The Dragos ⬇️

The Bonferronis ⬇️

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. ENJOY! ❤️

⬇️IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!!!!!⬇️

First of all, I wanna thank you all for supporting me so far and coming on this crazy journey with me. It means the absolute world to me. I love your guys' comments and the votes.

Secondly, I realize that the story is sad as fuck right now with the two recent deaths and some of you hate me for it and I'm not gonna blame you, but I wanna let you guys know that it was necessary. I hate killing off characters I adore and Freddie and Wren made a place in my heart during this second book.

Thirdly, I have said this quite a few times before, but I'll say it again if you don't know. This second book is the hardest for me to write because of all that is happening and that will happen. The gut-wrenching parts don't end here. Not yet. Shit needs to happen so we can get to the place I envision this story going into. Every little things will work toward what you all are waiting for. Even the sad parts.

This is a dark romance with awful shit happening to everyone. Literally no one is safe. The ruthlessness will continue into the third book of the trilogy. This book is not for those who can't handle death or any other sensitive subjects including rape, suicide, extreme physical abuse, and more. If you can't take it, you can discontinue this book. You shouldn't read something you aren't comfortable with and I won't force any of you to do so. When I write such scenes, I'm in tears myself. It happens every time. I imagine myself in the characters' shoes and feel the emotions in order to write them, but I can stomach writing it, but if you can't take it, don't force yourself. ❤️

However, I know you all are waiting for the positive parts and I promise you they'll come in this second book itself before it ends and before we get into the third book. Things are too damn complicated right now and I'm trying to keep everything realistic. It would be pathetic writing if I put Leo and Arie together right now, ignoring Verona completely and all the shit around them. It'd be like like forcing Ken and Barbie to fuck each other with their plastic bodies.... it never happens no matter how hard you try to scissor them 😂.

And I smile every time I think of the positive scenes between the characters during this second book. I honestly can't wait to get to those parts, but it'll all come slowly but surely. Just stick with me.

And I love all you very much. And your crazy and amazing theories give me life.

I wanna apologize to those whose comments I haven't replied to. I got a job and don't have much time to reply or write much but I try to make time whenever I can. However I do read every single comment so keep commenting and meeting people below who share the same theory or hate/love for a character as you 😂❤️. And I will surely reply when I got the time.

——————————————————

(Leo's POV)

          Everyone had left the private cemetery where all the deceased members of the Bonferroni family were buried. Now Wren was one of them. My chest tightened the longer I stared at the tombstone with his name engraved into the fine granite, but I couldn't force my eyes away. It had been four days since the most anticipated wedding turned into an absolute tragedy, and the pain of the loss hadn't simmered one bit. It still ached my soul and fueled my anger even more.

          With my hands in my pockets, I lowered my head and closed my eyes for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and looking up at the gloomy sky. The dark clouds crashed into one another like bulls, and it was only time before it'd start to pour down.

          I stopped beside the tombstone and placed a hand on it, thinking about all the memories I had shared with him. We always had our differences, but I'd never wish him death. No matter what, he was my brother. Mother had put a smile on our faces when she brought him home and now it was all somber— memories nothing but dull tales.

          "I will avenge your death, brother," I whispered, sliding my hand back and forth. "I promise you that."

          I stayed for another moment, letting the first few droplets of rainwater splatter on my suit before Vince shielded me under an umbrella. I was driven back to the Bonferroni mansion built by my grandfather right in the middle of the city of Milan when it wasn't as big. It was where Federigo, my uncle, and my aunt grew up. As kids, all the Bonferroni grandchildren caused a ruckus every time we got together in this place. Although we were all here together once again years later, it was under circumstances that didn't put a smile on any of our faces.

          I strolled through the halls, making my way toward the dining room where I had asked my siblings to gather. Lina, Belle, and Gus were sitting away from one another. By now I would've expected them all to be arguing about one thing or another as usual, but they were silent and stoic, minding their own business. Clearing my throat, I called their attention to me. I didn't know where to start, but I had to say something.

