Silas didn't ask any questions when I approached him with my insane plan. He simply nodded and asked by when I needed it done. The same man who gets angry when I curse or when I fight someone agreed to do this for me. I was baffled, to say the least.

"You're not going to lecture me?" I questioned suspiciously.

He was staring at the photos on my desk. There was one picture that I really love. It was at the Cassano Villa in Italy. My siblings and I were sitting on the stairs while cuddling close. I was sitting in Theo's lap with a ginormous smile.

Those summers in Italy felt like a lifetime ago.

"I'd rather you ask me to do it than do it yourself." He shrugged while holding up that picture.

My plan was absolutely insane. I didn't think that I'd ever resort to anything like this but Christian Walker deserved this. Men like that with money and power will never face the consequences of their actions. Justice is a fucking hoax when it comes to rich white men.

That's why I turned to Silas.

"Besides, I love tearing apart child rapists."

I got up from my seat and walked to him. His eyes were completely focused on the picture. We both looked younger in it and I missed those summers a lot. I missed playing in the pool with my siblings and napping in the shade afterwards. I missed my nonno and nonna. I haven't seen them in almost an entire year because I'd been so busy with myself.

I needed this year to myself but I did push away a lot of people.

"Thank you for doing this, big muscle man." I laid my arms around his torso.

He put down the picture and embraced me tightly. It's been a long while since I got a Silas bear hug. The last time that I hugged him was also the last time I saw him.

"You know that I'd do anything for you, kid." He muttered.

"I know." I nodded against his chest.

My grip on him tightened and I didn't want to let go. Silas and I started on a bad note. But we've worked through our differences before and he became one of my favourite people in the whole world. I enjoyed teasing him and getting him angry.

I was ready to try again and work through everything with him. I felt like a renewed version of myself full of energy and will.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away this past year." I apologised.

He was silent. I tried to look up at him but he pressed my head closer to his chest. I felt him kiss the crown of my head tenderly.

"You needed to heal. You had all the right to push us away after what we put you through."

"Since when are you so understanding?" I teased him.

His chest vibrated as he chuckled.

"Belle. She made it very clear that it was mostly our fault and she didn't let it die down until I fully understood."

Belle was a good influence on Silas. He's always been this grumpy, angry, hot mess but she was his vice. I could tell that he tried every day to be a better version of himself for her.

"Whipped." I grinned against his chest.

His grip didn't loosen as he simply shrugged.

"Brat."

"Muscle man," I replied.

"Little shit."

"Asswipe."

His embrace tightened and he lifted me off the floor. I could hear him laugh sadistically while I tried not to suffocate. I was cursing him out but I couldn't stop the grin on my face. Some dynamics can survive a fall-out and I'm glad that I had that with Silas.

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

Hector's cold blue eyes were focused on me. The situation was oddly familiar. We were in his home office. He sat behind his desk leaning back in his massive leather chair while I sat in front of him on a chair I knew all too well.

I've sat in this chair every time I got in trouble at school. I've sat in this chair when I was too mean to my brothers and Hector would scold me for it. I sat in this chair when I snuck out of the house to go to a party a few years ago.

I've sat in this chair when I called him a stuck-up little bitch. It wasn't my proudest moment but he wouldn't let me attend an SZA concert because it happened to fall during exam season.

To conclude, I've familiarised my ass with this chair over the last couple of years.

It kinda felt good to be back, although my eldest brother was going to scold me.

"You asked Silas to murder Christian Walker."

I knew that Hector was going to find out. He kept tabs on me and I doubt that Silas would've kept quiet. He likes to boast about things, especially to our brothers.

"Yes, I did."

A lot had changed since I last sat on this chair. Younger me would've tried to find a way out by lying or changing topics. I now want to face issues like these head on.

"I don't want you to get involved in that kind of business," Hector muttered.

It was kind of sad that this was our first interaction in almost a year. We should be catching up and trying to heal our relationship but instead, we did what we do best.

"That's your opinion," I stated calmly.

