Till Death Do us Apart - Episode 47&48

 

TILL D£ATH DO US APART

Till Death Do us Apart - Episode 47&48

(The•Devil•I•Loved)

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a BOLDLY written permission from ME.

Copyright © 2025

Naomi Cindy B.

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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

The phone went to Leonardo's ear, and Ivanna didn't even wait for a beat before she talked.

Typical her.

"What's FTM?" She asked flatly.

"And are you willing to pay the price that comes with me telling you?" He replied flatly too.

"Why must it come with a price when your spy called me special cos of your sign? The specialness is for what?" She said.

He could picture a blank look on her face as she spoke.

"Issa has no idea what FTM is, my siblings don't, and you think...you somehow think you'd call, and I'll start narrating? Idiot." He muttered, taking the phone away from his ear.

He wanted to click red immediately..

"Wait..." Her voice came, and his eyes twitched as his thumb stopped right in front of the red.

"What do you want? — No, I know the price your type of person would want, and I'll give it to you when you get back...so...give me what I want?" She said clearly.

All along, the men in the room including Bobby and Valon have been staring hard at him, wondering whose call is so important for him to make them wait.

Valon was already boiling on his seat, it's very obvious with the way his stretchy moustache is moving.

Bobby should be boiling like him too, but he's not. Seeing Valon angry after he intentionally dragged the negotiation is making his night. 

To Albanians, picking calls in the middle of a conversation is peak disrespect, so Leonardo definitely knows what he's doing.

Not only Valon is boiling, even his men are fuming, their necks are almost bursting with rage.

Hearing she was ready to pay the price, Leonardo brought the phone back to his ear, muttering.

"You'll receive a text."

He ended the call and went to his phone secret place called The Wall.

He opened with his facial recognition and sent a particular note from there to Ivanna, then he dropped the phone 

"Negotiation resumes?" He said, facing the men with a little smile.

"You wasted three minutes of our time, Leo, disrespectful." Valon muttered, holding eyes with him across the round table.

"How old are you? 90? What? Are you older than my father or grandfather?" Leonardo said blankly as if he's still not disrespecting him.

"Leo!" Valon spat.

"It's Leonardo. Only family have the easiness to call the short form. Strangers like you must stress yourself and pronounce the uselessly full form everytime." Leonardo replied, still sitting.

Bobby grinned, unable to hold it in.

"You called for this" He muttered.

"Stranger? I'm a stranger?" Valon queried.

Leonardo was silent, but he maintained that crazy eye contact with those broody eyes of his.

It's insane how he can make eye contact even for hours without blinking like a total nutjob.

It was Valon who blinked first, and the man looked away.

"You've been deliberately wasting our time even before he received the call," Bobby said angrily. "It was as if you all knew what you were doing, insisting on selling a kilo for half a million. I know velkrona is lucrative, and everyone wants it, but the fact that we came here all the way from Chicago should tell you a story!"

"Are you done jam-talking?" Leonardo stood, pushing his phone into his inner suit pocket.

He started walking out of the room, and Bobby saluted Valon sassily with two fingers, then he started leaving the meeting room too.

Valon and his men exchanged glances, they kept sitting till the brothers got to the door.

Before they could step out, Valon spoke up.

"A kilo, for 300." 

The brothers stopped, and Leonardo smirked, darkly before turning back.

"Where was this energy before?"

Bobby went back into the room and scooped the drug with a small spoon, bringing it to his nose to smell.

Just the smell. 

Just the smell was enough to make his head chaotic. He went high on it for real.

The spoon fell back into the heap of velkrona, and he staggered, holding his head and looking up at the group of Albania men.

"This is sick...too sick." He muttered.

"I told you, velkrona was banned here by the government cos it was driving people crazy, but I had to do my job no matter what, and that's why I ship it at nights." Valon replied.

Bobby tried standing, but he swayed back, so Leonardo quickly caught him, holding him by the side.

"You know how many bags we bargained for. Get it ready before tomorrow morning, and by tomorrow, you get your payment." He said and took Bobby away.

