Can you hold me for a second? Can you tell me it's gonna be alright? Cause I feel like I'm a little unsteady.

"She's a real savage, huh?" Seth chuckles, taking a sip of his whiskey, his eyes showing amusement.

"Yep... She actually kicked me in the balls; with her knee! I felt quite numb," I confess, eating my lunch.

Seth went out for a meeting, and he arrived an hour ago. I explained what happened to him when he saw me holding an ice pack to my private.

The man hasn't stopped taunting me since then. And I seriously hate how he's enjoying my suffering.

"This isn't funny," I mutter when he begins laughing, my annoyance increasing. "It's all your fault,"

"My fault? How is it my fault?" Seth asks, placing a hand to his chest.

"You're the one that let her in," I answer through clenched teeth.

"I didn't think she was here to leave you with ruined balls," He says, his chuckles turning into a full blown laugh.

I scowl when I see this, continuing with my food. I'll deal with him when I'm done eating.

"Okay... I think that's enough laughter. I'll punch you if you don't quiet down," I place my fork down, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

I haven't eaten much, and I guess my appetite has completely disappeared.

My mood is getting worse, and I don't even know if it's Seth that's to blame or if it's just my anxiety.

"You're beginning to annoy me now," I mutter with seriousness, standing up from my seat.

Seth seeing my sudden mood change, straightening up. He clears his throat, turning serious as well.

"Tell me how the meeting went... Did you get any information?" I question, walking towards the window, my attention on the dogs that are running around.

I'm not a big fan of animals, but that doesn't mean that I don't like seeing them around.

I once had two pets, a cat and a dog. They gave me comfort and attention; I loved them a lot.

And when my father saw this, he forced me to kill them; something that hunts me to this day.

I vowed to never own a pet that day, but then I found a few stray dogs on the streets, and I decided to adopt them.

Though, I never spend time with them, I always watch them from a distance.

"I did." Seth says, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I turn to look at him when I hear this, looking him in the eyes with raised eyebrows.

"I'm listening," I walk to sit in front of him, folding my arms as I relax in my seat.

Seth clears his throat, grabbing his phone from the table. He unlocks it, pressing it for a bit, before passing it over to me.

"Both Zack and George are back; and they're out for revenge," Seth explains nervously, making me look at him for a second, my attention turning back to his phone.

Seth has so much fear within him, it's concerning.

Yes, he knows how to work. And yes, he is confident when it's time for battle.

But when the curtains are closed, you can tell that the man is still a scared little boy that was once abused.

"When did they arrive?" I ask, looking at the two people I once trusted.

I stare at the picture on the phone, remembering how I almost foolishly fell into their trap.

I wonder how I didn't see them for who they were. Their actions were enough for me to see that the two were never my friends.

I know that Zack is smart and cunning. But not more than George.

George is the true definition of cunning, evil, greedy, and selfish.

I know that he's just using Zack for his evil schemes, and I also know that he's trying to take everything from me.

Including my title as Don.

"What else did you hear?" I question, passing the phone back to Seth, my throat suddenly turning dry.

I really want to drink a glass of whiskey, but I won't. I can't risk my health right now. I have to be ready for the war that's about to start.

"The men I met today told me that George has formed a gang. The gang was once managed by an old man, that sadly died a few years ago... I also heard that George is not the one that's looking after the gang; he has someone doing his dirty work, and you won't believe who the person is-" Seth sighs, gulping the rest of his drink.

I sip on my juice, which was given to me by one of the maids, looking at Seth with my eyebrows raised.

I can tell that Seth is tipsy, and it is always a struggle for him to talk when he has alcohol in his system.

It's crazy how he was lecturing me about my health when he, himself, is here drinking.

I guess we've changed roles today.

Seth is the good person between us. He is kind and friendly to people, and he's also very understanding.

While I'm the total opposite. I'm the wild one. The crazy, rude, and cocky jerk.

People hide from me, not wanting to get on my bad side.

I'm a very reserved person, that hates talking about petty issues. If the conversation doesn't benefit me, then I'll not participate in it.

"Who is doing his dirty work for him?" I question, growing impatient.

Seth looks at me, confused. His bloodshot eyes showing uncertainty.

Annoyed, I look at him in the eyes, making sure he sees my anger.

Seth sobers up a bit, looking away from me, realization covering his face.

"Yeah, sorry... The person that's doing all his dirty work is Dave," He mutters under his breath, with a little hiccup.

My eyebrows furrow as I pass him a bottle of water, a frown on my lips when I think over his words.

I did expect someone I know to have some connections with George, but I didn't expect it to be Dave.

The thought of the two knowing each other never even crossed my mind. I always thought that the two were too greedy and selfish to get along.

But I guess that similarities also attract.

~

Vivian

~

"Serena, breath... He isn't going to hurt you," I murmur, smoothing Serena's arm.

Serena looks nervous and pale. She looks like she's about to have a panic attack... Something I'm trying to avoid.

We were on our way to Papa's office, but when I was about to open the office door, Serena began breathing heavily.

I was scared because I thought she was about to die, and that's why I brought her to the garden, where we have been sitting for a while now.

It's painful to see how afraid she is. It pains me to see her fearing my parents; the two people that see her as family.

My parents are so kind and welcoming to her, which makes me wonder why she acts like she's meeting them for the first time.

