200 Reads 19 March 2024 ! VOTE AND COMMENT!

⚠️ WARNING : This Chapter contains scenes of domestic violence and gore that might trigger some of you all. Read at your own risk !

All the characters till now:

Romano  Family                Ricci Family
Valentina (Daughter)      Salvatore (Son)
Mateo (Eldest Son)           Damien (Eldest Son)          
Alessandro (Father)         Saintino (Father)
Rose (Mother)                     Amara (Mother)

..............

Flashback -

Young Valentina is running in her school uniform, breathless and anxious.

"Mateo, let's go home," I plead, gasping for breath as I catch up to him.

It happened when I was in the 2nd year of high school, a time filled with uncertainty and fear.

He yawns lazily while resting beside the lake, completely unaware of my distress.

"When are you going to come home?" I ask, my voice tinged with worry and frustration.

That was also the year Mateo graduated from high school and officially became an adult. But instead of pursuing further education, he chose to idle around the house, relying on money or picking fights with unsuspecting passersby.

In another scene from the past, Mateo is on the verge of hitting a young man, his anger palpable as he threatens violence.

For my father, the eldest son is the "pillar of the house." If that pillar is not strong, he blames my mother for failing to maintain the family and teach the children, an image that haunts me to this day - the sight of my father beating my mother, a painful reminder of the fragility of our family.

And I rush to find Mateo after school, my heart pounding like a madman on the run.

"When it's time, I'll be back. I'm happy today, just go home," Mateo says dismissively, his tone dripping with indifference.

I tremble with anger, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I try to contain the rage boiling within me.

"Because of you, Mom... MOM!" I shout, my voice cracking with emotion.

He takes a drag of his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke before responding callously, "So what? Or you can endure it for her... Ah, nevermind. Give me the money you have and go," he demands, his last cigarette packet empty, signaling his impatience.

I'm shocked and disgusted by his audacity, standing there penniless but defiant.

"Even if I had money, I wouldn't give it to someone like you," I declare, refusing to bow down to his demands as I stare down at him.

"Are you crazy?" Mateo retorts, his expression twisted with contempt.

Yes, I'm crazy. I'm fucking angry.

Mateo knows that if he acts out, Dad will beat Mom, a fact that fills me with a sense of helplessness and fury.

As he rises slowly from his seat, I brace myself for what's to come, the tension in the air thick with foreboding.

"You brat still hasn't been hit enough. Keep coming here, huh?" Mateo sneers, his words laced with malice.

And take that weakness, go out more.

His words cut deep, a reminder that in his eyes, what a woman says holds no value at all.

A memory of my beaten and broken mother lying on the floor, the sight filling me with a mix of sorrow and rage, a heaviness settling in my chest as I grapple with the injustice of it all.

Even though I know that pushing back too hard could lead to dire consequences, the urge to resist, to fight against the oppression, burns within me like a raging fire.

I run towards him, fueled by a mix of desperation and determination.

"Hey... wait... you are going to do..." I manage to get out before sinking my teeth into his leg, eliciting a sharp scream from Mateo.

"Not letting it go, huh?" he growls, yanking my hair and raising his hand threateningly. "Are you really crazy?! Still not letting it go... No?"

Despite the fear coursing through me, I know I can't back down now. No matter what happens today, I have to take him home or incapacitate him somehow. I clench my fists, ready to fight back.

But suddenly, a voice pierces through the chaos, a scream from behind of a boy who seems two or three years younger than me.

"DON'T HIT A GIRL!" he shouts, his words echoing in the air, and I freeze, turning to see who it is.

A young boy, clad in a biker's helmet, rushes to my aid, using his leg to kick Mateo off me.

"A helmet... who's that?" Mateo stirs, his confusion evident.

The boy, a stranger to me, turns his attention to me. "Are you okay? First, run this way!" he urges, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the altercation.

I resist his grip, bewildered. "What are you doing? Who are you?" I demand, my voice trembling with adrenaline and uncertainty.

"I have to bring that guy over there home!" I protest, gesturing towards Mateo.

"No, but I told you to hide first," the boy insists, his tone urgent as he senses Mateo rising, still seething with anger.

In a swift motion, Mateo grabs his head, the helmet providing little protection as he smashes it against a nearby wooden pole, eliciting a pained grunt from the boy.

"You brat, I won't leave you alone today," Mateo threatens, his aggression unabated.

"Stop it, Mateo! He's still a CHILD!" I scream, my heart racing as I plead for reason to prevail amidst the chaos.

Police sirens blare in the distance, and Mateo's expression darkens. "Damn it!"

"Getting involved with the police will be trouble. I'm outta here," he declares, brushing the dust off his hands before striding away.

I rush to the side of my unexpected rescuer, grateful yet exasperated. He's an idiot, but he just saved me.

"Are you okay?" I inquire, reaching out to help him up from the ground.

"Thanks for helping me, but don't interfere in other people's affairs. This is my fight," I assert firmly, hoping to make him understand.

He nods in understanding, his expression serious and determined.

But then, as I look closer, I notice something unsettling—the crack in his helmet's shield glass and the scar forming below his eyes, etched into his cheeks.

"You! Oh my god... the wound!" I gasp, shock coursing through me as the pieces start to click together.

Present-

"Is that helmet guy really you, Salvatore?" I ask, disbelief coloring my voice as we both remain frozen in the same position.

He smiles, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Appears a bit impressive... the main character always appears like that," he replies, his tone light as he chuckles.

I shake my head in amazement. "Still can't believe it..."

Flashback-

Young Valentina carefully bandages up the wound on his cheek, her touch gentle as she tends to his injured face.

Present-

The skinny little kid has grown up like this. The young voice of the past also disappeared without a trace... It's sexy now.

"What a pity," he says.

"What?" I say, curious.

"Should have got my revenge before Mateo became strong," he says.

"How are you going to avenge me?" I ask playfully.

"Like what I've been through, or I'll make him pay ten times like that, right?" he suggests.

"Although it's just a word... Thank you," I say with a genuine smile.

"It's not just a word. Anytime if you want..." he says, trailing off.

"Thanks," I say, gently caressing his cheeks.

"Actually, I misunderstood you. I thought you got this scar that gangsters get from fighting, but it's the scar that saved me eleven years ago... I feel guilty," I admit, noticing his blush.

"Shall we stand up now, Bella?" he says, his tone playful.

"Ah," I mutter, feeling a blush creeping onto my cheeks. The position we're in is almost as if I was going to ride him in public, and my hands are still on his cheeks.

"I'm a bit unsettled," I confess as I stand up.

"Can't be as alert as I am now," he teases.

He extends his hand. "Can you pull me up?" he asks.

"Don't want to," I reply, slightly turning away.

"Ah... it hurts, Bella," he says, his tone slightly wounded. "I don't know someone who has torn his face off because of interfering in someone's argument, someone who even asked to pull him up but a little coldly refused back," he remarks, his words tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

"Hahaha..." I laugh sarcastically, realizing my own contradiction.

"I thought I was a cold person, wouldn't miss anyone... Never mind what other people say..." I mutter to myself, my steps slow and hesitant as I walk away, my hand reaching out to grasp at the emptiness before me.

But with Salvatore, every time I stay with this man...

"Hold," I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart feeling heavy with a mix of emotions I can't quite name.

I couldn't stop getting caught up in it.

A/N: How did you like this Chapter...How do you feel love at first sight !!

what do you think will happen next :)

also apologies I was not well and had to visit the sick in hospital...
but finally 200 Reads 19 March 2024 !

VOTE AND COMMENT!