After they left, Valon and his men sat back, and Valon almost kicked the drug tray away from the table.

"He's just like they say... Leonardo. Saying the most disrespectful things with a straight face and those unblinking soulless eyes of of his! I should have killed him when he was making that call! How dare he come to my country to disrespect me!" He grunted, his palm folded on the desk.

"Are we just gonna let him and his brother go?" One of the men asked.

"You think you can do anything to him when he's like the only one in the world who has the FTM technique? His late mother was trained by a martial arts master in Britain, and after she got the needed trainings from him for years, she killed him and escaped, then she gave birth to four kids for Anthony and decided to train just one...that smart bî+ch. Unless we find a way to learn the skill too or find him a big weakness, he remains undefeatable." Valon explained.

"So... we're still following the initial plan?" Another nan asked.

"Yes, we'll do as Monika said." Valon replied blandly.

--

[Leonardo's Suite]

Leonardo brought Bobby here, and when he dropped him in bed, Bobby grunted, shifting to the middle.

"Weak-ass." Leonardo commented, wanting to leave, but Bobby pulled his arm suddenly, and he looked back to see his eyes open in bed.

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"What? You wanna impregnate me?" He muttered.

"When last did you blink? Are you a robot? Even robots blink!" Bobby said out of nowhere.

"I knew you wouldn't say anything wise," Leonardo replied, turning away fast.

"It was the prisoner girl who called earlier, wasn't it?" Bobby talked again, and this time, he sat up in bed. 

The drug smell effect is gone from his system since he's a druggie.

Once again, Leonardo turned, their eyes met. "Yes, and?" He said.

Bobby stood, nearly matching his height but he couldn't.

Leonardo is the tallest in the House Of Esposito for a reason. He inherited all of Vera's height alone.

"You picked a call in the middle of a deal? Even if you did it to annoy Valon, it still hasn't happened before... What exactly is going on? You promised she was just your marionette, and I swear to the devil if you go against your own words, I'll hate you." He muttered seriously.

"Fair enough," Leonardo nodded.

"No I'm being frank here. If you're going to forget mum's mandate and go for a girl, fine... I'd be the happiest person alive. Any girl but not her, cos if it's her? I'll kill her, and I won't let you see her body. You know why I'm saying this." Bobby said.

Leonardo placed an hand on Bobby's shoulder, squeezing it.

"I've always waited for a day you'd grow balls large enough to threaten me, and finally it's here. You deserve a flower for this. A black flower." He muttered, finally walking to the door.

The s+x worker is gone, so it's just the two of them inside.

"The hell are you going? Stay here with me I'm still under the influence, d+k!" Bobby shouted.

Leonardo left him without replying anymore, and Bobby fell back in bed, shutting his eyes immediately.

"When last did he even sleep? Geez..." He muttered before sleeping off.

When Leonardo got to the outer balcony, he stood behind the glass rails, watching the shipments coming in and out of the Cartel.

At the same time, he's flipping his lighter, holding his phone with the second hand.

He opened his wall with his facial recognition again, checking out the note he sent to Ivanna.

It wasn't really the technique. He just gave her hints, and she must be smart to a level before she can get it.

As he stared, the smirk found it's way to his red lips, but it wiped off when he received a call from his fisherman Chicago spy.

"Anything else?" He picked.

"Miss Cardi made Miss Lissa fall too, but she was rescued by a normal fisherman and her mother came to the waterside to her her body not long ago." The spy reported aptly.

"Copied." Leonardo ended the call.

Seems he's gonna be in for a whole lotta shit when he gets back to Chicago tommorow cos now... Lissa's father will come out.

For sure.

--

[Chicago, House Of Esposito~ Cooper Siblings Apartment]

It's 5am, but there has been no sleep for Ivanna. It doesn't seem like she's gonna sleep at all at this rate cos not only does she not understand the jargons Leonardo sent, she's having problem comprehending it too.

He sent her a note like she's an highschool student or something.

She has been staring at it for two hours now, but nothing is registering.

