Sarah woke up with a sudden jolt and looked around to a familiar room. Her room. The room that was made for her by her Dad. She looked around to find Rose sitting to her left.

"Ric?? Where is he??" Sarah asked frightened. They just can't take her son away from her just because he is Alex's son. They can't!!

"Calm down. He is sleeping over there." Rose pointed at the mini bed where Ric is sleeping soundly.

"Can you get him here??" Sarah asked too tired to stand up. Rose nodded and carefully scooped Ric into her arms and passed him to Sarah. Sarah held him close to her making sure she doesn't wake him up.

"How long was he asleep??" Sarah asked.

"He slept for a while in the car. And then he slept in the car ride to here." Rose said.

"So Bash didn't drug him??" Sarah asked and Rose shook her head 'no'.

"But he pointed a gun at him to force me to stay silent and come along" Rose whined like a child.

"Typical Bash!!" Sarah exclaimed and Rose giggled.

"How old is he??" Sarah turned to her right to see her best friend whom she hasn't noticed till now. Lily looked pale and she didn't have that lively nature in her.

"Lily!!!" Sarah exclaimed and hugged her for dear life. Lily hugged her tightly like she is never letting go of her.

"I missed you. I missed you so much, Sarah!!" Lily said sobbing.

"I missed you too Lily!!" Sarah said crying.

"So how old is he!?" Lily asked again after breaking the hug.

"18 months old. But he actually behaves like 4-5 years old." Sarah spoke looking at his son. Lily looked confused.

"Actually he has been growing very fast. He started to walk when he was just 7 months old. And He started to speak after he turned 1. Now he can speak quite well compared to other kids. And he is quite mature too" Sarah said with pride in her eyes.

Her son is her pride. Her life. Her everything.

"Wow!! I can't wait for him to wake up!!" Lily said sounding excited. She smiled after a long time. Like a really long time.

"That's where you were mistaken. When he is awake, you will wish he was asleep. We can't get hold of him." Rose spoke.

"I am sorry, I forgot to introduce you both!!"Sarah spoke and Lily shook her head.

"We already got familiar with each other Sarah. And we are already friends now!!" Rose said.

"Great!!" Sarah spoke and then she realized she was back in Italy. "Do they know about me?? Does he know??" Sarah asked Lily.

"No!! Seb told me that he will be informing them once they were home. He wanted to say everyone at once. He asked me not to say anything. Moreover, they are barely home Sarah." Lily spoke with a sad expression. "They either be in their office rooms or bedrooms while they sleep. They don't even speak to each other anymore. Not even half as much as they did before"

Sarah's eyes moistened at her words. Her family was shattered. Everyone was broken and she knows she is the main reason behind this. And she wanted to make things right. But she can't push her son's life into danger. She is in dilemma.

"And Fratello doesn't know too. And I don't think he will be home at least for a week. I was informed that he has gone on some trip." Sarah sighed in relief.

Now she doesn't know if she needs to go back to her old life with her son, or should she stay and set things right?? Even her son deserves the love of a family, the love of a father. He deserves it. But can she let Alex near her again?? Can she face him again?? No!!! She can't do that.

But she can't deprive her son of the love he deserves. Not anymore. She made her decision. She will stay back with her family and fix them. But she is not going to let Alex get her again. She made up her mind.

"Sarah??" Bash came into the room. She hummed in response to let him continue. "Padre and others are here. I want you to meet them."

"Is he there too??" She asked.

"Fratello is out of the country. He will be back in a week."

Sarah started to become nervous. She doesn't know what to say to them. She wasn't prepared for this. Bash held her hand and gave a squeeze conveying to her that everything is going to be fine. She nodded and stood up gently laying her son on the bed.

"Let's go!!" She spoke and walked behind Bash. They reached the elevator and reached downstairs soon.

"Everything is going to be fine." Bash reassured her once again. She simply nodded and walked right behind him more like hiding herself behind him. They reached the hallway and she could sense coldness radiating from her brothers and her father.

"What was that so important that you wanted to tell us??" Her dad spoke with no emotions in his voice.

