Chapter 2

The next morning, an ungodly hour of 6 AM, a piercing horn shattered the quiet of Lucia's room. She jolted upright, her heart pounding, convinced they were under attack

Her vision cleared to reveal Sebastian, a devilish smirk plastered across his face, a blowhorn still clutched in his hand.

"Chop chop, Princess. Wouldn't want to be late for school" he drawled, his smirk deepening

Lucia glared, collapsing back onto the bed, but Sebastian unleashed another blast, louder this time. Infuriated, Lucia shot up and stomped towards him, her hand raised to strike. He swiftly caught her wrist, pulling her closer.

"Wrong move there, Princess," he murmured, his breath fanning her face. Lucia pushed against his chest

"It's 6 in the freaking morning! School doesn't start until 8!" she shrieked in frustration.

"Oh, your father didn't tell you? I'm your bodyguard and your personal trainer," Sebastian replied. Lucia crossed her arms, fixing him with a stare.

"You're kidding, right?" she scoffed. Sebastian's expression remained blank.

"Meet me at the training room. I believe you know where that is," he said, turning and walking out, leaving her flabbergasted. Lucia sank to the floor, gazing up at the ceiling.

"Day one of hell," she muttered, closing her eyes.

Mob Ground

"It's so early in the morning, why are we here?" Sin, one of the mobsters, grumbled, stretching. His singlet and joggers revealed an array of intricate tattoos covering almost every inch of his body. He was known as the deadliest member after Sebastian.

"Ask Falcon why he rang the emergency alarm, because clearly, I see no emergency," Vivianchimed in

She was the second-in-command of the mobsters, the brains of the operation, and, as rumored, Sebastian's "toy."

Russostared at them in silence. How to describe Russo? He was the quietest member; it was rumored no one had ever heard his voice. He never spoke, even when questioned by the boss, preferring to scribble his answers on a sheet of paper.

Marino, also known as Mari, was the deadliest female member. Anger was her constant companion. It was best to steer clear of her, as the slightest provocation could turn her into a ticking time bomb. She sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, eyes closed.

There were six mobsters in total. Matteo had hand-picked the best fighters and killers available. He didn't need an entire army, just a small group of lethal machines.

* Falcon:The Commander himself, leader of all mobsters.

* Vivian:Second-in-command and Sebastian's "toy."

* Russo:Nicknamed "The Mute."

* Marino: The ticking time bomb.

* Sebastian:Also known as Ombra meaning Shadow. Matteo had given him this name because of his silent, deadly efficiency. His footsteps were barely heard, his breathing seemingly non-existent, his heart frozen as ice.

* Sin: The youngest member, and as mentioned, the second deadliest after Sebastian.

These six formed the entirety of the Mob. Now, they were gathered in what they called the Mob Ground, awaiting Falcon, who seemed to have something important to share.

Footsteps approached, and Falcon appeared, a wide grin plastered across his face. He was the goofy one among them, often mistaken for the youngest.

"Tell us why you called us here. My patience is already a thin thread, and I won't hesitate to blow out your brains if it's something stupid," Marino growled without opening her eyes. All gazes shifted to her, and Falcon's smile quickly vanished. Russo, more than the others, stared intently at Marino, but looked away as soon as her eyes flickered open.

"Uhm, okay… we're waiting, bruh," Sin said, settling down.

"Cane Nerowas last seen in Italy," Falcon announced. Silence descended upon the room. Who was Cane Nero? He was ranked among the Top 3 most dangerous mafia drug lords, and he had committed a grave offense, forcing him into hiding

The first clan to find him and deliver his head at the upcoming Mafia Party would receive a grand prize from an unknown benefactor. No one knew who had sent the bounty, but they cared less, as the cash prize alone was enough to ignore its mysterious origin.

Sin smirked, his face a blend of excitement and a thirst for blood.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go get this guy!" Vivian exclaimed, looking at each of them.

"We need orders from the boss (Sebastian)," Falcon stated. Vivian walked towards him.

"I got it. Trust me," Vivian said, then walked out. Marino also stood up and left. Russo's eyes followed her until Sin approached him.

"You might poke a hole in her back if you stare too much," Sin quipped, placing a hand on Russo's shoulder. Russo shot a cold glare at the hand before walking away without a word.

"Trust me, I'll be the one to make you talk," Sin declared with determination. Falcon shook his head slowly, then walked out.

"Now I'm all alone. Guess I'll have a drink before going back to sleep," Sin mumbled, heading to the Mob Bar. He uncorked a fresh bottle of alcohol and drank straight from it.

6:30 PM: Training Room

Lucia lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, profusely sweating. She had been training with Sebastian for only 20 minutes, but it had been the worst 20 minutes of her life.

"Stand up, Princess. We're not done," Sebastian said, nudging her side lightly with his foot. If she weren't his boss's daughter, he likely would have killed her by now due to his profound dislike. Since she was, he'd simply torture her a bit.

"You're supposed to go easy! I'm just a beginner!" she protested. Sebastian scoffed.

"Sorry, Princess, would you like a foot massage?" he asked sarcastically. Lucia glared.

"Life is not for the weak. When life throws you lemonade…" He paused, waiting for her to complete the saying.

"Make lemonade," she recited proudly, a faint smile on her face.

