|Ilya Zharkov|

I only asked her one question last night; it was more than enough. You might be wondering why I asked that first if it would clearly upset her but it was just to check it off the list (that's a very poor way to put it). What I mean is that it's always best to get the worst out first because that way what follows won't be as bad...right?

After dinner we went to sleep since she was exhausted and I stayed up until she was asleep, combing her hair and caressing the back of her neck to make it easier for her to rest.

My eyes fluttered open and I immediately tried to hug my precious malyshka but my arms were empty so I sat up immediately "Sybella!" The water of the shower wasn't running.

"I'm in the kitchen, baby!" She shouted back.

"I'll be right down!"

"No! Stay in bed! I'm making you breakfast!"

A chuckle left my mouth "But—"

"Shut up and stay in bed!" She ordered.

"You can't control me, woman!" I exclaimed then heard her steps coming up the stairs which scares me.

Sybella walked into the bedroom with a chef's knife in her right hand and a sharpening steel in her left hand which is a scary sight, not gonna lie "Did you just say I can't control you?" She commenced sharpening her knife.

I gulped "Of course not, malyshka, you must've heard something else but I said that I was going to stay up here and wait for you," I sat on the edge of the bed with a nervous smile. Listen, it's well known that she won't stab me but bitches are still scared. It's me, I'm bitches. Sybbie taught me that joke.

"Good," she grinned "I'm making quesadillas and fresh guacamole with salsa bandera," my girlfriend spoke and the only reason I know what salsa bandera is, it's because I'm a huge fan of Mexican food but real Mexican food not Taco Bell or Chipotle or any place that sells a taco in a fried tortilla with cheddar cheese or charges extra for guacamole.

Anyway, after eight minutes of waiting alone in the bedroom, Sybella appeared with a bamboo tray in her hands and her set up looked beautiful.

"Do you like it, baby?" She placed it on the bed.

I nodded with a big smile "It's beautiful and looks exquisite."

The woman walked over to me and laced her arms around my neck as her eyes looked down at me "I know that this isn't as elaborate as your dinner but I was feeling like making something simple."

"It doesn't matter what you make me, it will never be simple and I'll always appreciate you wanting to spoil me," my fingers tickled the back of her thighs as I stared into her bewildering eyes.

A smile adorned her gorgeous lips "Russian men are surprisingly romantic."

"Why? Did you think we were cold and blunt?" I pulled her down to my right thigh.

She shrugged "I don't know any Russian men outside of your family but since your mother is such a hopeless romantic, no doubt you would be too. In movies you guys are always portrayed as cold and blunt but with very sexy accents," Sybella pecked my lips.

"I always knew you were a sucker for this big Russian bear with a log as a cock," I wiggled my eyebrows and she laughed which is my ultimate goal, to always make her happy; I'm aware that we can't be happy all the time so by always I mean every second that's possible.

We had breakfast in bed while talking about where she's taking me today and she seemed pretty relaxed which is good; I do want to learn about her and her past through her eyes because everything that has been said to me could be all a lie, but I don't want this to sink her back into the pain that she once felt.

After we were done eating, I picked up the tray and made my way downstairs to wash the dishes. Sybella had already washed everything she used for breakfast since the kitchen was spotless.

Before going back upstairs, I grabbed a Voss water bottle from the beverage fridge. When I walked into the bedroom my girlfriend was with someone on the phone, my phone.

"Who is it?" My right eyebrow arched as I crawled to her side.

"Yeah, he's here," Sybella straddled me; morning sex? I think yes. "Sure, I'll tell him everything," my woman wrapped her left hand around my throat as a pretty smirk adorned her luscious lips. "Bye, Arabella," Sybbie hung up and let out a deep sigh as she analyzed my face inch by inch.

"What did she want, malyshka?" I inquired.

The sexy goddess released my throat to wrap her arms around my neck "Arabella called to tell you that you're invited to a wedding."

Confusion took over me "A wedding? Are they getting married again? I swear to you that they want to renew vows every four months."

She chuckled, tickling the back of my neck which gave me goosebumps "Mariano Salvatore is getting married."

Instantly, a big smile appeared on my lips "Are you serious?! Those are amazing news!"

"Is he Apollo's underboss?" She asked with a smile.

I nodded "Yes. He has been through a lot of romantic hardships."

"So are you going?" She asked.

I nodded "When is the wedding happening?"

"Next Friday," she replied.

"Well, are you busy next Friday?" A sly smirk appeared on my lips.

Sybella nodded "I have a wedding to attend."

I gasped "What about being my plus one?"

"Mhh, baby," she gripped my nipples giving me pain. Pure pain. "I'm nobody's plus one."

"Ouch! Woman!" I groaned, squeezing her ass tightly to what she growled which was extremely sexy.

"Ouch, brute!" She pinched my flesh in a deadly manner; my nipples will be forever scarred by this experience.

"You let go first," I ordered.

"No, you," she stated.

"No, you," I flipped us over so she's under me.

Sybella groaned letting go of me "My hands are cramping."

"You've been masturbating too much?" I wrapped her legs around my torso and sat on my knees.

She shook her head "One can never masturbate too much; there's no such thing as excess of pleasure."

My right eyebrow arched "So fucking for an hour and cumming six times isn't an excess of pleasure?"

