IMPORTANT: If you don't see what day it is at the top, then it means that it's the continuation of the same day that we left off on in the previous chapter. Just wanted to point that out. And enjoy this chapter and please do point out my mistakes.

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          My feet glued themselves to the nice polished floor as Marsilia's blue, brooding eyes bore holes in me with a mere look. My knees were falling weak the more I held her gaze. It was as if she silently dared me to move another inch toward the exit and defy her which would prompt her to pick up a plate and throw it at me like a frisbee to slice my head off. Completely unrealistic, but damn, she had the stare of a fierce tigress, making me feel like nothing more than a helpless bunny that'd be ripped to shreds by such vicious predators.

          Forcing my eyes away from hers, I finally peered around the longest table I had ever seen and saw faces that I didn't recognize. But nonetheless, they all seemed predatory and ferocious with their heads held high in pride and ego that I was pretty sure all these narcissistic people flourished on. The women looked at me with narrowed eyes as if I was a lone wolf trying to infiltrate their pack, and the men gazed at me in utter amusement with a glint of wonder shimmering in their eyes.

(Imagine the hall to be bigger)

          I continued feeling like a mere pauper among all these people who weren't afraid to stare at me as if I were a zoo animal. The two heads of the table were occupied with Marsilia on the end away from where I stood and Federigo on the one closer to me. Although it felt like I was standing there for hours, it had only been a couple seconds since Marsilia asked me to sit and eat with them. Leo walked back to his seat, sitting down next to his wife and father while I stood still waiting for the ground to swallow me whole.

          Just in time, my savior came to my rescue like a sassy angel in sweatpants. "I told you to wait, not go in and stare at everyone." Lina walked up next to me and rolled her eyes as her arm hooked around mine. 

          "Thank you," I mumbled under my breath. "I thought I was going to die."

          "I won't let that happen so soon," Lina giggled, taking me further into the room toward the empty seats, but stopping right before we could sit. She placed her hands on my shoulders and showed me off like the latest toy in the market. "Everyone, meet Arie Noelle. And Arie, meet everyone. I don't have the patience to introduce so many people right now, so I'm not doing it. They'll probably introduce themselves to you later." She released me to pat Ashton's arm. "You all already met Ashton at the party last night, so no introductions required for him."

          "Party?" Marsilia cocked her perfect brow at her granddaughter.

          "Oops!" Lina covered her mouth sarcastically while dragging out her chair. "Sorry. We forgot to invite you, nonna." Lina grinned wider in response to Marsilia's glare. "I'm kidding. We did not have a party without your permission. Relax."

          Pursing my lips into a tight lipped smile, I sat down between Ashton and Lina as Heaven took a seat next to her best friend. Soph was seated directly across me, wiggling her brows like a crazy woman.

          Marsilia's voice suddenly erupted in exasperation. Although I didn't know what she said, I knew it was directed toward Lina by the way she looked at her as maids rolled in multiple food trolleys, laying the first appetizer in front of each one of us. The dish looked unfamiliar, but it sure as hell smelled delicious and made me salivate like a dog.

          "I just do it to piss you off," Lina laughed in response to what Marsilia said and looked at her aggravated grandmother. "Maybe I should just wear a bikini next time since you always have a problem with what I wear."

          "You'll give nonna a heart attack," an unfamiliar manly voice said before the man laughed to himself with a few others.

          "That's the point." Lina winked at her grandmother and let out a chuckle as I wanted to sink low in my seat and not get caught in the crossfire of whatever drama was brewing between the two ladies.

          "Lina," Federigo's loud voice suffocated the snickering taking place in the room at once as he gave his youngest daughter a hard look.

          "I'm kidding, Dad." Lina flashed her father the sweetest smile and turned to Marsilia, blowing her a kiss. "I love you, nonnina. Let's eat."

          Releasing a breath of relief, I dove into the savory goodness. I could practically sense multiple eyes on me, watching everything I did, but I minded my own business and took small bites awkwardly. If I were home, I'd stuff it all in my mouth at once considering my hunger, but among these people, I kept myself in check and acted like a poised lady.