The note says... I DON'T OUTRUN THEM, I ERASE THE MOMENT THEY COULD HAVE SEEN ME. I DON'T MOVE FAST, I ONLY MOVE IN SPACES EVERYONE FORGETS.

The nickname for the technique is A KILL YOU NEVER SEE COMING.

And that's all the note entailed, so she definitely has to find his hint inside this small note?

"He's deranged.." she muttered, standing from where she has been sitting since two hours ago.

She started walking around the living room. Each move of her feet, the weak floorboards made zippy sounds.

At 6am, her movements turned slower, and her eyes turned keener, her brain processed things faster.

Slowly, the substance of the note started hitting her, but it was at that moment Nino chose to come out.

"Ivanna?" He called.

"F+k!" She gasped and looked back, seeing him out shirtless.

"You and Robert need to learn how to cover your bodies when I'm around!" She used her her pen to raise a cover clothe from the couch, throwing it at his body.

"I've got a gorgeous body, covering it would be a sin..." He said.

"Ou oh..look who chose to be cocky today," Ivanna replied, and he smiled, coming closer.

He lifted his hand to tuck a strand of hair away from her face, but she stepped back quickly.

"Did Ghost really send you to the bridge last night?" She asked.

Nino went silent, rethinking. If he says yes, then he'd have to tell her the full story of how it was Lissa who sent the letter parcel, and Leonardo hasn't allowed that, so he lied...

"No. Sir Leo sent me on a lone mission last night, and I was on my way back when I saw Lissa's acts in the news, so I got angry, went to the bridge and tried to hit her. The result is my nearly broken head."

"How could you do that? You're just a Chaser—a driver in this mob, and Lissa is powerful enough to off you with a snap of her fingers..." Ivanna replied worriedly.

"Genuinely, your family and the Armandos, did you both have something going on before you came in here with your siblings?" Nino asked worriedly too.

He reached for her hair, and this time, Ivanna didn't step back..

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She's already so deep in thoughts to even sense his touch.

"Ivanna?" He called, but her mind was already too far gone.

          <Flashback, Years Back>

Cooper Seafood restaurant is the surest plug for fresh, refrigerated seafood in their street.

The restaurant isn't far from home, so even neighbours hunt customers for them

The restaurant is always full of people who come for seafood dates and those standing in line to buy take-home.

The sun is down that evening, but as usual, the restaurant is still full. This is the hour they get the most sellouts.

Robert is done with college, but he's still job-hunting, so he came to help with sales.

Ginny is still in her computer highschool, she brought her computer friends from school, and they filled a side of the restaurant.

Ivanna is still in college, and her romance with Hayden is still so healthy. They're in their school spring break, so they came to help too, sneaking kisses and shrimps.

Mr and Mrs Cooper aren't even working since the restaurant is filled with helpers.

The couple just sat and chattered like good old friends, and everything was going well till a customer slumped.

The customer was eating from a bowl of crabs when he began bleeding from the mouth and fell.

Ivanna and Hayden broke the kiss they were having in a corner, they rushed out with the others.

"What's wrong with him!" Ivanna said, petrified.

"Hayden check him!" Ginny said with wide eyes.

"Hey! Young man!" Robert knelt beside the fallen customer.

The rest of the customers were already taking videos.

"Lower your phones, I'm sure his condition has nothing to do with our food!" Ivanna shouted.

No one listened to her.

Hayden went to the man and gave him a check, his heart was skipping beats as he checked the vitals.

"Call an ambulance! His pulse is failing!" He shouted.

An ambulance was called, and the customer was taken, but his body didn't get to the hospital before he gave up. 

Autopsy revealed the crabs he ate at the restaurant was poisonous, so...

The cops came to arrest the owners of the restaurant—Mr and Mrs Cooper.

As they were dragged out of the restaurant with cuffs, Ginny was already crying, sitting on the ground.

Ivanna and Robert and Hayden were just trying to touch the parents, and the parents were crying too.

"Mum!!!!" Ivanna was screaming, trying to force her way into the crowd cos the front of the restaurant is filled with crowd from nowhere.