"Padre!! I wanted all of you to meet someone!!" Bash said sounding nervous.

"If you are going to say you are in a relationship and you want Padre to approve of her, I don't think that's going to happen. Look how nervous you are. We can't let her-"David stood numb after what he saw in front of him.

Bash moved aside showing Sarah to everyone. As soon as he did, David stood frozen and out of words. That's what Bash thought would happen when they see her. Their little sister!!

"S-she, Is this r-real??" Stephan stuttered on his words.

"My doll!!" Padre said his eyes softening as he held his hands out for her and nodded to her inviting her into his embrace.

Sarah couldn't help but run towards her father. She missed him so much. She missed his hugs. She missed his kisses. She missed everyone there. As she was about to hug her Dad, She was stopped by a death grip around her neck by the person whom she calls Dad.

"YOU FILTHY SLUT!! HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU LOOK MY DAUGHTER, YOU CAN CLAIM YOURSELF AS HER??" She has never seen her father like this. His eyes held no emotions except rage and hatred.

"Padre, Let her go!! She is our Sarah" Bash held on to his hands to free her. But he was just pushed away by the old man. Sarah started to see black dots. She couldn't breathe.

"JUST BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE HER DOESN'T MEAN SHE IS OUR SARAH!!" Old man words were laced with venom.

"Dad....it's me....the one.....you call....your...Principessa!!" Sarah tried to speak in between her breathes. "The one......you call.....your......lioness" His grip loosened and she fell on the couch catching her breaths. She was coughing hard.

"My lioness!!" The old man couldn't hear his own voice. This is the nickname he has given her daughter when she aced in her training. No one knows about this except him and her daughter.

"Mamma!!" Everyone turned to see a little boy coming down the stairs. They squinted their eyes harder to see his features. Everyone looked shocked as Ric came closer to Sarah.

"What happened, mamma??"Ric asked cupping Sarah's face in his tiny hands. Everyone couldn't decipher what was happening as they stood frozen like statues.

"Nothing baby!! Mamma is just short of air." Sarah said trying to convince her son. He seemed to be convinced and he turned around to look at everyone who is looking at him with curiosity.

"Who are they, Mamma??" Ric asked and Sarah didn't know what to say to him. Her father just choked her to death. Will they accept her again?? Will they accept her son??

"Why don't you ask yourself, baby??" She spoke controlling her coughs.

Ric slowly walked towards her Dad and she just looked at her son and wondered what he was about to do. Ric tugged on the pants of her father and the old man bent to Ric's level. Then Ric did something which no one has expected from an 18 months old boy to do.

He punched the Old man right across his face. Though he didn't budge at all, this little kid has the nerve to hit the previous mafia leader right across his face. Sarah was bewildered as she pulled her son to herself terrified about what would they do to her son for trying to hit her Dad.

She is full of doubts. Even about her own family. She didn't know what to expect from them. Not especially after her father almost choked her to death.

"Ric?? What did you just do??" Sarah asked her son.

"Mamma's hurt. He hurt you!!" Ric said pointing towards her Dad. Sarah realized that he saw her Dad choking her. Everyone looked at the boy amused including the old man.

"But you can't do what you just did!!" Sarah spoke sternly warning him.

"No!! If someone hurt Mamma, I hurt them!!"Ric said sounding stubborn. Sarah knew her son was stubborn but she has never seen this side of her son. This side reminds her of Alex. She was terrified at this thought. What if her son turns out to be Alex??

Sarah has never been like this before. She has always been a strong girl. Now she is terrified just at the mere thought of her son being like his Dad!! Her son changed her completely. From a careless girl to a protective mother!!

"You are not going to do anything like this Ric!! You are not going to hit anyone again. Okay??" Sarah said to her son as if a warning.

"No!!!" Ric said sternly and even before she could say anything, he was snatched from her hands by her Dad who was now looking at his grandson with pride in his eyes.

Padre lifted Ric high in the air and said the words which made Sarah terrified.

"There he goes!! The next KING!! OUR PRINCE!!"