"Stop," Leo's voice bellowed, turning all our heads in his direction.

"What?" A few men laughed in unison as one spoke. "We didn't even say anything."

"Keep your eyes to yourselves," Leo warned, a bit irritated at the boys sitting opposite him on my side of the table. I couldn't exactly lean over the table and look at the delinquents he was glaring at, so I just sat there and finished my appetizer that wasn't enough at all.

"We can't even look now?" The man sitting next to Gus scoffed, glancing at me, and then at Leo and Verona.

"It's the way you're looking," Leo gritted through his teeth and subtly scooted his chair closer to his wife who was silently staring at her plate, not moving a single muscle. "I'm going to rip each one of your eyes from your sockets if you all don't stop staring at her."

          "Oh, c'mon, Leo," the girl sitting by Heaven chuckled. "Calm down. We just can't believe she's here."

          "Well, she is," Arabelle chimed in to back her older brother up. "Now eyes to yourselves."

          "My eyes. I look where I want," the girl fired back in a mocking tone.

          "Don't make me stab your eyes, Ilaria," Arabelle spat through her teeth, twirling a table knife between her fingers. "You know I'll do it."

          Lina bumped her shoulder to mine, beaming with excitement. "Fun, isn't it?"

          "More like scary," I whispered back and looked at Soph whose eyes were wide.

          I lifted my brows and asked her what was wrong without physically saying anything. "They're ruining my fucking wedding," she mouthed with a roll of her eyes.

          "This place got more drama than Game of Thrones," Ashton muttered softly as the others were still going at it. My eyes wandered around and fell on Mike who had a massive smile on his face, clearly enjoying the family feud. Not the Steve Harvey one though. One could always wish.

          "Just shut the fuck up," Leo yelled in frustration. "Gesù Cristo!"

          "Uh-oh!" A man faked a gasp at Leo's words and decided to include Marsilia in all the bickering. "Nonna, did you hear what he said?"

          "Disappointments." We all turned our heads to Marsilia who sighed and took a swig of her drink. "Each one of you brings me nothing but a sense of shame. I don't know where I went wrong with my offsprings that they birthed all you idiots."

          "Well, Marco," Gus called out the man who dragged Marsilia into this. "How was that for a slap to your face?"

"She directed it to all of us," Marco snarled. Although I couldn't see the man's face, I could tell he wasn't too happy by the displeasure in his deep voice.

          "Well, only her descendants," Athena informed after drinking her sparkling champagne. "Which includes most of you here, but not all."

          "Marco is just a pussy," Gus shrugged. "Always goes running to nonna."

          Marco snapped back in Italian, forcing everyone to burst out into a massive argument. If I were to guess, I'd say that Italian profanities and insults were flying around in a remarkable and loud manner. Wide-eyed with my mouth agape, I looked at the elders in the room. Federigo was leaning back against his chair in annoyance while Aria, who was sitting next to Verona, pinched the bridge of her nose. Her husband, Carmelo, didn't seem to care, and continued eating. Sophie's parents, Zachariah and Nora were minding their own business and kept shut too. I was pretty sure there were more uncles and aunties from both sides, but I couldn't locate them.

          Marsilia's comment had set off the fireball to send her grandkids into a full-on verbal war. I bet Leo's other cousins, the non-Drago ones, were enjoying this thoroughly. When I looked at the former Queen of this place, it seemed as though she was about to explode, but a loud voice beat her to it.

          "Zitti (Shut up)!" A man yelled as he walked through the entrance and silenced everyone to the point where only the man's footsteps echoed through the dining hall. He stood as tall as Leo with an aura that screamed power just like everyone else here. His jet black hair was slicked back with gel, and a nicely trimmed beard covered his strong face with white strands sprinkled over his chin. A navy blue vest was worn over the white shirt hugging his body with the sleeves rolled up to reveal protruding nerves and the beginnings of tattoos on his arms.

          As he walked further into the room, his hazel eyes raked over each one of us before stopping on one woman. Aria pushed her chair back with a smile and embraced the muscular man who relaxed into the hug, tightening his hold around the woman's body and running a hand up and down her back.

