Vincenzo was in his room laying on his bed. From time to time he threw his baseball up in the air hitting the ceiling only for it to come back down into the palm of his hand. He was thinking hard.

Seeing his mother's tears had conjured a mixture of emotions in his mind. He partly felt rage and party felt remorse. He was feeling frustrated that his mother was not letting go. It was always about him being nicer. What he couldn't understand was that, Viggo was already there. Why did his mother want another duplicate?

Vincenzo's father had raised two sons to be leaders and not followers. Vincenzo and his brother were destined for leadership. They were strong, fierce and capable of carrying out their duties. They were excelling fast and getting close to where they meant to reach. They were on the path to become untouchable. But they had different personalities. Viggo was moderate. But Vincenzo was extreme. Their mother didn't like that.

It shouldn't have bothered Vincenzo as much as it did or rather he thought it was not going to bother him hearing his mother not being happy with him. Now that his mother didn't even say any words to criticise him, her tears did communicate with him how heart broken she was.

Vincenzo felt pained. He felt remorse. Even thought he wasn't meant to feel regret. He hadn't done anything wrong. Not intentionally. But indirectly he had caused his mother to cry and it bothered him.

It felt wrong to see her cry. Recalling the sight of his mother's tears were stabbing his heart. He never meant to hurt her. He always wanted her to be safe and protected just like how he wanted Vienna to be safe from harm from the whole world.

Vincenzo now felt responsible. It was his fault that his mother was crying. But he could not help that. There was nothing he could do. She wanted him to be like Viggo. That was never going to happen. He couldn't give her even a tiny ray of hope. Because he was who he was and he had no intention of changing. He was the first born heir to this family. He couldn't afford to be soft. But that wasn't it. Viggo was not soft he was far from it. He was strong willed and intelligent. So how could he describe what quality it was that Vigo had that it hadn't? Viggo had a quality that was more evident. That quality was what kept Viggo out of trouble and prevented him from worrying their mother.... He was looking for the word that Viggo was but he wasn't. That was it " being compassionate" was the right description. Was Viggo more compassionate? Absolutely. He showed mercy. He forgave but Vincenzo didn't. Vincenzo remembered every single wrong doing that anyone did to him and made sure those responsible paid up. He never let anyone get away if they wronged him. He took revenge in the most severe form that was possible. Viggo had sympathy and was capable of forgiving. But compassion, sympathy and forgiveness didn't appeal to Vincenzo. Not only he loved revenge, he enjoyed himself taking revenge. It satisfied him to hurt those who wronged him. He enjoyed it more than he could describe.

Vincenzo's father had enemies and they all wanted him dead. There was a target on his head ever since the day he was born. He was a first born heir and the number one on the wanted list of those who hated his father. He had a long to do list of eliminating them all one by one. He had no idea how his mother was going to cope with that in future. She just had to look the other way. He couldn't afford to make mistakes. He didn't have time for that. He couldn't forgive. He couldn't forget. His mother just had to accept that. But it didn't change the fact that Vincenzo was feeling remorse and feeling responsible for making his mother cry at that moment..

His mother's tears was bothering him., He couldn't deny that it indeed did matter to him how she felt. Even though her words were not always received well by Vincenzo, her feelings mattered immensely. She mattered. Her well being mattered. He wasn't meant to hurt her no matter what his purpose in life was meant to become. It just felt wrong to make her cry. It just did. Why did she have to be hurt? He never hurt her. He had no intention of hurting her, ever. Why did she look at him with that pair of pained green eyes that made him feel regret. The regret of making her feel sad bothered him.

Vincenzo sighed. Sometimes he wished he lived in a separate home so his mother didn't have to watch him every day and feel pain from his actions. He knew she was upset because she felt like she had let him down as a mother and wanted to undo the damage that she felt was done to his conscious. What kind of nonsense was that? He had heard it before.

Vincenzo couldn't understand why his mother felt that way. He was fifteen years old. He knew what he wanted and how he was going to achieve it. He had his life planned out in front of him. He had prepared for it and he was continuing to prepare himself for his future ambitions. His mother didn't know much about his intentions and plans for future but she knew enough to worry. He was feeling regret and remorse because of it. He wished he didn't cause her pain unintentionally.

Vincenzo wished he hadn't walked out when he had. He wished he had spoken to her more. felt like so many words were left unsaid after he had walked out of that room after seeing her cry. He wanted to go back but he hadn't. What was the point? She wasn't going to ever stop worrying about him no matter how much assurance he gave to her that there was nothing she could do and there was nothing to worry about. No matter what he said, he was sure that she was never going to accept the fact that he was who he was. She needed to understand that there was nothing she could have done to change him.

