Page 56 of Conquer or Die

I slowly make my way to the door wanting to listen in before I went inside, they started setting him up to different machines, and he started looking very drugged. “If I don’t make it you need to take better care of Isabella better than I have.” He starts off, Lorenzo shakes his head. “No, you can take care of her when you’re better and make up for everything you did. Besides it’s Isabella she won’t let anyone take care of her” he rolled his eyes exhausted.

I mimicked him from behind the door and rolled my eyes, “Fratello, I need you to listen to me. I know if I go there’s going to come a time where she might find another man” he speaks through his teeth, I sniffle a laugh at his jealousy. “If I’m dead I need you to kill him for me” he mutters under his breath making Lorenzo laugh under his breath “don’t worry I was planning on it … if Dante doesn’t beat me to it. For a little man his very protective over his mum” Lorenzo states. Nodding my head in agreement I continue listening in.

“Regardless, if one day a man comes and he passes your test, Isabella’s test, and my sons. I need you to tell him word for word what I’m about to say.” He takes a deep breath closing his eyes the drugs starting to take effect.

“Make sure he knows she’s terrified of spiders. So, if she screams or calls him freaking out for help and his not home, make sure he rushes home and kills it please … otherwise she wont sleep. She is a total textbook extrovert, but she has her moments where she shuts off and she will ignore him on occasion. He will take it personally, tell him not too she’s simply taking care of herself, and she’ll tell you how much she missed you while she was away but never force her out of that mental shut off, she will bite your head off.” I rolled my eyes trying to not smile, he takes a few deep breaths before continuing.

“Isabella is a very jealous person. My god, she gets so jealous. Those emerald, green eyes will turn dark black. Don’t make it worse, reassure her and give her forehead kisses … actually don’t kiss her at all” he growled annoyed, taking it back making Lorenzo chuckle.

“On that topic though, she needs constant reassurance. If he can’t do that, leave. She deserves more than that. She’s been through enough her whole life, if he is going to add to that list kill him. She is the most independent woman I know, so sure of herself but also so insecure, it still breaks my heart. How she feels like a burden because of all the torment she went through. She will believe she deserves all the bad in her life but reassure her she doesn’t, hold her tight and calm her down. The way I do it is I sing to her. Do. Not. Upset. Her” he warned Lorenzo to warn the guy.

“By the way the Dobermans, the dogs. Plus, her wolves, they come first. Always. Don’t let him think otherwise.” I could see his eyeroll, making me roll my eyes playfully.

“I chose to hang out with them one damn time” I whispered to myself, knowing that was a blunt lie id pick those dogs and my wolves every time. “Remind him that losing her is a pain you will never shake. Your world will come crashing down on you and those pieces won’t ever fit the way they used to. Don’t let her go, she will love you with all she’s got, but if she lets go, she will ice you out like you never existed. If you can’t give her the same love back leave because she deserves the same love back.” He nods his head, and his eyelids starts getting heavier.

“Lorenzo tell him that” he whispers unable to keep his eyes open. “There won’t be a reason to, you’re going to be fine and then you can be that man for her” Lorenzo spoke up, the nurses asked for him to leave. As Lorenzo was about to make his way-out Vincenzo grips his arm “I am begging you don’t let anyone hurt her. She is gold and the most precious thing to ever happen to me. I am begging you don’t let that shine in her die out. I beg you … protect her with everything you have. Protect her and Dante because if I’m gone, I will divide my heart and give it to the both of them protect them and what’s left of me in them.” Those were the last things I heard before it went quiet and Lorenzo walked up in front of me “ease dropping?” he questioned with a sly smile, I chewed on the inside of my cheek while a playful smile overtook my features “maybe just a little” I shrugged.

I looked into the window and saw them working on Vincenzo “his going to be fine” Lorenzo reassured me holding me close, I nodded my head “I know” I whispered back.

Lorenzo went to speak up before my phone started buzzing, “Hello?” I answered not looking at the ID “Isabella, someone is at the estate, and he said its urgent he speaks to you” I look up at Lorenzo confusion visible on my face “who is it?” Lorenzo looked at me waiting for me to explain what’s happening on the other line. “He doesn’t want me to say it over the phone, but don’t worry its nothing bad but he looks really serious I think you should come down as soon as you can” with all the chaos that’s been happening lately I was trying to clear my mind and refocus on what and who it could be.

“Okay I’m on my way” I hang up my phone Lorenzo looking at me concerned “what’s happening?”

I let out a sigh and shrug my shoulders “I have no idea that’s why I need to go check. Listen while I go deal with whatever is happening, I need you to call Ariana tell her to stay wherever she is with Dante I have a gut feeling this is the calm before the storm. When Vincenzo is back on his feet and has his full strength back, we’ll get Dante back, just make sure Ariana knows her brothers back so she can relax comfortably and well send out a plane when it’s time for them to come back home.” He nods his head getting his phone out to call his sister while I made my way out of the hospital with a few of our men, I racked my head on who could possibly be waiting for me back at the estate. So much has happened in the past couple of hours, and even more in the last week. I finally reached the car while one of the men drove me back.

x

Jumping out of the car I make my way to hacker seeing him sitting alone around his security system.