          "Finally decided to show up, huh?" Aria pulled back a little and looked at the man properly.

          "At least I came," he smirked as his deep, guttural English accent echoed off the tall ceiling.

          A warm smile feathered Aria's lips. "It's good to see you, Omer."

          The man kissed her forehead and smiled. "Sit." He pushed her chair in after she took a seat like a true gentleman and thumped Carmelo's back with a smirk before turning to the Bonferroni men. Federigo rose from his seat to give the man a quick hug before Leo slowly mounted up and embraced the man too. "Welcome home, my dear king," the man laughed.

"Don't call me that, zio." Leo chuckled and pulled back.

"And don't call me zio. Makes me feel old." The man patted Leo's cheek in a loving manner with a smile spreading across their faces before he walked toward Marsilia.

          The president of Italy said something in her native language as the man leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He didn't say anything in return and filled up the last empty seat right by Marsilia's and sighed, looking around. "I'll meet the rest of you later. I'm starving right now." A maid laid a plate of the same appetizer in front of him without wasting a second and scurried away. "Alright, my tigers, you may continue fighting and entertain me."

          People burst out into laughter and giggles as I leaned into Lina's side. "Who's he?" I asked in curiosity.

          "Omerino Drago, Aria's younger brother and my uncle," she smiled. "He's the youngest out of the two uncles though. The older one is Raffaello who's sitting right opposite Zio Omer. You can't really see him from here. They're both younger than Aria though."

(Stuart Reardon as Omerino Drago.)

          "So, what were you all on about?" Omerino asked whilst eating his food.

          "Nonna called us all idiots," Wren informed his uncle.

          "Correction," a girl interrupted. "She called only her grandkids idiots, not all of us."

          Omerino chuckled. "I'm glad I don't have kids then."

          "Or a wife," Arabelle added with a laugh.

          "But I have the best life," Omerino countered, smirking. "Why ruin that by restricting myself to one woman?"

          "Perhaps it's time for you to be a man and build a family before you die alone," Marsilia voiced her opinion and kept her eyes intact on her youngest son who responded in Italian before continuing to eat.

"This is fucking bomb," Ashton mumbled with his mouth full.

"I know," I chuckled. "I need to meet with the chefs here or just steal the recipe."

The maids returned a couple minutes later and replaced our empty plates with a different dish, our second appetizers. I dissected the edible components on my plate with a fork and slowly put it into my mouth. This one was a bit spicier compared to the previous one and it was paradise.

          "Arie, is it?" Marsilia asked, stopping the mild chatting around the table and forcing my heart to skip a beat, almost making me drop the utensil I was holding.

          In a dire need of comfort, my eyes instantly skidded over to Leo who met my gaze without falter. It was as if the world around us stopped spinning at that very moment as usual, providing me a safe haven in the warmth of his mere presence. Even though the eye contact was brief, it had the ability to force my heart on a rollercoaster of emotions, but despite it all, I felt safe, and maybe, just maybe, I could manage and make it through the next two weeks with my torn heart and just a few stolen glances here and there without talking to him. I could only imagine how that'd go. Hell, I didn't even want to think about it unless I wanted to experience a heart attack.

          Suppressing my feelings, I turned to Marsilia slowly and nodded. "Yes."

          The woman hummed, tilting her head a bit to the side to study me. "What do you do for a living?"

Clearing my throat, I put my fork down and straightened my slouched posture. "I'm an intern at a hospital right now."

          "Aspiring to be a doctor?"

          "That's the plan," I forced a meek smile to my face as my heart raced abnormally. Shit, this woman made me feel like a criminal.

          "You must be in great debt from medical school, I suppose," she remarked, taking a short sip of her drink which seemed to be red wine.

          "I'm not actually," I informed her and smiled at Ashton. Without my brother and his undying support, I wouldn't be where I was right now. He made sure that I got my education and paid off for the medical school I attended in California. He always had my back no matter what and pushed me onto the stage of life that I stood firmly and stably on today.

          "You must have used the money Michael gave you," she said with a sly smile.

