The Dragos ⬇️

The Bonferronis ⬇️

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(Leo's POV)

          Her words rang loud and clear in my head on a loop. None of it made any sense. I knew what she was saying, but was it true? The last time we were together, it was over four years ago, so the child would be past his or her third birthday.

          The realization made me sick to my stomach. My blood boiled and crackled like the fire on a hearth as I gawked at her with my fists balled. The fact that she kept this from me for so long and decided to tell me now made me fume like a bull. After the pathetic conversation Nonna had with me about marrying Rosalia Ricci and making her the queen, this piece of information was only the cherry on top of my pile of distress.

          I grabbed her wrist and squeezed my fingers so tightly that her facial features contorted in pain. "Leo..."

          "Shut up!" I screamed at her, seeing nothing but red.

          "Leo, calm down." Mike attempted to talk down my rage, but this stronzo should've known better.

          I drew my gun from the waistband of my pants and trained it on the man who immediately stepped back. "Get out, Mike. I won't say it again."

          Not another word and I hauled Arie inside the elevator and pushed Mike out before scanning my hand on the little screen that would take us to my floor. Whether it was going to be talking or yelling, I'd rather not have anyone else hear or see what was about to transpire, and I was leaning on the latter side of the situation.

"Let me go, you asshole!" She tried to jerk off my hold, but it was a feeble attempt. She was strong, I'd give her that, but her strength was nothing compared to mine.

I scraped the muzzle of the gun against her lips and gave her a threatening look. "You're walking on thin ice right now, love."

"Fuck. You." She kneed my groin and snatched the gun from my grip during my brief second of weakness. Though, I let her have her moment of glory. The weapon was now pointed at me, metallic and proud. "I just have to pull the trigger now, Pepperoni. Come any closer and I will do it."

My chest expanded with the intake of oxygen and anger as I stepped ahead until the barrel was pinned against my ribs. "Go ahead." I wished she would do just that and end this nightmare that I was living where the people I loved were being hurt and my own grandmother was trying to marry me off to someone else. But Arie remained completely silent as she gazed intently into my eyes. I knew she saw the distress in them that I didn't mean to show. Somehow, unintentionally, she still brought out the emotions in me that I fiercely suppressed. This was getting absurd.

"You don't have the balls," I mocked her to pull us both away from the hole we were inching toward; the hole that had been left barren for years. It was better for everyone if it stayed that way.

"Neither do you," she seethed, shoving my body back. She swirled the gun and handed it back to me with a scowl before hitting the button to stop the elevator from moving. "Hear me out before you start making assumptions like an idiot."

          "I've had a really shitty, long day, so you better start talking before I lose my last ounce of patience."

          "I haven't had the best day either." Her big brown eyes narrowed on me before she took a deep breath and sunk to the floor of the elevator with a huff and a cautious hand on the wound she attained yesterday. "You may want to sit for this."

          "Start. Talking." I didn't want to hear anything but the truth, and the more seconds passed by, the more agitated I got.

          "Suit yourself then!" she quipped harshly then let out a frustrated breath. "I found out the day of Aunt Wendy's funeral."

          "I came to see you at your house that day and you didn't bother telling me that?" I yelled.

          "Can you fucking shut up and just listen, or do I need to shove my fucking shoe down your throat?" She fired back at me, her cheeks burning the tint of red.

          If we kept arguing like this, we were never going to get anywhere, so I took a breath and backed off. "Fine." I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to continue.

          Her fingertips massaged the temples of her forehead as if trying to soothe a headache before she looked at me grumpily. It was the same look she gave me when she was pissed at me. The same frown on her brows, those same pursed lips, and the same stiffness in her shoulders. Nothing had changed.

          "After you left that day," she cleared her throat for a brief second, "I felt really sick. Dizzy and puking. Ashton took me to the hospital when he found me. That's when I found out that I was pregnant." Distressingly, she rubbed her face and stared at the beige tiled floor. "We moved to California as planned the next day. My immediate thought was an abortion. Ashton was on board too. I was too young to have a child and definitely wasn't ready. But at the last moment, I changed my mind. I was too chicken to do it."