"I may be a king to many, but I'm a brother to you three first," I began, walking forward and gripping the top curve of the head chair where Zio Valerio usually sat as the leader of the Bonferroni family. "It is my job to protect you and the empire under any costs. However, I realize how miserably I've failed as an older brother yet again."

          First, I couldn't protect Belle and see how she was suffocating in her marriage with a bastard I used to call friend. Then, that same imbecile dragged Lina through hell. Now, I failed to save my own brother from death.

All three of my remaining siblings were expressionless as they were trained to do so in such situations. No matter how severe a tragedy was, we couldn't show sadness which would be considered a sign of vulnerability for the enemy.

"Wren died in order to protect me, whereas I should've been the one protecting him." Removing my grip from the chair, I slid my hands into my pockets and let out a hearty sigh. "It was a cowardly attack by our enemy which cost us a life too precious. Although I didn't get the chance to tell Wren this, I want you all to know that I love you very much and I would die for you. That is what has made the Bonferroni family so strong for generations. And Wren was one of us."

Lina stared down, fidgeting a bit with her fingers while Belle and Gus watched me tentatively.

"So, if any of you have something to say to me, you may do it now. Yell, fight, even blame me for what happened if you want to. I'm all ears."

They all remained silent, not willing to utter a single word, but a couple more seconds later, Lina spoke up. "You know," she played agitatedly with her nails, "I had cried with mother at the hospital when she was hysterical. After that, I've tried to stay strong like you guys and not shed another tear. And I'm still trying." Her voice grew brittle with the last word as her lips quivered and brows furrowed. "I'm trying so h-hard to keep it all in and shove it down because that's what we do. But it just hurts so damn much."

There were things I wanted to say to her, but it was best if I let her get it out first. "I can't even sleep at night anymore because the moment I close my eyes, I see him getting shot over and o-over again." Her words cracked, allowing tears to flood down her cheeks rapidly. "And I just stand there unable to do anything as if I'm paralyzed. And it kills me inside every time because I can't save him as much as I try to. I keep reliving that damn nightmare."

          "Ant." I walked around the table toward her in leisure steps before she rose from her seat and immediately wrapped her arms around my neck. Her sobs pierced my eardrums like knives. My first thought was to take away her pain, but I felt utterly helpless for I didn't know how to do so. She was the closest with Wren, and I didn't know how to fill that void in her heart.

          "I-It hurts," she huffed out through her tears, nuzzling her face further into the nook of my neck.

          "I know, ant."

The last time I had witnessed her weep in pain like this was when she was bruised from the beating and the heinous actions of those four men who nearly broke her all those years ago.

Belle strolled over to us and rubbed Lina's back calmingly. "You know, little birdie, the day we get our hands on Pavlov, you can decide what we do with him."

Lina pulled back slowly, wiped her tears, and looked at her older sister with a wildfire burning in her eyes. "I have already planned the torture. He's gonna be very sorry."

"He better run and hide like a filthy dog then, yeah?" Belle smiled, glancing an eye over all of us. "Now is the time we act and show him the hell he brought upon himself with this attack on our family in our own bloody territory."

"Pavlov will regret this." I gritted my teeth. "The things that will be done to him will make our enemies think twice before pulling a stunt like this."

"Let's get our hands on him first," Gus finally broke his silence with a curt retort before sliding back his chair and buttoning up his suit jacket. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to tend to different matters."

          He had been awfully quiet after what happened and began catering to Sophie's needs personally, taking up her responsibility which I was glad about.

***

          I slumped on one of the benches lined up in the small church built within the mansion. I was never the one to pray. The room was quiet and I was in need of peace so it was my escape from all the chaos around me. In silence, I formulated plans and imagined the sweet pain I was going to inflict on Orel. The attacker was linked back to that Russian bastard just like the two assassins that pounced on Arie.

          She had left without a goodbye, and it wasn't necessarily unexpected. However, I sent two of my highly skilled assassins to watch her back without her knowing because I knew she'd deny that kind of assistance, but I needed to make sure she was safe until the threat was eliminated. She went into hiding with her brother the moment they landed that even the assassins had trouble locating her, but they found her eventually and watched her jump from one hotel to another all over California, even crashing at motels by herself. Her brother was seen lounging at different hotels than her. They were scattered and it was all a smart plan. Arie knew exactly what she was doing and I was proud.