Frowning a bit, I looked at Mike who was gawking at Marsilia in puzzlement as if he didn't know how she was aware of the generous donation he made to our bank accounts. A billion each.

"Um, actually no," Ashton butted into the conversation in my defense and stared at Marsilia. "We didn't use the money Mike gave us. I paid her tuition off with my money."

Everyone around the table fell deadly silent as if they were mute, and just waited for the former Queen of the empire to fire back, but she instead let out a little chuckle. "And what do you do for a living?"

"I'm an athlete," Ashton answered before chugging down his water. "A football player."

          "American football, not soccer," Wren cleared it up for his grandmother.

          "That's it?" She shook her old head in wonder.

          "What else?" Ashton shrugged.

          "That is no job," Marsilia declared. "That's only play."

          "It's what I love doing, and I get paid in return, so I'd call that a win-win situation," Ashton laughed and took another bite of his food.

          "But what after that? Once you're done being a footballer?"

          "I don't know," Ashton replied leisurely. "I have enough money in my bank account right now that I wouldn't have to work a single day in my life."

          "How peculiar!" she exclaimed, taking a bite of her food and maneuvering back to me. "So, what kind of doctor do you wish to be?"

"A neurologist," I stated, my heart fluttering with a sense of joy.

          Being a neurologist wasn't always the plan, but one could say that Harry brushed off on me in the right way. Shadowing her and seeing her take care of patients up close with the most craziest of tumors and monitoring their health was heartbreaking, but it fascinated me. Unlike Harry, I'd rather stick to being a neurologist than being a neurosurgeon though. Aunt Wendy was a major factor as to why I chose taking that route too. I was doing this all for her.

          When I got done thinking about the profession I saw myself in, I suddenly found my traitorous eyes gazing right at Leo who had a warm smile on his face with pride flashing in his oceanic orbs. Every single cell in my body danced in glee knowing that he was proud of me, and that made me happy.

I accomplished so much in the last four years. Graduated med-school at the top of my class despite all the difficulties I had with being a busy mother of two and also trying to run a hospital. Although Harry helped me out with both, I could only ask her for so much, but she made sure I studied and got the grades I needed. And with her being my tutoring teacher highly increased my chances of passing. Let's not forget Ashton and Fred who came home whenever they could and kept the kids occupied when I desperately needed to study. Fred was always ready to lend me a hand in any way possible even when we weren't together without expecting anything in return which made me adore him more.

          "Brain, yes?" Marsilia wondered.

          "Yes," I smiled.

          She nodded. "Do you have a boyfriend or a fiancé?"

          My brows drew together in discomfort as Arabelle spoke, "Why is that relevant?"

          Marsilia turned to her granddaughter and said something in Italian, forcing Arabelle to silence herself before the woman came back to me. "Yes?"

Although I didn't know what she was trying to get at, I tried to choose my answer carefully. I couldn't say anything about Fred even though we were taking a break, he was still my man, and the man I'd return home to. Knowing these people, they were unpredictable and telling them about Fred was a risk I couldn't take. "I don't have a boyfriend or a fiancé."

"Ah, is that so?" She nodded a little and continued. "I don't see the appeal, but I thought a girl like you would have men lining at her feet."

          My mouth slightly parted at her crude comment as Ashton put down the glass he was drinking from. "What do you mean a girl like her?" he snarled, his shoulders stiff and eyes narrowed. I could practically sense the anger building up inside him, and my heart did a flip. Almost immediately, I grabbed his clench fist under the table, silently asking him to calm down and not do something stupid. I wasn't trying to get killed here, and I wouldn't let my brother be a target either.

          "I'd watch your tone if I were you," Marsilia warned with a little edge to her voice.

"Oh, my apologies." Ashton smiled wickedly as my eyes widened at his sudden chirpy tone. "What do you mean a girl like her?" he said in a singsong manner, causing a few people to laugh but stifle their snickers immediately as my heart fell to the bottom of my pit in fear. This fucking idiot didn't know how to keep this mouth shut.

"Ashton, stop," I whispered furiously, tugging on his arm.

