9.

Soralina cried her heart out, running her nose in a handkerchief offered by Lucian while he rubbed her back, saying it was alright, that everything was going to be fine. And that she should stop crying now.

But nothing could console the broken Soralina, who cried with all the anguish in her heart, feeling it break into several pieces.

"Soralina you have to control-"

Heavy footsteps reached them, making the duo look up only to find Agatha coming to a halt, her eyes wide as she stared at Lucian. "Is it true?"

"What is?"

"That Morris is dead?"

Lucian gulped, glancing towards the girl in his arms who broke out in another fit of tears. Lucian didn't need to reply, for that was an answer enough for Agatha, who scoffed, releasing a frustrated sigh and running her fingers through her hairs, messing it up.

"That good for nothing prick."

Soralina's sobs came to a halt, and she looked up at her sister in confusion. "What did you say?"

"Lina, let's not-"

"I said," Agatha repeated, turning her icy stare at Soralina. "That good for nothing prick. Why? Got a problem?"

She wanted to see Soralina angry, wanted her to blow her sweet girl facade, but all Soralina actually felt was confusion. "I don't understand. How can you say that about a dead per-"

"Well that's because he was useless!" Agatha yelled, gesturing with her hands. "He was supposed to help me with something, but look at him now! Dead! Dead everyone! Dead! Hah!"

Lucian stared at Agatha in disbelieve, while Soralina's face twisted again as she released a sob. "Agatha, that's enough."

Agatha glanced at her sister, saw her cry and rolled her eyes. There she goes again.

It was only then did Agatha remember the most important question. "But...how did he die?"

"Agatha!"

"He was murdered." Came a fourth voice, walking up from behind Agatha and standing beside her. "He was murdered by one of the young members of the Scorpio Venom Society. My guess is he didn't know the boys identity."

"So, what you are trying to say is, one of our greatest rivals killed him?" Agatha questioned, suddenly starting to connect the dots. The man nodded in agreement. "That is likely so."

"How do you know that Romeo?" Lucian asked, not in a challenging way, but to Romeo, anything Lucian did or say felt like a challenge. "Because I was there when the murder happened. I watched it happen, by the time I reached him, he was already dead. Too much loss of blood."

Romeo explained, looking from Lucian to Agatha, completely forgetting the other girl until a heavy sob escaped her mouth, and she begin crying hysterically. "Oh my god...oh my god...oh my god..."

"Lina..."

While Lucian tried to comfort the crying girl, Romeo watched with a raised eyebrow, finding everything quite amusing.

To explain him, Romeo was Agatha's personal bodyguard and trainer. And while the man was a real hotty with scars running down his body, and also being a fun meal to Agatha at times when needed, she didn't really like him.

Sure, he was quiet the stress reliever in bed, but he was Gustav's lackey, and she didn't trust him, not like how Soralina could trust Lucian. He would report everything he saw or heard about and from Agatha to Gustav, her day to day activities even. Meanwhile Lucian made up weird lies, risking his own head to save the personal space of Soralina.

Agatha liked Lucian. She had tried to seduce him quiet a lot of times just so she could switch bodyguards, but he was quite the loyal dog you see. He would not guard anyone that is not Soralina Russo.

While Romeo stared at a crying Soralina with amusement, Agatha gritted her teeth in annoyance, finding this whole scene frustrating "For the love of God girl! Stop! Just Stop!"

"Agatha enough!"

The slap echoed hard and loud in the gym room, but Lucian didn't so much as graze his cheek with his fingertips. Agatha glared at him, her palms burning from the impact.

"Don't you fucking tell me what to do you stray dog. Stay in your limit. I'm talking to my sister, aren’t I? So stay out of it."

Lucian wanted to glare at Agatha, at least do something as small as that, but he couldn't bring himself to.

For not only Agatha gave of a dangerous aura that scared everyone, he also knew she was right. Whatever she did and say to Soralina, it was between them. A connection they shared that no one could disturb. Even if Agatha used it the wrong way.

Lucian glanced at Romeo, who gave him a curt nod as if to say, 'Just listen to her.'

Agatha shifted her attention from Lucian to Soralina, glaring her down. "Stop crying. You hear me? I said stop crying."

The hissing only made Soralina cry even harder, for she wished to be comforted, not confronted.

"Crying like that is not going to bring him back so suck it up, and grow up. Stop crying over trivial things like that."

"Tr-trivial? A human died-"

"And?" Agatha gritted out, glaring bloody murder at her. "And what? The world ended? Listen to me! You are a Russo! You don't cry for people when they die! Because you kill them yourself! It runs in your veins! People die every day! So stop acting like there is no tomorrow and stop your fucking tears."

Soralina wanted to stop. At least to please her sister. She knew her sister was right. While she was different and wanted nothing to do with what her family did for a living, she could never escape the fact that she was part of them, in blood and in name.

She was a Russo, the member of the feared Mafia family. And in the life she lived, spending the money Gustav brought home after taking lives, she was legit being selfish by crying over one death.

But the pain was too much, and the wound still raw. She wanted to stop crying there, in front of her bodyguard, in front of Romeo, and especially in front of her sister. She would cry all on her own in her room, with no one watching. She would call her friends and cry to them.

Yes, she would do that. But for now she had to stop. She had to stop. She had to-

"Waah..." Soralina wailed, running her nose again while Agatha stared at her wide eyed in disbelief.

She couldn't stop. It was just...so hard.

Did Agatha never feel the need to cry? Did she not hold anyone close to her, or lose anyone that was close to her? Soralina wondered to herself, also admiring her sister's strength at the same time.

"Fuck Soralina wh-"

"What is going on here?"

Every single person in the room went stiff, feeling chills run on their skin.

No...

Not that voice.

"I asked a question." Gustav said, stalking towards them like a predator, staring from one face to another, before it stopped at Romeo. "What is going on here?"

"We heard the news about one of their classmate. He died. He was killed by the Scorpio Venom Society."

Agatha almost had the urge to roll her eyes, how quick Romeo was to give information to Gustav.

Couldn't blame the guy. Everyone values their life.

"And?" Gustav asked, with a raised eyebrow. This time Agatha did feel nervous, and by the looks of it, Romeo felt too. "Uh...Miss Uh...Miss Soralina...He was Miss Soralina's friend. So she is grieving."

Soralina's breath hitched, trying her best to hold on her tears while Gustav's eyes reached her, scanning her face with his beady eyes. "Is that so?"

Soralina wanted to deny it, but she knew the consequences of lying to their father. He already knew the truth; her crying was enough of a proof. No use lying here.

With shaky breaths, Soralina nodded her head, and Gustav hummed, nodding in understanding.

"I see."

"Come here."

It was then that the most unexpected thing happened. The thing that no one expected, not even Agatha. Not even Soralina. The thing that never happened in that household, and never would. The thing that was least received from their father.

Affection.

For just then, Gustav had engulfed Soralina in a hug, making the girl go stiff like a statue. Slowly but surely he ran his hand behind her back, patting it gently while his face remained emotionless.

"It's okay my dear. It will be okay. Let it all out."

Don't.

Agatha stared on as the most unrealistic scene took place, unable to believe her eyes.

Something seemed very fishy, but poor Soralina, grief stricken Soralina, knew nothing. For no sooner had her father uttered those words, she was back in tears, crying her heart out to a father that doesn't know love.

With a horrified expression, Agatha watched as Soralina stained her father's expensive suit, while the latter patted her on the back.

She had never seen this scene, but she knew it was nothing good. She knew it wasn't real.

This was the calm. The calm before a storm. And the storm was already brewing in the sky, Agatha could tell.

What have you done sister?

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