"Dad!!!" Robert was trying the same.

They were both pushed away, and while Robert fell on the ground beside Ginny, Hayden caught Ivanna.

The parents were pushed into the police car, and as the car drove away, Ivanna couldn't take it.

She broke free from Hayden and started running after it.

"No!!! My parents aren't killers!!!! Someone did this!!! Someone we know!!!!" She screamed, throwing her shoes off her feet.

The car went out of sight, and she stopped, crying and getting her phone out of her pocket.

Who's she gonna call? They have no one in the Cooper family, so who?

She was still there when she received a text, and merely reading it, she felt anger consuming her.

★ Now that you know what we're capable of in the Armando family— and how easy it is for us to stage murder, it's better to bow for us, isn't it? We've been on this for years, why not throw away your pride and save your parents? I'll help you get them out of prison and prove their innocence, and in return, they work for my construction company.

Ivanna looked up, her tears falling on the phone screen as her eyes met with Robert who's behind her.

Definitely, he received the text too cos he's also staring at his phone.

Together, their eyes went to the other side of the road.

There, a limousine sat with Thaddeus and Penny Armando inside.

They're both smiling wickedly at the kids, and at the back of their car, Lissa sat like a princess...

She has the same wicked smile as her parents, and it's sinister.

"Life ruiners! What did we ever do to you!!!!" Robert screamed, running fast to the limousine.

"Our family did nothing! We did nothing!!!! Psychos!!!!!" He yelled, falling but standing immediately.

He resumed his chase, but the limo zoomed off before he could get there, but Lissa's laughter was echoing from inside the car.

Robert fell on his knees, and Ivanna squatted on that road, going insane.

                <Present Time>

"Ivanna?" Nino called for the umpteenth time,"

"Hmm?" She replied, blinking.

"Been calling you since a while ago. You spaced out and wouldn't answer me just like Hilda spaced out at the Healthood the other time. Are you ok?" He asked, still touching her hair.

When Ivanna finally felt his touch, she tried to step back, but he quickly held her by the arms.

"Ivanna, i—"

"Good morning, you both!" Robert interrupted, coming out of the room while rubbing his eyes.

Nino let go of Ivanna, and she stepped away fast.

"Preparing for morning training already? It's still 6," Robert yawned.

"I don't think there'd be training today though," Hilda replied, entering the apartment.

She held big cups of early morning coffee for the three of them, and Ivanna was the first to pick.

She drained her cup fast before the boys picked theirs and drank too.

As they drank, Hilda was looking at them with uncertain eyes, and her palm folded till they were done.

They returned the cups.

"At this point, I don't understand if you're really a cleaner or a kitchen staff," Nino said, and the blonde woman smiled.

"So...why would trainings be cancelled today?" Robert asked.

"An important member of the mob is returning from a trip, and he's so damn important that Don Anthony would be throwing him a teaparty tonight at 8." Hilda said.

"Wait... important to the point of throwing him a teaparty? Thaddeus Armando?" Nino said.

Hilda nodded.

"Isn't he in prison like I heard? So he finally decided to pop out." Ivanna said blankly.

"After what happened to Lissa last night, it makes sense that he's coming back. He loves his only daughter a lot." Hilda clarified.

Robert and Ivanna looked at each other, sharing the same look of hate and vengeance.

"Now I need to go see the Don. There must be work for me to do ... Guys, see you soon." Nino said in a rush and left the apartment.

Hilda left the apartment too, and when she got out, she looked down at the coffee cups and held the tray tight 

"I'm so sorry..." She muttered, looking at the door with a sigh before leaving.

Inside, Ivanna and Robert are now seated, facing each other speechlessly

"Will you be fine when you see him again? The man who ruined our family?" Ivanna said.

"I'm fine, it'd just be painful, that we can't touch him. We, can't touch Lissa, can't touch his wife Penny too... So far we're here, we'll remain under them... Thaddeus is a sociopath, he's feared." Robert replied, his hands grabbing the armrest tight.

Ivanna carries the same amount of anger in her bloodstream as she took her phone and stared at Leonardo's note again without talking.

