The Dragos ⬇️

The Bonferronis ⬇️

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(Leo's POV)

         As I stepped out of the shower and entered the room in a towel, I noticed Verona still laying on her side, wide awake. Her tired blue eyes stared out the window, not blinking even as I approached and sat next to her on the bed.

          "Tesoro," I mumbled and gently drew back her hair from her face. "Come ti senti (How do you feel)?"

          Yesterday, she was running a high fever and puking her insides out all morning, and in the afternoon, she finally had some rest and I didn't disturb her with the idea of going to the party. It wasn't more important than her health, but I needed to speak to Arie and lift another burden off my chest. Whatever I said to her was genuine. I imagined marrying her once and making her the regina of the empire, but the times had changed and now I had given her away to another man who I knew would treat her as I would. Like the queen she always was.

          Verona grimaced as she turned and laid on her back. She released a long breath and shut her eyes. "Better."

          "Good." Leaning down, I kissed the top of her head and caressed her face. "Ready to get out of bed?"

          She nodded, her eyes studying me in tranquility. They contained a certain hint of wonder but nothing too strong.

          "What are you thinking?" I asked, stroking my thumb below her cheekbone.

          She remained silent for a couple of seconds before muttering, "I want to go to Portofino."

          My thumb stopped the casual caress as I was taken back by her sudden request. "Portofino? Are you sure?"

          She shifted a bit to sit up before I helped her to do so and placed the pillows behind her for comfort. "I think I'm ready to visit mamma's grave."

          "Really?" It was a surprise considering she was too traumatized to ever go back to that place, but it was good to see she was fighting her fears every day.

          "Yes. Could we go today?"

          I gave her a small smile and a kiss on the lips. "Of course. I can have them ready the jet and we can leave immediately."

          "Grazie (Thank you)." She smiled warmly into my touch and made it to the bathroom to get ready.

***

          After a car ride from the airport, we got to the private area where I had Teresa, Verona's mother, buried after she was found dead with an empty bottle of poison beside her limp body. It was another big loss after I was told Verona had died because Teresa was like another mother to me. So kind and loving just like her daughter.

The Bivertiti family was an escape for me from all the cruelty in my life because they were all so pure and worried only about measly things such as leaving the stove on or not waking up in time to open the little jewelry shop which was a relaxing change from being on edge and at work at all times, making sure no one in my family got gunned down. Portofino was always a delightful vacation for me. It was truly saddening to see only one member of the Bivertiti family left standing now.

          Verona's hand around my arm tightened as we got closer to her family mausoleum that I had built after the death of her brother. The structure resembled a mini version of the Parthenon with columns out front by the entrance. Now, her mother's remains rested in the same place.

          The slight tremble in her body vibrated against mine as a shaky breath ripped past her lips. I caressed her arm warmly and escorted her inside the cold area that housed the bodies of her deceased family. She abandoned my arm and wobbled over to the name of her brother that was engraved into the marble of the wall behind which his crypt was located. As soon as her fingers traced over his name, her tears broke through in silence.

"Piero," she cried his name and rubbed the engraving from side to side, trying to capture his essence. She pressed her fingertips to her lips then back to his name, as if giving him a kiss. Brushing her tears away, she looked at me with utter distress lingering in her reddened eyes. I understood what she was silently trying to convey, so I pecked her forehead and backed away.

          "I'll wait outside. Take your time."

Walking outside, I stood to the side, away from the entrance, and slid my hands into my pockets. The sun peeked from behind the white clouds that moved steadily with the cool wind. The red and orange leaves on the trees moved with the breeze and their rustling sound didn't stifle Verona's soft whimpers.

She spoke to her late mother in Italian. "Mamma, I'm alive," I heard her whisper desperately. "Why did you leave me alone?" Listening to her sobs was truly gut-wrenching. To see tears in the eyes of any woman in my family always made me draw blood of the person responsible for it, but I didn't know what to do here when Verona was mourning her mother who killed herself after the news of her daughter's death. It was my responsibility to keep Verona safe, but I failed them both and the guilt haunted me everyday.

          "I'm so sorry for doing this to you, mamma," she wept. "Please, come back! I need you." Her wails got louder and louder, and the agony in each cry was tormenting to my soul itself.

A few months after she was saved and was in recovery, I told her about her mother's demise. She hadn't reacted at the moment. She stoically accepted it and didn't even shed a tear. But now, the emotions poured out of her more painfully than ever.

Inhaling deeply, I went inside and saw Verona on her knees, her body shaking with the release of each cry. Pulling up my slacks a bit, I bent over to cradle her in my arms and made my way toward the car. Her arms were wrapped around my neck and her face was nuzzled in the crook of it as she continued crying, but it simmered down slowly as we got into the vehicle.

We were driven out of the area, but Verona still clung to me. "Tesoro." With one hand running through her hair, the other one rubbed her back soothingly. "Stai bene (Are you okay)?"

She released a deep, dreadful breath against me and got off my lap to sit beside me. After patting her tears away, she fixed her dress and inhaled. "I want to go home."

"Yeah, we're going to the jet right now."

"No." Her cheeks were beyond red and so were her eyes. "Mamma's home."

