".....he set you up!"

Damien's words continued to resound in Valerio's head as he walked towards Amara with determined footsteps.

"What is he saying sweetheart?", Valerio asked her with forced calmness.

Amara paled. "V-Valerio",she stuttered.

"What is he saying?", he repeated in a hard voice.

"Va —",Damien began hesitantly but the boy in question raised his palm, gesturing for Damien to remain silent.

Valerio looked at Amara, who in turn was staring at him with dread in her eyes. He hated that look of apprehension in her beautiful eyes.

How he hated it!

"I asked you something Amara."

Amara glanced at Damien for help who looked at her uneasily.

"We were just t-talking about the competition", she finally answered.

"Just the competition?",Valerio asked.

"Y-yes",she stuttered, not daring to look in his eyes as she lied to him.

Valerio chuckled fondly. He found his girl's attempt at lying to be utterly humorous. Amara Sullivan Romero's eyes were not made to lie. The way she tried to steal them away from him always gave her away.

"Damien", he spoke suddenly. "Leave us alone", he commanded, his eyes never straying away from Amara's face.

Damien objected at once. "But—"

"Choose your next actions very carefully. I'm in no mood to offer second chances",Valerio warned him.

Damien paled slightly, glancing between the couple for several seconds before walking out, closing the door behind him and leaving the two alone.

Valerio brushed a few loose strands of Amara's hair away from her face. "So, you were talking about the competition?", he prodded again.

Amara bit her lip nervously, nodding her head.

"I'm very curious", Valerio began, his tone mock serious, "When did you even decide that you wanted to participate in the combat?"

Amara's throat was feeling dry. "I... uh...this morning."

"This morning?",Valerio repeated, a hard glint in his eyes.

"Yes", Amara answered softly.

"Are you sure about it?",Valerio asked her again.

Amara nodded her head.

"Don't lie to me sweetheart",Valerio finally stated, his tone heavy with disapproval. "I heard what Damien told you. I can go and question him and I'm sure that he won't refuse me the answer but no, I want to hear you say it."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about", Amara whispered, biting her lip nervously.

Valerio chuckled. "I was so mad when I came to know about this, you know", he breathed out."I am not around for a few hours and you end up getting involved in the most.... difficult situations."

He put his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to himself. "I am so mad right now", he emphasised clearly. "I am mad at you for participating in the combat.... And I am mad at your continuous attempts at failing to lie to me."

"I di-",Amara began hesitantly.

"I know you Amara",Valerio cut her off sharply. "I know you", he repeated meaningfully. "And I know how much you dislike such combat events. You would never voluntarily participate in them and yet you did, which only leaves me with one question.... Who is it that you are trying to save?"

Amara gasped slightly. "I'm not trying to save anyone", she answered quickly.

Valerio's eyes darkened. "Another lie", he stated. "Didn't I just tell you that I heard you and Damien speaking? He spoke about someone setting you up for the combat. Tell me the entire truth. "

"No", Amara spoke, trying to push herself away from him. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Let me go."

Valerio's eyes narrowed. "I'm giving you an easy way out of this Amara, believe me. If I want I'll go and interrogate every single person associated with the organising of the fighting event because of your participation in it. Don't test me."

"It was just a small competition", Amara told him, desperation lacing her words. "I participated and I won. Nothing else happened. Please trust me and let it go Val."

Valerio held her chin gently so he could look at her face. "I've told you this before Amara and I will tell you the same thing again and again. I trust you", he emphasised the last words.

He stared at her hard, until he was sure that his message had been put across. "It's the other people whom I don't trust with you. I can't take any chances Amara. You are precious to me. I need to hear it from you. Tell me the truth. Who was Damien talking about? Who is it that you are trying to save?"

Amara shook her head. "No one",she whispered softly.

Valerio's eyes darkened. "Very well", he stated, pulling away and taking a step away from her.

"Val?", Amara asked him shakily, a sudden chill passing through her at his sudden change.

Valerio's eyes softened infinitesimally. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her temple. "Always remember Amara, you are the reason behind every action that I take", he spoke against her temple before abruptly pulling away and leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Amara stood there for what seemed like several years but in fact were several minutes, frozen and completely overwhelmed by what had happened.... What was about to happen!

"Amara, what happened?",Damien asked as soon as he stepped inside. "He looked furious when he left."

"He heard us talking", Amara answered, lost. "But even before.... he knew! He didn't believe that I could voluntarily participate in the combat. He somehow knew that I wouldn't."

"He knew and I didn't", Damien muttered, slightly ashamed of himself.

Amara sighed. "It doesn't matter..... "

"Amara!"

The girl in question jumped at the sudden call of her name. She turned around to see Serena running into the room, anxiety and desperation plain on her face.

"Amara", she panted, "You need to do something, please!"