She must get this. She has to.

--

[Crimson Cave, 7am ~ Trap Room]

Hayden's skin moved at the feel of the stuffy hot air from the ventilator, and when he sat up to see his current location, he tried rising, but pains tied him down.

He groaned.

His body is so full of wounds from last night's duel with Monika..

Monika beat him blue black — yellow inclusive.

She battered him till he passed out, and he's only just waking up to meet himself here in this hellhole.

He stared down at his body, and when he saw one of the wounds bleeding, he covered it with his palm and managed to stand, the room feeling like a cage.

He took his palm away from the wound, watching the blood with a deviant look.

The truth is... In a cave full of abnormalities like this—a cave full of scorpions in human form, a cave ruled by the ruthless Monika...he can't show all of his cards at once, that'd be dangerous.

Pretence helps more than anyone could imagine, at times. Pretending that your strength is limited.

The door opened, and as expected, it was Moo who came to get him.

She only whistled with her mouth, and he stepped out with her.

The gangsters are probably in their morning workout, so no one's in the corridor as they walked it.

"I must say...your stamina is admirable. You stayed in the ring with Leader for five minutes before you passed out. No one has been able to stay more than two minutes with her before. You're indeed your parents son, but Leader beat you anyways, and that is to say you have to focus during her lessons from now on, or you'll suffer greater consequences." She said.

"You know what I hate most?" Hayden replied, and she looked back at him slowly, the glitters at the corner of her eyes sheening.

"It's when you talk...your voice is irritating." Hayden completed the statement and walked past her.

Moo crossed him, and he clenched his jaws.

"Get. Off!" He spat.

Moo smiled, cruelly.

"You know what I hate most? When you act mighty, do you even have any idea what's happening to your precious girl in the House Of Esposito? Maybe Leonardo is fuckin her puxxy and tearing her in his king-sized bed right now!" 

"Shut up!" Hayden growled, lifting a punch, but Bradshaw appeared and punched him instead.

Hayden staggered once, then he wiped his bloody lip with his thumb, looking up to see Bradshaw's annoying face.

"You're an animal, a big one." Bradshaw told him and then left for Monika's hall with Moo.

Hayden was the last to come in, and Monika isn't smiling trickily this morning. She sat on her throne like an enigma.

"When is the next mission? When am I going to see Ivanna!" Hayden demanded impatiently.

He was already walking to Monika's throne when Moo blocked him.

"Stop being rude!"

"When is the next mission!!!" Hayden pushed her, and he received a elbow kick from him.

Hayden lurched, unable to think of anything but Ivanna in Leonardo's big bed.

He has heard of that man—Leonardo Esposito, the Ghost, Underboss and Torturer of The Outfit.

The three in one who's an abuser. A big woman abuser.

What if he's really doing insane things to Ivanna right now?

Ivanna might be a fighter with her stuntwoman skills, but her skills are a child's play in a place like the House Of Esposito.

"You were staring at her picture during last night's lessons, and for that, you might get excluded from the next mission." Monika said.

Hayden's eyes widened, and he quickly dropped on his knees, crawling close.

"Please... that'd be the last time I'd ever try that. I promise, Leader."

Bradshaw snickered... nothing excites him than seeing Hayden getting humbled and disgraced.

Monika's lashes lowered as she stared at Hayden through it, then she relaxed and threw her gaze at the other two.

"The Albania deal is done, I'm sure the brothers are on their way back, but their goods are coming by water. The shipments will get to Chicago tomorrow, and by then... they'll experience what they've never experienced before, a sudden mission will come up," she said,, riding her eyes back to Hayden.

"You better prepare well."

--

[Armando Mansion, 10am]

Emma is back.

Her hand would never remain the same, but she came back to serve.

Her right shot hand has a thick roll of bandage around it, so she's serving with her left one.

Lissa is awake, but she just sat on bed, refusing to come down no matter the cajole from Penny.

Penny sat beside her, rubbing her face in a gentle caress.

