[ Nicoles' parents: David And Lacey Jackson] ⬆️

I didn't want today to happen, Even though I had no choice I still didn't want it to happen. Facing them will bring all the bad memories, all the nightmares that took me so long to get over. What will I say to them, how will I free myself from all of this.

So here I am in the shower, just sitting on the floor, trying to get my mind right. Trying to put up a strong wall so I won't get hurt by their words but who am I kidding. One word from them and I know I will break I know I'll break whatever wall I built, all the pain will come back, and I am just not ready for that.

"Babygirl" Dantes' voice rings out, I look up and see him. His face shows concern and worry, "Gattino" Through a blurry vision of fresh tears, I shake my head no and a sob comes out. He quickly rushes in the shower and puts me in his lap. "Y-you're getting your s-suit wet" He puts his face on my shoulder.

"It doesn't matter" he holds me tighter. "I can't do this, Dante I c-can't face them" he kisses my temple. "Baby, yes you can, trust me you can" I sigh "we should get out of here, I got your suit all wet" he chuckles and lifts my head, giving me a chaste kiss. I get up and try to lift him but lets be honest I'm literally doing nothing and he lifts himself up.

"Your shoes are wet too, Im sorry" he just kisses my forehead and takes a towel wraps it around me. He slowly takes of his clothes looking straight at me. His muscles flexing at every movement he does. I still can't believe he is mine, all that is mine.

I look back at his face and the smirk on his face says it all, "all yours babygirl" I blush and kiss him leaving him all hot and bothered. "You got that right" I smirk and walk out, I feel a sharp sting on my butt and I turn to look at him. "All mine" his voice all deep. I pout "that hurts Dante" he chuckles and takes my hand going to the closet.

"Come lets you something to eat" I nod holding hands we leave our comfort zone and head to the kitchen where everyone is there. "Nicki!" Sarah yells getting out of her fathers hold and running towards me. Smiling at the sweet girl I open my arms and lift her up, loving her baby scent. She wraps her arms around me "missed you"

"I missed you too sweet girl" I kiss her cheek and she giggles. "Hey guys" they all smile at me, even the twins. The twins are actually smiling, they aren't smirking, they are smiling. Wow! They all say good morning. "So what did Zio Luca say? are you okay?" Donna asks looking concerned.

"You saw my father? whats wrong?" Stefano asks looking confused. "She is fine, just ate something that didn't agree with her" Dante says nonchalantly while typing on his phone. The man can lie. "Alright then I'm hungry, lets eat" I say putting Sarah on her sit and maids put a full course breakfast on the table and everyone eats.

The guys were talking between themselves and the girls were doing the same and I couldn't focus on anything but what I was about to face, my parents, the people I spent my whole life with. After what seems like forever Dante calls out my name. "We have to go" I nod and take a deep breath. I look at Donna and immediately she knows something is wrong.

"dacci un minuto per favore fratello?" Dante grunts and mumbles an okay. Donna takes me out of the dining room. "What's going on? I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other anymore" I sigh and close my eyes. "Please come with me, I don't think I can do this without you" with glossy eyes, I look straight at her silently begging her.

[Give us a minute please brother]

"Whats wrong Nicki, you know can tell me anything. I will literally kill anyone who hurts you." She says hugging me tightly. I chuckle . "Oh How I know" I sigh and look at her "My p-parents are here, Dante is probably g-going to kill them" I say as fresh tears form on my eyes, I tighten my hold on Donna.

"And you don't want that?" She untangles herself from me and I could see the anger in her eyes but I could see she was trying to be comforting. "I-I..... I just w-want to talk to them" she nods "well lets go talk to them then" her mouth forming a thin line, she is definitely mad. "Donna?" She looks at me again and sighs.

"Okay, I'll be right there with you.. every single step, kind of like your personal bodyguard" she says with a genuine smile on her face. I smile at her "Thanks" after a couple of seconds of just composing myself. We go back to the dinning room, Katrina, Sarah and Micheal are no where to be seen but the guys are there, impatiently waiting, Mafia men aren't fond of patience I see.

They all look at us and Dante reaches out for me. Going by his side I mention that Donna would be coming with us. "No, Donna is staying up here" I sigh and glare at Dante, "I wasn't asking you Dante... Donna is coming" He actually glares back at me, the 'I don't like this' type of glare but I don't back down, "those people down there are my parents who hurt me, Donna was there for me before you even knew me... Donna is coming"

He looks a little hurt but nods anyways "Fine" He needs to know he can't control every single thing about me, I might be his woman but I will not let him make decisions for me. Dante turns to leave but stops after realizing he left me standing and reaches for my hand. I sigh and walk to him and take it with no hesitation and we all leave.

I could hear my fathers' grunts all the way to the steps we were walking down at. I knew it was him, he used to grunt every time he looked at me like he was disappointed, annoyed and just wanted me to disappear. I take deep breaths to keep myself from panicking. Dante squeezes my hand and I look up to see him looking at me with so much concern.

I nod at him trying to reassure him that I'll be okay, I know he won't fully believe that but he nods as well as if reassuring himself. We finally get to the basement and the place smells like death. I look at the guys and they don't seem affected by the smell at all. Donna on the other hand is smirking until she looks at me and goes serious again.

I stop walking when I know we're close, Dante turns and looks at me "Wait here, Okay?" I nodded not being ready yet. "I'll stay with you" Donna says as she puts her hands on my shoulders. Dante nods and kisses my forehead once more. The guys nod and leave.