          Questions rambled in my head and the answers were in hers. I wanted to know everything she kept from me, but I bit my tongue and just listened to what she had to say for herself. Besides, I knew she'd rip my head off if I interrupted her again.

          "So, I decided to go through with the pregnancy. I was under a lot of stress with the move, new environment, starting med school, and the tiny thing growing inside of me, but I had people who supported me and took care of me every step of the way. A couple months later, Ashton had gone to New York. He had a meeting with Athena to do a shoot for her magazine, and knowing that she was affiliated with you, I didn't want him near her or anyone you knew, but I kept my cool as long he called me, but he didn't. I tried reaching him, but he didn't pick up. I called Freddie, and he didn't know where my brother was either, so I panicked and took the first flight out to New York."

          The beating chunk of muscle behind my chest sank because I knew where this was all leading up to, and I could only brace myself for the words to leave her mouth.

          "Turns out, Ashton had been kidnapped because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; the place being Athena's penthouse." Her fingers fiddled shakily with one another in her lap as her chest rose and deflated at a slightly shallow pace. "I went on that rescue mission with Athena and... things happened." With utmost effort, she cleared the scratchy lump in her throat as much as possible to breathe out the next few words. "And I-I... had a miscarriage."

          It was exactly what I feared. Another lost child of mine and another woman left to deal with the pain alone. The anger in me died, and instead, sadness awakened and took the wheel. My forehead wrinkled with worry lines as I saw the first shiny drop cascade down Arie's reddened cheek. Although she was trying to suppress her emotions, those painful tears still glossed over her beautiful eyes as her serene voice cracked.

          "I blamed Athena for the longest time. For Ashton's kidnapping and my miscarriage. Those goons were after her, not my brother."

In sheer defeat, her face found itself buried in her trembling palms in agony that surfaced with an intention to break her. My entire body weakened seeing her so heartbroken and aching over what happened four years ago. I wasn't going to pretend that I knew what it felt like. I wasn't the one carrying the child and then having to lose it. All I could do was comfort her, something I would've done back then if I had any inkling.

Lowering myself to the floor, I put a cautious hand forth and brushed it down her uninjured arm. Her legs squeezed further against her chest to avoid my touch as those tired and tormented brown orbs glanced up at me.

"She told me to stay back for my own safety, but I was too stubborn and went along anyway. I knew the risks, but I couldn't afford to lose Ashton, and I got hit. It was on me."

My thumb gained the courage to wipe away her searing tear that even pained me to watch. "It wasn't anyone's fault, love."

She pushed my hand away, shaking her head. "You weren't there, Leo. I should've listened to her, instead of locking horns with her every step of the way."

"I was there," I informed her with a sigh and made myself comfortable on the dirty, cold floor opposite her. "Well, got there a bit late, but I was made aware of everything."

As if contemplating something, she stared at me in silence while her remaining tears dried up. I wished I could read her mind to know what was running through her pretty little head, but I was at a loss of ideas and she was out of words.

          "Why didn't you tell me the moment you found out? Or even days later if you needed time to wrap your head around it?"

          "I think it's a no-brainer, Leo. I wouldn't want my child to be brought up in this environment."

          I exhaled exasperatingly. "My child would be safer than any person on this planet. No one would even know about the child's existence. I have the means."

          "And what about Verona? You couldn't keep her safe from the attacks."

          She reminded me of my incompetence when it came to the protection of my wife who was targeted again and again. "Martina was a rogue. No one would've laid a finger on Verona or any of my family members in the palace or at any of my properties. The immediate threat has been eliminated now, and as long as I have control over the environment, nothing will happen without my knowledge."

          "Leo..."

          "I just wish you would've called me regarding the pregnancy," I cut her off with a dull expression. I could only imagine that possibility now; how drastically different our lives would've been if I just knew.

          "I did call." She forced my eyes to her with that revelation. Instead of questioning her, I remained silent and allowed her to elaborate. "When Ashton got kidnapped, but it went to voicemail."

          "I never got any voicemail."

          "And I never said I sent it." Her shoulders rose in a leisure shrug. "I just deleted it."

          "Why?"

          She sighed. "It was just me rambling. Nothing serious. I realized how stupid and pathetic it was of me to call you the moment things went south, so I deleted it. And besides, you change your number every three months. You wouldn't have gotten the message."

