Chapter 1 #2
For once, Adriano couldn't hold it in. A deep, genuine laugh escaped him. Not the intimidating laugh his enemies feared but a real one. The kind only his family ever got to hear.
"You two got yourselves into this," Adriano called out, trying, and failing to keep a straight face. "Have fun, men."
Luca looked back at him one last time, silently begging for mercy. Adriano simply shook his head and walked away, still laughing. Even the most feared men in the world were no match for a little girl with a tea set.
~***~
"Where have you been?" Miliana asked as Yana walked into the kitchen, carrying several grocery bags in her hands.
"I went to the grocery store with Claire," Yana answered, setting the bags down. "Why? Did you miss me that much, Mili?" She placed a hand dramatically over her heart, pretending to be touched.
Miliana immediately rolled her eyes. "No," she said, grabbing a bottle of water from the counter. "I asked because Isabella said you were supposed to help her with her homework."
Yana paused mid-motion. "What? I told Marcio to help his sister," she replied, clearly irritated as she began putting the groceries away.
"Well, Marcio is in training right now," Miliana pointed out.
Yana sighed.
Every day, the boys spent hours training. It was a tradition in the Basilio family, a responsibility passed down through generations. They were taught discipline, strategy, combat, and everything they needed to know to survive in their world.
It was simply the way things had always been.
"Rafael said he would help her once he finished training," Miliana added.
Yana smiled and nodded. "See? You have the nice son," she teased. "My son is like a bull. Always stubborn, always charging forward." She exaggerated the statement with a dramatic shake of her head.
Miliana laughed softly. "Hm. Sounds familiar."
Yana narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I'm stubborn?"
Miliana smiled innocently. "I didn't say anything."
Yana grabbed a piece of bread from the bag and tossed it at her.
Miliana laughed as she easily dodged it. "See?" she teased. "Exactly like you."
Yana rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop smiling.
~***~
The training room was alive with movement, the sound of fists hitting bags, footsteps against the mats, and the occasional shout echoing throughout the space.
Matteo stood in the center of it all, training the next generation of the Basilio family.
Well... the boys, at least.
The girls trained as well, but Gianna and Yana had their own rules. They believed the girls needed to learn how to protect themselves, but their training was separate from the boys. The boys weren't simply being prepared to be soldiers or guards.
They were being prepared to become leaders. One day, some of them would become bosses.
Matteo and Adriano personally trained the boys themselves, making sure they understood not only strength and combat, but discipline, loyalty, and responsibility.
Today was Matteo's turn.
"What the fuck? That wasn't even part of the move," Leonardo, Giovanni's son, complained as he glared at Marcio.
Marcio, Matteo's oldest son, smirked. "Yes, it was. Stop whining and start fighting, brother."
Before Leo could respond, Marcio swung toward his stomach. Leo quickly blocked the attack and immediately retaliated. The two moved around the mat, each one refusing to give the other an advantage.
Matteo watched from the side, his arms crossed as he studied every movement.
These boys were tough. They had been raised in a world where weakness could get them hurt, and they understood the weight of the family name they carried.
But they also had a choice. None of them had been forced into this life. Adriano and Matteo had made sure of that. They had all been given the opportunity to walk away.
And every single one of them had chosen the family.
Across the room, A.J. and Rafaele were at the shooting range, both focused on their targets. Competition ran deep between the two of them.
A.J. picked up his target sheet and looked it over proudly. Most of his shots landed directly in the center.
Rafaele's was nearly identical, except for one shot that landed far to the left. A.J. laughed at this.
"That's when you shoved me, that doesn't count." Rafaele counteracting A.J.
A.J. shoved him again "Does that one count?" He taunted.
Rafaele stared at him for a moment before dropping his target paper. Slowly, he stepped back and raised his fists. "Come on," he challenged, a serious expression taking over his face. "I dare you."
A.J. was about to give a blow to Raf's head before a hand stopped him. "Come on unc." A.J. whined. Matteo gave a stern look at the two boys. "If your gonna fight, do it in the ring." He said pointing towards the ring that Leo and Marcio just left.
"Not in the middle of my training room." Matteo said. A.J. and Rafaele exchanged a look but eventually backed down.
Nearby, Antonio, (Giovanni's youngest son), along with Damien and Michel, (Adriano's sons) stood with Matteo as he taught them about the different equipment used throughout their world.
Every lesson had a purpose. Every skill mattered.
On the other side of the room, Dean, (Matteo's second son), was focused on the heavy bag. Punch after punch landed with precision. Boxing had always been his favorite.
Ever since he was young, there was something about the rhythm of it, the movement, the impact, the control, that gave him a sense of calm.
For Dean, the training room wasn't just a place to become stronger. It was where he felt most like himself.
~***~
Later that night~
Everyone sat around the dining room table eating dinner.
Gianna looks around the room at all the kids.
Some of the children were laughing. Others were bickering.
A few were trying to sneak food from each other's plates.
And it made her smile, she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
The estate felt full and alive again since these kids came into their lives.
It was no longer just a home filled with guards, meetings, and the weight of their family name.
It was a home filled with love.