Ella's POV.

"Mom! Mom!" I screamed. I shook her in my arms, calling out her name. Tears streamed down my eyes. My heart-clenching, seeing people I love, dying in front of me, hearing loud gunshots and loud screams. This was a living hell.

"Ella!" Mom looked at me, her shocked eyes stared me back. "Mom!" I sobbed, "Please, don't leave me."

"Ella!" She called me with a shaky voice and then winced in pain. "I'm bleeding," she whispered. I cried seeing her bleed. She was shot in her leg and now blood was oozing from it. With trembling hands and shaky breath, I tear the hem of my dress and wrapped it around the area where it was bleeding. "Mom! I... I'll save.... you," my voice shaking and my throat all chocked up by tears. My vision getting blurred by every streaming tear and I could only see red. Red blood around her, red blood in front of me. All I could see was red splatters and red pool of blood around me. People dead, people shouting, people screaming.

"Ella!" My name was called again, but this time, it wasn't my mom, but another familiar voice. I looked up and saw a blurry vision, I blinked trying to make up the image clear. The man who was standing in front of us, ready to kill my mom and me, was lying dead on the floor. I don't know how he got shot or what happened but now, a new person was approaching me.

"Ella!" The voice called me again. I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my arm and tried to see again. This time, the vision a bit more clear. As that figure approached closer, his face started to become clear. The more it became clear, the more a fear built up inside me. Who was he and what was he going to do now?

"Ella!" He called again. He came closer and I let out a scream. He was carrying a gun. "Stop! Don't kill us. Stop!" I screamed as tears continued to drop down my cheeks. "Let us leave. Please," I begged, "let us live."

That figure didn't stop and continued to come closer. I closed my eyes and covered my ears. I wanted to live, I wanted to live with my mom and my dad, I wanted to live as a happy family and a normal life. All I wanted was a happy life, a normal life free of fear and full of love. I never asked for more, I never asked for anything but a simple life. Was that too much to ask?

A hand held mine and I let out a shriek. "Hush! It's me," he whispered. I opened my eyes and there he was, sitting in front of me, looking at me. His grey eyes staring in mine, his hand holding mine. I stared back at him and then, I screamed. "Don't kill me. Don't..."

"Ella!" He called my name and then pulled me closer. His arm went around my trembling body. "Ella! I would never hurt you. Relax," he held me tighter. "I won't hurt you," he repeated the words again. "I won't hurt you, trust me."

My heart beating with fear, my body trembling with it and my mind already numb. "I'll save you," he assured me still hugging me. "Trust me and I'll save you."

He kept on saying it but I didn't know what to believe, whom to believe. "Ella!" He drew back and grabbed me by my shoulders. I'll save you." I looked in his eyes, those eyes holding a promise and telling me to rely on him, to trust him.

I slightly nodded. "My...." I pointed at my mom who was heavily breathing. "We'll save her." He assured me and get up. He stooped down closer to my mom and inspected where I had it wrapped. "You have done a great job in stopping the bleeding but she needs to go to the hospital soon. We need to have the bullet removed."

"I'm scared," I whispered looking at my mom who was wincing in pain. "Don't be. I'll protect you," he said. He got up and looked around to search for something. He got a plank of wood and then break it a bit. "Help me stand your mom up."

I went to him and helped my mom stand up and she winced. He gave her the plank and supported her by placing it beneath her arm. "Can you walk?" Xaiden asked and I looked at my mom. She scrunched her face up in pain but nodded. "Good. Follow me," he said and I moved behind him with my mom. I was holding her arm around me, supporting her.

As we walk down the hallway, I saw dead bodies lying around, the stench of blood, the colour of blood covering the hallway. My legs were trembling seeing this horrific sight and I don't know how was I even dragging myself along with my mom. Maybe the hope to live was giving me this strength.

"Stop!" Xaiden stopped us and looked around the exit to the hallway. "Stay!"

He got out after saying it and then I heard gunshots so loud that it felt like my ears were going to bleed. All this time, my heart was beating faster and my body was trembling and my mind already numb. It felt like it had already accepted that I was going to die in the end. After a moment, he came back. "Path is clear."

I looked at him shocked. "Did you..."

"Ella! In our mafia world, we gotta kill to live. Or else, they'll kill us," he answered my unspoken question. I knew it, I knew that someday I'd have to become this cruel too but still, I couldn't seem to accept this fact.

"Follow me," he said and went out. We went after him. As soon as we step out, I looked around to see for my dad. Dead bodies were lying around and some men came running towards us. Xaiden pulled his gun towards them and they did the same.

"Stop! They are our men," Mom said and looked at them. "Damien," mom called a name and the person in the centre bowed his head. "Yes, ma'am."

"Where's Victor?"

"He's fighting at the borders. A large force of ours is there stopping from more to enter," he reported. I let out a sigh of relief knowing dad was doing fine.