          But she also knew the voicemails from all my previous numbers were sent to me in case I got some crucial information from there or if someone from the past tried to contact me. However, I let go of it.

"And Leo." She stared into my eyes with faint indignation. "Even if I had the child, I would never tell you."

Like any sane person, I should've felt anger. I had a right to know about my child no matter what. But instead, all that flooded me was sadness. "You hate me that much?"

"You hate me that much?"

"Arie, I..." I frowned, sighing deeply to settle my nerves. "I never hated you. I wanted to after we separated, but I couldn't because you weren't just any quick fuck on a dark night. I truly loved you." Her eyes softened accompanied by a sorrowful frown. "I never did relationships or loved anyone until Verona, and after I lost her, I didn't feel anything for any other woman. I didn't want to. But then you came along and..." I rubbed my face with a frustrated groan. "This is some pussy shit."

          She stayed silent, her eyes firmly glued to the floor while I gazed at her longingly, distinct memories from our past flooding my mind. They were excruciatingly vivid and meticulous of every detail. From the crease that formed around her luscious lips when she smiled to the sound that left her mouth when she laughed wholeheartedly like the time she made me and Mike dance to her tunes. They had been buried deep under as intended until now. We were only a couple feet apart on the floor in a confined space with nowhere to go. The unspoken tension between us was palpable and so was the pain.

          Arie spoke up after a couple minutes of absolute silence with a discombobulated shake of her head. "How is she alive, Leo?"

          I wasn't surprised by the question. After what I had told her about Verona back then, this was expected, but I was hesitant. Not because I didn't want to tell her the truth but because it was truly painful for me to even think about, let alone say. I didn't want to relive Verona's agony and feel guiltier than I already was. Nonetheless, I mustered up the courage and began the tale.

          "After Alicio woke up in the hospital, he asked the remaining of his men to search the Aguillard properties in Ireland since Astor had been working on some shady business behind his back." My fists clenched even with the mention of that fucker's name. He had hurt too many of my loved ones. "Verona was found in a secret room under his mother's house in complete darkness, naked and cold. Considering some of my men had tagged along, one of them recognized her and she was brought to me, and it also happened to be the same day you asked me to leave."

While Arie frowned, waiting for more, my stomach churned thinking about the condition Verona was in. "I was underground below my hotel in a conference room drinking away after I had left your place when Vince said he needed to show me something. I sent Mike instead, but then I heard something, so I went out and saw Verona passed out in Mike's arms. I couldn't believe it. She was literally just skin on bones. So gaunt like she hadn't eaten in months. Her arms were covered in scars; recent and old."

          The vivid imagery soured the taste of my mouth at once. It was engraved in my mind forever now. "Since Felix was buddies with Verona before she was taken, I called him immediately and other doctors too. Many drugs were found in her system that weakened her and dimmed her normal functioning. They were cuts from knives and scars from intensive beatings and welts all throughout her body. It took a while to clear out her bloodstream, and I had moved her to Portofino to our house she used to love to recover fully."

It was the same house I saw her in last before it all went down. Maybe if I hadn't yelled at her for making crude remarks about herself, or maybe if I had just stopped her and held her close to my body instead of letting her go to her mother's house after our argument, all of her ruthless agonies could've been prevented. If only I had asked her the reason behind her unusual behavior that day, maybe she would've told me she was pregnant. I wouldn't have distanced her from me for even a second then. I wouldn't be in this position right now.

"She tried to stab me with a shard of a broken glass, thinking I was Astor. She was so weak and fragile, but at that moment, she saw her chance and gained the strength to save herself. She refused to believe it was actually me because she used to hallucinate me during her captivity. It took her a while to finally realize she was back home as the drugs were drained out of her system." I shook my head, my eyes staring at the specks of the dirt nuzzled in the corner of the elevator. "She just clung onto me after that."

I vowed to guard her with my life at that moment. I kept her perfectly safe until I got her back into this country where my own people were a threat.

