This is a bad idea. A very bad idea and I also think that this is becoming a habit.

Roaming around the mansion in midnight.

My sleep deprivation state is taking the best of me and my appetite is getting lower and weirder. I don't feel like eating during my breaks, but I get hungry at midnight. Rylie is obviously concerned about me. She was surprised to see me back sooner than she had imagined when I purposely asked permission to run away.

Hell, I didn't actually ask the capo's permission because I was busy ogling his body. Naughty Amy! Bad manners!

I rubbed my arms and sighed loudly as I tiptoed my way to the kitchen.

When I finally reached the kitchen, I flicked the switch on and raised a perfect eyebrow when I saw a very familiar man sitting on the counter, cross-legged, his face covered in a face mask and wearing his usual SpongeBob pajamas.

As expected, Adrian was licking ice cream and he grinned like a fool when he saw me.

"Amy, is your roommate sick again?"

I chuckled. "No, waxing. She is not sick. I'm just hungry."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Midnight snack craving?"

"No." I mumbled. "I didn't have my lunch and dinner."

Adrian groaned and took a huge lick of his ice cream from the spoon. "You should take care of yourself. I told you, we don't want sick staff."

"I know." I deadpanned. "That's why I am here. I'm hungry."

"You know what to do." He cocked his head towards the refrigerator and smirked.

I rolled my eyes and took out a huge bowl of pasta, heated it in the oven then sat beside Adrian, cross-legged and started eating it.

"So...what's up?"

"What are we doing here? Bonding?"

He laughed. "No, not really. But I don't mind doing that too. I'm different."

I took a spoonful of the pasta. "I don't think so. You are ignoring the time when you held me at gunpoint."

"Safety measures. Every man here does that." He said nonchalantly.

"Don't care." I deadpanned. "You guys are dangerous. Waking up here was a mistake."

"Waking up?" He asked curiously.

I sighed in exhaustion. "Long story short, I got kidnapped on my way to a friend's place for a sleepover and directly woke up here."

"Oohh, that's tough. That's why you are so adamant on going back to your famiglia!"

"Yes, and I will go back to them."

"As if the capo will allow you." He mocked.

I frowned and started playing with the pasta when I remembered something. "Hey Adrian, what is your relation with the capo? You seem a bit...easy talking about him."

He licked his ice cream. "It's nothing. We are fratelli, brothers as you say."

"What?" I blurted in shock. "I thought there was only one son."

He pointed the spoon in his direction. "Adopted elder brother here. Padre saw that his little son was bored to death while he was handling everything so he picked me up from the orphanage. That was probably the best day of my life."

I nodded my head in understanding. "What about the mother?" I asked warily.

He froze like his frozen ice cream then cleared his throat. "Don't get too curious. Some things are better left unasked."

I rolled my eyes and took another spoonful of my pasta. "Fine. What about you? Do you always get midnight ice cream craving?"

"Every other night. I think I'm pregnant."

I burst out laughing. Maybe Adrian is different from the others. "And...and what about your face mask?"

He gave me a bored look. "Can't a man take care of his skin?"

"Absolutely right." I agreed. "So you are pregnant, you have face mask on your face and judging by the bandage on your chest, you have just finished waxing your chest."

"You're good." He chimed. "That waxing part is absolutely correct. That shit hurts, but I look good after that."

I giggled. "You are a crazy man."

Our smiles died down when we heard footsteps approaching near us. In a flash, we got off the counter, Adrian took his gun out of his pajama while I took pulled out a knife from a drawer and we were ready to strike.

Leonardo Agostini rolled his eyes when he saw us and started filling his empty jar of water he had carried with him through a filter machine while ignoring us.

"Do we attack?" I whispered to the face masked man.

"Pfft! No. I mean, look at him. He is yawning and rubbing his sleepy eyes like a baby. You do not attack a baby." He whispered back. I looked at the capo who was actually yawning and rubbing his eyes like a baby.

"He is far from a baby." I muttered.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to!"

"Do. Not. Shout. At. Me."

"My goodness, you guys have some serious issues here."

"Shut up!" We shouted in unison.

I put the knife back in the drawer and crossed my arms. "What is your problem, August-mini?"

Adrian burst out laughing. "It was nice knowing you, Amy. I'll see you in next life."

We ignored him. The Agostini son took his jar full of water and faced me.

"What is your problem, little girl?" He asked smoothly. "Upset that you didn't land on my back today? Or maybe you could come sit on my lap. It is always hard and ready for a ride."

My eyes diluted in confusion. "Why would I ride on your lap if it is hard? I'll get hurt."

All the sleepiness vanished from the capo's face and slowly his eyes widened in shock.

"I love you," Adrian blurted and gently held my hand. "So, so much. Forget about your family and running away from here. Stay with me."

I cringed and pulled my hand back. "Sorry Waxing, but I don't belong here."

"Call me Daddy, baby."

I frowned. "No thanks. Ask your child to call you that."

"God, I'll miss you when you'll be gone from here." He sighed dramatically and started drinking his melted ice cream.

"Nobody is going anywhere." The capo's authoritative voice boomed around the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes. "That's so bad, but I'm leaving this place sooner or later."

"Not happening." He grunted. "Not under my watch."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrow. "Then watch me."

