ALESSANDRO'S POV

The sun settles on my face, pulling me far away from sleep and the last bit of peace I get.

I wake up to no Akila next to me, I wake up to not Akila sleeping on my chest, breathing heavily while I play with her soft hair, watching and waiting for her to wake up and kiss me goodmorning, we take our cold shower and do work separately then reunite at the end of the day.

I sigh and push the cover off my body to sit up. I shake my head and mess my hair up, I run my hands through it and mess it even more.

Today is just a normal day, a normal day of waking up without Akila, a normal day of waking up having an older brother from another mother.

Marcello and I haven't talked much after that day, it's only been two days. The thoughts are no longer present, my mind seems to accept it and move on quicker than I thought. In the end, I just found out I have a brother.

It's weird thinking he knew all this long yet I didn't, he would see me walking down the streets, he would watch my car pass by and I didn't know he existed.

It's weird, all of it but I'm living through it because I have no choice. I can't go back in time and tell my pathetic father not to have an affair, not to get a woman pregnant and abandon your child.

There's so many things I want to tell him, to hear him say and I've been delaying it, I've been ignoring facing him, talking to him because at a certain point, I don't care anymore.

How do you expect someone to care about something they've never known what it's like their whole life. It's his life, it's his mistake and not mine. I sure felt robbed, empty after twenty seven years to find out I have a brother who could have been there, could have been there for young Alessandro who wanted a friend, company to distract the loneliness to fill in the presence of his father, the sick and rough way he treated me when I was just a kid.

It also made me think about other things, other rights and deserved. I wondered what it would actually be like to grow up in our world with an older brother, Marcello would be the one training, he would be the one holding the weight of leading the mafia one day, he would have been our leader now.

It made me realize that this is not my job, it was not supposed to be my job, it was never supposed to be my life. It's Marcello. He's the one who was supposed to be in my place, in my house surrounded with my men. He is the right heir and not me, I lived the life he was meant to live, I gained and survived in his world, his story that became mine out of his control, out of my control.

I thought about it, I thought why my father wouldn't let him live with us. I get why he couldn't admit he had an affair before marrying my mother but he could have easily killed that woman after she had Marcello, my father is no kindhearted man, he would have went for the kill in a blink. There must be a reason, there must be something she's holding against him.

He gave them money for years, he supported them and gave them a roof on top of their heads, he wouldn't do that, never in a lifetime. Even if she threatened to tell everyone, who would believe a desperate woman over the man who won a war that's been going for decades. It doesn't make sense, there is something in this story, there's something they're hiding and neither Marcello or any of us know except for the two of them.

But if Enzo decides to hide this from me and I was a fool enough to never search, to never look behind him then I'm awake now. I'll find what he's hiding, I will put an end to this if he couldn't, if he couldn't grow some balls and tell me I have a brother.

I grab a towel and hop into the shower, I don't let anything get to my head and finish quickly. Nothing is questioned anymore, nothing is questioning my life decisions, I'm only looking forward to seeing his face, to sit down and watch him break down.

I stand in the middle of my closet and take out one of my many dress shirts, I put it over my shoulder and do the buttons. I slid my shoes on and walked out of the doors. I take my keys on the way out and meet Adriano in the hallways. "Good morning" he speaks first and I only nod back. "Where are you going this early" he rubs his eyes and yawns, waiting for my response.

"You're going to talk to him aren't you?" He guesses with a smile across his face. I glance at him and back on the ceiling. "You are" he smiles even brighter and his voice gets squeaky out of excitement. "You have ten minutes" I tell him before walking away, I know he wants to come, I know how badly he's ready to rip through Enzo for hiding this from me. Adriano is the closest thing to a brother, he's my cousin and friend, he's one of my men and a fighter. We share the same blood, we share the same family and similar stories. I once said blood is not the meaning of life, family is not the most important thing you have and I still stand by that but when it comes to Adriano, he is an important family. He is a family I would have and protect, a friend, a cousin, a brother that I'm proud to have, happy and glad to spend time with. He had always been there for me, through the worst and best, he stood by my side and defended me against my father and his. He always hated how Enzo treated me, how he cared only about my image in his head and not what I want to be so seeing this opportunity to crush him down is a blessing to him, to me, to both of us.

