The Missing Princess

9: Healer

Chapter 9

Giovanni "Gio" Artem Vasiliev Di Luca is the third son of Luciano Di Luca and Oksana Vasiliev. Gio was only ten when his mother died after giving birth to his little sister; he was also the only one that was beside his dear mother throughout the entire delivery ordeal, and he watched how the light in his mother's eyes died while carrying his newborn sister. This event deeply traumatised Gio, and he became overly protective of his little sister, swearing that he would always be there for her. However, three years later, the sudden and mysterious disappearance of his father and his beloved sister broke something inside Gio, and he had never been the same since.

The third Di Luca brother is widely known in the business and mafia worlds as the smart one, with an IQ of 165. Gio was an exceptional and bright student who graduated at the top of his class at the age of eighteen. He is very skilled in technology, but not once did he lend his brain and skills to help with his family's business and mafia; instead, he pursued his career in medicine to take over his mother's health care company. Many say that Gio is the only brother whose conscience and morals are still intact as he continues to prove his profound dislike for his family's business and mafia, which includes his brothers and their Russian relatives.

But despite everyone's negative opinions about Giovanni Di Luca's unusual beliefs and personality, they are continually impressed with his intelligence and skills, and no one in the business world or underworld ever wants to get on Gio's bad side. The third Di Luca brother may be the only one in his family who refuses to commit homicide, but he is very capable of destroying a person's whole life within minutes with the only use of his computers.

They called Gio The Healer because of his passion and profession of helping people, but he is also known as The Recluse because of his anti-social personality and emotional distance from everyone, even his own family.

However, no one really knew the truth about the trauma and lonely feeling Giovanni Artem Vasiliev Di Luca always carried.

***

-Giovanni Di Luca-

What happened to her?

Was the question that had been disturbing my mind since I saw my amata sorellina (beloved little sister) for the first time in thirteen years.

There were clear signs of abuse and possible neglect as I observed her, and it only made me feel like all of the unwanted emotions I have repressed for so long start to resurface again. I've always kept a calm facade ever since I left the family, but the facade broke with one look at my sorellina. She's the only reason I'm even back here with the family I supposedly left.

I still don't understand what happened to her, where she was found, how she was found, or where in the world our padre is.

Lorenzo only called me to tell me that he's in Moscow and that our uncle finally found our sister and is going to take her back home. Without hesitation after the call, I quickly packed all of my important stuff, handed in my resignation in the hospital, and hopped into the first flight to Italy to go back to the mansion where I was born and raised—the mansion that stopped being my home when my madre died and my sorellina disappeared. 

To be perfectly honest, I was sceptical at first with the information because it had been thirteen years after all, and at some point I truly believed in the possibility that we may never get to see her again. Like Lorenzo, I am a to see is to believe kind of person. And when I did finally see my darling Isabella, all the doubts that clouded my mind were gone in an instant. I instantly knew that little girl was my sorellina. It's unbelievable; she still looks the same but is only slightly older. But I don't like how small and unhealthy she looks, though.