          "Leonardo," I heard Federigo say my name as he entered the mini church, his strong footsteps thumping against the marble.

          "Father," I acknowledged without opening my eyes or even shifting.

          "Are you praying?"

          I laughed at the ridiculous question. "Have you ever known me to pray, father?"

          "Sì, when you were a child." The bench creaked a little as he seated himself next to me. "You and your brother would always hide in the church of the palace and pray that your mamma wouldn't scold you for painting on the walls again with that special ink, but one could never escape Leona's wrath." He scoffed dismayingly while I shuddered internally at the distant memory. "You two were joined at the hip and did everything together."

          "She would always use the red light to see our new pieces of shitty art," I mumbled, opening my lids. "But look how the times have changed."

          "Indeed," he huffed out in exhaustion. "It's been years yet the little memories still stay with you forever."

          I nodded, watching the flames of the candles flicker by the altar. "It never ends, does it, father?" I sighed. "The deaths of our loved ones?"

"It is an unfortunate price we pay in blood in this cruel world, Leonardo. You're very well aware of that." I looked over and saw sadness on his face that I hadn't seen in a very long time. "Anyhow, what have you gotten against Pavlov?"

          "Well, he's back in his territory and he has probably upped his security which will be very difficult to penetrate. But he has three younger siblings. Two brothers and a sister. One brother is actually undergoing chemotherapy for cancer in America and there's literally nothing on the other brother. And the sister is studying in Australia."

          He hummed. "Kill the sick brother and grab the sister."

          "Already gave the orders."

          "Good."

          "Never thought I'd see either of you praying to God." Federigo and I both groaned at the sound of nonna's voice as she walked forth to do her religious routine and light a candle before turning to us. "Sit properly!" she chided and we both straightened our backs at her authority. She may be old, but she still carried the virtue of a queen and tried to maintain dominion over every walking man and woman in her sight. "I heard the girl is with a child. Is it true?"

"Why does it matter to you, nonna?"

Her blue eyes—similar to mine—narrowed viciously. "It's out of wedlock. We have rules in place for a reason, Leonardo. Have you forgotten all of your teachings with age?"

          "I wish I could forget, but it's all engraved in my brain at this point." I rose from the bench along with Federigo as we faced the woman. "You need not worry about Wren's child. You always said he wasn't blood, so his child's birth should not concern you."

Silent for a couple of seconds, she lifted her chin higher and hummed. "Fair enough. The child will have no claim over the throne or its riches just like that charity child of Arabella's."

My blood seared as my fists tightened at her crude words, but Federigo gripped my wrist and forced me to calm down. "Arabelle, not Arabella," he corrected his mother-in-law. "And as for the child, he's my grandson, not charity. He is just as important as any child here and will be treated the same as Leo's child when the time arrives."

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You may think that, but Leo's offspring will be the future king and we are in need of an heir." She turned her cunning gaze to me menacingly. "That whore wife of yours will not give you a son and her child will never be accepted as an heir. She's unholy and the child will be unholy. You must marry Rosalia Ricci and have only one child with her; a son to further the legacy. Consider me kind as I will allow you to have that wife of yours and that American as your concubines if you agree to this alliance."

"You're losing your mind with age, aren't you?" I snapped. "You always pushed me to give you an heir when I got married to Verona and now you're saying our child would be unholy?"

"Reverse psychology works, doesn't it?" The smugness in her tone riled me up even more. "The pressure I put on you two didn't allow you to have a child. And then some unfortunate events occurred and she was gone. If she stayed gone, she wouldn't have had another miscarriage recently. Now she can't conceive at all, can she?" I wasn't surprised she knew about Verona's miscarriage from five months ago. "Thus, very unfit for a wife of a king and for the position of a queen."

If I could, I would slap that complacent look right off her snobby face. Anyone could see through her sympathetic act that she didn't try very hard to hold up. She couldn't help the bubbles of joy bursting inside her.