He smirked and took a few steps in my direction till he was on my eye level. "Trust me, fiero gattino, you won't escape from my watch."

"What if I really do escape from your watch?" I asked.

He chuckled softly. "As if it will happen."

"That reminds me, I need your permission." I said nonchalantly.

"Permission for what?" He asked.

I grinned when I saw the curiosity in his eyes. Poor guy has no idea what's going to come. "You said it yourself, nobody defies the capo. Nobody leaves the mansion without your permission, right?"

"Si." He answered.

"I need your permission to escape from this mansion."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he started laughing. Only this time it was a 'oh! It's a good joke laugh!' To be honest, it felt weird to see one of the most feared men of this mansion laughing at me.

"You...you are joking, right? Permission to escape? That is funny!"

I placed my hands on my waist and gave him a blank look. "Do you think I am joking?"

"No." He answers after a few minutes of silence. "What kind of nonsense is this?"

I sighed in exhaustion. "I'm trying not to be so disrespectful. Seeing the fact that I had already lost my years of patience and planning by doing the silliest mistake on my first step, I am trying to be honest here. You had said it yourself that nobody lies to you, so why not simply go ask you?"

The capo remained silent for some time and the only sound which was heard by us was the slurping of melted ice cream Adrian was drinking while he watched us intently.

I shot him a look.

"What?" He snapped. "Can't a man have some melted ice cr—fuck! I got some face mask cream in my mouth." Then he started coughing profoundly.

I ignored him and faced the capo who was simply staring at me. "And? Do I have your permission, signore Agostini?"

Suddenly, his lips curved from a corner and his eyes had a very strange glint. "You didn't need my permission when you touched me earlier this afternoon."

My virgin self blushed. "I...uh...I didn't lie to you though. You are hot."

Adrian's coughing turned into somewhat choking.

The Agostini son snorted. "Hmm, that's true. I will grant you your permission in one condition."

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I get to catch you before you meet your famiglia or friends." He added.

I blinked rapidly, surprised by his condition. "So you are telling me that even if I stand in front of my house's door, you can catch me?"

"Yes, and I won't come after you when you get reunited with your little famiglia."

"You won't harm any of them and leave me alone?" I asked warily.

"Si." He answered casually.

Time to think, Amy. The capo can catch me even if I am in my neighborhood or worse, right in front of my doorstep. That's a very huge risk, but I have to take it. These are very dangerous waters.

I bit my lower lip nervously. "I don't trust you. I want your word that you won't harm me or my family."

He smiled. "You have my word. Besides if I don't keep it, I don't deserve my padre's position. Trust is very important in this famiglia."

A deep V formed in my forehead and a lot of negative thoughts surfaced in my mind. "What if I don't meet my family and you catch me?"

He shrugged. "I'll shoot you. If you survive after that, it's your luck and if you don't, that's just a normal loss. Not a big deal to me. By the way, you need to get out of this casa first, find your way out of Italia, safely arrive in America then go to your family. That's a lot of time for me to play with you."

My eyes popped out of their sockets. "You are saying this as if you are telling me a recipe!"

"And? Do you think I care?" He asked.

"No, not really." I answered honestly.

I didn't realise that his face was so close to mine. "Then what do you say, signorina Jones? Can I have your permission to catch you if I give your permission to escape? I'm being honest here, just like you."

"Aw, look at you guys." Adrian cooed. "Playing cat and mouse game. You guys are bonding."

We ignored him again. There were thousand scenarios running in my mind, all possibilities of what would happen if I finally get out of this hell house and reunite with my family. I step out of this house, the whole Agostini family will be after me and the outcome would be me being shot and being pushed back inside the house. If I meet my family on time, the whole survival shit I did on this mansion would be forever forgotten and I'll lead a normal life again, but what if my family is—No negative possibilities! No negativity! I am going to reunite with my family and continue the plans I had made for me and my life.

"Are saying that I won't get out of this house?"

"Si."

"Are you challenging me?" I asked incredulously, my eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, I'll catch you before you even realise that I have caught you."

My nose flared in anger. This monster is just so full of himself and I'm going to make sure that I'll have the last laugh.

"If that's the case," I pulled his shirt, making him face down till I reached his ears and whispered, "Permission to catch me, granted."

He smirked as he pulled away from me, his eyes were shining in excitement.

"Good, then I should keep my part too. I give you your permission to escape."

"AND I PRONOUNCE YOU MAN AND WIFE! YOU MAY NOW KISS YOUR BRIDE!"

We both stepped back and shot a look to the face masked man who was now eating my pasta.

"What?" He snapped again with his mouth full, "I have got some pastor degree and shit. I need to revise my lines."

"Hey Adrian?" He hummed in response as he continued eating my pasta. "You're making me some pasta and as for you," I faced the capo again, "you better get some good night sleep, not that I care of."

"You look pale. You should eat something fast and go to sleep too, not that I care of." He mocked.

"And I will." I chirped. "Now shoo. I have got some major planning to do."

"Do. Not. Shoo. At. Me." He growled.

I rolled my eyes and yawned. "I just did."

The Agostini son grabbed his jar of water and walked out of the kitchen without a single word, not forgetting to shoot me a deadly glare which actually made me shiver in fear a little and think about everything that has happened right now.

After a few minutes of silence, I heard Adrian yawn.

"I'm not making any pasta."

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