Verity

Why?

FRANCESCO POV

I let out a shaky breath and looked around.

My sons were all next to one another, silently giving comfort, my wife was cuddled up next to me — her tear-stained face breaking my heart.

And Verity was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the doors bursted open and the Russians came in. I assume Valentino called them.

"What have you done to my daughter now?" Mikael snarled at me.

"I've done nothing. Why must you assume it was my fault?" I retorted back.

"Every time she gets hurt, it's always in the hands of you idiots!"

My wife stirred beside me, waking up and taking in the scene in front of her.

"What's going on?" She muttered, rubbing her eye and her mascara slightly rubbing with it.

"Is anybody else getting major deja-vu here?" Lorenzo muttered, his tired eyes looking around at us.

"Yes, we are, because each time this happens you fuckers are behind it," Alexei said in a low tone.

"You're the ones who didn't even notice she was fucking hurt before." Enzo said with a threatening look thrown his way.

Maxim glared at Enzo. "Shut u-"

Valentino cut him off by standing up abruptly and banging on the wall. Everybody went quiet and stared at him curiously.

"Don't you all realize how absolutely fucking stupid you sound?" He said, his voice solidly rising. "My little sister — my twin sister — and your sister and daughter is in the hospital, and we have no idea what the fuck is wrong with her. Yet you all stand out here pointing fingers when all she likely wants is for us to get along and be there for each-other. Have you thought about how she feels? Her two families, the people she loves, despising one another, and her being in the middle?"

I'm not so sure about her loving us. From what it seems, my little girl hates me and our family.

I sighed. "Son, I know, but we are rivals not only personally but in work too-"

"I don't give a fuck."

The room was dead silent. None of my sons had ever spoken to me like that before and I felt fueled with rage. "What did you just say?"

"You sound like you're choosing work over your own daughter, dad."

I stilled. Is that really what I was doing? I cared for my daughter. I would never.

Mikael looked at me for a moment, sighed frustratedly, and sat down a few seats away, motioning his sons and wife to follow suit.

They did.

"He's right, Francesco. This little feud of ours is silly." My wife muttered, now fully awake and aware of what is going on.

"I know that, but we can't just all of a sudden stop being business rivals — it's so much more complicated. We've been rivals for decades.. our grandfathers, their grandfathers, and et cetera."

"Do you idiots even know what you're fighting over?" Valentino asked, arms crossed.

Silence.

In all honesty, I just followed in my fathers footsteps. Hating who he hated. Friendly towards those he was friendly with. That's how I've always ran things. The way he did.

Mikael seemed to have the same thought, as he stayed silent and had the slightest hint of confusion on his face.

Valentino sighed disappointedly. He looked at the two of us. "You both are on good terms now. Got it?"

"Son-"

"For Verity." He snarled at me.

"I know, but we can't ju-"

Once again, the doors busted open. All of us looked over to see a tall figure standing there, and it took me a moment to realize who the hell it was this time.

Nicolas Ricci.

My sons stood up, ready to question him, but there was suddenly a loud blare and nurses & doctors started running about. Some were yelling and all of them were scrambling my daughters room.

There was silence for a second, a faint beeping sound heard as none of us said anything — nobody even dared to move a muscle.

And suddenly, all we could hear, was a flat beeping sound.
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WC:621

I got lazy w this chapter but whatever