Fate's Strings (2p! Hetalia x Reader)

Chapter Fifteen

(I know it's been a while! I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately. You would think summer would give me more free time, but summer classes in college are absolutely killer. My advise? Don't take them if you don't absolutely need to lol. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a regular update schedule soon, but until then I'll just be posting as I have time.)

Before any of us could process what was happening, whoever was at the door had entered the kitchen. Zao grabbed me, pushing me behind him in a protective stance. I knew that blonde head and fancy suit very well.

"Flavio..." I muttered under my breath.

"So it seems I was correct," Flavio sighed. "I thought it was a bit strange for Gilen to suddenly come all the way out here for a visit. It made me put the pieces together."

"Whoever took the precious bella had to be very acquainted with the mansion along with all of our schedules. Really, only an insider would have been able to help her escape. Since I was suspicious it was you, Gilen, I decided to follow you. You stashed her here for protection, is that right?"

"I was the one who took her," Zao was giving him a death glare. "Don't go and pin this on Gilen."

"It's true that he assisted you in some way, though, right?" Flavio countered.

Gilen appeared to be panicking. That was only natural. He was a member of a mafia family. What he had done was an act of betrayal. If anyone found out he had been a part of helping me escape, they would give him no mercy, Luciano especially. 

I needed to say something, anything to take suspicion off of him. I didn't want him to get hurt because of me...But before I could think of anything, Gilen suddenly got a determined look on his face. He took a step towards Flavio before speaking to him.

"It wasn't right. You knew how Luciano was treating her. You knew it was wrong, yet you said nothing. You wanted to help her, yet you didn't do a thing. If you truly wanted to help her, you wouldn't have come here today. Blame me all you want, Flavio, but you're the one who is doing wrong, not me."

From the look on his face, Flavio was shocked that Gilen had stood up to him. I was as well. He didn't have to do that....now Flavio would be even more angry with him. He would tell Luciano right away for sure, and that would be it....

The expression that developed on Flavio's face was not anger, however. It was guilt. That meant Gilen's words had hit home....Flavio felt guilty for not stopping his brother...

"Flavio..." I took a timid step forward, keeping a hand on Zao's arm so he wouldn't try to stop me. "Please...don't tell Luciano. If what Gilen said really is true...you can't tell him where I am. You know exactly what will happen if he finds me. And I would rather die than go back."

He could barely look at me. "Bella...I can't just-"

"Please!" I shot forward, desperately grabbing one of his hands. "You can't tell him, Flavio! What he did to me was wrong! You know it! Everyone knows it! You can't let that happen again!"

I wasn't giving Flavio a choice. He would have to see my despair. I would have to make him see the consequences of what he was doing. From the looks of it, it was working. The guilt in Flavio's eyes was overwhelming. I had to push a little more...maybe then, I would convince him.

"The fact you came here today proves that you're reluctant to tell Luciano anything. You could have just told him your suspicions right off the bat, but you didn't. Instead, you followed Gilen here to see if it was true. You wanted to know the truth. But you know what else is true?"