Euphoria stretched with an unlady like yawn falling from her lips. Her body ached in parts she never thought they would. The aches immediately reminded her of what had transpired earlier that morning. A smile tickled her lips as flashes of the early morning danced in her sight.

As Euphoria turned to the left side of the bed she frowned at the empty side of the bed. She sat up and scanned her surroundings. Her side of the bed still had the canopy down while Demetrius's side was open. Her eyes found a little note on the bed.

I apologise I had to leave so soon I have meetings scheduled for today that I had forgotten about. I'll be in my study when you need me.

P.S: there are clothes in the bathroom.

~Demetrius~

Euphoria stood on shaky legs and made her way towards the bathroom. Since Demetrius wanted to be a hair dresser and play with her hair Euphoria was forced to wash it once more. After her long shower she got dressed in a thin strapped sky blue dress that was littered with red, pink, green, orange and yellow flowers. She tied her hair in a lower puff and left her face bare. She wore brown sandals and Demetrius's chain and ring. After applying her clear lip gloss she left the room.

It took her a few random turns to find the stairs. Euphoria realised this was the same place Alloponio had brought her too after her attack. The obnoxiously large stairs gave it away as she slid down on the railing once more.

"What are you five?" Simone scoffed as she watched Euphoria hop off the rail.

"What are you lost?" Euphoria countered back staring at the tall brunette with bright blue eyes, full eyelashes and brows, high cheek bones, pouty lips and a small straight nose. Her legs long and body slim with busty breasts. She's beautiful that much Euphoria could give her that. Other than that Euphoria found her rather annoying.

"I'm not lost." The woman sneered.

"Well you seem to be because I know you ain't talk to me like that." Euphoria grumbled as she pushed pass the woman and walked away.

Euphoria was in high spirits and didn't need anyone to bring her down. After earlier this morning she wanted to feel like this forever.

"Good afternoon." She smiled at the women that stood and sat around the kitchen.

She could tell they were his family members. Some she had forgotten and others she remembers. Gabriela smiled at her before wiping her hands down on the apron and making her way towards her.

"So you're up pretty late." Gabriela wiggled her brows suggestively.

Euphoria only smiled. "Mhmm. I was so tired after yesterday's events." She played it cool.

"Really bitčh." Gabriela deadpanned.

"Language." Lisa, one of Emilio's sister's, muttered as she swatted her with a wet cloth.

"Ouch! That hurt zietta." Gabriela whined rubbing her arm.

"Then no cursing." The older woman scolded.

"Yes zietta." Gabriela whispered.

Euphoria giggled before walking over to the fridge and grabbing some of the left over pasta dish from the previous night. She remembers tasting some from Demetrius's plate and loving it.

"So what's with all the up and down in the kitchen?" Euphoria asked after heating up her food and taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

"We always prepare lunch and dinner after such big events." Lisa said as she looked at her. "We get to know each other more and just have fun since all the men are up in the study and the kids are outside playing."

"And Salvatore?" Euphoria asked curious to know how he was after last night.

"Don't fret cara." Penelope jumped in waving her hand. "The boy was more worried where you were than remembering what happened last night."

"Oh what did you tell him?"

"The truth." Gabriela said staring deep into her eyes.

Euphoria chuckled as Lisa swatted her once more. "I told him that you were tired and just sleeping." Penelope smirked at her.

Euphoria nodded. "Alright thank you." She smiled at her appreciatively. "Do you need any help once I'm done eating and checking on Sal?"

"Oh yes of course cara all the much help will be needed." Martha one of the other aunties or cousins said. Euphoria couldn't really remember what she was.

"What? But you said-" One of the cousins Nora yelped and rubbed her arm as she looked at one of the aunties.

"Umm...Ok." Glanced between everyone before continuing to eat.

Euphoria ate awkwardly as she could feel them glancing at her as they spoke in their native tongue... Italian. After she finished eating one of the cousins were quick to take her dish and wash it even after she protested.