"What's wrong?",Amara asked her friend worriedly. "Did anything else happen? Is it Valerio? Is he fine?!",she fired of anxiously.

"Valerio's fine. It's Cian that you need to worry about", Serena told her.

Amara's heart jumped wildly. "Cian?"

"Veronica told Valerio everything", Serena cried. "She told him about your conversation with Damien before the start of the fight."

"How did she know about that?", Damien interjected angrily.

"This is the Irish domain. You have very less power here and Veronica knows it. She's not obligated to follow your orders", Serena answered angrily. "She left a small microchip in the sitting room before leaving. She heard everything through that."

"That sleazy witch",Damien growled under his breath.

Serena grimaced. She turned back to Amara who looked as pale as a sheet.

"Please, you need to find Cian before Valerio does anything to him. You know he will", she spoke anxiously. "It doesn't matter to him that Cian is your blood. He won't spare Cian if he thinks that he has any intention of harming you."

"Hold on", Damien interjected. "As much as I dislike the way that Veronica got involved, it doesn't change the truth. Cian is the top most suspect here."

"On what grounds?",Serena asked disbelievingly. "Because of what that Harley girl did in the fighting arena?"

"It's much more than that",Damien snapped. "Cian has something to do with Amara being selected. He's the prime suspect as far as I'm concerned.... My intuition is never wrong."

"You are biased against Cian",Serena accused him. "You've always disliked him."

"Where did Valerio go?",Amara asked her hurriedly before the two could start fighting.

"I didn't wait around to see. As soon as he ordered the guards to bring Cian to him, I ran", she admitted.

Amara nodded once as she walked towards the door, intending to find Cian before anyone else could.

She didn't wait for Damien or Serena to catch up as she walked away quickly, driven only by a single goal.

Amara was sure that Cian had nothing to do with it. Cian might be more reserved and detached from her but she was sure that he would never want to harm her.

She walked out and in the open, surprised to find the grounds empty of everyone except the occasional security guards. "Where did everyone go?",Amara thought internally.

Even the school corridors were dead silent, all activities having been ceased.

Amara's breaths grew slightly labored as several ominous thoughts and their meanings started to overwhelm her.

As she was passing through another empty corridor, she heard muffled sounds.

Slowly, cautiously, she began walking forward. As she neared the spot, the sounds and yells became predominant and on instinct Amara's pace picked up.

Amara rounded the corner and what she saw made her heart lurch in her throat. Shock immobilized her body. All she could do was stand frozen at the corner, her hand braced on the wall as she watched her brother getting beat by four older boys.

"You think you rule this school? It's your territory?",one of the boy's spat, his accent thick, reminding Amara of how most of the Germans spoke.

"Guess what little Sullivan?",another boy asked, wiping the blood away from his brows, "You are wrong! Your girl made a huge mistake by messing with a Valentini. And it's you who will pay for it."

Cian who was being restrained by two others boys, tried to lunge at the one speaking, whom in turn laughed coldly, before he threw a punch at Cian's stomach.

Watching Cian double over in pain made Amara snap out of her frozen state.

"Let him go",she screamed, running towards the gang. "Don't hurt him", she cried pushing the two boys away from her cousin.

Amara knelt down before Cian. Her fingers trembling as she touched the purple bruise on his cheek. "Oh my God", she chocked out.

Cian coughed once before his eyes finally moved to her face. "You're crying?", he bristled visibly.

Amara touched her cheek and sure enough she could feel the wetness against her fingers. Without her realizing, tears were streaming down her face.

Amara rubbed her eyes quickly. "You are bleeding", she spoke, her eyes roving over his face to find anymore signs of bruises.

"I'm a-alright",he wheezed out, wiping the blood away from his cut lip.

For the first time in her life, Amara felt a red hot anger pierce through her being. She whirled around, her eyes falling on the four unknown boys before her.

"Why did you hurt him?",she shouted at the four boys."He didn't do anything to you and yet you ganged up on him and tried to hurt him. Very brave of you to corner him alone. Four against one", she spat.

"You have no business here",one of the boy's snapped coldly. "This is a matter between the Valentini allies and him now", he said, thrusting his finger towards Cian. "You are Valerio's girl? Take honour in that and act like it."

"Schweigen!", another one of the boy spoke harshly to his companion, throwing an anxious glances in her direction. "Denken Sie daran, wer sie ist."

"We are leaving now",he continued in English, turning around and walking away.

Their departure didn't register in Amara's head, so strung up she was on what they had said.

"Valentini allies?",she murmured to herself.

''Yes", Cian snapped, finally straightening up. "Valerio's minions.As soon I entered the school, they ganged up against me. On your boyfriend's orders of course."

Amara looked at him with wide eyes. Disbelief shinning in them.

"Don't look so shocked Amara", Cian told her in a hard voice. "That is the type of guy that you have bound yourself to. Valerio has no conscious. This was nothing! Realize now that if you choose him then you will witness cruelty to such an extent that you can never even imagine."

