☆Chapter 26: The Day the De Lucas Faced Their Greatest Fear☆

Seraphina was twelve when the incident happened.

The De Luca mansion was peaceful that morning. Lorenzo was working in his home office, Nonno was enjoying his espresso on the patio, Matteo was sparring with Lucian, and Seraphina was sneaking around looking for snacks.

Everything was normal.

Until…

"PAPA!!!"

Lorenzo's pen snapped in half.

Nonno's espresso cup shattered.

Matteo's punch missed Lucian and sent him flying.

"PAPA!"

The panic in her voice was enough to make grown men freeze.

Lorenzo was out of his office in seconds, Nonno and Matteo right behind him.

They burst into her room, weapons almost drawn—

Only to find Seraphina…

Standing in the bathroom doorway.

Her face was pale, her eyes wide with horror, and she was holding her skirt away from her body like it was radioactive.

"Serafina?" Lorenzo's voice softened, his deadly gaze scanning for threats.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

Seraphina didn't speak.

Instead, she pointed.

They followed her finger…

To the stain of blood on her skirt.

Silence.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Lorenzo, Nonno, and Matteo stared at the horror before them.

"Is she… dying?" Matteo whispered.

"Did someone hurt you?!" Lorenzo's voice was deadly, his mind already plotting murder.

Seraphina's lips trembled. Remembering her past life.

"P-Papa… I think… I'm having my period."

Lorenzo's heart dropped.

Nonno's eyes narrowed.

"Who do I kill?"

"No one!" Seraphina squeaked.

"Then what is this?" Lorenzo's voice was calm… too calm almost like he's gonna faint.

Seraphina's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"I don't know!"

"Is it a wound?" Matteo's face was pale.

"No! I didn't get hurt!"

"Then what—"

"IT'S BLOOD!"

That shut them up.

☆☆☆

"Boss." Matteo's voice was tight.

"What?"

"Check her."

"Check what?!" Lorenzo's face drained of color.

"Find the source of the bleeding!"

"I am not checking my daughter for bleeding!"

"THEN CALL A DOCTOR!"

"I DON'T KNOW A PERIOD DOCTOR!"

"CALL ANY DOCTOR!"

Nonno, who had been silent, suddenly cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

All three men turned to look at him.

"I think… this might be… a woman's thing."

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.

"A… what?"

Nonno shifted uncomfortably.

"You know… when a girl already turns into a woman." He gestured vaguely.

Lorenzo's face was blank.

Matteo's brows furrowed.

Lucian, who had just walked in, took one look at the scene and froze.

"Uh… I'll… come back later."

"NO."

Lucian froze mid-step.

"What do you know?" Lorenzo's voice was commanding.

"Uhh… I think it's… a period?" Lucian mumbled.

Silence.

"WE KNOW... WHAT'S NEXT?"

"Next? Uhm... well I guess, she have to live with it now?" Lucian fiddled with his fingers, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here.

"You mean… this happens… regularly?" Matteo's face twisted in horror.

"Yes."

"EVERY DAY?"

"Every month, sir"

"Every. Month?"

"Yes."

"For how long?" Lorenzo's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Uhh… years?"

"Years?" Lorenzo looked ready to pass out.

"She's going to bleed every month for years?!" Matteo's hands went to his head.

"How do we stop it?" Nonno's voice was serious.

"We… can't." Lucian winced.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T?!"

"It's… normal."

"Normal?!"

Lorenzo sat down, his head in his hands.

"I'm losing my mind."

"We're all losing our minds." Matteo agreed.

"What do we do?" Lorenzo looked at Nonno.

"You're the oldest. You should know."

Nonno raised an eyebrow.

"Do I look like I've ever dealt with a period before?"

"You were married!"

"Yes, but I didn't ask questions!"

☆☆☆

"Okay." Lorenzo stood up.

"We're going to fix this."

"How?" Matteo asked.

Lorenzo pulled out his blackcard.

"By buying everything."

☆☆☆

Matteo and Lucian were dragged along to the pharmacy by Lorenzo.

"Sir, are you sure this is necessary?" Lucian whispered.

"I don't take chances with Seraphina's health." Lorenzo's eyes were wild.

They stood in front of an entire aisle dedicated to feminine products.

"What the hell is all this?" Matteo blinked.

"Pads… tampons… liners…" Lucian read the labels.

Lorenzo grabbed everything.

"Take it all."

"All of it?" Matteo gawked.

"Yes."

"But there's—"

"ALL. OF. IT."

☆☆☆

Seraphina stared at the mountain of products in her room.

"Papa… what is this?"

Lorenzo's expression was serious.

"Everything you need to survive."

"Survive?"

"Yes."

Matteo and Lucian stood behind him, looking exhausted.

"Papa…" Seraphina's lips twitched.

"Do you… even know how to use any of this?"

Lorenzo froze.

"I…"

Silence.

"No."

Seraphina burst out laughing.

"Papa… I'll be fine."

"No, you won't." Lorenzo's voice was firm.

"You're going to tell me what you need. And if anything hurts…"

"You'll kill it?"

"Exactly."

Seraphina shook her head, a warm smile on her face.

"You're impossible, Papa."

"And I always will be."

Matteo groaned.

"We survived this… barely."

"What happens next month?" Lucian whispered.

Lorenzo's eyes darkened.

"We prepare for war."