"She hadn't spoken a word at all. It was as if she was mute, but she definitely made it clear that she didn't want to stay in Portofino, or Italy for that matter, so we moved to Spain. I remember she adored that country. Draco secured a safe haven for her among beautiful valleys a couple miles from a gorgeous little village where she could heal. I then bought it from him. The location is highly secretive and heavily guarded. Only Mike, Belle, Athena, Draco, and a few trusted guards know. No one else in my family has any inkling. She's the safest that way."

          I kept her hidden from all. Some of my cousins even thought her return was all just a rumor. I didn't confirm or deny it. They found out the truth when they saw her once all these wedding festivities started or at the engagement party a year ago. Hence all the looks she was getting at the dinner table a few days back.

          "I wanted to know what exactly happened after she left our house to go to her mother's place that day, but I didn't press her. I couldn't extract information out of Mama Aguillard 'cause I shot her dead out of impulse for aiding Astor in plots against me and my family. Alicio was useless and so were his remaining men." They were just dumb pieces of meat walking with their dicks between their legs. I wanted to shoot them dead, but I kept Alicio alive for Belle. At least someone was happy that way even though I didn't agree with it at all.

          "Verona finally opened up to me one day. It was the first time she talked to me properly instead of just using small words and nods. She told me all that happened." I found myself fighting the sudden lump in my throat that didn't intend to leave. My insides churned thinking about it all. But I swallowed hard and forced it down. "Astor had followed her and snatched her up that day. When she told him that she was with a child, he didn't back down. He raped her and took her away anyway."

          Arie remained indifferent to the information because she had heard it before when Astor revealed it to us in his last moments as a breathing man.

          "She said she was constantly injected with fluids, so she had no perception of time or place. She was just thrown in a dark, empty room that didn't have anything at all. They barely fed her and there was no bathroom either, so she was left in her own filth."

          "Jesus." Arie feebly covered her mouth, gawking at me incredulously.

          "Astor fucked her whenever he felt like it. And when he was angry, he'd take it out on her too. He'd whip her with belts, rape her in different holes until she bled, strangle her until she passed out, and chain her up like an animal. She eventually lost our baby during all that."

          Being in this field, I had come across many dangerous and downright vicious criminals. Hell, I was no saint either. I was a cold-blooded monster myself. I had done many unthinkable and horrific deeds that would make people shudder, but Astor was on another level. Even I wouldn't inflict such atrocities on any woman. He was truly a sadistic bastard.

"Astor burnt her with cigarette butts in multiple areas too. She didn't tell me that, but I saw each and every scar on her fragile body. She was in visible pain when she was telling me all this, and I couldn't bear to hear anymore or see her like that, so I stopped her from going on any further. I got the idea of the hell she had been through, and it wasn't enlightening."

          My body was heating up with frustration and anger of highly disproportionate levels. Removing my suit jacket, I pitched it aside along with my tie and opened up the top three buttons of my shirt to cool myself a bit. As I looked back up, I watched Arie wipe away her fleeing tears hastily. Hearing someone else's torture was painful to her. Hell, it'd be distressing to anyone with a conscience.

          "I was the only person she could manage to be around without panicking for months, and also Zee, her personal handmaiden who became her close friend. Verona had a hard time even leaving our room during that time. Astor had broken her mind, her will, her body. He broke her in brutal ways."

          In all honesty, I regretted killing Astor. I should've taken him captive and tortured him every single day. But even that wouldn't be justice for Verona, or my sisters, and even Arie. He deserved unimaginable pain that would force him to beg for death.

          Circling my sweaty palms on my knees, I pulled in air through my mouth and continued. "When she recovered physically and started to leave the room a bit, I got her therapeutic help. No one could imagine what condition her mind was in after two years of relentless torture, but I knew it was a mess. I brought the therapist home so Verona could feel safe. Even though she attended the sessions, she never said much. Gradually, she began to talk, a little at a time. And it was over a year later when I finally saw her smile for the first time since her return."

          I couldn't forget that day even if I wanted to, which I didn't. Verona didn't have any visitors. It was always just me, Zee, the therapist, and a few other members of the staff for that first year. I had finally decided to bring Belle in so Verona could reinvent her social circle and get out into the world again as the therapist suggested. Bruno had tagged along and so did Athena.