He continued to speak, his voice rising with each word that fell out of his mouth. Amara felt herself panicking. This side of Cian terrified her.

In that moment he was like a volcano, who finally had his chance to erupt. And his words were no less than the red hot, molten lava, burning through Amara's very being.

His eyes fell on the jacket that she was still wearing, before resting on her exposed wrist.

"Cian.... I..."

"This is no piece of jewellery Amara", he interjected, grabbing her wrist tightly and holding it out so that the bracelet that Valerio had given her was visible. "These are shackles that he has put on you. One's which will constrain you and make you solely his until you forget your very ownself and there's nothing left of you", Cian spoke and for the first time Amara heard genuine fear in his voice.

"Cian...", Amara began hesitantly but she was cut off again.

"He's not good for you. Why don't you realise it?", he asked her, running his fingers over his hair frustratedly. "You are too young for this", he murmured darkly. Valerio is not a good guy Amara. He's not -"

"Cian!", Amara finally shouted over his voice, causing him to snap out of whatever reverie he was in.

"I love him", she confessed softly, her heart shining in her eyes."I love him", she murmured again, her voice raw with emotion as she willed Cian to understand her for atleast once in their life.

"It hurts me when you say such things about him, please, it hurts when you stare at me with disapproval in your eyes. It hurts Cian", Amara cried softly.

A blank mask fell over his face, masking the momentary horror that had flashed in his eyes at Amara's confession. "This discussion is over then, isn't it?", he asked her coldly. "You've already decided everything. There's no point in discussing it any further."

Amara stared at him helplessly. Cian never explained his reasons to her. He always kept her at an arm's distance.

"Why do you always do this to me?", Amara braved herself to finally ask him this. How many days had she spent wondering, searching the answering to this question?

"You were supposed to be my Irish twin", Amara cried, unbidden tears flowing down her cheeks. "Grandma would always call Damien my Italian twin while you were my Irish twin. Don't you remember anything?", she asked desperately. "What happened to my Irish twin?"

"He died six years ago",Cian answered flatly. His eyes dead.

Amara gasped, taking a step away from him.

Cian did not spare her another glance as he stormed off. But his words continued to resound in Amara's ears.

He died six years ago.

Six year ago.

Memories flashed before her eyes rapidly, too fast to make any sense of them. But she remembered! Even the brief flashes were enough to remind her of things she tried hard to forget.

Amara is eight and hiding behind a pillar. She can hear loud voices, people arguing one over another.

In another memory, she can see the defeated look on her Uncle Logan's face. The disappointment and anger in her Nonno's eyes.

The scene changes again and this time her heart literally breaks as a nine year old Cian flashes before her eyes, crying and sobbing because of the unjust world before his expression morphs into one of anger as he steps towards her —

Amara grabbed her head, sinking down on the floor. Her breathing harsh.

"Who's there?", a cold, authoritative voice rang out in the secluded corridor. "No one is suppose to be out now."

Amara tried to control her breathing, as she rubbed her face, wiping away any traces of tears and she turned towards the source of the voice. She recognised the man walking towards her as Paulo, Valerio's guard.

"Miss Amara", Paulo called out, appaled, "Are you alright? What happened?", he asked hurriedly, sinking down on his knees to be on her level.

"No. I -I mean yes.... I..",she fumbled.

Paulo narrowed his eyes in rapidly increasing alarm.

Amara stood up shakily and took a step away from him."I -i was just on my way", she said and turned around to leave but was stopped by the older guard.

"The school is currently on a mock lock down, miss. No student is suppose to be in the corridor until the end of the drill", he informed her.

"Lock down?",Amara asked, turning around to look at him with confused eyes.

Paulo pursed his lips. "Yes", he replied. "May I escort you to one of the designated safe zones?"

"There's no need for that",Amara whispered softly. She wanted to be alone at the moment. She turned around again, hoping to leave.

"Wait", Paulo called out urgently. "I think it'd be much better for everyone if you come with me."

Amara glanced at him blankly.

"He will be in a much better state if I take you to him as opposed to him learning that I left you alone, unescorted", he stated vaguely.

"Take me to him?", Amara murmured faintly.

"Yes", Paulo encouraged. "It would be better for everyone involved Miss", he stated meaningfully and Amara gasped when she realised what he was trying to hint at.

Between everything that had happened with Valerio and Cian, Amara had completely forgotten about the fate of another girl.

"Is he with Harley?", Amara asked Paulo.

"Master Valerio was interrogating her when I left", he informed her.

"Where?", Amara asked.

"Follow me."

*****

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry", Harley shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Valerio stared at the sobbing girl with a dark expression on his face.

"You are sorry?",Valerio mocked. "I haven't even started with you yet."