“Hacker?” I called out for him trying to get his attention away from the screen, “Oh Isabella, his waiting for you in the basement. He wanted to talk to your parents first.” I looked at him beyond confused “who and why on earth would he want to talk to them?” Hacker simply shrugged his shoulders and anxiously turned back around to his screens “you are either going to be happy about what you find out or furious …” he informed me anxiously letting out a deep breath “but regardless of what emotion you end up with I’m here for you” He assured me I smiled giving him a tight hug.

“You have no idea how scared I was when Vincenzo had that knife to your chest” He confessed holding me tighter “I could only imagine how you felt” I let out a sigh and broke the hug looking at him. “I wasn’t scared at all. In this world the one and only thing we are promised is death and if I had to die … I genuinely didn’t mind dying looking into his eyes. I was dealt worse ways to die in my 25 years but dying looking deep into his silver eyes the same eyes that brought me back to life I don’t know it’s undeniably a bittersweet and ironic way to go. The eyes that brought me back to life were the eyes that got to take it away. A full circle moment” I shrugged my shoulders.

Hacker looked at me like I was crazy and maybe I was, maybe I am. “I just wish to experience a love as crazy and deep as the one you two share.” I smile looking away feeling myself blush. “Did you?” he looks at me piecing it together, “Oh my god you did!” he shouts excited. “You sound a lot like Lorenzo right now” I rolled my eyes. “You told him you love him? That’s what brought back his memories! To think if you weren’t so in denial about your love for him and told him you loved him before he would’ve remembered you a lot sooner and you could have avoided all of this” he explains looking at me with a smug look. “I’m going to pretend that’s not true and go see who is with my parents and what they want from me” I turn around and walk out before I go down a rabbit hole with Hacker.

“Good luck Isabella” he shouts out.

“Thank you!” I shout back waving my hand.

Running inside I spotted Vincenzo’s knife on the floor on my way I grabbed it taking it with me never know it might come in handy. I reached the door to the basement and made my down feeling unprepared of what I was about to face, down there. I took a deep breath and usher the men who were gaurding the door to step aside, I could already hear yelling and screaming from both my parents and another voice I couldn’t quite pin.

“The two of you need to stop yelling!” Mum shouts, I stop dead in my tracks on the stairs not wanting them to see me I hang back my gut telling me to wait this out.

“I will not stop yelling you hid my daughters from me for years! Then this hijo de puta (son of a bitch) went and got my little girl kidnapped and tortured with no sight of mercy because his ego got hurt.” He shouted, I put my hand over my mouth. Whoever was down there was my dad … my real dad and he was fucking mad. I felt the tears starting to well up, I took in a deep breath not ready to see who was down there.

“I killed two birds with one stone” Mario laughed out. I balled my hands into a fist feeling disgusted at the man I looked up too.

“Hijo de puta te voy a matar” (you son of a bitch I will kill you)

“You put my daughter through hell, but in the end, she came out without a burn. She literally rose from the ashes and was stronger, ruthless, and consumed more power than your little brain could even begin to comprehend. This wasn’t revenge you knew how powerful she is, how much authority she had over anyone and everyone and it terrified you, when you found out she wasn’t yours you were scared. Scared she would kick you to the side while she searched for her dad for me! You didn’t care she wasn’t yours all you cared about was that her power wasn’t yours. You took my innocent little girl and threw her to the wolves all because you feared her.” He shouted throwing something against the room, I felt my heart tug listening to every word he said.

Every word, every sentence was filled with so much emotion so much love, anger and the one that radiated most guilt. Guilt he didn’t know about us earlier, guilt he couldn’t find us, guilt he couldn’t save me. “You! Anna, if I didn’t see you with the girls at the park, would you have ever told me?”

“No” Mum whispered back.

I rolled my eyes feeling my throat closing. I tried taking in some deep breaths, but nothing was helping, “the day I saw my girls, Isabella, and Maria they were only four years old. You wouldn’t let me see them so I would do it behind your back, I snuck into their bedroom and went by ‘Marcel’ the friendly imaginary friend.” I let out a gasp quickly covering my mouth, so he was real, and why does that name sound so familiar do I know a Marcel? My imaginary friend was my dad, he did try to be a part of our lives tried to be there for us when we needed it. Even before my dad knew he wasn’t my dad he never once did anything like my real dad.

Never tried to comfort me, never tried to be there with me, never told us bedtime stories, Maria and I loved our imaginary friend he was our escape from our parents, and he always knew when to make an appearance, until one day he stopped.

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