"You didn't fall into psychotic aphasia after landing in the water, did you? Why aren't you talking to me?"

"Leo...He found out," Lissa muttered, slowly looking at her. "We promised each other during our friendship oath to not keep anything from each other, but I kept the Cooper family case away from him. You and dad made me keep it away. I wanted to tell him but you both were against it!" 

"And that still changes nothing!" Penny snarled. "The fact that we kept just one secret from The Outfit doesn't mean we're out of the mob, and the secret is supposed to stay with our family till death cos every family has its rules! Even now that it got out that you sent the letter, we're not telling them the reason we sent the letter, never!"

"You're hopeless..." Lissa shook her head, getting out of bed.

She started pacing the room.

"Stop being restless!" Penny shouted.

"You won't understand!" Lissa shouted right back. "You won't understand how scary Leo's anger is! I hate hate hate hateeee when he's mad at me, and this time, there's no assurance that I haven't lost my friendship with him! I can't lose him, you won't understand..." 

Lissa's eyes went to Emma for a second, and the look of understanding in Emma's eyes calmed her down for a while.

"Been a long while here. Home still feels like home..." Thaddeus gravelly voice filtered into the room.

Emma quickly opened the door, and the bald man came in with wide arm which Lissa rushed into.

"Daaad," she drawled, burying her face in his chest.

"La-lalissa," Anthony grinned, stroking her hair.

"Took you long enough," she muttered, raising her face.

"Don't be perturbed, leave everything to me to handle..." He said.

"Don't try to provoke Leo though, don't try it..." Lissa replied.

"Why? Cos of his FTM technique?" Thaddeus smiled.

He sat in bed.

"Vera is a very smart bîtch. She trained you and her son together, but she still made sure her son is superior by teaching him FTM alone. Even after her death, I still can't like that woman..." 

"Put some respect on her name, she's my master." Lissa said.

"Leo is like my second best friend after his father, so I'd never fight him unless he starts it, and if he starts the fight, he might have his FTM, but I gathered techniques over the years too, enough to teach him his place. Also, he's the only one with his skill, but I have an hidden mob of rogues with my own skills." 

"No, Thaddeus. You can't have hidden rogues! That's like treason!" Penny quickly stepped in.

She sat beside him.

"Relax, Penny. I'm just saying, I'm not starting a war. After all, we're one united by the omertà oath." He said.

Penny rested her head on him.

"So...now what?" Lissa asked.

"You know Anthony loves giving me a grand welcome. There's a teaparty tonight to welcome me, but we'll get to the estate an hour before the teaparty. I have to set some things in place first." He replied.

--

[House Of Esposito, Penthouse]

It's 7pm, teaparty is starting in an hour, but Felicia is already wearing her dress with Island's help.

Felicia loves parties madly. For the liveliness, the noise and pulsations.

The black dress is a tie-up style, and the tummy area has a big open circle which revealed her navel.

She looks like a barbie, very beautiful with her makeup.

Island was smiling proudly as she helped her with the tie-up at the back of her neck.

"You're so damn beautiful, Donna. I wish you were curvy like the late Donna though," she said.

Felicia faced her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mightn't have seen the former Donna Vera in person, but I saw her full pictures, and she's curvy, she's hairy, she's tall, and she has thick laps. Miss Sandra has her curves, Miss Cardi has the thick laps, and Sir Leo is hairy and tall and—"

"Isla? Are you insane?" Felicia changed her tone to angry.

"No no no! I don't mean it to anger you Donna! I'm just saying that maybe if you had the curves...the Don might treat you better than—"

"Island!" Felicia threw her arm forward, slapping her soundly.

"Donna!" Island gasped, holding the face and stepping back.

"You will not talk about my marital life like it's your play toy! Thony loves me, and it's not in your place to give me pointers! Have i been too coddly with you? Have i cosseted you too much?" Felicia glared.

"I'm so sorry!" Island knelt.

"I planned to execute the Nino plan tonight, but you ruined my mood!" Felicia cut the earring she's wearing angrily, and white beads rolled around the room.