"Relax," I hold onto her shoulders, a soft smile on my face.

Serena looks me in the eyes, panic present in them. She manages to offer me a small nervous smile, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry... I'm wasting your time," Serena shakes her head, her eyes becoming teary. "I'm such a fool. I'm a weakling... Dave was right; I'm a weak little bitch." She mutters with a chuckle.

Sighing, I place my hand under her chin, making her look into my eyes.

"Serena, you're a strong woman. You're not weak nor are you a fool... Girl, you're an inspiration to those that are stuck in abusive homes. You decided to leave your toxic household; something a lot of people fail to do... Do you know how much strength is needed to do that?" Serena doesn't say anything when I ask her, she averts her eyes from mine instead.

"You know, you have a lot of confidence within you... You just have to discover it... You're not a little weak bitch; you're my strong best friend. You're a queen. And you're surely not wasting my time," I smile at her, watching as she plays with her fingers.

I place my hands on top of hers, releasing a deep breath, clearing my throat so as not to cry.

"Dave was never right about you. He said you'll never go far without him, but you're in your final year of law school. Dave said that you're an ugly frog. But your beauty turns heads... Dave said you're weak and miserable. But you're amongst the strongest person I know.... You're my beautiful best friend, and we both know I'm not lying. Cause I'm always honest,"

"True," She mutters under her breath, a small smile on her face.

My heart swells in happiness when I see this, a smile covering my face as well.

"I'm lucky to have a best friend like you," Serena mutters as I wipe her tears away.

"You really are, little piggy," I joke, watching as she rolls her eyes.

"You're so cocky," She says.

"Only for you, baby," I reply with a wink.

Serena and I stare at each, laughing afterwards.

The garden is filled with our laughter, bright smiles on our faces when we begin to quiet down.

"Thank you for always being there for me," Serena says, squeezing my hand.

"You don't have to thank me," I smile, placing my other hand on top of hers.

"As your sister, I'm suppose to make sure you're always happy and smiling... Plus, you also do the same for me," I add, remembering the many times she helped and encouraged me.

I've never been the brightest when it comes to school, and that's because I had a problem with understanding words.

Serena was the one to help me, even when things weren't going my way. She never grew frustrated when I couldn't learn a word fast enough.

My parents didn't know about this, because my tutors didn't tell them. And they were too busy to check my school related work.

I was homeschooled most of my childhood, only began going to a normal school when I was over the age of ten.

Serena and I were friends prior to that, but we never did get to spend a lot of time together.

I remember how she always saved me from the teachers, who seemed to love her a lot.

Serena has been an angel to me in the past, and she continues to be one.

And that's why I'll always be an angel to her, till the day I die. She's the only true friend I have.

"I love you, grape,"

"And I love you, piggy," I mutter, sticking my tongue out when she scowls.

Serena sighs, shaking her head at me before standing up.

I raise an eyebrow at her, watching as she wipes the non-existent dust from her dress.

"Uncle must be tired of waiting," She smiles, stretching her hand out to me.

I place my hand in hers, grinning at how confident she looks now.

I stand up from my seat, my hand placed in Serena's as we begin to walk to Dad's office.

Knowing Dad, he'll be mad I didn't go to see him the minute he called.

But when I explain what happened, he'll understand. He always understands.

"Are you ready?" I ask when we reach the door, one of my hands placed on the doorknob.

"Nope." Serena shakes ber head. "But that won't change what's happening; my fear won't suddenly disappear. However, I know that I have to start from somewhere if I want to be confident, right?" She rambles, making me chuckle.

She's nervous, and I know she's having second thoughts. But I do know that she'll be alright when she gets used to Dad's presence.

"Yes, you got to start from somewhere if you want to achieve a certain goal." I assure her, finally pushing the door open.

I find Dad seated behind his desk, a smile gracing his lips when he sees both Serena and I.

"You're finally here," He states, closing his MacBook.

I nod my head at him, hoping he's not mad at me.

His body language isn't giving anything away. He has a smile on his face, but that can be a sign of being calm before the storm.

"I'm sorry, Papa... I- we would have been here sooner, but something happened on our way here," I explain, and I can see his eyes slowly soften when he hears my words.

Both my parents know about Serena's anxiety and depression. They have offered to help her find a good therapist, which she agreed to a few days ago.

Máma has found a few people that she'll interview over the weekend. And Papa is going to interview a few people tomorrow.

I love how much my parents love Serena.

I'm happy to know that Serena has a family. A family that will always take care of her.

"Alright, I understand," He nods, telling us to sit down.

I squeeze Serena's shaking hand, silently assuring her that everything will be alright.

Serena and I sit on the visitor's chairs, which are set opposite Dad's desk.

"I think you know why I called you here," Dad goes straight to the point, placing his reading glasses on the table.

Serena sits up straight when she hears Dad's words, panicking. And I just nod, waiting I see where the conversation is going before I can choose to panic.

"I think I have an idea," I reply, folding my feet on the chair.

"Good." Dad says, finally looking into my eyes.

"I didn't think I'd say this anytime soon, because I was totally against it. But I have to realize that you're ready," Dad adds, confusing me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, placing my feet to the ground.

"I mean what you think I mean... I've decided to let you be part of the war that's going to break out soon- both of you," He announces, leaving Serena and I shocked.

Author's Note