Euphoria asked one of the guards to lead her to the kids. It took them a couple of turns and walks down long hallways until they reached the play room. Which was almost the same size as the ballroom. It had been divided into the kids, pre teens and teens sections. The oldest male teens were 16. Demetrius had mentioned that while they were 17 going onto 18 they would under go intense training before being initiated into the Empire at the age of 19. She knew they were in the study as well. They started off at this age because they were the future of the Empire.

"Mama." Salvatore hugged her legs with a wide smile on his face. "I missed you. I did not see you today."

"Hi my baby." Euphoria kissed his cheeks. "I missed you too." She smiled at him. "Have you been a good boy while I was resting?"

"Yes." He nodded. "My cuginos want to meet you." Salvatore hugged at her hand.

Euphoria allowed him to pull her around and introduce her to all his cousins. After a while she left the play room and managed to find her way to the kitchen.

"Oh thank the heavens you're back." Gabriela rushed to her. "They had just began snooping into my marriage with Evan and now that you're here they can pluck into your life since you're practically family now." She said as she pulled her in.

"Really girl." Euphoria laughed at her.

"Yes." Gabriela nodded with a grin.

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus." Euphoria muttered sarcastically.

"My pleasure."

Euphoria took an apron and put it on before washing her hands thoroughly. "So what do you need help with?"

"Oh you can help me with the cleaning of the chicken and spicing. We want to roast it." Penelope grinned.

Euphoria nodded before taking the three bowls of chicken one at a time towards the sink in order to clean them. As she began she felt the eyes of the women on her back and heard the whispers in their native tongue. If only they believed me when I told them that I couldn't understand them when they spoke Italian. Euphoria thought as she began to hum an unknown tune.

"So Euphoria where are you from?" She heard Martha ask.

"Originally I'm from Brooklyn but I've been in New York City for over five years." Euphoria answered politely.

"You don't sound Brooklyn or New York." Penelope frowned slightly.

"I get that a lot." Euphoria shrugged her herself not knowing the answer to that. "I guess the accents and slang never stuck." She shrugged.

"So you attended NYU?"

"Yes I did." Euphoria smiled proudly. "I graduated already. I think I missed my graduation ceremony." She frowned. "I need to go get my degree." She mumbled as a reminder to herself.

"Parents? What do they do for a living?" She heard someone else say.

"They're dead. I've been an orphan since I was about five or six." Euphoria answered without looking back at them.

"Oh dear I'm so sorry." Lisa said place her hand on her shoulder as comfort.

"Its ok. It was a long time ago." She smiled reassuringly at the woman.

"So how did they die?" She heard Nora.

"Nora!"

"Ouch! She said it was a long time ago mama." Nora exclaimed as she rubbed the back of her head.

"That doesn't make it appropriate to ask young lady. Now apologise." Lucile another one of the older ladies asked.

"Oh no it's o-"

"I'm sorry for asking that about your parents Euphoria." Nora apologised as she rubbed her head.

"Its alright." Euphoria gave her a sheepish smile. "They died in a house fire. It was arson. It's what caused me to become deaf in the one ear." She pointed at the sky blue hearing aid with the D'Agostino crest on it. I swear Demetrius went through all my damn clothes and got me these customized hearing aids. She grumbled disapprovingly in her thoughts.

"You were in the house at the time of the fire?" Gabriela asked shocked.

"Yes I was. I was the one who alerted my parents of it. I woke up to go get some water and took the stairs that led into the kitchen not the ones that led into the living room. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs the kitchen was in flames. I remember screaming then hearing a big bang. Afterwards everything was foggy. I remember opening my eyes and waking up in the bathtub fully submerged in water, besides my head. And then I woke later on again but in the hospital." Euphoria explained grimly.

Euphoria felt herself being tackled and before she knew it the familiar scent of Gabriela and Penelope engulfed her.

"You guys, I'm ok." She chuckled trying to suppress her sadness.

"Yes but at the same time no child should ever loose both their parents like that." Penelope frowned looking at her.

"No person for that matter Gabriela."

"They're right." Lisa said joining them.

Soon enough they were all hugging her and for some odd reason that got to Euphoria. A damn, that she thought had gone dry, broke loose. She thought the days crying for her parents were long over when she couldn't cry for them on their death date. She felt all their motherly and sisterly love radiating off of them which just broke loose another damn.