"Well well well, if it isn't the worst father of the year" Damians' voice rings out. "And the worst mother" And Stephens' chilling voice is heard. I could hear metal objects screeching and then I hear her voice, my mother "David, w-who are these people?" Her voice sounded so fragile, The last time I heard her voice that fragile was when Dad would take out his anger on her.

Its been so long since I actually heard her voice as a whole. "Who are you?" My breath hitches and I hold Donnas' hand, squeezing it. Dante chuckles "why don't you guess, here I'll give you a straight up clue actually.... The King" This wasn't my Dante, this was someone else, someone I didn't know. He sounded darker, scarier and to be honest, He sounded inhuman.

Silence is heard until my Dad speaks again, "The Mafia king?" "Ahh a smart guy...Correct" Slow footsteps are heard. "Now you might be wondering what I would want with you right?.... well it seems that you and your lovely wife here are associated with My Queen" "How could we be associated with anyone dealing with you?" My moms voice is heard, filled with disgust and annoyance.

"Well Mrs Jackson, do you and your Husband have a child together?" I try to control my breaths. "We did but she is no more" unshed tears fill up my eyes, of course I'm dead to them, what was I hoping for.

"Huh... fascinating and how did your daughter pass?" Dante sounded so relaxed and yet I knew he was holding his anger in. "Why do you care?" My father asks suddenly frustrated.. "I do love stories Mr Jackson, especially fake ones, very fun to listen to" I could hear Damians Sadistic laugh.

"Let me fix that story for you, shall I? You daughter isn't dead, she is very much alive, you treated your own daughter like trash, tried to molest her and she ran away from you.... Oh this is the fun part, she meets a man, a real man, who is a king. The king takes her as his Queen and viola, here you are" the room is silent for a while until "w-what do you mean? She is here? Is Nicole here?" My mom asks sounding confused.

"Gattino" I take deep breaths and look at Donna, "you will be okay" she whispers to me, we both walk to the room, I don't look anywhere but on the floor. I could feel their stares but I couldn't bring myself to look at them yet. "Gattino" Dantes' soothing voice is heard and It calms me.

I walk straight to his arms, he lifts my head and kisses me. Its a simple kiss, that makes me forget about everything just for a second. And it helps, it helps me gain my strength, my confidence... it helps me face them. "Nicole? Is that you?" My confused dad asks me. still looking straight at Dante as his eyes reassure me that I'll be fine. I turn and look at them, one would think I wasn't me at this point because I wasn't, I wasn't the naive little girl they knew, I wasn't the fragile girl they knew. At this moment I became someone stronger, The Queen.

"Yes" I have never sounded so cold in my life. "You changed your hair" he smirks looking at me. "Its nice" Dante Growls but I put my hand on his chest. I turn to look at my mother who couldn't look at me. "Lacey look at me" I say looking straight at her "that is your mother you stupid child show some respect!" My father yells at me.

"Mother? Mother?! I DO NOT HAVE A MOTHER!!" I move closer to where she was sitting all tied up and looking down. "A mother would protect her child, a mother would care for her child, a mother would...love her child... I didn't get any of that from this so called mother"

I breathe feeling my heart beat faster, tears spilling down and I quickly wipe them. "She has never been a mother to me.. she never even tried to be one." I turn and look at him. "And you want me to respect her? Respect the woman who couldn't protect me from you. Turned a blind eye to a monster who hurt her only daughter, I think not."

"I'm sorry" Her fragile voice is heard again, "Im so so sorry" I shake my head no "its to late for that, I want to know why?" She shakes her heard and doesn't respond. "She doesn't have to answer to you stupid girl!" I turn and look at him with so much hatred. I chuckle dryly and nod turning to Dante. They were all watching me, they all seem so proud and yet a little concerned.

"Baby, give me your gun." Dante looks shocked but doesn't ask any question like the good Boyfriend he is, he takes out a gun and unclips something and gives it to me. "Be careful" he whispers in my ear. To be honest its reckless to give a gun to someone who has never used it but I need him to shut up and a gun will definitely shut him up. I nod at Dante and he nods back.

I turn and look at him again and then look at the gun, breathing in I point at his ankle and shoot, it hits him and screams are heard. "You do not talk to me until I talk to you and you do not call me stupid girl" I could hear Stephens' baritone chuckle at the back of me. "Tsk tsk should've just shut up" Damian mumbles.

I still point the gun at her husband and look at her "Now tell me, why would you let such a waste of a man treat your only daughter like trash?" Her face filled with shock and tears falling, "I-I" she closes her eyes and takes deep breaths.

"I was saving up for us to run... away from him, I promise you sweetheart I was going to take you away from him" I chuckle and shake my head, "you know you have never been great at lying, you have never been actually... so I'm going to ask you again, before I do the same thing I just did to your husband.... talk"

She looks on the floor, "I only wanted to become a Doctor, I never wanted this, a family, I just wanted to be a Doctor and you ruined that for me! You ruined my life!" I could feel the anger building up. "I never asked for you to have me, I never forced you to have me" I breathe trying to steady myself.

"I didn't ruin your life, that is all you. Do not blame an innocent child for your mistakes" And then I turn to my 'father' "and you, I don't need to know why you treated me like that, It doesn't matter. But I want you to know the little girl you treated like nothing is much more superior, happier and stronger than you will ever be." I step back to Dantes' hold, he takes the gun and holds my waist.

"Dante" "Si, Gattino" I turn around and kiss him showing him I am okay. After a while I let go and move to the door, I turn and look at them one last time, they both look at me. "Please sweetheart" she whispers looking at me. Feeling numb and done with all of this.

"Do your worst"

I take Donnas' hand and we leave.

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