Chapter 66 is up if you haven't read it yet. Enjoy!

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"So?" Sebastian narrowed his eyes in impatience. "Who will it be? Please pick me."

"You're all sick." Kevin snarled eyeing the two men.

"Why do you keep saying that?" The young man shrugged. "You hurt our family. We would be sick to just let it go."

He didn't say anything. Honestly, what could he say?

He couldn't even process the situation he was in. All he knows is that killing him would be their best option, because if they didn't, he wouldn't give up, not while he was still breathing, not while Hunter was still alive, not while he had a family to turn to.

The metal door opened again and the man he was just thinking of made his appearance.

Hunter walked in and greeted his sons with a nod before turning to Kevin without saying a word to him. He just stared down at him as if waiting for him to say something. He wondered what Hunter expected from him until he oldest son spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Make your choice." Jason snapped looking at him impatiently. "I want to go home."

That's what it was. These bastards really wanted him to make a choice like that? Haven't they done enough? These sick people were enjoying this, but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him affected by this situation, because he wasn't.

He didn't have anything else to lose.

"I would have my brother do it." He finally said looking at said man.

Hunter didn't say anything and moved closer to his sons to grab the weapon from Jason before turning to face Kevin. He grabbed the gun tightly looking at him.

"You're even going to say a word to me." Kevin said when the man just continued staring at him silently.

Hunter stayed quiet looking down at him, not bothering to conceal his emotions from his face. He wanted Kevin to see. He was tired and he knew this whole situation had to stop here. He was tired of fighting with him and Kevin didn't want to put an end to this, so he was going to.

This man.

The man he used to call brother, really tried to sell his daughter.

His daughter.

She didn't have the slightest idea of what really happened in the past. She wasn't involved in anyway. Yet he tried to put her to put her a nightmare she might have never been able to get out of.

That's why he couldn't find it in himself to say a word. He wouldn't even know what to say. He didn't want to say anything.

"Nothing?" Kevin voice came again as he looked into Hunter's eyes.

He could see it. Hunter wasn't going to spare him a word. A small laugh left him as he lowered his head briefly. He let out another laugh before looking back up.

"Honestly, you're a better man than I am." He said laughing again while looking at Hunter's calm face. "How can you look at me without exploding? That's very out of character for you." He continued with another humorless laugh. "And even now, I hate you. I hate you so damn much and I can't even give you a real reason. I hate you so much it suffocates me."

His laughter died down as he looked at Hunter's unchanged face.

"I really hate you." Kevin repeated looking at him dead in the eyes to show him that he meant every word.

Hunter placed the gun to his forehead looking directly at him before placing his finger on the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was heard in the otherwise empty place followed by the sound of a lifeless body hitting the ground.

He stared at the lifeless body for a few moment not saying a word. He felt numb. Maybe to keep himself from letting his real emotions out.

He took a step and turned to look at his sons who both had their eyes glued on him. One look at him told them both that their father wasn't okay and he didn't even try to hide it.

Sebastian took a step forward. "Dad..."

"Take Florine to the police, Sebastian." Their father said turning around and walking toward the entrance. "Turn him in for the money he stole and him hacking into our system."

"Yes dad." Sebastian said looking at his father's retreating before looking at his brother who also had his eyes glued on their father's back.

Hunter let out a small breath as he walked toward his car. He didn't react when his older child quietly called after him, nor when a lone tear rolled down his cheek.

*****

Elena's eyes were glued on the TV, yet her mind was clouded by thoughts.

Thoughts of her father and brothers.

Where are they? What's taking them so long?

It has been a while and still nothing. Her mother just came in her room to check on her barely an hour ago but didn't want to tell her anything.

"You need your rest. Don't worry bout that. they will be here soon." She had said.

And she was sure that Victoria was in the same situation as her. After dropping her and her father off for Rose's sake, Marco had taken her home right away where a panicked Stella was waiting. She had a doctor check on her before she was completely knocked out in exhaustion.

She had seen her brothers when they came to check on her but still no sign of her father. Though her mother had said that he went to her room but she was still sleeping. So, she was waiting for him to come again after he was done doing whatever he was doing.

When she had woken up, she could already see the sun coming down again, telling that she had slept almost all day.

She sighed wondering what could really be taking all of them so long. She looked toward her door and quickly sat up when someone knocked.

"Yes?"

She was expecting to see her father but the opening door revealed Marco. She unconsciously raised her eyebrows looking at the man standing at her doorframe.

"Can I come in?" He asked when all she did was stare at him.

