Nick fired the first bullet, straight into the skull of my father's man. Damien Petrov stood still in the middle of his protection circle, smirking arrogantly. He knew he had the upper hand right now and that I would never let anything happened to him, not when he had my daughter.

I stood still feeling numb in the spot as Nick left me to stand beside his family. I was all alone stuck in the middle, between a war, not having any choice to pick a side. I was just there being my father's pawn as always.

Bullets flew across the room all fired by the Salvatore's and each one always managed to kill a man. Still my father didn't budge, he stood there crossing his arms over his chest with an unloaded gun in between his palm. More men came into the room shielding my father away from all the bullets and then dropped dead before they could even fire back.

I watched every ones of them died until no more came in and I knew this was where his plan finally started. Nicholas had his gun raised in mid air ready to shoot my father along with everyone in the family. I lowered my hand into my purse, grabbing the loaded gun tightly between my palm. His finger touched the trigger aiming to pull and kill my father once and for all.

But, I was faster. My bullet flew across the room faster than lightning, shooting the gun out of his hand. Everyone's heads turned toward me. I didn't take my eyes of them as I slowly walked toward my father before standing in front of him, shielding the coward liked I had been doing all my life.

" Anastasia, what are you doing? " Alana gasped, her hand flew to her mouth.

" You can't kill him. " I murmured under my breath but enough for everyone to hear.

" If you think I won't kill you to get to him, you're wrong. My sister is laying unconscious at his feet and you expect me to wait around until you build up your guts. This isn't some kind of sick joke, Anastasia. " Nick snapped, eyes hooded with rage and pain for his little sister.

" You picked this guy with anger issue to be the father of your child? You have a questionable taste in men, sweetheart. " Damien said smirking while shoving his hands into his pockets, clearly enjoying the show.

My eyes snapped to Nick, his arm dropped to his side, hand clutching his gun so tight that his knuckle was starting to turn white. He looked at me without emotion in his eyes, almost lost. Liked he wasn't even sure what he was hearing at the moment.

From the side of my eyes, I saw Alana stumbled back and fell onto her husband's chest, the Don wrapped his arm around his wife's waist for support as she sobbed into her palm. The twin looked in shock but no one was more lost than Nick.

He didn't know.

" Madeline Rose Salvatore, you must love the bastard so much that you still put his name in there written in bold and no sign of ours. You know I like the girl a lot. She is one brave child. I assumed she got it from you, you have always been brave. Even the fierce in her eyes as she looks at me with hatred, tears streamed down her adorable cheeks, she didn't bother utter a word to me. A true Petrova. " he said shaking his head in amusement.

" You know, I would drain every last drops of the Petrova's blood out of her veins if I could just so my daughter won't have any connection with you. " I muttered.

" She's not a Petrova. " I spat pointing my gun between his eyes.

" Tell me where is she maybe I can find it in me to let you die faster. "

" I'm your father. You won't kill me. " he smirked.

" You're not my father. " I chuckled, pain rushing into my vein, dryness in my throat and anger burning me alive.

He suddenly froze as he looked at me with wide eyes, surprise and horror flashing across his orbs. He choked on his own breath, eyes frightened, scared of me and his hands started to shake. He knew there was nothing between us anymore, nothing to stop me from ending him once and for all.

" W-What are you talking about, Anastasia? " he asked stepping forward to grab my shoulders.

" Aren't you going to ask how I found out? "

I shook his right grips off of my arms, making him stumbled backward. I kicked him where the sun never shined throwing him off his balance. I watched him curled up on the floor in pain clutching his lower body with a satisfied grin.

Slowly taking a step forward his fallen body, I pressed the point of my heel into the vein of his neck.

" You're not my father. My father was the late Dmitri Petrov and he died before I was even born. I am his heiress. His will clearly stated everything will be mine the moment I turned twenty five. "

" There was no suicide mission revenge plan. He wanted nothing else to do with the Salvatore's, his grudges died with him. He just wanted an heir to take over the mafia because he knew his own fucking brother is a greedy motherfucker who doesn't deserve any bit of power. "

" You sent me to die just so you could have everything to yourself, you fucking sick bastard. "

" I called you my father all my life. I loved you with every pieces of me. I respected you despite all the shits you did to me. I would have hand everything to you if you just asked me but no a sick bastard like you know nothing about family. You wanted me dead and you hated your big brother so much that you wanted his daughter to die under the same hand of the family who killed him, all because he didn't leave you enough luxuries. "

" Now, tell me Damien do I have any reason to keep you alive? " I hummed.

He laid still on the ground, under my heels where he belonged. His black pupils stared into my hazel blankly. He didn't know what to say, words stuck in this throat. He didn't know I was going to find out. He never planned for me to find out, the plan was for me to die in England five years ago then he would take over and everything would be rightfully his.

I found out he wasn't my father but a mere caretaker, my real father left to raise me a year ago. I didn't do anything, I wished to never return here. I was in peace in our home with my daughter and my family. I was willing to let him have all these.

But, no he had to stick his pathetic life back into mine, hurting my daughter, threatening the life of the man I loved. So, I was going to take back what had been always mine. I would make him pay for it all, every damages he had done to me.

" Now that you know I have no reason for you to stay alive. Tell me, where is my fucking daughter? "

" Ask the father for help maybe he will help you find her. Ah—my bad he doesn't care for that little waste of space. The daughter who never have a father, isn't this history repeating itself? " the bastard chuckled, his chest rumbling up and down.