As usual, he ignored my words and kept staring Marsilia down who did the same in return. Surprisingly, she answered his question. "A girl who had the ability to wrap my grandson around her finger and make him do irrational and unconventional things."

My brows furrowed together in aggravation, but I held my tongue. I had too many people at risk here. Ashton, my kids, Fred, Harry, and everyone that I held dear to my heart, but it seemed as though Ashton lost his mind for the worst. He didn't learn anything from what Lina said about mafia and royalty. He was busy digging all our graves.

"My sister must be the best puppet master out there then," he retorted sarcastically, tilting his head more to the side. "Don't you think?"

          "Ashton, please stop!" I whisper-yelled, tightening my fingers around his bicep. "You're making it worse." Again, he ignored me like I didn't even exist.

          "I heard that the girl had a sharp tongue, but here, the boy does." Marsilia's nose flared a bit in absolute spite.

"We both do, and I guess we get it from our aunt," Ashton shrugged sassily.

"The dead one?" Marsilia instigated a raging fire in me with that slight curl of her lips that I wanted to violently punch, and so did Ashton.

He stared at her, utterly dumbfounded with his mouth parted and his cheeks gaining a shade of red in rage. "Are you fucking serious?"

          Marsilia glared at my brother and snapped her fingers. Within seconds, a few men walked in, but Leo's command forced them to retreat as my heart thudded in my chest and my throat clogging in fear. Ashton, on the other hand, didn't seem to give a fuck. "I've lost my fucking appetite," he said in a solemn tone before pushing his chair back and walking away.

          I sat there for a few seconds, staring at my plate in absolute silence as Lina spoke up. "You can't go a minute without ruining anything, can you?"

"It's only the first day, nonna, and you've done it already," Arabelle vocalized herself. "Good job!"

          Marsilia fired back at her granddaughters in Italian and the three kept going at it back and forth. Looking up, I met Leo's sympathetic eyes. His lips were pursed into a thin line as I tried to push my emotions down and not break. What did I expect anyway? Athena warned me of it all yesterday, and thinking about getting through these two weeks made me shudder. Leo turned to his grandmother, and the fiery wrath in his eyes and voice frightened me as he backed his sisters up.

"Excuse me," I whispered, and I doubt anyone heard it.

Slowly, I pushed my chair back and started walking away with my clenched fists resting by my sides. People watched me go, and I didn't care. I needed to find Ashton, so I decided to retrace my steps from where we came, but I found him in a hall, standing all alone and rubbing his eyes. In tiny calculated steps, I made my way to him with dread engulfing my heart.

          "You okay?" I asked gingerly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

          He rolled his shoulder and jerked my hold off before turning to face me. "Why didn't you say anything?"

I shook my head at him. "Because I didn't want to make it worse. You don't know what they're capable of."

"Royals. Mafia. Murder," he snorted. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

"Then why couldn't you keep your mouth shut?" I snarled. "Are you okay with you getting shot? Because I'm not."

"What did you fucking expect, Arie?" He poked my shoulder with force. "She kept insulting you, and you just wanted me to shut up about it?"

"Yes, I did," I gritted through my teeth and poked his chest back. "I'll endure insults if that means you not getting hurt. Did you not see her call men to come get you with a mere snap of her fingers? God knows what they'd do to you."

          "Well," his voice rose in anger, "I'm sorry that I can't keep my mouth shut when people talk shit about my sister."

          I sighed, my eyes softening as I took a step forward and held his hand. "Ashton, please understand that it's not just the two of us. We have lives at stake here. You, me, Fred, the kids." My lips quivered a bit as I tried to suppress my roaring emotions. "They can do anything, and I can't risk it, so please try to keep shut when someone says something."

          "Am I interrupting?" Mike's voice bellowed through the hallway, startling us and forcing us to turn around to face him.

Clearing my throat and straightening my spine, I flashed him a meek smile. "No."

          "Yes," Ashton countered my statement, shoving daggers in Mike's chest. "Why didn't you say anything when she said that about Aunt Wendy?"

          "What did you want me to say exactly?" Mike gave my brother a hard look, taking slow steps in our direction.