Her tears burned him inside out. When he had entered that room, Vincenzo could instantly tell he was the reason she was crying. No one else who had contact with her in anyway, dared make her cry. Vincenzo's father loved his family to death and every one knew that.

No one wanted to be the subject of Francesco Rosario's wrath, not even Sancia O'Neil who had the means to stand up for herself even without her husband's protection. Even she feared the full force wrath of Francesco Rosario. She had told her husband that she feared one thing more than death and that was crossing Francesco Rosario. That was a compliment Francesco loved to hear from Emanuelle. Not that Francesco Rosario cared much about his reputation.

Francesco made people feel fear effortlessly now. He had done enough in his past to ensure everyone knew what he was capable of even if after becoming a father he was spending less time on disciplining his men. Needless to say he hardly ever needed to make an example out of anyone.

Vincenzo had never seen anyone upset his mother. He never meant to upset her either. It just happened like always. He sighed. There was nothing he could do to make her feel better. His mother was caring. Too caring.

Adele Rosario was the envy of many families. Many women in crime families wished they were like her. Many men wished they had what Francesco Rosario had, a stable relationship. The Rosario family were in fact the only crime family with no history of divorce with the exception of Vincenzo's grandfather, Paulo who had divorced his wife just to reunite with her later on.

Either way his mother was loved by all. She was flawless. She never made mistakes. She never said anything hurtful to anyone. She always was nice and kept her calm even when dealing the most offensive women like Sancia O'Neil. Other women wanted to be like her and be loved by others like how she was. What her parents had together was rare. Their relationship was the envy of many couples. They didn't need to buy each other flowers every day to remain in love. They didn't need to buy each other gifts all the time. They just were in love. On Mother's Day, they all did something his mother enjoyed the most, whether it was baking cakes or having a picnic. On Father's Day, they helped their mother make his father's favourite food and only played his favourite records on the gramophone. Francesco's favourite was of course whatever music Adele loved.

Vincenzo looked at his watch and noticed there was quarter of an hour until dinner time. He wanted to check on his mother before his father arrived home from work. He walked out of his room towards the kitchen wondering if his mother was still crying. If she was, his father was going to make him regret being born when he arrived for dinner. He was certain of it. But he probably deserved it. He had made her cry. Even if he didn't mean to.

He walked past the entertainment room and saw Vienna sitting next to Viggo watching TV. He sighed. Those two lived in a different world.

As he walked into the kitchen, he saw his mother making salad. It was their father's favourite salad; apple, celery, grapes and walnuts with cream at the side. She had already set the table as food from the chefs downstairs were laid out on the table. On days that she worked, she wasn't allowed to cook. It was their father's rule. They brought food from downstairs kitchens that cooked for the compound. But still his mother found a way around his father's orders by making starters like salads.

Adele was too busy in her thoughts to notice her eldest son watching her from the kitchen door. She was looking down at a massive bowl making salad waiting for her husband to come so they could all have dinner together as a family. She was no longer crying and she had made sure she didn't look like she had been crying before coming out of her room. If Francesco saw her crying he was going to go ballistic and most likely was going after Vincenzo as he was the number one suspect. It was no wonder, Vincenzo quickly guessed why she was crying. No one around them dared make her cry. Francesco had made sure everyone knew how much she meant to him and what he was capable of.

As she finished making her salad , she looked up and froze. She stiffened as she saw Vincenzo at the kitchen door. He had changed clothes now, no longer wearing his school clothes.

Adele still was in shock from his expression of remorse. How could that be possible? He never apologised for anything to anyone except to his father or when he was forced by his father.

Adele cleared her throat "Would you like some salad?"

Vincenzo shook his head " No. Thank you." He then walked to the fridge. His mother baffled him. She was just crying because of him earlier on and now she was offering him salad and treating him like nothing had happened. She just forgave so quickly and effortlessly unlike his father. His parents were opposite poles.

Vincenzo grabbed a soda can from the fridge and walked to a corner of the kitchen leaning to the counter as he opened his Soda can watching his mother silently. Some part of him was telling him to say something first. But why? What was the point of saying anything ? What could he say? His mother didn't approve of him. He couldn't fix this by words. His mother needed actions. How could he make her happy? He couldn't. This was who he was. He sighed and muttered words that came to him as instinct " Mother ... Are you well now?"

Adele was really taken back. What was going on with her son? " I am fine."

Vincenzo stated " I meant what I said mother... I am truly sorry for not being who you want me to be... " He paused. He had some heavy feeling on his heart that wasn't budging.