"Y-yes. Of course." She nodded more quickly than I she wanted causing her to mentally slap herself.

She really needed to start acting normally around this man. It's not like he wasn't someone she's known for as long as she can remember. Why can't she stop embarrassing herself and acting like a lovestruck fool?

She nervously watched as he walked in and pushed the door back without closing it completely.

"How are you feeling?" He sat taking the seat Seb was sitting on, a few hours before, facing her.

"I'm alright." She said again clenching the sheets in her hands.

I hope I look alright too.

She tried to force her nervousness back and looked at him with a small smile. "Thank you." She said after a few seconds. "For helping us."

"What else can I do? You always get yourself in trouble." He said with no hint of amusement or mockery.

"I..." Her mouth opened and closed a couple of time before setting her lips in a straight line. "I do not."

He didn't say anything else but the look he gave told her that he meant it. There were a few times she found herself in difficult situations throughout the years, but that wasn't enough to say that she always got herself in trouble.

"Almost drowned trying to go as deep as Jason and me in the pool." He stated.

"I was five."

"Broke your leg using my skateboard when I told you not to touch it."

"I was still a child."

"Climb down your balcony and got in a car with a drunk kid."

"Teenagers do weird things." She shrugged feeling her cheeks heating up at the memory. "And Jason beat him up before we could go anywhere, so it doesn't count."

The embarrassment she had felt on that was still unmatched. Jason had yelled at her so much and there was nothing she could say to defend herself because he was stating facts. And the fact that the man in front of her was present during all that did nothing to help her.

"The list is pretty long." He said and she let out a small groan hiding her red face in her hands.

Why?

"Do you only remember embarrassing things?"

"No." He simply answered before standing up. "I just came to say goodbye."

He was going back?

Already?

"When are you going back?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"Tonight."

"Oh. Well, have a safe flight." She said lowly trying to hold his gaze but failing.

Couldn't he stay longer? Why did he need to leave now? Can't he stay for a few more days?

She bit the inside of her cheek and looked back at him trying to hide her disappointment.

"When will you be visiting Rome again?"

Her hands briefly tightened around the sheets again, grateful that he wouldn't know how sweaty her palms were. "R-Rome? I don't know."

But I'm not going there alone. She thought, mentally shaking her head. I don't trust myself around you.

"I will be coming back for the wedding."

Two months from now. She thought dejectedly as she forced her shoulders to stay straight.

"I would like to take you to dinner then, if you'll let me."

She wished she could have expected something like that to come out of his mouth.

She really did.

Because the way her head snapped toward him and the slightly surprised expression on her caused her cheeks to get even redder than they were before.

He turned back and continued his way to the door when she took her sweet time processing his words.

She couldn't open her mouth. She was sure to become a stuttering mess.

What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I act freaking normal around him?

She took a slow deep breath trying to calm her racing heart, which became a habit every time she was near that man, but he only made things worse with his question.

Get a hold of yourself, for God's sake! This is embarrassing.

Is he joking?

He opened the door before turning to look at her again with a small smile on his face. "You haven't changed. I'll see you then."

"O-Okay." She mumbled watching as he leaves the room.

As soon as she heard the door close behind him, she brought her shaking hand to her forehead and took deep breaths.

"I would like to take you to dinner then, if you'll let me."

His voice echoed in her head over and over again before she let out a long sigh, begging herself not to overthink this or even get her hopes up. It could be for anything.

A frown came to her face as an idea came to mind.

What if he's getting married to a woman and wants my services?

I certainly won't help him. She thought.

No way in hell. And if that's why he wants to talk to me, she will make sure to create a mess for him and whoever she is. So, for his sake, he better not asks her for her help for something like that.

Her bedroom door opened once more and her mother's smiling face came to view.

"So, I had an idea." Stella said as soon as she walked, sitting beside her daughter. Her tone showing her enthusiasm.

Oh no. Elena thought looking at her mother's big smile.

"What idea?" She asked warily looking at her mother's brightened face.

"New location?" Stella simply said and she furrowed her eyebrows in question.

"For what?"

"Our business." Her mother said.

"We already bought a much bigger location, mom." She chuckled leaning back against her pillows, not knowing where this was going.

"I mean, opening a new location." She started. "Somewhere else."

She sat straight as Stella's words picked her interest. "Okay? Where?"

"Milan." Her mother started looking up thoughtfully. "Paris." She then turned to her daughter with a tiny smile and a glint in her eyes before adding. "Rome?"

Elena's heart skipped a bit as she looked at her mother's smiling face.

