Third person's POV:

Ronan held the picture in his hands. Her gorgeous blue eyes shone with happiness and excitement. The baby fat was still prominent on her face but it was less than before. She still looked adorable to him but he knew that she'll be the most beautiful woman in New York in a few years.

His Charlotte.

Ever since he was young, his father showed him pictures of her. He had always wanted her, since the very beginning. So he wasn't going to let those Cassano' brothers take her away from him.

Charlotte was going to be his wife, mother of his children, and lifelong partner.

Whether they liked it or not.

Whether she liked it or not.

"Otets, we have located Diana Maxwell."

(Father)

Ronan looked up from the picture. He stood in his father's office. One of his brothers, Maxim, walked in with a folder. He handed it over to his father. Maxim was a tall blond with crystal clear blue eyes. The brothers didn't have much in common look wise.

Maxim looked like his mother while Ronan was the spitting image of his father. Both men were tall, muscular, and ruthless. They had the same chocolate dark hair and eyes. While his father preferred to wear suits, Ronan settled for jeans and his leather jackets.

"So they sent her to their home base in Italy?" His father read the paper.

Ronan sat up and walked over to his office. He quickly scanned the paper to find out that Diana Maxwell was sent to Italy. Apparently, Cassano's Italian part of the family wanted to deal with her. Luca Cassano lived there with his wife now. He'd surely want to get his hands on the woman that stole his baby girl.

"Instructions for a rescue operation?" Maxim asked.

Diana had been their spy and she'd been in charge of raising their precious Charlotte. Maxim guessed that she was probably worth saving but that was what made him so very different from his older brother and father.

"Why would we put in our efforts in saving a worthless bitch? Let her die for all I care." His father muttered.

Dimitri had seduced Diana many years ago. He'd manipulated her so that she would help them in this insane plan. She was so in love and obsessed with him that she'd do anything for him. He greedily took advantage of that.

"We need to focus on taking Charlotte back." Ronan insisted.

Maxim nodded before looking at his older brother. Ronan was insane and out of control. Sometimes he had anger outbursts so intense that he went wild. Their father would send him to the basement where they held traitors. He'd brutally kill them until he calmed down.

"I locked up the two assholes who messed up the mission in the basement. They're all yours."

They had a simple mission but they failed terribly. They had Charlotte in their custody but managed to lose her so carelessly. Ronan put down the picture. He had her face engraved in his brain. She was all he could think about, he was obsessed.

Maxim walked with him. He noticed how excited his older brother looked to kill. Maxim knew that this was a cruel world and he had to force himself to toughen up. He has had to do awful things but luckily he was given a more administrative position. His brother had enough bloodthirst for thirty people.

"When we take her back, will you wait?" He finally asked.

The plan was the wait until she was sixteen but even that scenario gave Maxim a weird feeling. To him, that was still a child but that was how things were done in their world. Their mother was sixteen when she married their father and she was seventeen when she gave birth to her first child. Their older sister, Katarina.

"I'll marry her as soon as I have her," Ronan smirked.

"She's fifteen." Maxim reminded him.

They stopped at the entrance to the basement. Ronan turned to his little brother with a cocky grin.

"She's my girl for the rest of her life. It doesn't matter when I'll fuck her, because I'll be the only one to ever fuck her."

"I-"

"Don't worry about these things. She's been mine even before she was born."

Sadly that was a truth Maxim couldn't deny. As soon as the Cassano's announced the pregnancy, his father brainstormed over this evil plan.

It was a plan to get revenge on the Cassano's who had so arrogantly rejected Katarina as a possible bride for Hector. It was a plan because of the burning obsession his father had with the Cassano' beauty and power.

It was a plan that would ruin a poor innocent girl's life.

////////////////////////

Elena's POV:

The next day I had to get out of my room. I locked myself up in my room the entire day. But today, I had to go to school. So I got up extra early and skipped breakfast. My guard, whose name was Ian, was waiting outside for me.

He was so buff and tall that it took me by surprise. He looked extremely uncomfortable in the suit that he was wearing. I got in the car with him which was a black Mercedes. He panicked slightly when I took the front seat but didn't tell me to get in the back.

The more I took him in, the more I realised that this man was quite a softie.

He was gigantic but very adorable.

"Can we go to the drive-through at Starbucks? I haven't had any breakfast." I asked him.

"Of course, Miss." He nodded and changed lanes.

I was used to having a big breakfast but I was avoiding my siblings. Last night, Victor came to my room. I only allowed him in because he was my favourite and I felt sorry for him. He didn't explain what happened but that was alright.

He'll tell me when the time is right.

We talked for a bit and he kept apologising. I tried to tell him that I was alright but it was obvious that I wasn't. My eyes were red and puffy. They still were even after I put ice on them.

That just happens when you cry all day.

Ian was stuttering whilst ordering. His ears turned red. It was cute but I felt bad for putting him in that situation so I urged him to pick something out for himself.

And the man decided on a black coffee.

With no sugar.

People like that usually scare me but Ian's pretty cute.

He drove to my school while I ate my bacon, Gouda and egg sandwich. It wasn't enough so I got a few cake pops as well along with a hot chai latte.