Adele breathed " Vincenzo there is no need. There is nothing to apologise for. I am sorry son ... I didn't mean to cry.."

He sighed " Mother... I am the reason you cried. I don't know why you can't let go. You have Viggo who does everything you approve of..."

Adele whispered " Not everything..."

Vincenzo stated " Maybe... But he is the son you also want me to be. I am not him. I am sorry. I think it's best to tell you I overheard you talking to uncle Angelo once. I know you blame yourself for my ... State of mind. I heard you told him you wish I could act like Viggo. Just accept it mother I am not him. It's not your fault... so please stop worrying and don't feel you are obliged to blame yourself"

His mother looked away " I know son."

Vincenzo walked to his mother slowly. He surprised his mother by taking her hand in his. Adele gasped and turned. He looked up at her son who stood towering over her. He lifted her hand gently  and to Adele's shock he planted a kiss on her hand. He brought her hand down and let go as he whispered " Mother, you don't need to protect me. You should not feel the need to....  I am sorry for being a pain. "

Adele breathed " Son. You don't need to apologise... You are not a pain. I worry about every body."

He then smiled " I know you worry about every body.... You know earlier on when I came to your office, I wanted to say .... Thank you for calling Letizia's parents to check on her after she left last night. You care for her so much. Me too... Her father loves to invite you and father to dinner after speaking to you. Letizia told me her father doesn't have time for dinners normally but he is making time for getting to know our family... So thank you mother."

Adele was still in shock. She whispered in disbelief " Any time." Her son smiled at her weakly and walked out.

Adele smiled at him as she watched him leave the room. Vincenzo's smile reminded her of old times. Maybe there was some part of him left that she used to know. But that uneasy feeling came back to her again. Her son was growing up fast and he was becoming a different person to anyone else that she knew. She couldn't even compare him to Francesco and how he used to be. Vincenzo was more complex.

As Adele was setting the table, guards brought food to the kitchen from the chefs. On days that Adele sent to work, she didn't cook or rather she was ordered not to cook by Francesco. It was one of the conditions he had for her in order to let her work at the private hospital down the hill that they owned. Addle loved cooking but of course she had to give up and compromise. Living with Francesco had a price.

As Adele was setting the food on plates as the guards left, she heard a car engine. She walked to the Windows and saw her husbands car pulling in front of the house from the Windows. He was on time as always. She took a breath of relief. Every time he came home safe she said a prayer in her heart. As terrible as it sounded, every time he left for work, he could be coming back in a less perfect condition. Seeing him get off his car safe was the best feeling in the world. When he wasn't in the house, she felt like part of her was missing. She decided to greet him. She walked quickly outside her room and down the stairs. She walked out and saw him talking to his men giving him orders. As he noticed him he stopped talking and gave her a mischievous grin as he walked towards her " You missed me sweetheart?"

Adele embraced him and kissed his cheek " I have missed you."

Francesco lifted Adele up and carried her bridal style to the house as he was kissing her lips. When he held her like this it reminded him of the first time he carried her inside the building when they were spending their first night as a married couple. He still felt the exact same feeling of excitement and gratefulness for having Adele as his wife, his partner in life. He looked up and saw his eldest son looking at him from the window with an unreadable expression.

Vincenzo looked away from the window as he thought of how different his parents were to others. They were just so in love as though they had never aged. He hoped for the same joy in his life with Letizia's in his life. That could be years away but he could start dreaming  now.

The phone rang in his room and he answered it "Hello Tristan. Shouldn't you be in an afternoon tea event at a Giovanni hotel?"

He chuckled " Of course, you are your grandpa Giovanni's favourite. He gave you permission to go talk to the phone. What do you want?"

He raises an eyebrow " My engineering notes from my masterclass in hydraulics? Aren't you attending that session next month?"...." Am I not meant to ask questions? Since when?.... I give you the notes tomorrow.... Tonight? Where? Your house?.... What? You need me to tutor you hydraulics applications. Find a tutor. Why me?..... Of course I went to the master class ... But .... Fine.... I have to go. It's dinner time. I have a few minutes left. Speak fast.... I am not saying hi to Vienna. You call her yourself if you want to say hi.... Does she wear a pendent? What pendent? Oh that one that glow in the dark good luck charm? She is....  What's it to you?... You gave her that? And she is wearing it... It's the first time she has accepted a gift from a boy.... Either way, that's as close as you can get to her for now..... Good luck buddy ....You will need it, when my father finds out. I bet you want him to interrogate you sooner so you are trying to fasten the process.... I have to go... Bye." He then hung up shaking his head. O'Neils were all the same. They were all good at testing the waters.