"Your words hold no meaning in my life anymore, nonna." I tried not to sound as disgusted as I was with her mere existence. "Though, I do want to know where Rosalia is and what she did to me when she drugged me. And don't lie to me at all. I know she did it on your orders." I had been holding back the interrogation because of the wedding and funeral, but I had enough now.

"I was wondering when you'd come to me with that." She shrugged slightly. "If you're wondering whether she raped you or not, the answer is not. You're still my grandson. However, the drug had awoken you, but you did not retain any memory of what happened as the chemical worked its way through your system. All we did was take some scandalizing photos of you with the girl—kissing among other illicit things—to show to your filthy wife."

"Cosa (What)?" Federigo asked incredulously while my hands shook with rage.

"Do as I say or the photos will be shown to her. Imagine what will happen to her poor heart. She may not even survive the heartbreak." She faked a breathy sigh. "Che peccato (What a shame)!"

"You look down upon the Bonferroni name for being barbaric and unruly with our lifestyle and ways, but we don't manipulate family like this. You're far worse than us," I seethed with an anger that had my entire body flaming to burn her alive. "Your God has a special little area for you waiting in hell, and I swear I will put you there."

"Bark as much as you please, but you will not bite," she countered with a snarl. "I'm giving you a week to give me an answer. Marry Rosalia and give her the title of the queen or I can take your throne away from you and give it to Gabriele, a true Drago. Raffaello was always the rightful heir to the throne, but your nonno (grandfather) made a choice with Leona and I'm not my husband. The king should be a Drago, not a Bonferroni." The hate in her for the Bonferroni name surfaced thicker than ever and stung like a sword. "As I did with your father, I will make it hard for you to even breathe if you don't comply. And don't undermine my ability. You may be the king but I still have a power that you don't and I can easily rip the throne from your clutches."

My jaw clenched. "I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."

"We shall see what path your choice leads you on in a week then." As if we were just having a casual conversation, she gave me a soft hug and smiled with a warm hand on my cheek when she pulled back. "You were my favorite boy once. I saw great potential in you and I'm proud of how far you've taken the empire, but the women you fell for have weakened you and lead you far away from your true self. I don't recognize you as my grandson anymore. Even Leona would be very disappointed to see you now. You know she'd never approve of either of your interests."

***

(Arie's POV)

It had been a week since I returned from Italy. Jumping from hotels and motels every day had drained me of my energy, but Fred's funeral was arranged with the help of his mother throughout the hectic days. She was devastated when she received the news. Soon, the media got a whiff of this tragedy too and now everyone in America knew about it being an accident, not a murder.

The kids had been crashing with Harry in different hotels as well because she was the safer option for them at this point, but we had to come together for Fred's funeral now. After the casket had been buried, everyone started to scatter and converse with one another. I couldn't seem to hop off my horse of paranoia long enough to have a conversation with anyone, not even with Sophie who was sitting right next to me on the bench with her head resting on my shoulder. Orel wouldn't be stupid enough to attack in a public place with famous faces and paparazzi lurking around, but one could never be sure, so the gun in my purse put my nerves at ease a bit.

Sophie had arrived yesterday from Italy to stay with me. From the abstract stories I had told the kids about the major phase in my life, Soph was one of their favorite characters, so they immediately grew fond of her. My heart swelled when I noticed Soph smile as she watched Lucian play with Zeus under Harry and her fiancé's supervision on an area devoid of any graves while Ana was being carried in the arms of Fred's mother who was having a conversation with others. They were both in safe hands and I could take a breath, but I kept an eye out for any unusual face, and my gaze immediately fell on the woman Ashton was talking to. Marisol Noelle, our estranged grandmother who kept showing up.

"I'll be right back, Soph." I pecked her forehead and left her side to approach Ashton and the older woman, forcing a smile on my face. "Can I help you?"

          "Arie, don't start," Ashton warned me in a whisper, glancing around to make sure no one was watching us. "She just came here to pay her respects to Freddie."

          "And did she even know him?" I hissed, crossing my arms above my chest.

