Achilles' POV

When my dearest wife died, I was overcome with pain.

My dearest was the bravest for she has risked her life to have another.

Luca. This child that she bore. I expected it to be a boy at first. I admit that I am not the best father. I planned to be strict to the youngest, I told myself that if this child will need to survive, it will need to open its eyes to the world and it should know the stains of having the name Cattaneo.

However, Maria was someone that showed my sons and I as well, that emotions were never a weakness. It was a gift. It was something that all human beings should cherish. She would smile very warmly and would explain herself of what she see of the world. That the world was still beautiful no matter what filthy things it held.

Maria was our beacon of light.

And she died knowingly that Luca would be born, that she will grow into a wonderful woman.

She trusted them, him especially, that they would take care of the youngest. Of the little girl that took Maria's life away.

At first, we were furious.

I loved Maria. Her sons loved their mother as well and a little girl took that all away. Their love were crushed into pieces by one baby.

Luca became someone that we wanted to kill.

I wanted to touch her small neck and strangle her to death.

I loved my wife. I loved her my whole life. She was someone that taught me of life. Of the beauty of life.

The beauty of having a normal family despite of the family name.

But Maria died and I felt like I also died with her as well.

And I wanted to kill Luca.

I wanted it.

I desired it.

I wished for it.

I never did.

I gave the responsibility to the maids and Pierre, a slave who was once saved by Maria. For Pierre, Maria was also like his mother. His beacon of light. His savior.

In all honesty, Pierre also didn't want Luca but he took care of her for a year while we fled to Italy.

When we came back for her birthday, I saw how she affected the maids and especially Pierre.

Pierre, who was once a dead shell, would often smile at Luca. Pierre was always by her side, watching her like a hawk, like she would disappear in a flash. He's very protective of her. I remember him having to fight Sydney for going near Luca with a spoon. He said that Sydney didn't even wash the spoon and that it was filled with germs.

I remember seeing her for the first time.

I remember the reaction of her brothers when they saw her for the first time.

And the anger that I was sure that was dwelling inside of me suddenly disappeared.

Luca, one year old, looked up at them with her adorable baby chocolate eyes and she smiled at them with the most innocent and sincere smile they've ever seen. Her smile was brighter than any sun or stars. It was beautiful than any other scenery that they've seen.

She reminded them of her mother.

She looks like her mother.

The innocence in Luca affected me in a way that made me see that Luca was a piece of Maria. That she was someone that Maria desperately wanted to see, wanted to take care of.

Maria would've been so proud of Luca. She would've showered her with love and not negligence like I did.

I sighed at the memory, I still regret not seeing her firsts. First walk, first talk, first bath, first smile, first tooth, first time eating solid food. Everything.

I was often jealous of Pierre when he babbles on and on about seeing all of Luca's adorable sides.

I would've been very proud as well but that's necessary because I'm already proud of Luca. I may not have seen those firsts but I'll be able to see many more in her future.

And I'm just proud that I'm a part of her life.

"Papa!"

I looked up and saw her smiling at me from her bed. The eyes that I adore so very much was staring right back at my cold ones. She was already tucked in. I'm sure that Enzo did it. He's been very motherly to the little girl.

Slowly, I walked towards her bed, careful not to scare her. I do not want to ask about what that man did to Luca.

When I first saw her, Luca's eyes were red from all the crying, her cheeks were puffy and red, a hand marks on it, her neck were also red and we all know what he did to that.

And all I could see was red.

I remember feeling furious. Like some fire has been suddenly lit inside of me. All I wanted to do was cut that man's hands so that he wouldn't touch my precious daughter again.

I wanted that man dead. I wanted him to feel every pain that my daughter had felt.

I was so surprised when I heard that she carried a gun all this time.

The feeling of having her use that?

"Hello, baby..." I whispered, sitting at the edge of her bed.

The feeling of having two guns pointed at my daughter?

Luca beamed and adorably at him and snuggled closer to me with her carrot pillow on her arms.

The feeling that someone has touched my daughter inappropriately?

"It's okay, papa..." Luca whispered softly, giving me a silent permission that I could hold her.

How could he do that to my daughter?

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to my chest and I could hear her visibly relax. I know that she's still not okay with anyone holding her but she's getting better little by little.

How could you be so deaf to hear her pain and her soft pleas?

"I missed you papa..." Luca said after a long while. I was patting her head softly while humming softly to her.

I thought that she was asleep but I guess that she doesn't want any nightmares tonight.

I wanted to carve out his eyes.

I shushed her and kissed the crown of her head. "Me too, bambina."

I wanted to drown him alive.

"Are you mad?"

I went stiff. Mad? At her? I would never. I would never get mad at Luca. I promised her mother that I would protect her and I failed. If it's anything, it's her that should be mad not me because I failed my promise to her mother. I broke the promise.

"No..." I whispered. "No, love. I will never get mad at you."

"B-But... I held a gun... " She stuttered, clenching my shirt tighter. She was still scared of what happened and if I could, I would definitely erase all of her sufferings. I don't want my sweetheart to suffer. I could feel Luca stiffening and I immediately hugged her protectively, not wanting her to remember such a horrid event.

"I will never get mad at you." I repeated firmly but quietly. I'm still too frightened to scare her. Luca's always been so fragile. She's been very innocent and she doesn't deserve the pain. She doesn't deserve any of what happened.

And I should've stopped that event from happening.

But I was too late. I was too late to save her. His hands already stained her skin, his words were already buried in her mind and it will play like a broken record player, the trauma and the blood will forever be printed within her.

And I'm so mad at myself. I couldn't save my own daughter and that resulted in her holding a weapon. A weapon that wasn't fit for an innocent child like her.

For Luca.

"You saved Pierre, Luca." I made her look at me and I could see tears falling out of her eyes. My heart broke. I never want her to cry. I don't want to see her cry. So I softly wiped it and kissed her forehead sadly. "You did that and you didn't kill that man. I will never get mad at you for doing that, Luca. You've been brave, so brave, my little pumpkin. And I will never get mad at you for trying to save Pierre. You were brave, bambina. So very brave. And I will never let you go through all of that again."

Luca sniffled weakly. "D'you promise?"

Maria smiled at me, her chocolate brown eyed were glinting happily at him as the breeze played with her wavy brown hair.

"Do you promise?"

A single tear fell from my eye and I hugged my daughter closer, kissing her forehead longingly.

"I do. I promise. I promise you... I-I'm so sorry, I'm sorry that I failed you, love..."

Luca hugged me and I couldn't stop myself for letting my tears fall down.

Then I heard her say: "You never did such a thing, papa... "

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Okay, first things first is that I'm sorry for not updating early. :(

But I hope that you guys enjoyed this. Some of you wanted Achilles and Luca's interaction and here.

How was it? Tell me what you guys think.

Stay safe!!