IT'S BEEN A week since I got control of the Marino mafia back in my hands. D'Angelo's men were captured and killed along with Raphael's minions. 

I felt unbelievably good after getting things back in control. The power, control, and authority brought my mind at ease.

Earlier, it seemed impossible to avenge father’s death. But now, it didn’t seem like a very difficult task. 

Putting all the thoughts in the back of my mind, I adjusted my suit vest—donning the matching pitch-black suit jacket, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Everything was perfectly put into place, and I looked like my past self again.

Aaden Marino was back in business.

I tucked extra magazines inside a hidden pocket in the suit jacket just in case something went wrong. 

Whoever had the guts to get in a head-on fight with me tonight would die. I had more than twelve weapons hidden on my body, including two fully loaded guns.

All was set.

There was no chance for mistakes.

I couldn't afford mistakes.

I had suffered more than enough, and I was no longer in the mood to run for my life. Things went wrong that day because I still had a soft spot for Raphael, and blindly trusted him. He was like a snake that I had raised with my own hands that went to bite the hand that fed it. Rafe took out his fangs, and backstabbed me.

Bloody tactics.

I could have killed him the day I broke his arm. It would have taken two minutes to snap his neck, and he would have died right there and then.

But that was a merciful death.

He deserved to suffer until he begged to die. 

Until he didn't realize what the fuck he did wrong. 

Almost dying, and then being brought back to live again and again. Just to go through the same torture each time. 

That's what he deserved.

A slow death.

I wanted to bring him to the point where death would sound like a better option than another breath of life.

Letting out a sigh, I left my room, and strode towards the living room that was temporarily turned into a party hall.

To celebrate my return, and winning the Marino mafia back, I had decided to throw a party. It was a cumbersome thing in this crucial time, but it was important as well. 

This way D'Angelo would fear that I had gotten an upper hand. On top of that it was a nice way to show-off just to prove that the Marino's had restored their pillars that had fallen after the death of my father, Leonardo Marino.

There weren't many people invited. Just close and trustworthy people with strong connections who were willing to provide backup, including a few arm dealers.

All in all, this was more of a formal business meeting rather than an informal gathering.

I stepped down the stairs, and glanced around. Near about fifty people were in the hall busy chatting with each other, drinking merrily. Women in sexy gowns accompanied men wearing classy business suits and ties. The glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling gave off a charming feel. A sparkling wine fountain was set up along with a variety of drinks. The decor looked extravagant, and made the mansion look grand and spectacular.

Standing on the stairs, I got a complete view of the party. I glanced around, and searched for Vivian Rossi. 

My search had turned futile. There wasn't a trace of her. 

I had specifically asked Raul to give her a personal invitation to the party. After running with me for a long time, she had sort of turned into a family member. And it had been a long time since I last saw her. 

Her beautiful smiling face appeared in my mind like a memory that I cherished. Immediately a smile across my face.

"I care whether you live or die." 

Her words rang in my head, and an unfathomable feeling took over me. It was a strange mix of everything.

I got down the stairs, and talked to a few guests, discussing business affairs. I drank a few shots, and continued improving my connections. 

How did dad do this?

This was fucking tiring and extremely boring.

Smile at everyone. Greet everyone. Talk neither too formally nor too informally. 

This was some crazy shit.

The rest of the party passed away in a blur, and Vivian hadn't arrived. 

She had rejected my invitation.

As soon as the realization hit me, a gloomy feeling crashed into me. I rolled my eyes, pouring myself another drink. 

The guests had left. Raul was busy dealing with some security issues. And I was left alone. All alone.

I clenched the glass in my hand, gulping the drink in one go. The alcohol burnt my throat, but I drank it all. My alcohol tolerance was strong, but I felt drunk. Just a little bit drunk. I lifted the bottle of rum to pour myself another drink then, a familiar feminine voice entered my ears.

"That’s enough for today," the voice said.

"It's not." I ignored the voice, and kept on pouring rum into the glass.

The glass was filled to the brink, and rum had started to spill out of it. The dark droplets fell on the white table cloth, coloring it into a weird shade.

"Aaden, you're drunk." Someone snatched the bottle from my hand.

I looked around, and my gaze collided with a set of heterochromatic eyes. A luscious brown and a fiery blue. 

"Vivian?" 

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"Yes, it's me," she said, folding her arms on her chest.

Her long blonde hair was let loose, and was styled in soft curls. She wore a body-hugging black short dress, and matching heels. The dress showed her beautiful figure well. She always looked attractive, but today she looked a lot different from her usual self.

So, damn sexy. 

"Thought you weren't coming," I said instead, trying to divert my mind.

It was hard to not look at her as she passed me a smile. That smile increased her beauty by ten fold. No. More than that.

"I would never ignore your invitation." She looked at me. "I just didn't hear the alarm, and fell asleep. I'm kinda lazy these days." Her voice was sweet and soothing to the ears.

I didn't say a word as I got up from the chair, and walked towards her. 

"Doc," I said.

"Aaden." She looked puzzled as I inched closer to her. 

"Vivian." 

"Aaden?"

I kept walking towards her until her back hit the wall. 

Placing my hands on the sides of the wall, I caged her inside my arms. We were so close that her breath caressed my skin. The fragrance of her perfume intermingled with the scent of alcohol was intoxicating.

I looked straight into her eyes and said, "I want to kiss you, Vivian Rossi."

A/N: I'm a bit late today, but I managed to meet today's deadline. Recently, I've started going to work, and have less time to write these days. Hope you understand.

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