Verona was skeptical to see them. Belle and Athena both had bitchy attitudes, and they weren't the nicest of people. Besides, Belle was married to the man who tortured her for over two years. It wasn't easy for her. Since I was right by her side, she gained the courage to face them. But the only thing Verona saw was the tiny one-year-old boy in Belle's arms. She was immediately elated, and that was when she smiled from her heart. She immediately fell in love with Bruno.

"Four years later and she still goes to therapy, but she has gotten exceptionally better with that treatment and medication. She writes poems which helps her too. But she hasn't shown or recited any to me. She said she'll do it when the time is right." I chuckled to myself and continued staring at the floor. "She doesn't wake up with a scream in the middle of the night from a terrifying nightmare anymore. She talks to me. She laughs. She puts on a constant smile for me even when she's in pain. She does it to reduce my own agony and guilt." I sighed into my palms and shook my head.

          After her recovery, Verona was so much more lively than she had been before she got kidnapped. I didn't know what it was, but that distinct fear that I used to see in her eyes for me wasn't there anymore. She smiled more, tried to live every day to its fullest as if she had limited time, even messed around with me a lot unlike before. Maybe the change was because Astor was finally dead. But the downside was, she had gotten even more passive than before. It only made me feel guiltier.

"Guilt?" Arie questioned. "You aren't responsible for what happened to Verona. It was on Astor."

"You don't know Verona the way I do. She's my wife, Arie. She's..." With a deep intake of air, I rested my head back against the wall of the elevator and shut my eyes. "She's the kindest soul you'll ever meet. A complete sweetheart with a heart too big for this awful world that I live in. She's literally the only good and pure thing in my life right now, Arie. After she got tangled up with me, my foes became hers. I had heavy security on her, but I didn't expect my own mate to stab me in the back."

          Arie cleared her throat and muttered, "Still doesn't make it your fault."

          "Everyone associated with me comes into the line of fire, Arie. You're very well aware of that. You were smart to get out after Wendy's death. I would've probably ruined you by now."

          After a brief moment to herself, Arie directed her glossy orbs back to me with a hint of wonder. "What if I hadn't left?" I had wondered about that same question a long time ago, and the answer was still clear in my head to this day. It'd only pain me to have to say it out loud. "What would you have done?"

I propped my elbows on my knees and intertwined my hands with a somber sigh. She waited for me to give her an answer, but I didn't know how she'd react. I lowered my gaze a bit and got my thoughts into place before meeting her intense gaze once again. "What kind of a man would I be if I abandoned my tortured wife and pursued a life with you?"

A meek smile tugged on her beautiful lips which puzzled me. "You'd be a man I'd lose all respect for."

A burden I didn't know that sat on my heart was instantly lifted, and my entire body felt much lighter. "I wasn't necessarily expecting that."

"Leo, I'd want you to pick her. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you went with me after the shit she's been through." She kicked my shoe with hers playfully. "I made it easy for you, Pepperoni."

It felt like it had been ages since I smiled with everything going on around me, but Arie managed to put one on my face regardless of it all. "I really did."

"I know." Her gaze remained intact on me for a good minute, not a single word exchanged between us during that time. Our eyes did the talking, our minds taking a stroll through our time together before she finally shook herself out of the daze and cleared her throat. "I know I have no right to ask, but did you and Verona never try for another child?"

Her question immediately dampened my mood. I didn't want to talk about it, but at the same time, I knew I could have a heart to heart with her like I used to. I had talked to her about Verona before when I didn't speak of her to anyone else, and I could do it again. "Verona actually loves kids. I don't know why she freaked out when she found out she was pregnant all those years ago. Probably because of the pressure Federigo and Nonna had on her to deliver an heir to the throne."

          I should've kept those two far away from Verona back then. Life would've been so much better for the both of us without their noses in our business. However, there was no doubt in Verona's love for children. She was the happiest around them, and she was also Bruno's favorite auntie. Once she had gotten better, she'd walk to the village back in Spain and teach the little kids Italian at the local school. Sometimes, she'd even bring them home and play with them like a mother and shower them with gifts. I enjoyed watching her like that. Her smile at that moment was unparalleled to any other.

