𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 • 𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈|| ❝𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞❞

> 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

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𝐒 𝐄 𝐑 𝐄 𝐍 𝐀 • 𝐑 𝐔 𝐒 𝐒 𝐎

"No she's not." He states, not believing me, which I'd understand.

"She is Diego...you never told me her name and her name is Lia she's sleeping in the spare bedroom now." I said a little quietly as if someone else was present in the room with me, when they shouldn't be.

"I-I can't belive it." He sighs.

"Did she say anything about where she has been?" Diego questions me.

"No." I sighed down the phone, the conversation went on for a little while longer until it got so late my eyes began to roll.

"Goodnight Serena." He said, I returned the goodnight and put the phone down, I closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The light sprinkles all over my body, waking me up, forcing me to face the day ahead. Diego definitely seemed off last night, but I guess you would be if your mother turned up so close to where you were and now you've flown away else where to find her. I'm hoping they get some information in Ivan's hide out in Russia.

𝐃 𝐈 𝐄 𝐆 𝐎 • 𝐆 𝐑 𝐄 𝐂 𝐎

I wake up with some sort of feeling in my veins, I'm not sure what it was... Annoyance? Anxious? I have no idea but my mother is in Italy and I'm here stuck in Russia for a while, hoping I'll still find answers to my mother's disappearance.

"Morning Diego." Luca says and smiles as he sits on the table in front of me, I walk over to the chair and pull it out, I almost twitch as the chair scraped along the floor making a scratching noise which hurt my ears.

I analyse the table and notice the full breakfasts either end, Luca must've gotten the maids to give us this food and prepare it for us, there is no way Luca cooked it all this morning. As I sat down I instantly grabbed the cup of coffee and downed it all, the taste of hot steamy liquid ran down my tongue until it reached the pit of my stomach, giving me the warm feeling inside. I watch Luca as he takes a bite of the egg with the bacon, I support my fork with my knife while I add my egg onto it and begin to take a bite. The protein rushed through my body leaving me feel stronger.

It didn't take us long to eat all of the breakfast, but I couldn't help the questions that ran through my mind, my mother was at home and I'm here...Not with her, saying 'I missed you' nothing, I'm here in Russia miles away from her and announcing those words. I walk off into my room where I'm finding myself in the shower, allowing the warm water to travel alone my stressed and tense body, the water doesn't stay on long on my body as its pushed by more droplets. I grab the only body wash in sight, which was an average fresh smelling scent, I smothered my body with the liquid and made tiny bubbles on my arms. I trun the nob of the shower door and I grab a towel, I look into the mirror and see the dark circles appear under my eyes.

I don't take long to get changed, a black polo top and black jeans paired with my boots, I slide a knife into my boot and allowed myself to be seen by Luca, who stood there with a polo top on too, but grey. And some black jeans. We locked the door and headed out to explore Russia's secrets.

"So, did you find out much about his old hide out?" I raise a brow at Luca and wait for his response, he nods as he takes a cigarette to his lips.

"Yes, it's not far, we'll just borrow this car and go to it." I look around and notice a black car behind Luca, a car that he must've hired. There was no scratch on it at all. We both sat inside of the car and the welcoming scent of mint filled my nose, the seats were made out of pure leather. We head for the road and look out for the hide out.

It took around fifteen minutes to get there, why would someone's hide out be in the middle of an open place.

Luca and I both get out of the car and leave the mint smell behind, I look over at Luca who has already got his tools in which he's using for unlocking the door, we both end up inside and the coldness strikes, there was dust and cobwebs in a few areas, not majorly like an abandoned house in a horror movie, but you could tell no one has been here for awhile.