An old spark flamed up his eyes. It was the same spark that always warned me when Hector would get angry. I used to have quite the talent for making my coolheaded brother angry. Apparently, I still had it in me.

"I'm the Don, Elena. My 'opinion' is the law." He grunted.

Hector was a control freak. He kept tabs on all the members of The Famiglia, even the foot soldiers. Everything had to go according to his will.

"I'm just as much part of the Famiglia as you are, so why can't I use its resources?" I demanded.

No women were allowed to initiate but they were still part of the Famiglia. We were the daughters, sisters, and wives of Made Men. We were used to form alliances or strengthen families' bonds. Most of the women weren't even allowed to pick out their own husbands.

"I was born into this, just like you," I added.

He was silent for a while. I watched how he got up from his seat and walked around his desk. He leaned against it right in front of me and softly grabbed my hands.

"I know and you've suffered a lot because of it." He muttered lowly.

The reminder of Ronan didn't hurt me as much as it used to. I've grown from that and I'm stronger now. He was only a shimmer of the past that I won't allow to drag me down anymore.

"I know that Christian Walker was a horrible man and you wanted to get rid of him. Next time, just come to me. I know that we aren't close anymore and we have a lot to work on, but just come to me."

The despair in his voice made my heart break.

"I'll talk to you first," I promised him.

It was a reasonable demand. He was the Don and I guess that I just can't ask my brother to kill someone without his permission. I'd never thought that I would even think about something like this. And I think that Hector didn't either. I saw the concern in his eyes and he wanted to say more but held back.

"He was a horrible person who would not get punished if I did it the legal way." That was my justification.

Maybe later the regret and guilt will settle in. Right now, I felt like I did the right thing. That I saved future victims of Christian Walker. But looking at Hector made me rethink.

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or regret your decision, but you've never done this before and I don't want you to lose yourself."

Lose myself. I've worked hard this year to find my true self. I was still figuring things out but I was sure about my morals.

"I don't think I would've been satisfied if he lived another day. I planned out this decision and I don't think that I'll come to regret it. You don't have to worry about me losing myself or making a habit out of hiring hitmen." I squeezed his hand back.

He still looked concerned. It wasn't all about the guilt and regret but Hector was always concerned when it came to his siblings. We've not properly spoken in over a year but he still acted like my overprotective brother who wanted to shield me from the world.

"I just want to talk to you again, Elena. I miss you so much." He confessed.

My heart sank down to my feet and I rushed up to hug him. It's been a very long while since we've hugged. I missed how safe and comforted his hugs made me feel. He still felt and smelt the same but he had changed. He was trying to do and be better.

"I missed you too and we can work things out. I promise that I won't disappear again." I whispered in his ear.

He nodded and tightened his arms around my waist as I rested my head on his broad shoulder. We stood there for a long while because we both needed it. Hector used to be my safety net and home. Maybe it'll never be the way that it used to be, but we can still work towards something different.

Something resilient and stronger.

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

"Don't tell your papa, okay?" I made Fabio pinky promise.

His tiny pinky wrapped around mine and he gave me his serious face. I could trust my little nephew because pinky promises were holy to him. The last time Leo didn't keep the promise, he got chased around the house by an enraged four-year-old. Dahlia had sent the video and I couldn't stop laughing for over an hour.

Our promise now was simple. I'd given him sour candies because we've been waiting for the past six hours Ariana has been in labour. With Fabio, it had taken a few minutes before he was out but this time there were some complications. Ariana was already 41 weeks pregnant and the baby was not in the right position yet.

It worried everybody.

We sat in the waiting room. Amelia was pacing around the room while Henry followed her like a lost puppy. She looked very pale and stressed which was out of the usual for her. Silas watched her with hawk eyes and muttered something to Hector who tried to keep Ezra from eating a magazine.

