As soon as I reached home, I walked straight up to my bedroom and took my blazer off first before kicking my shoes off and loosening the tie around the collar.

It was suffocating me. Everything was suffocating me. Every memory was suffocating me.

I could feel the rage from earlier starting to boil inside of me once again. The emotions that I had tried to suppress, were returning with full force. I did not want to get angry but I could not help it.

Actually, I don't even remember the first time I got angry and at what matter but I do remember that I would always stay angry, and still do, until I was actually diagnosed with anger management issues after mom insisted that I visit a psychotherapist with her.

Mom said that I was like my dad in many aspects, his switch would also flip at the speed of lightning and sometimes, for no apparent reason.

So maybe this is why I was feeling unable to control my urge to break anything in my sight. So I turned around and threw my phone straight at the floor-length mirror. A crack formed in the middle of it and my phone fell on the floor, breaking in two.

Your dear daughter was raped at a party three years ago.

My hand shot up to my, tugging at my roots, before throwing a punch to the wall.

I want to tell you a story.

I tugged at my tie roughly and threw it on the floor before making my way to the dresser and swiped a hand across it throwing all the items there on the floor.

You even think of opening fire, these three die in a second.

My hands gripped at the edges of the table and my knuckles turned white.

Because it was me who found her passed out from a stroke on the side of an empty road.

Your daughter was raped, beaten, and left on the road to die.

"FUCK!" I cursed and banged my fists against the hard, dark wood in frustration.

She called for you, you know? As soon as she woke up the first time, she called for you. Kept asking for you in her sleep every night.

I swallowed a painful lump in my throat and my heart constricted inside my chest, making me place a shaky hand above my shirt where I could feel a faint heartbeat. It physically hurt me to even think about it.

They touched her.

They fucking violated her.

Harassed her.

Bruised her.

They fuckin' broke her.

They touched what's mine.

And that's when I felt it. Something wet on my cheeks. I raised my hand to my left cheek and touched it only to find water on my fingertips when I brought it back.

I took a sharp intake of breath as another tear fell out of my eye. I was...crying?

I swiped a hand under my eyes to wipe the tears but they only came flowing back in full force causing me to stumble away from the dresser and sit down on the edge of the bed with my head and in my hands and elbows rested above my knees.

What even was happening to me?

They took away the three most important women in my life after my mother and here I was crying over them instead of striking back and retrieving what was ours.

Fuckin' hell.

Cara. I was going to get my twin sister back by hook or by crook. They will not harm my twin or her baby. I fuckin' love her with every fiber of my being, I will bring the hell down if they so much as lay a finger on her.

Selena has always been my best friend, probably because we were the same age, and was my one person to turn to, to share my feelings with if I could not share them with Cara. I vividly remember the day that I heard her talking about a silly crush on me. Maybe, that is why I felt attracted to her, or I thought that I was attracted to her and started to like her a little bit more than a best friend but that was all until she came back here. She came back and my whole life was turned upside down. The feelings that I have tried my level best to bury, started to resurface in full swing. One look at her and I was a goner. Cara made me realize all these feelings of mine towards her.

I was, coincidentally, almost always away for work purposes when she visited and she visited only for a week or two. It was just after her first year at university ended that she visited for a month to train but I was in Mexico, and so I couldn't meet her partly because I did not want to. I was still upset over the fact that she was all alone in New York City. I was the only one who opposed the idea of her going there for studies because I wanted her in front of my eyes all the time but she did not know that.

And what do I do when she comes back? I fake date her to court a woman who I was not even interested in, romantically. She was my best friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

To say I am a fuck up, would be an understatement.

Sia has grown up in my hands. From the moment, I first laid my eyes on her when I was only three something, I felt this overwhelming need to protect the small bundle of joy wrapped in a soft purple blanket. I made her giggle, I made her laugh, I made her smile, I made her cry, and I made her stand her ground no matter what. I did not realize my feelings for her until she decided that she wanted to leave. I tried to convince her that there are reputable institutions here in Italy, too, but she was as stubborn as a mule.

I fought with Zio Asher to make him make her stay but he could not change her mind, either. I was afraid for the first time in my life because of her. Hell, I did not even go to the airport to see her off, I was fuckin' mad.

And she left.

We barely talked, only once or twice in the family group and I became busier in my work, so I had no time for chit chats until and unless they were indispensable.

The day she returned, I did not plan to miss out on another event that included her, but it was an important deal, and the investors were impatient, so I had no choice.

"Adrian, I cannot believe that you missed out on her graduation party!" Cara huffed in frustration.

"Exactly, did you know embarrassed I was when she told me that you were throwing money at her while dealing with your other PRIORITIES?" mom interjected.

I raised my eyebrow at that and she pointed at the small black bag resting on the table making my jaw clench.

"She said she wanted your presence, not your money." Mom added making me sigh internally in annoyance.

"I'll see to it." I spoke and grabbed the bag before making my way out.

I can't believe that gattina.

I got into my car and drove towards her house which was a good twenty minutes away. The thought that I was going to see after so long made this weird feeling bloom inside my chest and it kept my mind occupied throughout the drive.

When I reached there, the four guards standing at the front bowed their heads in respect. I nodded at them once and made my way inside the quiet house.

