𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝟏𝟖+

chapter two

ARIA

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WEAR BLACK?" my little cousin Robbie asked, as we padded barefoot across the rocky embankment behind our picturesque home.

Every time my young cousin Robbie visited, he would ask me the same questions repeatedly. Strangely enough, I never grew tired of his questions. "It's my favorite color, Robbie. Just like how, green and blue are your favorite colors," I hold my hand out for him to take, which he does.

"I have to use the boys room, cousin Aria." he tells me and we hurry inside before he has yet another accident. I open the door of the bathroom, and help him onto the toilet. "Privacy." he says. I apologize, and quickly turn around until he tells me he's finished. "Thank you, cousin Aria," he hugs me, and runs out the bathroom after.

I wiped my hands on the cup of my knees and stood up. I find myself staring at myself in the large mirror in front of me. My mind shifts to the night of the party. The night I danced with him.

Ronan Ivanov.

His scent never left my nose. His face never left my mind. His touch never left my skin, and his words never left my thoughts. The feeling was surreal.

After his words, his eyes were stuck on mines until he let go of the hold on our hands and left. He left, and I never seen him again for the rest of the night.

When everyone left, I was lectured by not just my parents but by my brothers as well. Mother had a full blown meltdown because I had already embarrassed her by not wearing what she had prepared, and then to make matters worse: I went to dance with a man who my family feared the most. Their greatest enemy, Ronan Ivanov.

About two and half years ago, Ronan was incarcerated for smuggling drugs from Russia all the way to the streets of America. When Ronan was in New York, he was the head of everything. My parents wanted what he had, and once they found out he got incarcerated: they took everything for themselves. My father, was now labeled as the head of the drug organizations in Costa Rica and New York. And now two and a half years later, Ronan was freed by his twin brother Nicholas Ivanov, with the help of his wife Stella Ivanov, as well.

My father feared that Ronan would take back the business away from him, but he soon realized that it wasn't going to be easy for him. The way the business worked throughout Italy, and Russia: someone on the throne, either had to be killed or they had to give up their titles by default.

The Italians and the Russians have been at war over the last two decades. There hasn't been a truce, or any reconciliation between the two. The truth was, we hated Russians and they hated us. And the bloodshed was never going to end unless someone took the stick out their asses and put all of it behind them. But, by the time that even happens, I don't even think I'll be alive to even have witness it.

"Is someone in here?" a knock to the door brings me out my thoughts. I open the door to the bathroom, to see Amelia standing on the other side.

"I was looking for you, and Robbie told me you were in here doing the number two," she adds a laugh after her sentence, and I shake my head. "I was not doing the number two," I argue.

I step out of the bathroom, and following behind me was Amelia. Amelia happened to be older than me by year, but for some reason I acted older and she acted like the younger cousin. She was always in my corners or behind me. We had a great relationship, and I honestly adored her.