"Of course." I instructed the driver to take us to her mother's address as she laid her head on my shoulder and rested her tired eyes for the short ride.

          "Leo, can you do me a favor?" she mumbled.

          "What kind?"

          I exhaled deeply. "When I die, I want you to bury me next to mamma."

          I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. "Remind me that when you're seventy."

          She chuckled. "Life isn't that generous."

          We both fell silent and arrived at the location where numerous cars lined the sides with tourists shuffling around—some returning from the marina di Portofino and some heading toward it to see the nice water, get onto boats, or just enjoy themselves in the small restaurants and cafes.

          My guards got out of their cars and gathered around mine to escort me and Verona into the three-story salmon-colored building which used to be her home once. Similar buildings were stacked beside one another with different colors. The first floor was the small jewelry shop that had been closed for years and the top two floors were residential that could be accessed from inside the store.

          One of my guards fetched the key from the neighboring restaurant who kept the place clean on my orders. Verona entered and looked around, running her fingers over the glass counter under which some pieces of jewelry laid—mostly old and antique. The entire environment inside the shop was nostalgic. Not a thing had changed.

          I remembered Teresa showing me every piece of jewelry that she had made and the story behind each one. As if I was a child, she taught me about every gemstone and metal she worked with—rhodium being a rare one, so I bought her that metal to work with. It was also the same metal Arie's locket was made of. I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for Teresa.

I followed Verona to the back where the stairs could be accessed. We climbed up and entered the area where we had shared great memories. It was cramped, but the coziness was delightful. The sofa still sat against the narrow wall with the old television to the side. A round wooden table made me smile due to all the memories—the infamous poker nights and the delicious dinner. Considering my family only got together during important events and were scattered around the world, the mansions I stayed in never had a homely feeling like this one which I enjoyed.

          Verona made her way through the entire place, looking at everything with a smile and with tears in her eyes reminiscing about her family. She picked up a framed photograph and chuckled.

"You look so different here." I got close to her and saw the picture of us all together. My hair was styled differently and I didn't have as much muscle as I did now. Verona's hair was shorter compared to her long strands now and she had one of the brightest smiles on her face while I had a stupid grin on mine. My arms were wrapped around Verona and Teresa while Piero was striking a pose on the floor childishly. The moment was captured a few days after we had gotten married when our lives were much simpler.

Verona pulled the photo out of the frame along with a few other family pictures and handed them to me before going into her mother's room and walking out with a small rectangular wooden antique box.

"This has been passed down in mamma's family for a long time," Verona smiled.

"And mamma didn't pass it down to you?"

"She tried to." She looked down at the box and trailed her fingers over the floral etchings. "I didn't see the beauty then, but I do now."

***

As the night crept, I walked into the small conference room in the hotel where I summoned Wren, but to my surprise, all of my siblings were gathered along with Athena and Mike.

"Have you all changed your name to Wren?"

"C'mon, brother." Gus put his glass of whiskey down. "We were all just having a conversation."

"You can shut up," I chided.

He threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. "Still mad about me kissing Sirena?"

A nasty glare was enough for him to zip his mouth right up before I turned to Wren. "How is Sophie doing?"

He sighed. "She's still very pissed that Cornelia left, but she understands the threat."

"So, the wedding is still on."

"This is her dream wedding, so there's no way in hell she's postponing it."

"Good. This alliance will be beneficial for us." I trudged over to the mini bar in the corner of the room and poured myself some scotch. "But I don't want to make a mistake with you like we did with Belle, so I have an obligation to ask you whether you believe Sophie D'Angelo is the right person for you to spend the rest of your life with? There will no turning back once she becomes a Bonferroni."

A cheeky smile erupted on his lips. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me, brother, and she knows the rules of the family. I can never go wrong with her. She has survived Lina, Belle, and Athena, so I think she's more than deserving to become a Bonferroni." He hopped up from his rolling chair and jumped over to Athena who was standing beside Mike before he planted a big kiss on her cheek which earned him a twisting pinch to his stomach. "Ow!"

"Kiss me again and I'll sew your lips together," Athena chided, snatching the pocket square from Mike's suit to wipe her cheek.

Wren rubbed the area gently, but he couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. "I just wanted to thank you. I wouldn't have met Sophie if you hadn't approached her father with the alliance."

"Well, she had a dead husband and you had issues. Just put two sad people together and made something out of it. Call me a matchmaker." She shrugged with a sly smirked. "You better kiss my feet for the rest of your life now."

          "I can't thank you enough." He was grateful and it was notable in his smile and his chirpy attitude. I had never seen him this happy, and I was glad at least one thing in my life was going right. "I'm excited to get married and build a family with her. She really makes me a better man."

          The Wren from four years ago and the Wren now were completely different people. He was a reckless alcoholic—wild, irresponsible, and imprudent with no regard to the consequences of his actions, but now he understood his responsibilities well as a Bonferroni and handled the business with me more than ever, leaving his childish ways behind. Admittedly, he made many mistakes in the past, even going as far as putting a hand on Arie during his drunken hysteria—for which I wanted to kill him at one point—but he was eons away from that man now. He was in a much better place in every aspect of his life.

