in her hand...Valentine is not always right in the head and...I think you would do better without her. Lately, her condition's been getting worse." Father warned.

Nicolas shook his head defiantly, "Valentine is not a monster and I refuse to believe otherwise. She wouldn't hurt me."

Antonio simply sighed and shook his head,"Then you clearly don't know my daughter." He stood up and walked away without another word, leaving Nicolas sitting there speechless.

He kept his determined resolve and walked out the garden.

I woke up....I woke up in an unfamiliar room.

I was lying in a bed, in an old musty room.

I slowly sat up and all at once my injuries made themselves known.

I hissed at the pain before the door swung open, and DeLuca waltzed in.

I gave him a weary look as he gave me a wide grin. I then noticed he had a plate of food in his hand.

"What happened?" I growled.

"Long story, you should eat first." He commanded as he placed the plate of food on the bedside table.

"I'm not hungry." I pouted as I pushed the plate away. He gave me a disapproving look but I ignored him.

"Where am I?" I asked.

He gave me a knowing smirk and bowed dramatically.

"You, my dear, are in the Avenito residence." He answered innocently.

"W-what?!" I screeched as I jumped out of bed.

I hissed as I applied pressure on the wound on my hand.

"Well that wasn't very intelligent of you." DeLuca laughed.

"Oh shut up!" I snapped as the door seemed to swing open again and in walked Lorenzo Avenito.

I stood up as tall as I could, while the wounds on my shoulder, arm and hand began throbbing.

"Ahhh, Ms Russo...lovely of you to join us..." Avenito said dramatically.

I glared at him and kept standing.

"Now now, that's no way to treat the person who saved you." He smirked.

"You haven't saved me from anything." I growled.

He shook his head and took a step closer.

"Listen brat....I've got a proposition for you....you're abilities at the ball proved to be somewhat interesting and I think you could be a useful asset to me." He explained.

I thought it over and beckoned Lorenzo to me.

"Fine, but I've got some valuable information that you might find useful in order to overthrow him." I said.

He had a confident smirk on his face as he strode over.

He stood an inch away as I glared into his eyes.

Despite the pain of my wounds, I put all my strength into my punch as I lunged my arm into the side of his face. He fell to the ground in surprise and looked up at me.

My expression was dark as I coldly glared down at me. I slowly bent down and whispered into his ear...

"If you think I'm gonna leave my father, you're dead wrong. You're not the first to try and take my father's title." I stood back up and attempted to walk out the room, but DeLuca blocked the exit.

"Ahhh, but surely I will be the last." He called out as he pressed his fingers against the newly made wound.

DeLuca grinned as he held a cloth over my mouth. I clawed at his face as he held a firm grip around my waist.

My vision slurred and my body fell limp into DeLuca's arms.

Lorenzo cackled maniacally as he glared at my limp body.

"Stupid girl." He smirked as he pushed past DeLuca and made his way down the hall.

Leaving DeLuca to stare down my limp body. A small frown crept it's way to his face.

"La mia rosa.....what have you gotten into now." He mumbled as he carried me body out the room and out the mansion.

He made his way to the back garden and placed my body onto a cement bench.

He sat on the ground and rubbed his temples.

I slightly sturred in my sleep and mumbled.

"Please.....it's not my fault..." I mumbled in my slumber, which peeked DeLuca's interest.

"She asked me to do it...." I mumbled as a soft whimper escaped my mouth.

"Please daddy........you've got to believe me......" I begged.

"I'm sorry......" I whimpered.

"Please stop hitting me.....I didn't do anything wrong..." I begged as a stream of tears made their way down my cheeks.

"What happened to you?" DeLuca muttered in curiosity.