We were in a big office room currently, after the whole commotion that happened and Ms.Romero's shocking words, she took us to what seemed to be Mr.Romero's office. The room was mainly dark with just a few lights that illuminated.

Leather couches were placed in the right far corner of the room and a large grey carpet complimented the white marble floor. Glass shelves were hanging on the walls with what seemed unloaded weapons of every kind.

I turned around hearing the large oak doors close behind me seeing a jaw-clenched Valentino holding the knob with such force making me convinced he was surely imagining me in place of that knob.

I narrowed my eyes and walked towards him, still with blood splattered across my clothes. We both didn't have time to change since his mom literally dragged us both to the office convinced I wanted to join.

"Look, I know you're still mad at me...or your parents, but believe me when I say I dread it more than you." I huffed out crossing my arms over my chest.

He raised his head, releasing his clenched palm off the doorknob. His eyes ranked over my face trying to find any false statement I said. He shook his head, poking his cheek with his tongue.

When he didn't respond I continued, "I'm not joining, if that's what you're worried about." I looked towards his neck seeing a dry drop of blood from where my scissors were, "Sorry about that..."

He rose a hand and ran a hand through his hair getting it out of the way. He looked at my bruised up chest and neck. I squirmed remembering I was without a shirt. "Those will stay a few days." He said furrowing his eyebrows and staring at them attentively.

I nodded sighing, "Yeah, I was going to put some treatment on them but asshat Cole shoved them away." I whispered seeing Valentino's parents were having a whispered conversation on the other side of the room as well.

I chuckled shaking my head as I ran my hand up and down my arm. I rose my head and caught Valentino staring at me. One side of his mouth was tilted upwards like if he was holding back a smile. His eyes trailed up my face until they met my eyes.

"Is something wrong?" I whispered ignoring the way my stomach fluttered seeing the way his grey eyes searched my green ones.

He furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back putting distance between us, "What?" He groaned out, his voice evidently tired and I was sure mine sounded the same.

"You, we're...um, staring at me," I said leaning against the oak doors, I sighed resting my head down, staring at the floor suddenly finding my shoes interesting.

I heard a small chuckle resonate on the back of his throat and I felt his index finger raise my chin making me look up at him. My breath hitched up in my throat as my eyes widened.

His other hand moved to the top of my head as he pulled out something from it, meanwhile having a small smile on his lips. "You had a leaf on your hair."

Oh...

His gaze wandered down to my face and his eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head seeing my expression, "What?" He questioned throwing the leaf on the floor with a flick of his finger.

My eyebrows raised as I tried to sputter out a response even though it felt I had a huge amount of weight in my throat. Now, my eyes widened when I realized what I was feeling.

The butterflies in my stomach, the nervousness I felt everything he got close. Oh my god, no...

I shook my head letting out a sighed laugh, "Nothing." I paused shifting my weight from one foot to another. His gaze wandered to his parents on the other side of the room.

"Hey," I said gaining his attention. He looked over at me and raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner. His nose was bruised up and his face had some cuts. I bit my lip probably regretting saying this, I pointed towards the couch. "Sit there."

He furrowed his eyebrows as he opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off, "Trust me on this one, would you?" I said repeating his same words from earlier in the car.

He did a tight lip smile and he walked towards the couch sitting on it, he thrust his hips upwards getting comfortable as he manspreaded. I gulped and averted my gaze before he saw.

I went back to the living room and miraculously, it was empty. Not even maids were there. I grabbed the tossed medkit and took it back to the office where Valentino was waiting for me.

Why was I even caring about his wounds? I don't know.

I sat next to him as I grabbed ahold of his face with my palm. I tilted his head checking for more wounds but it was all minor. I cleaned his wounds with a cotton ball and alcohol, every time I would place it on his wounds. He wouldn't even flinch.

What has he gone through?

I brought his face closer to mine as I observed his nose, the swelling was getting worse. I bit my lip as I searched through the kit. I found some cold gel in a back a held it on his face for a while.

"You should put something cold, such as ice, on your nose for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day," I whispered still staring at his nose. "Also, avoid touching it."

When he didn't respond, I lifted my gaze to him expecting him to be hearing me but instead, I found a sleeping Valentino. His grey eyes were closed and his thick black eyelashes caressed his skin under the eye. I sighed as I slightly shifted remembering a way he could sleep without swelling it.

I layed him down on the couch even though his legs didn't fit as they dangled off on the other side of the couch. I grabbed a cushion from one of the other couches and put it on the back of his head, making sure it was elevated.

I sighed standing up as I rubbed my palms on the side of my cargo pants, I turned around and was met with the couple's eyes. Amber was with a big smile on her face as her husband had a hand wrapped around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She simply said looking at me with such affection. I furrowed my eyebrows confused but when I caught her staring at her son, I caught on.

"Oh, no problem." I paused swatting my hand, "It's only a minor swelling and some cuts that will fade away in some days." I said giving her a small smile back.

She walked towards me and embraced me in a big hug. I chuckled and wrapped my hands around her as well accepting her embrace.

Then she started whispering, "I mean it, thank you. I've seen that way you've helped him from the start. You're changing him." She paused stepping back, she brought her hand to my chest, right where my heart is located.

She lightly pressed it as she whispered, "He's letting you in and believe me when I say, you should let him in too."

I smiled feeling my stomach flutter at the thought of him trusting me, "But Ms. Rome-"

"Amber, call me Amber." She interjected putting a hand on my shoulder.