Looks like everybody has gone to sleep. It was quite late already.

I started to make my way upstairs towards her room only to pause in my tracks when I saw a figure leaning against the balcony. I walked quietly until I was standing at the threshold.

She was hunched over the railing and the gentle breeze that was blowing, made her fly softly.

Five minutes later, I decided to speak to make my presence known, "I wasn't throwing money at you, Piccola ragazza."

She shivered visibly and abruptly turned around to place a knife at my throat. She could probably not see my face because of the dark and I immediately dodged it, securing her wrist in my grip and spinning her around before holding the knife to her throat.

Why did she even have a knife with her at this time?

Her back collided with my chest and she started to struggle so I placed a hand on her lower stomach. She picked up her foot to probably hit me in the groin but I jumped back swiftly. She took that as an opportunity to hit me straight in my gut and I stumbled a little. She turned around placing the edge of the knife at my throat, once again. When I stepped forward, she gasped taking a step back. Her chest heaved as she stared at me, mouth agape and eyes wide.

"Impressive." I commented.

"What are you doing here?" she asked ignoring my previous statement.

I smirked but it fell when my eyes raked her body, her silk robe had pulled open, and her maroon lingerie was on full display.

Fuck. She was gorgeous.

My eyes caught her poop slippers and I did a double-take, "Poop slippers?" I mused.

She fidgeted and hid one foot behind the other while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear making the crimson on her cheeks even more visible.

"I wasn't throwing money at you, it was a gift for your graduation." I spoke and extended the bag in her direction.

What she said next completely caught me off guard, "Thank you, but the party's over. You're three hours too late." She turned around to face the city again and it gave me enough time to compose myself and walk closer to her.

Her grip on the railing tightened as she felt me behind me and I explained, "I was attending an important meeting. It's a big project and could earn us millions in profit."

"It's alright. You don't have to explain, it's not like you were here the rest of the times I visited." I detected a hint of pent up anger in her tone.

Dropping the bag on the table, I turned her around and cupped her chin making her look at me, "So much anger, Piccola ragazza."

She looked at me as if in a trance while her eyes roamed my face, "I'm not angry at you. Your presence and absence are of little importance to me."

Bullshit.

"You grew up in my arms. I know you like the back of my hand." I stated.

She blinked and her face turned completely blank as she spoke her next words, "You're not worthy of my any emotion or feeling. You're mistaken if you think I care."

"The words are coming from here," I paused and pointed at her heart before continuing, "and this is filled with utter anger for me."

Her jaw ticked as she glared up at me.

"I'll be there the next time." I whispered caressing her left cheek.

"I won't be graduating again." she complained in distaste.

So it did matter to her whether or not I was present.

I sighed and ran a hand down my face. She was being so difficult.

She started to struggle against my hold while shaking her head and spoke again, "As I said, it's alright. I am sure that a profit of millions was far more important than a useless party. However, I can't accept this...gift you brought, nor am I upset with you. Goodnight, I am sure you can show yourself out." She stated and walked away leaving me standing there alone.

I turned around to look at her retreating figure until she disappeared inside her room.

I was mad as hell.

Why couldn't she just listen?! I stomped out of there and drove back to my condo.

I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes in frustration. I missed her so fuckin' much. And at that moment, I realized something.

I wanted her back and I'll be damned if it doesn't happen in the next seven days.

The door to my room opened and my hand went to the gun tucked in my waist before I abruptly stood and aimed it in the direction of the door only to find dad standing there with a distressed look on his face.

"Dad." I whispered in confusion and threw the gun on the bed.

"I thought, I'd stop by to see how you are doing." He said entering inside.

"Yeah, there's a meeting tomorrow morning at nine sharp. We'll discuss the plans and take everyone's opinion on it. Also, I have already asked Javier to make the necessary arrangements. We have a time bracket of seven days and we're bringing all three of them home. We can't let our emotions get the best of us, not right now and not definitely not until they all get back home safely. We will have plenty of time afterward." I told him and raked a hand through my hair.

"I asked you how you were and not what did you do." He repeated.

I averted my gaze from his eyes before replying, "I am fine, dad."

"You have been crying." He stated.

My head snapped at him in shock and he stood with a guilty expression on his face.

"No." I denied.

"You can't lie to your father." He shrugged and walked towards me before looking around my room and exhaling a long sigh.

"I feel so fuckin' guilty of how I treated Sylvia. I tried apologizing but she wouldn't listen. She said to Zanvil that it's not the first time something bad would happen to her and we still were so fuckin' clueless. How could we be so blind?" he said in exasperation.

"Dad, don't beat yourself about it." I tried to calm him down but he only shook his head in return.

"Cara, they took her away. She's pregnant, for fuck's sake! They took all three of them away, right in front of our eyes."

"We'll get them back, don't worry." I reassured him.

He nodded and sat down, still appearing troubled about something.

"What's wrong, dad?" I asked squatting in front of him.

"You like Sylvia, don't you? It's always been her and not Selena, right? All those tantrums you threw when she left, all the meetings that somehow always clashed with the timing of her visits, and everything else were because you liked her from the very beginning." He said and looked up at me.

"I don't like her dad." I stated truthfully.

"Don't deny the tru-" he started to say but I cut him off.

"I love her."