"She never expressed to me whether she wanted a child after losing one during captivity, but she was always happy around one. I wasn't actively trying to get a baby in her either, but around six months ago, she did get pregnant. I was elated. Verona, not so much. One on hand, a small part of her wanted it, but the majority was deathly scared. She feared to lose another one. I reassured her that it wouldn't happen. I got the best doctors at her feet."

          Whatever brutality Astor dragged her through had bruised and weakened her uterus. Verona was stoic when the doctors informed us of that. Deep down, she knew what it was all leading up to.

          "They said there was a high chance of losing the pregnancy. We'd have to be very careful and take utmost care of her health. I was up for it. I stayed by her side for a whole month, letting Gus and the others take care of the business, but I had to leave when something required my personal attention. I wasn't even a day out when I found out that Verona was rushed to the hospital. She had a miscarriage. The impact was severe to the point that her life was in danger. She barely survived and was devastated when she woke up. I didn't know if she would revert back to the state she was found in four years ago, and that terrified me. I couldn't watch her go through it again. Although she was down for a few weeks, she didn't let that incident break her completely. She put that same smile on her face to ease my distress even though it was killing her on the inside."

          My fingers fiercely squeezed the top of my nose to ease the tension accumulating in my shoulders, but it was to no avail. Instead, the stress was slowly spreading out throughout my body. "Three months ago, I had a deal to make, which meant I had to leave. Verona stayed with Athena until I cracked it which was literally before this trip. I was away for so long. I hated it. I even missed Mike's wedding, and the distance only stressed me out even more 'cause Verona was still aching from the loss. It had a grave impact on the both of us."

          Arie's warm hand brushed over mine tenderly, a frown clinging from her perfect brows. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I." I let her hand linger on mine for a bit too long before I pulled away from her touch that awakened suppressed feelings in me that were fighting to meet her. And I certainly couldn't let them reach out. It wasn't right. Even sitting here like this wasn't right. But I didn't dare move another inch.

          I never thought that we would ever be seeing each other after we went our separate ways. It was almost comical how we found ourselves drowning in each other's presence now after a mature talk rather than fighting like dogs. Neither one of us had the will nor the heart to break the eye contact flowing with untapped emotions that were resting under cobwebs for years. We were both utterly trapped there, and it was soon going to drive me to madness if we didn't put a firm end to it.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

Yay or nay?

If you didn't know, EMB is officially over. So you can binge read it now or catch up to the rest who have already feasted on Athena and Eros, and know details you don't.

Ashton's kidnapping that Arie talks about here is detailed in EMB and narrates exactly what happened rather than a half-ass version you got in this chapter. Even the voicemail that Arie talked about is in EMB. If you've read it then you know exactly what Arie said during it.

I wanted to add more to this chapter, but I know many of you have been waiting for so long and I wanted to get this out so I could focus a bit on school.

The next chapter will have the remaining things I wanted to include in this conversation so it'll sort of be a continuation of this chap. Rest assured, there's gonna be more.

So, who expected Arie go tell Leo all that? What did you think about it?

I had talked about Verona's return in some of the previous chapters during Leo's POV, but many of you still confused things and thought she just pranced back into Leo's life as soon as Arie left. I hope this helped. The next chapter will have more.

Like Arie asked Leo, what would he have done if she hadn't left. Would you have wanted him to stick with Verona after all that she had been though or still chase after Arie despite it all?

What did you guys think about his response to that^^ question?

So what do you guys think about Verona now? Tell me your thoughts. I wanna know what everyone thinks.

Thoughts on Leo?

Thoughts on Arie?

Don't have many questions this time 😂
So what is your favorite song?

⛔️AND LASTLY!!!! IMPORTANT!!⛔️  READ BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I posted that a couple days back after getting many update requests and having to explain myself again and again. Even after I posted it, people still asked the same thing 😂 maybe they didn't read it so I'm putting it here. I WILL NOT be responding to update comments because it's a waste of my time and yours too. I appreciate them but I really don't have the time. Just understand that I'm getting closer to the end of the semester and don't have enough time for Wattpad or writing.

I still love you all to the moon and back. And I wanted to apologize to those who responded to that post on my profile and left encouraging messages. I'm sorry that I didn't reply to you guys, but know that I've read them and really appreciate them. Thank you so much ❤️ I love you.

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

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Much love ❤️
~Reet