I waited for Adriano in the car, feeling my stomach groan and yell at me for not eating anything in almost two days.

I hear the garage open and he rushes to the car, he's all smiling and excited like a little kid. He opens the door and seats himself in and looks my way. "What" I ask him teasingly and roll my eyes. "We're going to burn him down" he claps two times before shifting on the passenger seat, waiting for me to start the engine. I don't disappoint him and do so, I drive out of the gates and head to my parents house.

Taking Adriano sure has its benefits but let's not forget about whiny Adriano. I had to stop at a caffe because he was hungry, he got himself a sandwich and got me one as well, I ordered black coffee to go and we left.

I signal to the security guard and enter through the gates. I hear Adriano take off his seat belt and reach for the door handle. "Calm down, the car is still going dumbass" I warned him on the most basic thing a human mind should understand, the maniac was planning to jump out of the car.

I finally stop the car and park it outside the entrance, Adriano is obviously the first to get out. I get out and take the lead up the couple stairs before ringing the doorbell. A young lady with short black hair opens the door for us and lets us step in. She thankfully recognized me and didn't ask their usual annoying questions of who I am and how I know this location. My father trained them to always ask and protect the house before themselves, he tells them to never expect guests and no one knows about this place exists. A pathological liar.

Literally everyone knows about this house, my aunts and my mothers entire family side, his own side and many of our close friends. He's careless, he doesn't care about getting attacked because he knows he's protected by my men, he knows no one will touch him as long as he's under my hands and responsibility yet he would never do the same.

I tell the servant to go do something useful and take myself and Adriano upstairs where his ass is sitting. He's aware of my presence, he had this stupid radar before his house with a few miles telling him who's crossing his streets, he got my car saved in there to alarm him when I pass by.

We stand in front of his office and I take the knob in my grip. Adriano stares at me with a smirk brighter than our future and I twist the knob open.

There he was, the father of two with different mothers, having his sweet ass sitting on a chair almost half the price of this whole house with a yet ridiculously expensive cigar in his filthy mouth. I always hated smoking and cigarettes because of him, it made me sick to my stomach. As a kid, it wasn't the best scent to breath in and out on a daily occasion.

Some days it felt like I'm the one smoking, it sophisticated me, it killed my lungs and slowed them down. I would cough just by standing next to him and he would do nothing, one time he even lit up one while I was fighting for pure air.

Sometimes I wonder if he wants to kill me, if he wanted to kill me all this long but couldn't for some reason yet attempted it, got so close to it and pulled back.

He's wearing a dark brown suit, his hair combed backwards and eyes pierced on me. He acknowledges Adriano for a second and shakes in rage. He hides it so well, almost too well but from who? I'm his son, if he's good at something, I'm a million times better.

I've proved that throughout the years, in so many ways and the biggest one is, the empire we both held, the mafia we both ruled and in my time, it became better, it became stronger and more successful, much more powerful than he could've ever done.

This is what I do, this is what I prove, I prove him wrong and weak while I rise and do better, do stronger and win. And I know it's breaking him, it's burning him alive watching me on my own path, doing my own thing, doing all the things he told me not to do yet end up on top

It's killing him and I know it, it's destroying him and I'm glad. I've never disobeyed him, I've never turned down his words or orders, I always get them done with my mouth shut and seeing me now, about to shut him out, shut his world and life with one snap by your son sure isn't the best ending, don't you think. But who cares about a man like him, a liar like him, a father like him.

I take a step forwards and his eyes widen. I don't hold back the smile creeping on my lips and I don't hold back my dirty mouth. "You're a coward, you're an idiot and a pathetic piece of shit. You're nothing. You should die. I should kill you"

He doesn't move, he doesn't talk back, he doesn't breath. He's not scared, I know that but he's shocked. He's trying to hide it so badly, trying and begging himself inside out to keep it in, to not show it but it's too late.

I take another step and he watches me, his eyes are fixed on my body, taking notice of any weapon, any guns, any knife I could throw at him which saddens me, my dear father doesn't know I can kill with my bare hands, with my defenseless figure against hundreds.