I smiled and nodded continuing, "It's complicated to do so, when all we do is yell and fight each other." I pause looking away, "We never agree on things."

I looked up at her expecting to see her frown but instead she had a smile, "You know what they say, opposite's attract." She paused, her smile getting bigger, "In fact, me and Ricardo were opposites, I was a cheerleader and he was a nerd." She laughed out.

Ricardo is Valentino's dad name.

I let out a chuckle by the highschool story.

"Fix each other." She whispered, by the sound of it. She sounded sad.

I furrowed my brows and stared at her, "What?" I whispered.

"Help each other. Make each other happy." She paused taking a deep breath, "You both can fix each other."

I stayed still not rejecting nor agreeing.

She returned back to being serious, "Being serious now, I get it if you don't want to join the famiglia, but you belong here. You belong in the ."

I rose an eyebrow and stared at her waiting for an explanation.

"Everything...everything that has happened, you being a hacker, you being kidnapped, you working in the mafia. It was all meant to be and you triggered it all."

"I don't understand..." I trailed off confused as to where this was going.

She smiled grabbing ahold of my hands, "You will later on. Everything is not what it seems, keep that in mind." She paused sighing, "You're here at the right time."

Her shirt neckline dropped a bit and a hint of a tattoo could be seen. I furrowed my eyebrows staring at it, trying to figure out why that little part of the tattoo looked weirdly familiar. I've seen that before but I don't know where.

She figured out where I was looking and she quickly rose up her shirt, I rose my gaze with a quizzed expression on my face. She shot me a sly grin as she started walking out the door.

"Think about it. You belong here, with us. In the mafia. You found us at the right time."She whispered before walking out the door with Mr.Romero.

As she closed the door the lights automatically turned off and the only light that resonated was under the door. I stayed frozen in place repeating her words in my head.

You're here at the right time...

You belong here...

You found us at the right time...

I bit my lip and looked over at Valentino's sleeping form. His chest heaved up and down as he winced every once in a while by his bruises.

You both can fix each other...

I wanted to scream my frustration out. I wanted to cry so much, this was all confusing to me and now Amber makes me question reality.

Everything isn't what it seems...

Maybe my whole life was a lie, maybe this is some sick dream I have to wake up from because I'm in a coma or something. I don't even know whats right or wrong anymore. The weight of everything was crashing down now and I've just realized everything I've done.

I've stabbed people.

I've shot people.

I've people.

Numerous thoughts entered my brain at once as I walked all over the room. I felt as if the room was getting smaller, like I was in some sort small box with me trapped inside it.

You belong in the mafia...

I don't know, what would my parents say? That I'm some psychotic daughter that kills people? That I'm a disgrace for working in the mafia?

Or would they be proud? Would they? Do I really belong here? Why did Amber say I did?

I took deep breaths as I felt the room running out of air. I walked over to the wall trying to stay up and not fall over. I grabbed my neck with my hands as I struggled to breath, every gasp I took felt like I was letting out air instead. I didn't even know I was crying until I let out a sob. I broke down on the ground crying and panting for breaths.

My heart was pounding in my chest in a painful way making it worse for me to breath. Painful sobs were escaping my mouth as I tried so hard to be quiet. My hands trembled as I rose them up to my face.

"Athena?" His voice called out. I didn't even notice how much noise I was making that I woke him up.

I couldn't respond, my throat was clogged up and I the weight I had in my chest was unreal. I was stuttering out words as I hugged my body as chills started to graze my skin. My head was pounding and I felt dizzy like I was about to fall and I gripped the floor.

The lights suddenly turned on and Valentino stood rubbing his eyes but as soon as he saw my state on the floor, he ran up to me.

His arms wrapped around me in comforting way as he whispered in my ear.

"You'll be okay. Close you eyes, okay." He paused a moment letting me close them, "Shh, come on. Focus on me."

I closed my eyes and tried focusing on his touch and things he was saying. "Tell me three things you can hear, okay?"

I slightly nodded taking deep breaths as I tried focusing, "You're...you're breathing..." I paused trying to hear another thing but I started panicking when I couldn't.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." He started rubbing smoothing circles on my arm as he whispered in my ear.

"Let's take slow, deep breaths together." He started breathing letting me feel his chest on my back as I followed his breathing pattern.

"Good, keep doing that, Athena." He praised still being cautious about what he says. My breathing pattern was becoming normal again.

"Think...think about something positive."

His arms...

His voice...

Him...

I felt the weight gone off my shoulders and everything felt normal again. I sighed as I covered my face with my hands stressed. Sweat was on my forehead and my hair was sticking out everywhere.

His arms remained around me as he stayed by my side. I turned around and I immediately hugged him with everything in me. Not wanting to let go, I hugged him harder as he hugged me back. My face was buried on his neck as I tried to stop crying.

"Thank you." I croaked out.

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad I helped before it got worse. I'm sorry I didn't wake up soon-"

"Don't talk, I'm not finished." I paused wrapping my hands around him harder, "You don't know how much you helped me right now, you probably think I'm some stupid bit-"

"No." He cut me off strong but soft, "Don't ever think that again. It's normal, okay? I've had my own."

I stayed silent as I closed my eyes as I focused on his breathing as it made me calm. Soon I felt him lay his head on top of mine as he fell into a deep slumber.

I smiled into his neck.

you both can fix each other.

I resisted the urge to smile harder as I fell into a deep slumber of my own.