" Now, tell me Anastasia dear how would the little live a happy life without her father. Do you want her to have your pathetic life too? Might as well let her die. I'm doing her a favor. "

" Shut up. Shut up. I was alone surviving the world and you but my daughter isn't. She has me and that is enough. She's happy with me and if her father doesn't want her that's his loss. " I said calmly, my eyes didn't dare find him.

" Daughter. Mine. My daughter. " Nick murmured sounding more lost than ever.

" Where is she? Where is my fucking daughter? " he suddenly snapped making us all jumped.

He really didn't know. All those texts, emails, endless voicemails, my letters, he never got them in the first place. He never knew about our little mads and I was resenting him because of that all these times.

The thoughts went away as fast as it came in my head. We would talk about this later, not now, not in the middle of a fucking war. I needed to focus.

" Mommy. " sweet voice, as beautiful as musically I could never get tired of listening.

I snapped my head away from the man under my feet. My eyes flashed to hers, giving her an encouraging smile before scanning her tiny body. The dress I had put on her two days ago was torn and dirty. Her eyes shined like the moon in the middle of a storm, even with bruises and cuts, she was still most beautiful child ever, my precious baby.

I felt tears threatening to pour down as I took my time to look at her. But, I didn't let it through. I was on the edge of grumbling into the ground, my hands urged to touch her and pulled her into my chest. I bit down swallowing the emotions and stopped myself from doing anything stupid. I needed to be stronger than an emotional wreck right now for her, for us.

Rose Mary, as pregnant as ever, stood there her arm gripped across Madeline's shoulders and the knife in her hand pressed against my daughter's neck. I balled my hand into a fist, jaw clenched in anger. I wanted to rip her apart, limp by limp.

" Let my husband go. " she threatened pressing the knife closer to my daughter's neck.

" Press that knife another inch closer to my granddaughter, I dare you. I will make sure you wish you were never born. " Mrs Salvatore snapped making my heart thumped even faster.

Slowly, I took my feet away from Damien. Pulling him up by his collar, I pressed my gun to the side of his neck. His eyes followed me carefully but the wicked grin playing on his lips never fell. He thought he was winning, saved by the pregnant high schooler wife, quite pathetic to be honest.

" Tell her to let my daughter go and I will make sure you leave this room without a scratch. " I hissed, my finger teasing to pull the trigger.

" Rose Mary, you know what to do. " he smirked as I pushed him away.

" Run when you can. I will chase you to hell and kill you myself. You know I have always enjoy a good chase. "

My gun point never left his head as the bastard backed out slowly with both of his hands raised. I jerked my head slightly to Tanisha who was standing outside the door and she nodded her head before disappearing. I turned my head back to the bitch and still she had her bloody knife on my fucking daughter.

" Let her go. " I grunted.

" No. She has to die according to the plan. " the bitch smirked.

" You think Damien will come back and save you, don't you? " I asked chuckling humorlessly.

" Of course he will. That's the plan after I kill your little demon child. "

" I knew the man all my life. He doesn't give a shit about anything or anyone rather than himself. I'm sure You know that too, stop being delusional. "

I watched her eyes widened in realization, I could feel her body stood still in shock, mind wandered away, the knife in her hand rose inches away from Madeline. I looked at my daughter's tears stained cheeks one last time as she nodded her little head at me slowly. I gulped, chest filled with nerves but I smiled encouraging her. I knew she had this. She was a fighter, I knew she was during all those practices we had together back home.

Time froze over, the air stopped, everything suddenly turned into slow motion, breathes stuck in everyone's throats as we watched my little girl elbowed Rose Mary's pregnant belly, making her knife dropped to the floor as she stumbled backward clutching her stomach.

Madeline ran toward me and I dropped to my knees pulling her tiny body into my chest and all was fine again. My little baby was safe, in my arms.

" Mommy loves you so much, mads. I'm so proud of you, baby. You are so brave, my love. " I whispered kissing her hair as we both cried hugging one and another.

" That evil man hurt me, mama. He said he will kill you and my daddy if I don't stop crying. Maddie was so scared. He gave me so many boo boo but I didn't show him I was hurt. " she muttered, and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach breaking for my little baby.

She was so small and precious. She didn't deserve any of these. I hugged her even tighter trying to comfort her and myself.

" Mommy will make sure he pays for what he did to my little baby. " I whispered into her ears. She nodded her head before placing it at the crook of my neck.

I stood up with her in arms. The Salvatore's stood still watching us, mixed feelings, pain shock and happiness flashed across their faces as they supported Bella up. And, Nick couldn't take his eyes off Madeline like he couldn't believe she was really here.

The sound of footsteps rushed into the room snapped us all out of our trances. I turned my heard to the glass windows and there were men coming, they weren't mine.

I ran toward them and handed Madeline to her father. His arms instinctively wrapped around her and I smiled at the two weakly. She wished for her father for so long. She had her head buried in his neck, I gave her a kiss on her head and whispered into her ears.

" Close your eyes and sing, babygirl. When you open your pretty eyes again, Daddy will be there. "

" Take her back to England with you. Get her out of this bloodbath. Protect her. " I pleaded looking at him.

He hesitated looking at me and the men that were coming in for a moment, cussing under his breath.

" I can take care of myself. All I need you to do is keep our daughter safe. Take Bella to the hospital. This is a family matter. I won't need you here. Just go. " I said. He nodded.

And, then the downfall of Damien Petrov began.

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