          "Actually, yes," Marisol interjected. "Freddie Guzman was the one who reached out to me and asked me to connect with the two of you. It's very unfortunate what happened because he was a good boy."

          "Well, he's gone now and we are not interested in any sort of reconciliation with a grandma who didn't even come to her own son's funeral, but decided to come to someone else's burial uninvited."

          "I invited her," Ashton confessed, giving me a look to shut me up, but I ignored it.

"Well, the show is over now, so you may leave," I quipped in a curt manner. "And please don't try to get in contact with me or my brother again."

          The wrinkles on her olive-tinted face were relaxed and her eyes seemed focused behind the glasses with a subtle hint of disappointment. She strained her neck a bit to look at us from her relatively short stature. "I see how Wendy has raised you."

          I elevated a hand to stop her from babbling on any further. "You don't get to talk about my aunt."

          The elderly woman hummed. "You dislike me, I understand that, but your parents and I fell out over Wendy which is the reason you two didn't see me around much as children." She propped her slipping purse further on her arm and continued. "It is not my intention to sour Wendy's memories for you. I'm sure you both loved her very much, but I realize she never told you the truth. It is not my place to say, but I will tell you that Wendy was not your aunt."

          "Leave," I shoved the words out viciously through my teeth, trying to keep my anger at bay. The audacity she had to come here and spit nonsense to make us doubt the woman who gave up her own life to take care of us. "If you weren't my dad's mother, I'd be dragging you out of here myself, so kindly go back home and never show up around here again because I will be filing a restraining order against you today itself. Goodbye."

          "I... see." Her soft brown eyes lowered in sadness and shame that I almost felt bad for my harsh behavior. "It was good seeing the two of you nonetheless. Goodbye."

          As she left, Ashton turned to me. "Weren't you kind!" he exclaimed sarcastically.

          "She was talking shit about Aunt Wendy. What the fuck do you expect?"

          "I'm not defending her, but you could've been a bit nice. She's old, Arie."

          "Still doesn't give her the right to talk shit."

          A throat cleared loudly close to us and caught our immediate attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but I had to meet you." Mike gave us a smile, forcing my heart to drop right into its own grave. "How are you, Arie?"

          Too shaken up to speak, I nodded like an idiot before finding my voice. "Hanging in there. You?" I had completely forgotten Mike was the owner of the Giants, so Fred's mom had to invite him with the rest of the team.

          "Living life as usual," he shrugged as Valentina caught up to us and gave me a warm hug.

          "You left without a goodbye," Valentina frowned.

          "Everyone was busy mourning another loss." I lowered my eyes for a quick second before elevating them once again. "How was Wren's funeral?"

          "Just like any other funeral," Mike answered, slipping his hands into his pockets. "We know that Pavlov was behind the attack. We just need to retaliate now." His green eyes flickered to Sophie who was still sitting silently on the bench watching Lucian chase the puppy. "Gus is pissed that she left without a word. He'll find out soon that she's here and he'll come to get her, but I'm sure you can keep her safe, right?"

          I nodded. "I won't let anything happen to her."

          "But Orel is after you too. If you want, I can station some of my best guards to keep you safe around the clock," he offered then turned his gaze back to Soph. "She's carrying a Bonferroni so we can't let anything happen to her either."

Skipping hotels could only keep us all safe for so long. I couldn't take any risks with Soph and her unborn child. If I accepted Mike's offer, the guards would find out about the kids and alert their boss. There would be no going back then and I did say I'd tell them everything after Fred's funeral, so it was time.

"I'd appreciate that."

          "Great, I'll position guards on you right away. They won't be in your way at all. You won't even notice them, but they will be keeping a closer eye on you and following you everywhere." With a final smile, he ushered me into a brotherly protective hug. "Take care, Arie."

As he began to walk away with his wife, I stopped him when I recalled something. "I don't know if this is helpful to you in any way, but right before the wedding I heard Wren arguing with someone."

Mike focused his complete attention on me. "Who was he arguing with and about what?"

"I didn't see the person, but it was a man. A deep voice. Just plain Italian-American accent. Wren was pissed and asked the man how he could hide something from the family and you all would kill the man for the secret. I didn't hear much else."