          Putting down my glass of liquor on the bar counter, I motioned Wren to come hither. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I'm really proud of the man you've become now."

          His lips pursed together into a smile filled with gratitude. "It means a lot to me coming from you, brother." His voice faltered a bit and grew brittle due to crippling emotions. "It truly does."

I pulled him into a hug and held on tight. I realized I hadn't really hugged him or Gus in a very long time. Maybe when we were younger, sure, but as we got older, we only showed that kind of affection for our sisters, but not each other which was rather sad to think about.

"Aw! You cuties!" Lina came up and hugged us both from the side. "Family first," she whispered our usual motto.

"Family first," Belle repeated and cozied up to us before Gus joined the embrace.

          "Don't mind us," Mike said. "Athena and I will just stand here like creeps."

          "You both are basically Bonferroni, so join the fun, yeah?" Belle encouraged the two, urging them to come close and wrap their arms around us.

This was nice. It was definitely the most peaceful day I had during this trip. We had all grown up together like a family, always having someone by our side. Belle and Athena were always a team, stuck like glue throughout their schooling years ever since we brought Athena home. Mike and I became mates the day we pulled him out of his miserable state. Lina had Heaven and Yana to cling to for support. And Gus, well, he didn't have a particular partner-in-crime. He had many school friends, but not a best mate. He was aloof in that manner.

I didn't know how long it'd be before we all were in this position again, so I cherished every second with my siblings before Gus and Mike, the eternal idiots, rocked us all off our feet and to the ground just for the fun of it. I fell backwards which meant that everyone else was on top of me.

"Stronzi!"

"Motherfuckers!"

"Bloody cunts!"

And that was not the end of the profanities we threw at them.

***

(Arie's POV)

After spending the entire day pacing back and forth like a lunatic, I was finally allowed to see Fred. The horrid scene from the accident this morning still had the hair on my body erect. My entire body was shaking, but I didn't let my tears get the best of me. I calmed my racing heart and followed the doctor to Fred's room. I hadn't informed anyone about the attack, not even Ashton. I wanted to see Fred first and make sure he was alright before I notified his family. Soon, the American media would be on this too and I didn't need the attention right now.

As soon as I entered, I noticed Fred laying straight on the bed, his bruised arms propped to his sides. A bandage covered the nasty gash on the side of his forehead that I had seen when I approached him right after he was hit. It was deep enough for me to almost see his skull, but the doctors said that it wasn't cracked and the brain wasn't harmed which was good. However, the gnarly image would haunt me in my sleep.

Some form of a cast was wrapped around his torso to allow his broken ribs to heal and to prevent movement. Metals pins were inserted into his lower legs and were attached to an external fixator which stabilized the broken bones in the area. After he got healthier, the doctors would perform the bigger surgery and attach a metal rod to his bones to help them heal better, but until then, the metal pins would do.

I knew he'd walk again one day, but would he ever be able to play on the field again? I wasn't too sure and that broke my heart because he loved football and it was his career, but that vision looked too blurry now. But whatever outcome this had, I knew I'd be beside him throughout the entire healing process and even after that.

Stitches cut through his left brow and purple patches of bruises were peppered on his neck and face. His olive skin was pale which made him barely recognizable. The usual light in his green orbs was dimmed as he looked at me and blinked slowly. As I got closer, he attempted to part his chapped lips, but he barely had any strength to even do that.

          "Fred," I whispered as my voice cracked in pain. Sitting on a stool by his side, I couldn't stop the tears that flowed down like two never-ending streams. I lifted his hand gently and placed a tender kiss before holding it to my lips and letting out a dreadful sob. "I'm so sorry."

          He gently squeezed my hand and caressed it with his thumb like he usually did which only forced more tears to ruthlessly crawl out of me. I rubbed his palm against my face and basked in his warmth for a while before getting my silent cries under control. I turned to face him and tried to lather on a small smile but even that was a struggle.

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you, okay?" I sniffled. "Whatever happens, I'll be by your side no matter what." A meek whimper managed to sound from my mouth despite my attempt to hold it in. "I need you to get well because we are supposed to get married and build our lives together, so you can't leave me stranded now, okay?"

          A tear slipped down the side of his face before I wiped it away for him. The pain he was in was almost palpable and that broke my heart even more. We were so happy right before everything turned upside down, and it'd never be the same no matter how hard I tried.

I leaned down and brushed my lips against his, making sure I didn't cause him any more discomfort. "The guy who hit you with his car turned himself in after running away like a bitch, and I'll make sure he rots in jail for the rest of his life. I promise you, baby."

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Yay or nay?

This chapter was shorter compared to the others and not so exciting, but I just wanted to give you guys a calmer chapter before we go down the rollercoaster.

The bit with Leo and his siblings wasn't planned but I thought it'd be nice to add. Their moment made me smile.

Fred is alive but he's in a really bad shape. Good thing we got the culprit responsible for the freak accident 👍

Don't have much to ask this time so... who's your all time favorite author?

What's gonna happen next now?

Thoughts on Verona?

Leo?

Or Arie?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

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Much love ❤️
~Reet