          Ashton let out a frustrated bark of laughter, flinging his hands in the air and yelling in anger. "Did you even love her? Or was she just a good fuck? A toy on the side for a rich man like you."

          "Ashton!" I gasped at my brother's filthy accusation that was tarnishing Mike's love for Aunt Wendy.

          "Maybe you found out she was pregnant with your illegitimate child, so you teamed up with Astor and helped him take her out," Ashton continued in unmitigated loathe for the man while my heart rose up to my throat, disgusted by the sickening allegation.

          Turning to Mike, I noticed his face burn red in outrage, his fists clenching by his sides. Before I could comprehend anything, he leaped forward and landed a hard punch on my brother, knocking him out cold. The loud noise of the impact made me shudder as I stared at Ashton's unconscious body sprawled out on the marble floor. 

          Mike fumed, his hands shaking in such fury that it made me fear him in that very moment. He exhaled as if he had been holding in his breath and swallowed his anger before turning to me. "Sorry," he apologized, tugging on his lapels and fixing his suit jacket.

          "Yeah..." I stretched the word out, my eyes affixed on Ashton's flaccid body as Mike ordered a few men to take my brother to his room. "He deserved that."

          Mike sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He really hates me."

          "He stupidly acts on impulse at times and says shit." I stroked his arm in reassurance. "He has said some very hurtful things to me over the years, and I ignore them because I know he doesn't mean it. I do the same to him," I chuckled. "It's how we keep each other grounded."

He nodded, changing the subject. "I'm sorry for Marsilia's behavior," he apologized in behalf of that pathetic old hag. "It's just how she is. She enjoys insulting people. She loves a reaction, so don't give that to her. Ignoring her awful comments is the best option. Everyone does."

"I really see why Lina is always a bitch to her," I snorted.

          A subtle smile emerged on his lips as he glanced up at the chandelier above us and let out a shaky breath. "I really wish she was alive, Arie." My body stiffened at his confession, chills crawling up my spine. "I would do anything to see her again. Absolutely anything." The wretched heart in my chest ached upon hearing the pain in his voice, and I hated myself for the fact that I couldn't help and ease that agony of his. "I loved her so much, and I still do."

"I know," I nodded as a treacherous tear escaped my eye before I hastily wiped it away and cleared my brittle voice in attempt to not sell myself out. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything you want," he said and gave me his complete attention.

"You have cameras here, right?" As soon as I asked that question, a part of me regretted it, but fuck it.

"In certain places, yeah." He knitted his brows, a bit perplexed at the oddity of my question. "Why?"

"Do you have them, um, near pools?" I raised my brows and scrunched my nose a bit. This was a terrible idea. Fuck!

For some reason, a smile was fighting its way to his lips, but he was trying hard to it. "There are many pools here, Arie. Which one are you talking about exactly?"

I narrowed my eyes at the shady man and crossed my arms below my breasts. "Why the hell are you smiling?"

"I'm not," he retorted immediately, failing to stifle his laugh.

Horror blanketed my face, heating up the apples of my cheeks without wasting a second. "You saw!" I exclaimed, facepalming and almost slapping my face. He laughed louder, forcing me to stare at him with my mouth agape. "It's not funny! You need to delete the footage. Please!"

          "There are no cameras on that side," he said after calming his laughter.

          "Then how do you know?"

          He shrugged like a cheeky bastard. "I may have been walking by." I shook my head in dread and shame. "With Leo," he added, and I wanted to die of embarrassment in that very moment.

          "Please shoot me right now," I whined like a child.

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Did you guys like this chapter? Yay or nay?

How are you guys liking this second book so far?

Who likes Marsilia? Is she going to change and like Arie or remain the same old bitch?

You guys got an idea of what the cousins are like. Who's excited to officially meet them soon? How will they treat Arie?

Did Ashton deserve that punch from Mike?

How will Marsilia interact with the Noelle twins after that mess of a dinner?

Further comments and questions are always welcome!

Considering the family is massive, I'm thinking about making a family tree. That way you guys won't be confused who belongs to what uncle or aunt on what side of the family.

Much love ❤️
~Reet