"Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom."

Marilyn Ferguson

* * *

Lorenzo

It happened so fast. We were eating breakfast and then all of a sudden, we hear a gunshot.

The man stood in front of us, with his gun aimed at us. The first question that pops up in my head is how the fuck did he get in?

The only explanation would be Valeria, the maid.

"Oh my god!" My mother screams as she gets pushed behind my father.

I quickly take out my gun and aim at him. He doesn't back down as if he has been waiting for this moment for years.

"Who are you and what do you want?!" I yell.

"Lower your gun or the girl inside will die. My man is standing outside her door, waiting for my command."

"Oh, god!" My mother sobs when she hears this. She seems to be attached to Valeria for reasons I have yet to find out.

"What do you want?"

"Lower your gun!"

I look at my father and he nods.

Where are the fucking guards?!

I slowly lower my gun but watch his movements carefully.

"Now, use your phone and send me ten million dollars!"

I chuckle. Ten million dollars? That's like 100 dollars to us.

Looking at their posture and the way he carries themselves, I'd say they're casual robbers, who entered a house they know nothing about. If they knew about us being the mafia, they wouldn't dare come inside both of them alone.

But I'd give them the courage and from the looks of it, they got rid of all the guards surrounding the house, which is impressive.

He gives me his details and I send the money to the account. Once he sees the transaction successful, he starts to back away with the gun still aimed at us.

Once he's out of sight, I quickly take my gun and follow him. To my surprise, another man holding Valeria's unconscious body with his gun aimed at her standing in front of the bathroom door.

"Come any closer and I'll kill her!" He yells, putting more pressure on her head with his gun.

She is taped from head to toe and tears stained her pretty face.

I aim my gun at him and he yells for me to put it down.

"Let her go!" I yell, taking a few steps closer.

"Any step closer and I'll kill her!" He yells again.

As if she heard, Valeria starts opening her eyes, unaware of what's happening. Once she sees us and feels the gun on the side of her face, she stills and begins crying again.

"Stand up!" He yells at her, tightening his hold on her arm.

He keeps aiming at us while he takes her to the kitchen's back door. The first man and the one holding Valeria push her towards me when they finally saw an escape. I wanted to run after them, but for some reason, I couldn't leave Valeria, even if the whole family followed me.

"Fuck!" I curse, slapping the wall with my hand.

If they arene to this, how could they take on all the guards? How did they manage to do all that for only ten million dollars?

There's something not adding up.

"Valeria!" My mother calls as she runs towards her. She removes the tapes and hugs her tiny, shaking body.

"I am so sorry, honey. Are you okay?"

Valeria nods, not trusting her voice.

"Find who's behind this and let me know," I order Sam and Johnny.

They nod and leave.

Sofia hugs Valeria before leaving with Cassie to show her her room but quickly came back.

Johnny and Sam will be staying here as well.

"Sofia, get me some water," my mother says.

Sofia gets a cup of water and hands it to Valeria. Her hands shake as she drinks it, but my mother helps her.

She puts the cup on the floor while she takes a deep breath, breathing in and out. Her red, puffy eyes stared back at me and then at my hand.

Her eyes widen as she sees the gun in my hand and involuntarily, back away a little, making my jaw clench in anger.

"I am leaving. I will bring more men to the house to guard. Take this," I give my father the gun.

"Be careful son."

* * *

Valeria

I have never lived in something like this before. I never even thought that one day I'd be in this situation. Ever.

I try to make sense of what happened, but then again, I should have expected it. I work for the fucking mafia and I should have known something like this could happen. I am even shocked that it didn't happen before because why now? And who were they?

"This is not going to work," Valentina says as she shakes her head.

"What is?" Her husband, Gabriel, asks.

"What happened today is huge. It could happen again," she replies, looking at me.

"What are you saying?" He asks.

"Valeria, I understand if you don't want to work for us anymore," she sadly says, making my heart break into two.

How could she even think that?

"We are sorry we didn't tell you before who we are," she continues. "We are not just some rich people, we are...we are a mafia family."

The three of them look at me, waiting for any type of reaction, but the only thing I could say is, "I know."

"You know?!" Mr. González exclaims.

"How do you know?" Mrs. González asks.

I fidget my fingers before replying, "I heard Sofia talk to her friend last year about it."

"Fuck, last year?!" Sofia's eyes widen in shock as her parents send glares her way.

"It's not her fault! I woke up in the middle of the night when I stayed for two days here because of her birthday, and overheard them talking," I explain, earning a nod.

"So, you knew all this time and you didn't say anything, hell you didn't even quit! Why?" Valentina says.

"Honestly? You pay me a lot," I reply, making them laugh. "And also, you are good employers."

God, why do I feel weird whenever I say good things about people?

"I am so happy you feel that way," Valentina says and smiles. "So, does that mean you'll keep working for us?"

"Yes, of course."

"But, I would like to ask something."

"Sure."

"I'd like you to stay with us from now on, especially after what happened."

"Mrs, González, this is not necessary."

"I insist. I want you to live here with us. Besides, it would be easier for you and us, and safer. I am afraid that those men now know who you are and I don't want them coming after you, especially when we still don't know who they are."

"Can I think about it?" I ask.

"Sure, but please don't take long. I'd hate for something to happen to you."

"Thank you, Mrs. González."