          Mike nodded, pondering upon the small piece of information as he pulled out his phone. "Maybe it was the thing he wanted to talk to Federigo about before the ceremony." He immediately called someone and thanked me before striding away with Valentina and a few guards.

"This was the perfect opportunity to tell him about the kids," Ashton huffed.

I sighed in return and watched them disappear among the many cars lined up. "Their people are watching me now and they'll find out today itself. I won't be hiding anymore. I'll let this play out."

          Ashton tangled his hand with mine and squeezed. "They deserve to know, but I won't let them take the kids from us."

          My voice shrunk. "I hope it doesn't come to that."

I quickly wiped my tear when I noticed Fred's mother heading in my direction with Ana still in her arms. "Phew! This girl always tires me out. Too old to keep up with her," she chuckled whilst placing Ana on the ground.

"Oh, please, Julia," Ashton brushed away her last comment with a cheeky smirk. "If you weren't Fred's mom, I'd ask you out."

"Gosh!" Julia laughed, smacking Ashton's arm. She was a tall, beautiful woman. She certainly looked a lot younger than she really was. "What a charmer! I will truly miss this." She leaned down and pecked Ana's nose who giggled in return. "And I will miss seeing the kids so much."

"You can come see them anytime you want," I reassured the woman. "You're family and will always be welcomed."

          "Thank you, sweetheart." She cupped my face and pressed her warm lips against my forehead. "I had so many dreams for you and Fred." Her green eyes that matched Fred's welled up, but she shook them away at once. "Alas! I'll catch up with you later."

          "Allow me," Ashton offered her a hand and escorted her away to meet the others before Ana started tugging me toward Lucian.

          "Luci, Luci, Luci!" She dragged me further in the opposite direction. Being stubborn, she wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted.

          "Slow down, baby." I unclenched her fist from my dress and picked her up in my arms.

          "I wanna play with Zeus too," she pouted.

          "Zeus is probably tired now, baby. You can play when we get home."

          "No," she groaned and grew fussy, trying to twist out of my arm. "Luci is playing."

          One could argue with her all day and they'd fail to convince her of their way no matter what, so butting your head with her was a waste of time.

          When I got closer, I put her down by Lucian who was panting with Zeus on a bench. I didn't get a chance to even take a breath when a familiar voice startled all the air out of my lungs with a leisure hello.

          Athena smirked at me as she usually did. "Why does your face look like you've seen the devil, Arie?" Her lips drove further up one side conceitedly. I was ready for the kids to come out in the open, but Athena being the first one to know would've been the last thing I wanted. She'd make me pay for this brutally as far as I knew her.

          Her hazel green eyes studied Lucian intently before she bent a little and lifted his chin. "You must be Lucian," she smiled then shook his little hand. If I wasn't too busy trying to push my racing heart back into my chest, I would've laughed at Lucian's blushing cheeks. Athena then turned to Ana and gave her the same sweet smile before kneeling to get to her level. "And you're—"

          "My name is Ana." Ana cut the woman off excitedly and put her hand forth like a sassy little girl, urging Athena to shake her hand.

          "The one and only Ana," Athena's smile grew into a grin. "I love a confident girl. Do you get it from your mommy?" Her warm gaze for the kids turned a bit cold as she glanced at me briefly, and it was the moment I knew I was in for hell.

———————————————————

Yay or nay?

How should the Bonferroni siblings get revenge?

What will Leo do regarding Nonna's ultimatum?

Do you think Arie made the right choice by accepting Mike's offer of having his men guard her?

Will Leo find out now?

What do you think Athena is gonna do?

I don't have many questions this time cuz it's past 3:30 a.m. right now and I gotta sleep to go to work tomorrow so hasta la vista! 💕

What's gonna happen next now?

Thoughts on Verona?

Leo?

Or Arie?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

HIT ME WITH THE THEORIES!

If your theories are very elaborate and big, message them to me personally. I'd love to know your conspiracy theories.

INSTAGRAM: reetilicious

Much love ❤️
~Reet