Her head denied "It's just unrealistic because sex is supposed to last ten minutes, maybe you get to cum once and by you, I mean people with cocks."

"Are you saying cock-owners cum fast?"

Sybella nodded "Yeah and when you cum then that's it."

I scoffed and felt deeply offended "I'm sorry but when we fuck you cum, at least, three times."

"Because it takes years of obsession and wondering to know a person's body that much," she chuckled. "And communication; you always tell me what you like and I tell you what I like which makes it easier to find soft spots."

A big smile played on my lips as I leaned down to peck her lips "Our chemistry is unbelievable."

"Didn't you hear? Years of obsession," her toes gripped the hem of my joggers to pull it down; a talent.

"So you're saying I've been obsessed with you for years?" I mean, it's true.

My girlfriend nodded as she pulled up her shirt to reveal her breasts "Yeah, society taught me that when a boy teases or/and bullies me, he actually likes me."

"That's a ridiculous lie," I pinned her hands above her head, getting a blush out of her which made me smile. "I mean, I was mean to you but it was to push you away not to get your attention."

"And now that you have my attention," her eyes locked with mine "what are you going to do to keep it?"

The smile on my lips softened "Turn the world inside out if necessary," I crushed my lips against hers.

|Sybella Fiori|

After the lovely morning we had, it's time for me to show him my past. Dark pasts are overrated, I wish I could have a normal, boring and uneventful past.

"This is it," I said as we stood in front of my old building which is in awful state.

"When was the last time you were here?" Ilya inquired.

My head turned to look his way "Five years ago," I replied. "I stood here for five hours, trying to gather the strength to go back in there; I haven't set foot in this place in thirteen years."

Ilya intertwined his fingers with mine "Whatever you decide to do will be okay, malyshka."

A deep sigh left my mouth "We came here so you can know what was once of me so here we go," it took every drop of strength in me to lead my boyfriend into the place; the last time I was here was on the night Giuliano died, I came to collect whatever I could carry of my stuff and left because that's what he told me to do in the event of his sudden death.

He walked beside me as we walked up the steps until we reached my old floor which is number seven, as in lucky number seven or the seven deadly sins; whatever floats your boat.

Ilya's fingers slipped through mine as he got ahead to look around; it's nothing like the places he has lived in or the ones he visited with his mother.

"It's no manor on the outskirts of Moscow but this is where your girlfriend grew up," I told, approaching the door with a '706' on it which is my old home and the one across Giuliano's. "It must be odd for you to be in this kind of place."

"This kind of place?" He sounded confused.

"Where people who can barely afford the present," my fingers traced the worn out numbers.

"Sybella, I might've been born into wealth but I'm not oblivious of the rest of the world; I'm aware that my family is part of the top 1% in the world."

A weak smile placed on my lips as I gazed at him "Your mom made sure of that too."

He smiled softly "My mom is thirteen steps ahead of everyone," Ilya approached me. "How does it feel to be back here, Sybella?" His hand fell upon the small of my back.

"It makes me wonder where my father is," from the right breast pocket of my leather jacket I pulled out the key to unlock the door. "He disappeared one day but I never really knew if he died or left or—" Ilya hooded my hand with his since mine was shaking "sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he took the key from my hand unlocked the door before pushing it open for me. The interior is completely empty except for a photo on on the wall of my parents who are...I don't know; they could have other families by now or be in an unmarked grave which haunts me.

"My mom left a few weeks after I was born," I told as I stood in the middle of what was once the living room/kitchenette/dining room. "Dad never really told me about her but I think she's why he spent most of his days high; to not remember her or at least feel numb when he remembered her..." a deep sigh left my mouth. "In my birth certificate it says that her name was Elizabetta Giacardi and according to her birth date she was born nineteen years prior to having me, my dad was twenty-one so I was clearly a mistake. He was involved in a lot of the crime happening in this neighborhood back in the day and he would leave me alone three days in a row, and sometimes I think he had another family whom he spend all that time with." I stood by the window to look at the view "But then I remember those nights when he was sober and read bedtime stories to me, promised me a better life."

"Why haven't you looked for them?" Ilya asked cautiously.

A sad smile played on my lips "Because maybe I'm better off not knowing anything, maybe they would've destroyed me entirely if they were in my life."

"What about now? Wouldn't you like to find your mother? Ask her why she left?" He slipped his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I know you love my mother like your own, Sybella but you must have so many questions that only she can answer."

Tears ran down my cheeks "I don't want to do it alone."

"Malyshka, what do I have to do for you to believe that I won't ever leave your side?" Ilya stood in front of me as his hands gripped my waist "I'll get down on one knee and ask you to marry me if necessary, don't push me," he told, making me smile.

"That sounds nice..." I replied shyly.

His cheeks turned red which caused my smile to grow "Are you serious?"

I nodded "Yes; talking about all the unexpected loses I've had in my life has got me thinking that life is so short and unexpected..." my hands fell upon his chest "I don't want to wait for death, scared that I didn't do the things that I wanted to do or felt right to do so yes, get down on one knee."

Ilya immediately got down on one knee, looking up at me with a grin on his lips "I don't have anything prepared so this is going to be really generic; I promise to make it up to you with our vows," he took my left hand "Will you marry me, Sybella Fiori?"

My cheeks turned hot "Yes, Ilya Zharkov, I will marry you."