"Donna! Donna I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way but you know Don Anthony still mourns his late wife after-death birthday yearly and I thought it's not fair! I love you like my own mother and I won't do anything to hurt you trust me! I didn't mean to..." Island began crying.

Felicia took a deep breath, then she stared back at her...

"I sent a dress to your apartment already. Go dress up, and when the party starts in an hour, check your phone.." she said.

Island quickly wiped her tears and ran out of the penthouse.

Felicia turned to the mirror, rubbing her bare neck slowly.

"At least...I'm prettier than Unfortunate Vera, and Thony loves me." She told herself.

--

[Don Anthony's Office]

Don Anthony is still in his normal suit, hasn't changed to the suit he'd be wearing for the teaparty.

He spent the whole night in this office with Bacardi, both following up on the Albania dealings, and he didn't say anything about last night's bridge occurrence, but Bacardi knew he was saving it for when things got light.

Like now.

She's already wearing her teaparty dress—a tight dark-green dress which hugged her laps together, causing friction anytime they rub.

Hair in half ponytail and half curly bun—late VV's favorite style.

"Ask the question you're dying to ask since last night...why did I make Lissa fall in the river?" She said.

"You have an explanation for that?" Anthony replied.

"And why do I have to explain to you? Are you gonna be like mum? She treated Lissa better than I and Sandra and never saw Lissa's fault no matter what!" Bacardi shot.

"There was evidence this time, Cardi. You knew she was intolerant to drugs, so you sprayed her with xax and she fell!" Anthony said.

"Cos she deserved it! She's the reason why Ivanna jumped!" Bacardi retorted.

"Ivanna f+kin jumped on her own! No one pushed her! Not Lissa! Ivanna jumped after a mere necklace!" Anthony claimed.

Bacardi sighed, nodding to calm...

"You think everyone don't value their stuffs like you? She gives a necklace that much value, but you? You don't even remember mum's favorite color anyone. Nights like this, I hate you!" She snapped, rushing out.

"Cardi!!" Anthony's voice followed her, but there was no stop to her furious walkings till she was out of the office building.

She saw Robert close to the sinners assembly building. He's cleaning with Hilda since the party is only for the upper members of the mob.

He's not gonna go, and so is Ivanna.

Bacardi went for him, and he gasped in surprise when she pulled him into a corner behind a wall.

"Miss..."

She frowned.

"Cardi!" He corrected, and she sighed, getting calm.

"Are you ok?" He asked, and suddenly...her hand travelled up his chest. She touched, holding eyes with him as her palm went down his chest, going into his belt—his p+nts.

Robert froze.

"I...."

"What?" She whispered, feeling his breathings quickening and his throat moving irregularly.

"I...um... nothing," he smiled awkwardly, wanting to squeeze his thighs, but she parted it with her fingers before taking his c+k, squeezing it gently.

His legs began breathing inside his sneakers, his chest thudding uncontrollably with nervousness.

He held his moan inside like a curse, but he was left helpless when she rubbed her thumb on his pee-hole.

"Cardi..." He moaned slowly, sweating on the brows and chin. He grabbed the pillar behind him, and his palms sweated on it.

Bacardi smiled, tracing her finger on his cap cap shortly before removing her hand and ending the pleasure.

"I'll tell a guard to drop a suit for you, and a dress for your sister. You both should come for the party." She said.

"But it's for the—"

"Top mobsters? Screw that." She tapped his cheek before leaving.

Robert wiped his sweat, and Nino came to meet him in that corner.

"I've been looking for you and Ivanna everywhere! The Don wants I and Ivanna in his office!" He said.

"The Don?" Ivanna came out with Hilda.

Nino nodded.

--

[Park, Some Minutes Later]

"Bob!! If anyone told me I'd miss you this way! I'd have cussed! You were gone for one day and I missed you madly!" Sandra said dramatically as the Rolls Royce entered the park.

It was one of the special drivers who went to pick the brothers up at the airfield, and as they came down from the car, Sandra rushed to Bobby first, jumping on him in a tight hug.