"I like Paris and Milan." She said not liking the look her mother was giving her at all.

"What about Rome?"

"Why Rome?" She asked her cheeks puffing out as the red slightly spread across them.

"Why not Rome?" She shrugged trying her best to keep her lips on a straight line at the sight of her daughter's slightly red cheeks.

Elena shrugged too. "I think Paris and Milan could be good."

"But you love Italy." Stella smiled facing her daughter. "You said Venice was your favorite place in the world?"

"So why Rome?"

"Because we know people in Rome, people I can trust to take care of you if you want to take care of the shop there." She shrugged, eyeing Elena.

The young woman shook her head slowly. "But I'm twenty-five. I don't need that."

"You know you can't stand being alone." She chuckled before continuing. "And you're my only daughter."

Elena lowered her head frowning a little. "I don't know, mom."

"Just think about it, baby." She smiled placing a soft hand on Elena's cheek, causing a smile to appear on her daughter's face.

"I will, mom."

Her mother paused before her teasing smile came back. "You know, you're not going to get him if you keep running from him."

She gasped as her eyes widened as she looked at her mother with an even redder face causing a small laugh to leave Stella.

"I'm not trying to get him. And I'm not running away."

"Elena, when you were ten, I remember you laying on the kitchen floor crying to the point of hyperventilation because you couldn't find the perfect 'not sweet' cake recipe for his birthday because he hates sweets." She said laughing at her mother's outraged expression.

"I was ten!"

"The next year you tagged along on his date acting like a bratty little sister to get the girl mad and make her leave."

She crossed her arms over her chest looking away from her mother's teasing look. "He let me tag along. And that was not why I wanted to go. And if it was really a date, he wouldn't have let me go anyway."

"If I remember correctly, you didn't leave him much of a choice, did you?" She chuckled as she watched her daughter's face darken even more. "You invited yourself."

"Mom!" She groaned hiding her face in her hands.

"And just a few days ago, you ran in your room because he was visiting." She said before laughing at her daughter's mortified expression.

She lowered her hands from her face with a frown. "I didn't run."

"Stubborn." She shook her head pulling the cover up kissing her forehead softly. "Get some sleep. I'm going to go see Victoria."

*****

"Finally!" She practically yelled when her father walked in her room. "I thought you had forgotten about me."

He laughed lowly before looking at her as she opened her arms wide with a big smile on her face. A sight that made it impossible to hold a smile from appearing on his face.

"Hug?" She grinned opening her arms even wider.

He scoffed but nonetheless sat on the bed before wrapping his arms tightly around her. He let out a breath before placing a hand on the back of her head.

"You scared the shit out of me."

She tightened her arms around and took a deep trying fight her tears back. "Mom will bite your head off if she hears you say 'shit' in front of me."

"She thinks the three of you are still babies." He said with a small smile running a hand through his daughter's hair.

"You're the parent. You should be setting the example." She said as her voice cracked a little.

"Uh. That's your mother's job." He said as she pulled back a little to give him a disapproving look look that looked so similar to her mother's it made him smile once more.

His smile was, however, brief as he looked at her face again in all seriousness.

"Nothing else happened, right? You told us everything?" He asked looking at her seriously, hoping she actually did tell them everything and that nothing happened that she would be afraid to tell them.

"Yes. I told you everything." She said with a small nod.

"You are the bane of my existence." He said placing a hand on her cheek pinching it slightly.

"I know." She giggled grabbing onto his hand.

"I don't know what I would do if I lose you."

She closed her eyes tightly for a moment to keep her tears from resurfacing before looking at him with a cheeky smile. "Oh, I know. You would die."

He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow before letting out a small laugh. "Where did you get your arrogance from?"

"I have no idea." She shrugged with a teasing smile before her expression turned serious as she looked closely at his face.

She placed a soft hand on his cheek with a small frown as she looked at him more closely.

"You're sad." She stated.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry." She said looking down at her lap as fresh tears came streaming down her face, now really wishing things hadn't ended this way.

She didn't care about Kevin, she didn't even know him. But for her father, she really wished things had gone differently.

His gaze softened looking down at her face.

She was crying for him.

He grabbed her hand and used his other hand to wipe his daughter's tears away. "It isn't your fault. More tears again. You really are your mother's daughter."

He chuckled when her lower lip poked out a little and pulled back from him.

"I'll come check on you later. You should rest." He said rearranging the pillows behind her before slowly pushing her to lean back against them.

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you too."

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Next chapter goes back to my main babies!