ELIJAH
I slammed the front door shut, the loud thud making the maid jump. Her eyes widened in horror, but I was unfazed. I'd grown accustomed to that look over the years, but Nadia's reaction was different. Her opinion mattered.
As I strode upstairs, the weight of my selfishness settled in. I was dragging Nadia into a world she didn't belong in, one that would ultimately lead to her hating me. My feelings for her were uncontrollable, and I knew I was being reckless.
"Mr. Grey, do you need anything?" one of the maids asked, but I ignored her until I reached my bedroom door.
I burst into my room and headed straight for the bathroom. My hands gripped the basin so tightly they turned white. Slowly, I raised my eyes to meet my reflection in the mirror. The person staring back at me was a monster, one created by his father's twisted desires.
A surge of anger and frustration coursed through me. Without thinking, I clenched my fist and slammed it into the mirror. The glass shattered, scattering shards everywhere. The sound echoed through the bathroom, and I stood there, my chest heaving.
I tilted my head back, my thoughts racing with the realization that I was becoming the very thing I despised – my father.
Abusive, full of anger, hate - everything I hated.
"Forgive me, Nadia," I whispered, my words barely audible.
My bedroom door swung open, and Nicholas rushed in. "Bro, what the hell?" he exclaimed.
I smirked, not bothering to look at him. "What, never seen a broken mirror before?"
Nicholas's tone turned serious. "Bro, look at your hand – you're bleeding."
I shrugged. "Relax, it's happened before. I'll be alright."
Nicholas sighed, scanning the room as if unsure what to do. "Why?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern.
I met his gaze. "I'm a monster."
Nicholas frowned. "Bro, what are you talking about?"
I hesitated before speaking. "Nadia doesn't know the real me. Today was the closest she's come to seeing that side of myself, and the look in her eyes, Nicholas..."
Nicholas's expression softened. "Relax, bro. If she can't accept you for who you are, maybe you should let things go."
I bit my lip, the thought of losing Nadia unbearable. "But –"
Nicholas cut me off. "It's better this way, bro. You'll only end up hurting her. Trust me, you'd rather have her far away from you, safe, than close to you, where you could lose her at any moment. She's a weakness for you."
Nicholas's words stung, but I knew he spoke the truth – a truth I needed to hear.
□□□
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Vicky asked, carefully cleaning the wounds on my knuckles.
I sighed, hesitant to reveal the truth. "Nothing, just had a bad day," I said, partially lying.
Vicky gave me a skeptical stare, her expression implying she knew me better than that.
"I got into a fight with Nadia," I admitted, and Vicky's eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, it wasn't really a fight, but..." I trailed off, unsure how to continue.
Vicky's gaze softened. "You really like her, don't you?" she asked.
I chuckled, realizing that was an understatement. All I needed right now was to see Nadia's face, and I'd be okay again.
"Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Vicky's expression turned serious. "Well, don't fuck it up," she warned, disposing off the bloody cotton balls and washing her hands.
Just then, one of my father's men, Matteo, entered the room, looking worried. I tilted my head back, exhausted.
"Boss," Matteo said, addressing Vicky.
"What is it, Matteo?" Vicky asked, standing up.
Matteo's expression turned grave. "It's about the Rossi's. Our men went to their reserve to finish them off, but it turns out there was a snitch, and they escaped the country."
Vicky's eyes narrowed. "To where?"
Matteo hesitated. "We don't know."
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. This couldn't get any worse.
Vicky's voice turned icy. "What do you mean you don't know?"
Matteo looked down, apologetic. "I'm sorry, boss."
Vicky's expression turned calculating. "Well, it's time for plan B, then."
One of our families will bury someone, and it was notgoing to be ours.
□□□
My eyes locked onto the man tied to the chair in front of me. He had been accused of unspeakable crimes – abusing innocent children, leaving scars that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
My jaw clenched in anger as I began to circle around him. "You've been given the opportunity to confess, to show some semblance of remorse," I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "But instead, you chose to deny it, to lie about the pain you've inflicted on those innocent children. Innocent kids that you kidnapped to do your dirty little work on my turf!"
I stopped in front of him, my eyes blazing with fury. "You're going to pay for what you've done," I vowed, my voice low and menacing. "You're going to suffer the way those children suffered."
With a swift motion, I nodded to one of my men, who stepped forward with a small toolbox. I opened it, revealing an array of instruments designed to inflict pain.
The man's eyes widened in terror as I selected the first instrument. "This is going to be a long night," I whispered, my voice dripping with malice.