We stood still at a red light and I took a cake pop out. I handed it over to Ian and he frowned confused.

"Have it."

"Miss, I can't-"

"You're not only having black coffee with no sugar, that's sadistic. You need something sweet every day. Believe me, doctors say it all the time!"

Big fat lie of course but he did take the cake pop.

What was very crucial to know was that I cafe him the chocolate one.

Those were superior, no argument.

We drove onto the school's parking lot. I spotted the twin's fancy sports car. Leonardo still had a bruise on his jawline but that didn't seem to bother him. He stood with Nicolas and a few of his others friends. Perhaps he felt me staring because he caught my eyes when I stepped out of the car.

I immediately turned back to Ian who was still munching on the cake pop.

"Thanks for the ride, Ian. See you later!"

"I'll be here after school, Miss."

I waved and hurried into the school building. My friends all hung out at the stairs of the first floor before classes started, so I made my way over. I'd told them that I had an upset stomach.

I didn't really know how to tell them that I almost got kidnapped.

When I turned the corner, someone laid his hand on my shoulder. I nearly screamed and turned around to slap that person. Nicolas caught my hand midway and I came face to face with the twins.

Did they follow me in?

"Hector told you to leave me alone." I protested.

"We're not here to fuck with you," Leonardo spoke.

I rolled my eyes but Nicolas grabbed my hand softly.

"We want to genuinely apologise. We wanted to mess around with you but that completely backfired. We would never want to put you in a dangerous situation."

"You don't even want me to be your sister." I pointed out.

I was sick of those stupid excuses.

"We've had a rough start, we admit that, but you're family."

"That doesn't mean shit." I snapped.

Leonardo caught me by surprise. He placed his hands on my shoulders and made me look into his brown eyes.

"In our world, family is everything. Blood binds us forever and is the most sacred bond. You're our little sister, whether you like it or not. Hector and Silas already beat our asses for putting you in danger. We got what we deserved."

"What Vic said yesterday morning was true, we need to protect you." Nicholas insisted.

"Because some random Russian criminal wants to marry me?"

They eyed me worriedly.

"I don't need your protection. Ian can keep me safe." I shrugged my shoulder.

Leonardo scoffed and glared at me.

"You're our little sister. We protect you."

"I-"

"Whatever it takes to get that message across, we'll do it." He added.

The bell rang. I groaned annoyed because I wanted to see my friends before I had to go to my first class.

"We'll see you at lunch, little sister." Nicolas pinched my cheek.

The grins on their faces were definitely not a good sign.

//////////////////

Well, fuck me.

Those fucking twins are literally the most annoying people I know. Just as they said, they came to me during lunch. I'd forgotten about it because they usually never bother me during lunch.

August spotted them first and cursed under his breath. The twins walked over towards my table and I raised my eyes to the ceiling.

Why do bitches have to test my patience every fucking day?

"Let's make some rules clear, kiddos!" Nicolas placed his hands on my shoulders and gazed over at my table.

I lifted my head to look at him only for him to smirk. Leonardo took his fine time to glare at all of my friends as if they've personally offended him. Cecelia probably did but leave my baby Eunha alone!

"You two fuckers." He pointed at Daniel and August.

"Try anything with my little sister and I'll break all the bones in your scrawny looking bodies."

First of all, Daniel was beautifully muscular so the scrawny comment didn't make any sense. Second of all, this asshole threatened my friends!

"They're not even into Amelia, you idiot." I snapped at him.

He glared at me as Nicolas squeezed my shoulders.

"He's talking about you, little sister." He grinned.

They were suddenly so serious about acknowledging me as their little sister. I don't know if I prefer this or them hating my guts.

Both were just horrible options.

"Well, I'm more interested in your dick than her pussy." August commented.

That threw Leonardo off while Cecelia was laughing out loud.

"Can you go away? You're embarrassing me!" I pushed his hands off.

Nicolas ruffled my head before leaning down. He was enjoying embarrassing me. By now the entire cafeteria was watching us.

"I'm only warning you, little sis. Don't get involved with any boys. You have six older brothers now." He warned me.

"That don't give a shit about me." I spat.

He cupped my chin with his fingers whilst chuckling.

"I bet you that if I tell Silas that you have guy friends, that he'll beat the shit out of them."

Silas. I was still avoiding him. He wakes up early to go to our indoor gym. I bumped into him this morning, quite literally. I was running down the stairs when I bumped into his sweaty figure. Before I could fall backwards, he tightened an arm around my waist.

I just blushed and pushed him off before bolting out of the house.

He still had to get his revenge on me for making Victor upset. I can't even imagine what he'll do to me.

"Liar," I muttered.

"Want me to tell him to prove it?" Nicolas raised his eyebrows.

I pushed his hand away and got up from my chair.

"You better leave me the fuck alone before I take this fork and smash it up your ass!" I threatened.

"Make that two forks!" Cecelia joined me.

The twins just rolled their eyes but they did leave. I fell back down in my chair with a tired sigh.

"I'll bake you cookies. You need it." Eunha promised me.

I did really need cookies.