"A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected."
----------------------------------
Hey guys. Thank you for everything. How are you guys enjoying the story so far?  Let me know.

Please just remember to vote vote vote. I know sometimes we are too eager to get to the next chapter so we forget but please vote. 

Let me know what you think of this chapter and the few after. Oh and before I forget to be ready for a very
long chapter ahead.
🌹
-----------------------------------

Third-person POV.

When the women walked on stage Lorenzo felt Natasha stiffen and her face went pale.

Looking back on stage he took a closer look at the women and then he saw it.

"Mom?" Natasha whispered.

The women looked exactly like Natasha except her emerald eyes were slightly faded.

"I don't feel so good," Natasha said feeling sick from the pit of her stomach.

"Evening all, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending my event tonight. It's been a great honor to open another branch here. We have worked so hard to get here.  So please enjoy the party and we will be giving further information at the end."

Everyone clapped. Natasha made a quick b to the bathroom and threw up.
She couldn't believe it.

After her little adventure to the toilet, she went to rejoin Leonardo, Massimo, and Natalie. They were all talking with Maria.

"Yes and..."

She suddenly stopped talking her eyes locking with Natasha.

Natasha felt her blood bubble. All these years, all the anger she's been holding in those 13 years was now bubbling in her chest.

"Leonardo let's go," she said, while everyone was turning to look at what was happening.

"Natasha is that you dear?" Maria began.

Leonardo, not wanting to ask, made his way outside with Massimo and Natalie at their heels, it seemed like they had also pieced together what was happening.

"Wait!" Maria cried gathering everyone's attention.

Natasha just walked faster.

"Natasha wait!" she cried again.

Natasha stopped abruptly.

"Don't you ever pronounce my name." she hissed not bothering to turn around.

"Listen I can explain," she said.

"Explain what Maria?" Natasha said turning abruptly. "That you left me for 13 years and all of a sudden there is an explanation for it?" Natasha said trying to not explode. The paparazzi we're already gathering.

"You cannot call me Maria, I am your mother," Maria said guiltily.

"You lost that title thirteen years ago," Natasha said before climbing into the car leaving Maria shocked and embarrassed.

Natasha POV.

I can't believe I saw her after 14 years on search.

"Are you ok?" Leonardo asked putting his hands over mine.

"No," I said.

"Let's talk about it when we get home." He said not giving me an option.
Getting out of the car I turned to everyone.

"Guys I'm so sorry to have ruined your night. I mean look at the way you're dressed you look so beautiful and now we had to end the night early." I said looking at Natalie especially.

"Who said we had to end the night?" She asked.

"Why don't we go to that restaurant uptown and make the best of our dress up?" Massimo suggested.

"Yeah. I don't mind." Lorenzo said.

Now everyone was looking at me.

"No guys it's ok. I just had the biggest shock, I'll just lie down." I said.

"Ok then I'll go with you," Leonardo said. "You two go along. The night is still young but look after yourselves."

Natalie gave me a hug.

"Remember I'm here for you." She whispered in my ear.

Then they were off.  

"Come on let's get you to bed." He said helping me inside. "Then we will talk about it tomorrow."

I just nodded and followed him upstairs. I stripped down from the dress, into the shower, and then in bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

"Goodnight," I said.
"Goodnight." He replied before switching off the lights.

Next day.

I woke up to see the curtains had been drawn and there was a note on my table.

"Downstairs making breakfast. Take a shower and I'll be up with it shortly."

I smiled. I went to take a shower and put on an oversized sweater and grey knee-length socks. When I exited the shower I saw Leonardo setting up the breakfast.

"Morning," I said.

"Morning," he said handing me a cup of hot chocolate.

"Thanks," I said. Then sat at my bed and looked out the window gathering all the strength to tell this story.

Outfit and position🔝

I sighed. 

"Where should I start. 

So while I was growing up my dad was very abusive and an alcoholic. He, my mum, my twin brother, and I lived in a beautiful home my grandma passed on to us.

Life was very hard and scary for a 6-year-old to understand, like why was dad always beating mum and why dad was never home or when he was, there were always bottles being broken and screaming.

When dad would drink a lot mum would hide us away in the basement. Mum never told dad about the basement when we moved to grandmas house because he had already started his drinking habits. So she would put us down there, telling us that we were playing hide and seek and that we should count to a thousand before she comes back.

One thousand was enough to get dad out of the house. So we would sit there and count and she would come back pretending to be jolly so as not to make us alert of what was going on."

I felt a hand wiping my cheeks. Only then did a realize I was crying.
I smile bitterly at the memory.

"Why didn't your mum leave?"Leonardo asked.

"Well, she did try one's.

I remember that night as if it were yesterday cause that's when my life came crashing down. We were only ten years old that night.

13 years ago.

"Honey we are going on a little adventure. I want you to put all favorite teddies in your backpack and come meet me downstairs." mum said.

I went and grabs my favorite teddy bear and put it in my bag with other few ones then ran to meet mum downstairs. She was there with Johnny and his staff.

"Ok let's get into the car." mum said. Then fasten our seatbelt and got into the driver's seat.

The only thing we didn't know that our neighbor had been paid by my dad to tell him if we left the house.

Halfway through the drive mum said something about stopping to get us something to eat after refilling the gas.

So while she self refilled the gas a car drove up towards us. Mum quickly locked the doors and told us to stay calm.

Soon dad appeared at mum's window and his friend at the passenger's seat, you could see they had drunk. His friend broke the window, glass shattering everywhere, my brother curled into me, and dad's friends unlocked the doors while dad grabbed mum by her hair.

"You stupid women. You thought you could run away from me?" Dad hissed tugging onto mum's hair. "After all, I've done. You ungrateful pest."

Soon the friend tried touching me but I scram and Johnny bit his hand. That was the first time Johnny actually used his biting to do some good. 

I quickly dragged us out of the car while the man was trying to get a hold of Johnny. 

Now, dad had started chocking mum. So Johnny kicked him in the knee causing him to lose his balance, letting go of mum, who reached out for his neck knocking him unconscious.
I was now cornered and the man was approaching me but Johnny ran towards me trying to help but the man threw him on the wall and I'm sure I heard a crack or snap. I knew if I didn't do something I would be killed that night. So I grabbed the fire extinguisher and hit him on the head when he was starting to touch me.

Then I carried Johnny and ran towards mum. I called the police while I tried to make sure they both stayed unconscious. 
Soon the sirens were being heard. I rejoiced but turned to see Johnny slumped against mum, badly bruised.

The cops arrested dad and the man while we were rushed to the hospital and soon mum and Johnny were under treatments.
Mum started breathing again but Johnny had been severely messed up, his skull had cracked and his back had snapped causing him to lose a lot of blood so... he didn't make it.

The next day my eyes were puffy from all the crying and when I went into mum's room I saw the window open and she was gone only leaving a note saying that she couldn't live this life anymore."

I looked at Lorenzo. Now crying.

"I had bad nightmares from that day on but Tantin helped me get past them. I always remember Johnny for being the hero that night but I wish he was still here with me today."

Then I was crying harder, my whole body was shaking violently.

"That night I didn't just lose my whole world (mum) but also my other half."

Then I felt him pull me into his chest letting me cry my past away.

He was the only person I had trusted to tell this story too

.

-----------------------------------
Did you like this chapter?
I think I cried a little after rereading it. 
Let me know your feeling towards it. 
-----------------------------------