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"You ate enough sweets when you were young, the girl child in you shoulda died" Bobby said, giving her a sway before dropping her.

She went to Leonardo who's busy getting his suit out of the backseat..

"I won't hug you, Sand " he said without giving her a stare.

"Are you still mad at me? But it's been a week. Can you please pardon me?" She said cutely.

"When you act cute, you look ugly." He replied, and she scoffed.

He gave her a little pat in the head though, and she smiled.

That's his own little way of saying they're cool.

"Sir, your attention is needed in the Don's office!" A guard came to report.

"But the teaparty is in thirty minutes," Sandra muttered.

"We only just arrived, and there's already a come-to-the-office order? Did dad study Mood Ruining in school?" Bobby hissed.

"Follow up, it'd be fun." Leonardo said with meaning, leading the way.

Sandra followed too.

When they arrived at the office, they met the whole Armando family present.

Penny, Lissa, and Thaddeus whose back is on the room, but when Leonardo entered, Thaddeus turned with a large smile.

"Bloody uncle is back from his prisoncation?" Leonardo said.

"C'mon!" Thaddeus gave him an hand. They shook hands, then snapped fingers and hit their arms, a kinda brotherhood greet-code.

Bacardi is in the office, too, but Don Anthony is absent. He must have gone to freshen up.

"My teaparty is in less than thirty minutes, so I'd just use this period to reset things," Thaddeus said.

Leonardo didn't even have to search the room before he saw Ivanna. Her glare was enough to call him, just that this time, she's glaring venomously at Thaddeus Armando.

Seeing her, he grinned slowly, and when their eyes met that fluttering second, Ivanna maintained the eyes lock, giving him the glare too.

Yeah. He likes that cutting glare. It's as entertaining as her whips.

"Last night, Stanley bridge, my daughter fell in the harmful water," Thaddeus started.

"I know you're gonna mention my name next, Uncle Thaddeus, but in my defense, I made your daughter fall cos she's the reason a member fell inside first,"  Bacardi said.

"A member who has no reason to be a member in the first place? Are you talking about Ivanna Cooper?" Thaddeus replied glaringly.

At the mention of her name, Ivanna's eyes rolled up.

For the first time since she got here, her eyes met Thaddeus'

"I and my brother were initiated my the Don, and Ghost made us take the oath in the presence of the mob crowd! We have the tattoo, so I see no reason why we should still be treated less significant than the dirt under your daughter's shoes!" She fired.

"Are you talking to me...in that tone? Who the hell do you think you are!!" Thaddeus faced his wife.

Penny revealed her bag, and inside the bag, Thaddeus pulled a sword.

In a heartbeat, the sword was on Robert's neck, ready to chop his head off his neck.

But...

Even Ivanna isn't where she was before. She's not beside Robert anymore.

Thaddeus eyes travelled across the room, looking for her.

She didn't possibly vanish, did she?

Then he saw her, in a new dimension completely.

Ivanna is behind Penny—his wife, and she's holding a long combat knife to Penny's neck, too.

When did she get there?

How did she move?

Lissa was gobsmacked as she stood. Despite the fact that she's beside Penny, she has no idea when Ivanna got there too.

Bacardi was stunned too. Sandra was wide-eyes. Bobby frowned.

Nino's mouth is wide.

"FTM," Thaddeus muttered, recognizing that move.

"Fast Technical Movement in full. Hurt my brother, and I'll slice your wife's throat open!" Ivanna threatened, her knife pressing firmly on Penny's soft trembling throat.

A loud, insanely mad laughter suddenly echoed in the room, so crooked and shrilly.

From Leonardo.

He's on his seat, arms on his father's desk, body leaning forward as the laughter sieved out.

"Leo?" Thaddeus called in shock.

Leonardo's shrill laughter stopped, and he rolled his dark eyes up to meet him like a daredevil's.

"It's her luck. I only gave her a hint, and my pet caught on. Now,..." He stood tall, threatening.

"She's simply using your wife to practice. If you refuse to let go of her brother, and she kills your wife, it'd be collateral damage." 

TBC.

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