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A big happy family

The words of his grandfather burned themselves into Francesco's mind. They weren't profound, nor was he unaware. All his life, he knew it; the strong claimed turf and made the rules. That's why he had to run after stealing the money; why Togo could put out a hunt for him; why Logan tried to gain Kauffman and Nikolaev's favour; why mom won't come here.

Francesco lay on his bed, deep in thought, refusing the lunch and snacks the maids had brought him. His current schedule, while difficult, was too slow; he needed to know more. Faster. The boy jumped from his bed and searched the bookshelves. First, he needed to master Italian and mathematics. He picked up text and workbooks from the shelves, reviewing and practicing with a newfound fervor. The boy maintained his passion for studying even when his lessons resumed.

"You can't rush learning." His governess warned when she found he had completed a lesson exercise in advance. "If you don't have a solid foundation, you'll fail at the complex stages later."

"I need to learn as quickly as possible."

The governess did not continue to admonish him. Instead, she briefly touched on the lessons before giving him additional exercises and moving on.

As the days progressed, one by one, members of his staff left to be with their families. Soon, Francesco was left alone with half his guards and Stella for Christmas and Boxing Day.

Francesco sat up in his bed; it was almost midday on Christmas. His eyes felt hot, and his eyelids felt too heavy to stay open. Worse was the rapid fluctuation between feeling hot and cold. Stella had checked on him every half hour, giving him liquids or soup, checking his temperature, or applying rubs to ease his stuffiness and fever. It was the first time since he got here that he fell sick.

"Sir, you have a phone call from Assistant Morbidelli."

Francesco slowly turned to look at Stella, standing near the door, and gave her a slow nod. Assistant Morbidelli was the first person to call him today, yet it was hardly a personal call.

"Congratulations, Mr. Francesco. Mr. Baggio has decided you are ready to be announced as his heir at the next family gathering. Which will begin in four days at the main compound. I wish you luck."

Why did he change his mind?
Francesco slipped under the covers, pulling them up to his chin. He was in too much pain to think.

"Stella... I want chocolate."

Francesco, his governess, Carlo, Stella, and another guard arrived at the main compound just before lunch on the first day of the family gathering. There were several other vans, all the same model, parked in the big open yard. Staff moved about busily, moving luggage from the vehicles indoors.

The head butler, a middle-aged man with soft brown eyes and a gentle smile, greeted the boy and his entourage. He assigned one of the maids from his troop to assist the boy's group during their stay. Like the butler, the maid looked to be middle-aged. She smiled warmly at Francesco as she directed him to his rooms.

In the wing, occupied mostly by his grandfather's direct relatives, Francesco had been assigned a cluster of four rooms. His guards were next door, while Stella was across the hall, and his governess was opposite the guards.

"These rooms were often reserved for Ms. Aurora. Now they are yours, sir." The old maid gave him a friendly smile.

No one should have known he was Aurora's son. Did the maid know, or did she assume?

"Who's Aurora?" He asked, walking into the room.

"Your fourth sister. She has not been to a gathering in almost fifteen years." She whispered. "There's a rumour that your father disowned her to avoid a scandal."