"Wrong," Sebastian stated, and her smile vanished.

"Life won't throw you lemonade unless it's rotten or it's a bomb, so you bury it," Sebastian said, walking to a punching bag and delivering a flurry of blows. His movements were swift, a blur of motion. She only saw the bag move; his hands were too fast, like air.

"How do you do that?" she asked. Sebastian stopped, looking at her.

"Practice, Darling… Practice" he replied, reaching for a bottle of water.

"How long did you practice for?" she asked, slowly standing up.

"Ten years," Sebastian said without looking at her.

"That means you were 15 when you first started?" she asked, surprised.

"Nah, I was 10," Sebastian clarified, looking at her directly.

"You were…" Before she could finish her sentence, Sebastian shoved a cloth into her mouth.

"Less talking… more punching," Sebastian commanded. Lucia spat out the cloth. It tasted incredibly weird, and it was wet.

"Ugh! What was that?!" she exclaimed. Sebastian smirked, leaning closer to her face.

"My singlet," he whispered. Lucia's eyes widened. She finally realized he was shirtless. Then, the memory of how sweaty he had been during their training crashed over her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud.

"She didn't even wait for me to tell her I was joking," Sebastian mused, hovering over her with a smirk.

"Oh well," he shrugged, and walked out, leaving her there.

7:45 AM: Matteo's Office

"My back hurts, my hands hurt, I can't feel my legs, I'm so tired, Dad!" Lucia wailed, cataloging all of Sebastian's alleged abuses to her father.

"And guess the worst part, Dad? He shoved his sweaty singlet into my mouth!" Lucia screamed. Matteo chuckled.

"Ombra would never do that," Matteo said, glancing at Sebastian, who was also present.

"I never did such a thing, Matteo. You can check the security cameras in the training room," Sebastian replied, knowing full well he had already wiped all footage, anticipating her complaints.

"See? He's innocent," Matteo said, smiling at Lucia.

"Seriously, Dad? You'll believe him over me? Have I ever lied to you?" Lucia asked in utter bewilderment.

"Well, should I start counting? Maybe I should start from your recent bodyguard-fake-incident," Matteo said, and Lucia's eyes widened. He knew.

"Dad, that was…" She was cut off.

"Time to go to school, Bambolina," Matteo said, returning to his work.

"But, Dad…" She was interrupted once again.

"Ombra," Matteo simply stated. Before Lucia could utter another word, Sebastian lifted her off the ground, carrying her out.

"Drop me down, you piece of shit!" Lucia demanded. Sebastian promptly dropped her. She spun around and delivered a heavy slap to his face. His head snapped to the side, and his eyes darkened dangerously. Lucia didn't get a single word out before she was lifted off the floor by her neck. Sebastian slammed her back against the wall, and she cried out in pain.

"S-stop… you're choking me!" she gasped, hitting his hand.

"I'm not one of those puny maids who grovel at your feet. Watch your words and actions, Princess. I don't mind being killed for killing you," Sebastian snarled, then dropped her. She hit the ground hard, twisting her ankle. Tears streamed down her face as she looked into his chilling, dead eyes.

Sebastian turned and took a few steps away.

"Meet me in your car in five minutes. Take longer, and you'll walk to school," he stated, then left. Lucia clenched her fists, tears still falling. Russo, who had witnessed the entire scene, looked at her briefly before leaving without a backward glance.

Lucia tried to stand, but her ankle throbbed, forcing her to hop on one foot. Just as she was about to trip, she was suddenly swept off her feet into a strong, manly arm.

"Don't worry, Barbie… I got you," Sin said, carrying her out. It should be mentioned that she was closer to Sin than to any of the other mobsters.

"Thanks, S," she managed, wiping her tears. Sin winked and carried her to the car, where Sebastian was already seated in the driver's seat, not even sparing them a glance.

"Put her in the front seat. I'm not her driver," Sebastian commanded. Sin gently placed Lucia in the passenger seat.

"See ya, Barbie," Sin said, pecking her cheek before leaving.

The ride was quiet, no words exchanged. Lucia stared out the window the entire time, while Sebastian focused on driving her to school.

They arrived, and Lucia opened the door, limping out. Sebastian noticed, but ignored it. As soon as she was out, he drove off without a word. Lucia watched the car, scoffing. Even injured, her spoiled nature remained intact.

Underground

"Please, I didn't mean to blow up the ship! It was a mistake!" a man, blindfolded and tied down, pleaded. He couldn't see clearly, but the shadowy figure he vaguely discerned through the blindfold filled him with terror.

"Mistake? You blew up my entire ship, trafficking drugs worth millions, and you're saying it was a mistake?!" Matteo roared before a smirk touched his lips. He stepped back.

"Ombra," he called. The man swore he wet himself at that moment.

"No, please… please, Boss!" the man begged, but before he could utter another word, his head flew from his body. No one had even seen Sebastian approach, but all knew the man was now headless.

Blood splattered. Sebastian stepped out of the shadows, licking his finger, which glistened with the man's blood. His eyes were psychopathic, his lips curved into a deadly smirk, and his favorite katana was stained crimson.

"I like myself something sweet," he purred, looking up at Matteo, who wore a proud expression.

Sebastian turned and walked out, but not before delivering his final words:

"Mission accomplished"