His two-year-old son was a crazy kid. He was absolutely nothing like his dad except for the blue eyes. I don't know where it came from but Ezra was wild. He climbed on cupboards, jumped off things, ran into things, and tried to eat every new thing he encountered. Silas had suggested putting a leash on him for which Dahlia pushed him off the couch.

Dahlia loved her little wild child very much. She always gazed at him with so much adoration when he was acting crazy. Hector was the one who disciplined Ezra while she tried not to laugh too much. I watched how she rubbed her swollen belly. She was about seven months pregnant. Amelia had tried to talk her into doing a gender reveal but Dahlia refused. No one knew the gender but Hector was adamant that it was a girl. I think it was just wishful thinking because he wanted a daughter.

"Ari will be fine, princess," Silas told Amelia.

Henry laid his arm around her waist but she shook him off and sat down. I wanted to go comfort her but Fabio had a tight grip on my hand and Ezra ran towards me. His big blue eyes fell on Fabio's candies and he let out a loud cry. He was certainly a Don in the making with his demands. He could throw the worst tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted. Neither Dahlia nor Hector gave into him when he did. His parents were strict with him because he needed it.

"Those are mine, Ezra. Go away!" Fabio held his candies away from his younger cousin.

Ezra let out another cry. I should probably interfere before they start fighting again. They usually get along but Fabio has no tolerance for Ezra's demands. Last week I saw them wrestle over a toy car. I don't get children. Why would they fight over one toy when there were others?

Leonardo started to laugh at Ezra because his angry face was quite amusing. The boy was two but acted like he was the man. Leo was eating a bag of M&M's while manspreading. I hated it so much when he did that. Why do they have to take so much space?

Ezra moved to Leo and held out his tiny chubby hands. He was a hectic baby, but we loved him dearly and he was adorable. Leo gave him a few M&M's and he finally settled. I watched him crawl on top of Leo's lap and grin with excitement as he ate the chocolate.

That situation distracted me from Amelia. When I looked at her, I noticed that she was crying. Henry was comforting her but nothing seemed to help. This was solely about Ariana. Something had happened to her.

"Amelia." Hector sat down beside her.

He softly grabbed her chin and made her look at him. Her face had turned red and tears were streaming down her face. Henry quickly gathered some napkins and started to wipe her tears away. I really like her fiance because it's clear how much he likes her. He started to cry when he realised that she wasn't going to stop crying.

"I'm pregnant."

I almost dropped Fabio. Leo did drop his bag of M&M's which made Ezra shriek in misery. No one reacted and it was as if we were all frozen in time. I had noticed that she was acting different but I didn't expect this. Amelia has a plan. She'll marry Henry, get her law degree, and start working for Theo's law firm. Only after she's accomplished all of that would she start thinking about children.

We were twenty-three years old and I understood why having a baby could be scary for her. I'm very happy with Alexander but I don't think that it'd be a good idea to have a child. I wasn't ready for that responsibility yet.

"Did you go to a doctor already because sometimes pregnancy tests-" Henry cut Dahlia off.

"We went to her OB/GYN this morning and she confirmed it."

My brothers were all in a state of shock. I don't think that I've ever seen Hector that frozen. Amelia was looking at them with blatant fear in her eyes. They hadn't been the biggest supporters of her engagement to Henry, so she worried about what they were going to do. She had seen what they did to Alexander and me, but I desperately hoped that they grew from that.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

I picked up Fabio and neared her. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and almost begged me to do something. I took a deep breath and turned to my oldest brother.

"She's already scared. Let's not make it worse."

Hector rubbed his hand across his jaw before meeting my eyes. This was his chance to show me how much he changed. He has to support whatever Amelia wants to do and he has to assure he that he still loves her. I hope he learned something from hurting me so much because I wouldn't want Amelia to go through something similar.

"Whatever you want to do, Lia. Your whole family supports you."

She threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. I smiled softly and kissed Fabio's cute cheeks. He grinned up at me and pulled me even closer. My family had changed for the better and I was proud to be a Cassano.

The door to the waiting room opened and Theo walked in followed by Victor.

"Come meet my son."