"We need to get her to the hospital," Xaiden said, pointing to my mom.

"We can't leave. They have blocked all the roads." Damien reported back.

"A jet is parked behind. Where is the pilot?" I asked. "We can fly from here and to some hospital."

"The pilot's dead."

"Fuck!" Xaiden cursed and then raked his hand through his hair. He groaned and looked around as if to think of a plan. I stood there waiting. After a moment he looked at me and came closer. "You and your mom should get in. Let her rest in a room," he said and looked at Damien and his men. "And you guys, guard them with your life." The men nodded.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll have to set things right," he replied. "But..." I said while panicking. A war was going on right now and what if, just what if he...

"No!" I said at once. "Stay with us. Dad will handle this all. I know we'll win." I looked at him with fear. "You can't leave me."

He came closer and held my face. His grey eyes staring in mine, his thumb brushed against my cheek and then he smiled. He rested his forehead against mine. "I love you," he whispered. "Ellen Austin, I love you," he whispered again and then closing his eyes, he turned around leaving me in the middle just like last time.

"Xaiden!" I shouted his name. "Xaiden! You have to come back alive!" I shouted as tears rolled down my cheek. "Don't you dare die without my permission!"

He waved his hand but didn't look back and went into the woods and out to a pit of hell. My heart beating against my ribcage and tears continued to fall down.

"Ma'am, this way," Damien said and looking at the path where he went, last time, I turned around.

Xaiden's POV.

I walked through the woods and as I'd get closer, the voice of gunshots and bombarding started to get loud. People screaming, people shouting and people firing. Everything getting clear and clear as I went closer to that hell. The wounds that I got from the past few days were hurting and all this time, I was bearing it. I tried to control myself from wincing in pain or to show someone my weakness. The wounds weren't properly recovered and now all this fighting was making them hurt.

I passed through the woods and into the open. I saw Victor at the right corner shouting at his men to don't stop firing and at the other side was dad, shouting at his own men. Both sides coming closer and closer and I could see bullets firing at each other. The shots too loud to make anyone deaf. The Austin men were covering the woods pathway not to allow anyone to enter. I went closer to Victor. Victor was now on his phone shouting to someone on the other line. "Bring all our men! Bring the troops and send them here by helicopter! Yes! Fucking hurry!"

He cut the call and looked at me. His jaw clenched and then he grabbed me by my neck "You!" He growled. "It's all your fault! I'll kill you along with your father." His hold tightened, making me choke.

I coughed, "I'm not.... here to fight," I mumbled and tried to free myself from his hold. I held his hands and tried to pull them away but was of no use. "I... your... side," I tried to speak. At once his hold loosened as he picked up his phone. I coughed and gasped for air.

"What?" He looked at me talking on his phone. "Did he?" He continued to look at me and then he nodded. He put the phone back and said, "Fine. I'll spare you seeing you helped my daughter and my wife. But I'm keeping an eye on you."

I nodded and joined the side. We continued to fight with the other side - my side. Who would have thought that someday, I'll be fighting against my own side. I had imagined having this war, had prepared myself to face it, to end this but I never thought that I'll be supporting my enemy's side. I never thought I'll be standing here fighting against my dad. I was already a traitor the moment I decided to follow my heart. I tried to stop myself but my love for Ella, made me lose to myself.

It's true I never received the love of my parents. My mom got killed when I was a little kid and my dad never loved me. He just trained me, he just prepared me to become like him and to avenge my mom, to take revenge but now, I am here at my mom's killer sides, helping them. I hated this, I hated taking their side but the thing I can't hate is falling in love with Ella. I hate the fact that Ella was their daughter but I can't hate her. I hate being called a traitor and betraying my clan but I couldn't end up killing Ella just to prove I am the Emiliano's leader. I had no choice.

The war continued, the people kept dying, the blood kept spattering, the screams continued to get louder. The once silent atmosphere was a battlefield. The sound of blade slaps started to come as the helicopters started to come into vision. Three helicopters could be seen in the sky from which the men started to climb down. Every men armed with weapons. A speaker is brought to Victor as he started speaking, "We had you all surrounded. Surrender yourself and we might show you some mercy."

Mercy? Who he was trying to fool? Mercy isn't the word that we play around while dragging our times. Mercy is what we never show. How can he expect them to believe?

I saw dad coming forward along with some of his men. "Never!" He said. "Don't try to play with us with your mercy games."

"You know I don't play," Victor replied. "I remain true to my words unlike you."

Dad smirked and said, "Maybe you should have never trusted me, then."

**********

Sorry for late updates. I was having my final exams going on and University life can be pretty hectic.

One chapter and The End. Personally, this novel was more closer to my heart than Destined to Love. 💞

So vote and comment and let me know your thoughts. When do you want the next update? Tell me and I might listen. ;)

Lots of of love,
Anna.