I scan the room further and go through the hallways while Luca travels upstairs, holding the gun tight with his hand, I walk towards the hallway that contains three seperate doors, all which are closed. I open the first and slowly walk inside... Nothing but a desk and a bed. I leave the room and enter the room opposite it, once again there was a bed and a desk, I walked towards the desk and opened the draw, but it was empty, nothing was inside. I huffed with frustration and walked out to face the final room down the hallway. I opened the door and the room was filled with a familiar scent that I couldn't fully recognise, I scanned the room and found a bed, with sheets on, a wardrobe on the other side and a bedside table. I went through the desk draws but nothing was there, the bed was cold but still had that familiar scent that I didn't know.

I walked over to sit on the bed and feel defeat overcome me, I know my mother's safe and sound, but I can't help but think that I haven't achieved anything, I don't know anything about her disappearance.

A few minutes went by and I finally gathered up the strength to get up and stop feeling sorry for myself, but to release my last bit of anger I decided to kick the bedside table, where a draw rolled open and there was a letter, laying there perfectly as if it's never been touched.

I open the letter and my heart sinks.

'Dear Diego,

I know I haven't been able to be there for you, but I had to leave to protect you.

I know your father is there to protect you but the Black Eagles where so keen to get to you I couldn't let them hurt you, so I had to go with them, be their prisoner.

I've missed so many years with you and I knew you'd find this letter, as you're reading this we're packing to travel to Italy, closer to you... I'm not sure why but they want more information on the Italian mafia, Luca will give that extra protection for you, I know he will.

I just want to say Diego, that I'll always be your mum, I love you so much, and I'm sorry to say that I don't know if I'm alive or dead while your reading this.

I sure hope I am alive so I can see you grow and catch up with you from the years I have lost.

I love you Diego, always stay strong.

Love, Mum'

The letter wasn't long, but my heart sunk, my mother knew she was travelling to be close to me... Close yet so far. And she thought she was going to die. She probably was so scared that she'd never see me or my father again.

I look at the doorframe and notice Luca standing there with a puzzled look on this face, I sigh and hand him the letter, he scans it and pats me on the back, I knew Luca would always be there for me the day I got there, his son is great and is very supportive too and his daughter... Well his daughter is something special.

I pick myself up and follow Luca upstairs to see what he had found, he opens the door and we are welcomed with a desk in the middle of the room with chairs either side of the desk, the chairs were good quality and very expensive... Why would they just be left here?

Luca removes a book from the bookshelf, the bookshelf began to move and my eyes go wide at what we're seeing, the room was covered with post-it notes and string to connect the notes together. I look closer onto the wall and notice they have some information regarding Luca and his family. I sigh as I look at the pictures of my mother hiding in the corner of the room on top of a table. I look closer and notice they're torture pictures. They hurt my mother.

One picture showed her crying, the other showed that they cut her stomach and her arm with a knife. Not a small knife either... I had to put the pictures back, I couldn't look at them any longer.

"Well this is where they've been hiding your mother all these years." Luca sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, my poor mother... Fighting for her life when there was no one to protect her. Guilt hit me but I couldn't do anything, I was only young.

"We need to get back to the apartment to talk about this further." I nod at Luca's decision. We both head out leaving the house or what ever this is behind just the way it was.

We both get into the car and the smell of mint gives me reassurance that we don't have to go back into that horrible hide out again, that gives pure horror. My mother... I couldn't stop thinking about her.

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We arrived back to the apartment, but I could barely talk. My mind was still full of trauma. Picturing my mother in pain.

"Diego, we don't have to do this today." Luca looks at me and I nod, I get up from the chair and head for the room I'm staying in. I dive onto the bed and hide my face into the pillows as I picture my mother in pain, being hurt every single time she wouldn't give information. My blood boiled with the thought and my anger came along, I tried falling asleep as quick as I could just to get rid of the terrible thoughts, but it wasn't happening.

𝐒 𝐄 𝐑 𝐄 𝐍 𝐀 • 𝐑 𝐔 𝐒 𝐒 𝐎

Everything was happening so fast Maria was screaming in pain as Nicolas was carrying her down the stairs into the jeep.

"Is she okay?" I asked and Nicolas rushed off, my mother looked at me with tears in her eyes.