I must admit, hearing them scream in your ears, begging for mercy is worth every single second of it but that sound, when a neck snaps in your grip and the body falls on the ground, so lifeless, so empty and dead. It still pushes the adrenaline, it still pleasures you in so many ways, so many calming ways that it pushes you into peace, into self control and silence.

We all deal with murder diffrently, each one of us is somewhere, in their own world when we're taking out a life, a soul that will never return to its ground, a person who will never get to witness another day, another night and birthday. The feeling can get out of control, it can overpower you and turn you into a sociopath, into a murduer addicted to that face, the face of a stolen heart, a stolen soul. You want more, you want blood because it's pretty, it's color is beautiful and attractive, it drives you out of your mind just for one more scene like this, just for one more body left with no life, with no day to begin.

I'm thankful for not being obsessed with it, I sure kill in the most sickening ways, the most terrifying and concerning but I have so much rage, so much hatred and anger trapped inside of me that when I get the opportunity, I let it out, I lash out on my target and have fun.

I've never killed an innocent, I've never had victims of my own. Everyone expects me to kill anyone I set my eyes on, as the crazy Italian Mafia leader they suspect that once you walk past me, you're already dead.

Which I understand, I am a pretty intimidating person to walk past, I'm aware of the uncomfortable atmosphere I radiate and my very dangerous attitude with my always glaring stare but come on now, I could be generous and not look at them at all, by then no one will be scared right?

I almost chuckle out loud at my own joke and ruin my cover. I force my thoughts away before they get me in trouble and focus on Enzo.

"What do you want" he actually says, he actually has enough courage to open his mouth and talk. I'm surprised. "Oh father, I want so many things. Starting with your death" I send him a cheeky smile and observe his face, his face so similar to mine, my face similar to his.

"Real things" I start off, circling his desk, "magical things but no, there's only one thing, one person I would love, I would die to see suffering, to watch you have a slow death, a painful and welcoming ending that will be caused by me"

He takes in a shaky breath and closes his eyes for a second. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have without all of this useless talk" I can lie and say he's not speaking the truth because I indeed would have killed him a long time ago, years back when I was just a child. "Look at you, a father that finally knows something about his only son, oh wait, his second son"

"If that's what you want to talk about then ask your questions and leave. I have no time for this" he barks in my face and tries to scare me off. Cute. "Ah. The famous I never have time, you always never have time, you never had time father. What a timeless life, you're constantly running out of time, running out of days, running out of life"

Nothing can stop me at this point, no one will stand between me and him because there's no one, there was never someone who stood between us, it's always been him and I, in this story, in my childhood, he will always be my father and I will always be his son. Second son or first, I am a part of him and he is a part of me but that doesn't mean I would hesitate, even for just a moment to kill that part of me, to snatch away my part from him because he doesn't deserve it, he doesn't deserve me and he doesn't deserve to live.

"Got those ridiculous thoughts out of your head Alessandro" he leans into his chair and slightly flinches under my movement. I get closer to his face, I reach his eye level and look him in the eyes, I look into his eyes and see my reflection, I see myself in the eyes of a careless father, a man who done ruthless things for his only benefit, a male that shouldn't be called a man.

"But I can't father. They've become my favorite thoughts" I grin and I stare at him in amusement, in happiness and joy of this moment, a moment where I have him trapped, prisoned under my hands and stare, a moment that will hunt him down to hell until we reunite down there.

"Alessandro" I squeeze my eyes shut and tame my anger just for a bit longer. I turn to Adriano and ask what he wants. "You need to check this out" he tells me with a low tone, holding a file in his hands. I look back at Enzo and he's smirking, he's no longer telling me to calm down and let's talk about this.

He thought it would shake me, it would worry me and he can wish and pray for that as long as he wants, he will never get it out of me. I only smirk back and return his gesture with pleasure, his eyes flicker with hesitation at my reaction and he clenches his jaw. You failed again Enzo.

I take a minute holding his gaze before pushing my body towards Adriano. I snatch the papers he's looking through and read the front of the page. My eyes fall on each word, each letter and everything falls WITH IT.

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