Chapter 68 OUR FATHER.
\~~~RAINA.
Alessia didn’t say a word at first.
She then stood up and closed the space between us, her arms wrapping around me gently but firmly, like she was afraid I might break apart if she let go. One of her hands rested on my back while the other patted me slowly, soothingly.
“You don’t deserve that,” she said softly, her voice filled with quiet anger. “Not at all.”
I sniffed, my face pressed against her shoulder as the tears continued to fall. She kept patting my back, her touch steady and reassuring, as if she was grounding me.
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” she added. “Nothing to deserve that kind of disrespect.”
We stayed like that for a while, time passing without meaning. I don’t know how long it took before my breathing finally slowed and the tears eased.
Alessia gently pulled back, her hands still holding my arms. She tilted my face up slightly and wiped the tears on my cheeks with her thumb, her expression soft but firm.
“I am going to talk to Rafael,” she said suddenly. “He needs to know what is going on.”
My head snapped up instantly. “No, please.”
She frowned. “Talia…”
I shook my head hurriedly. “Please. Don’t. This is something I need to handle myself.”
“You don’t have to do this alone,” she insisted.
“I know,” I said quickly, my voice trembling. “And I appreciate you. I really do. But I want to resolve this on my own. For now, at least.”
She studied my face, clearly unhappy with my answer.
“Just… don’t say anything to him yet,” I added. “Please.”
Alessia sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
She held my gaze for a few seconds longer before finally nodding. “Fine. But if he crosses another line, I won’t keep quiet.”
“That is fair,” I whispered.
She dropped her hands on my shoulders then, squeezing them lightly. “Do you know what will take your mind off this for a bit?”
I sniffed and shook my head slowly.
Her lips curved into a small, mischievous smile.
“Alcohol.”
I blinked at her. “Excuse me?”
She chuckled. “I know a spot. Quiet, classy, good drinks. Perfect place to clear your head and remind you that the world doesn’t revolve around one stupid man.”
Despite myself, a weak laugh slipped out. “Even when he is your own brother?”
“Especially when he is my fucking brother!” she snapped, rolling her eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck.
“Which reminds me,” I said, wiping my cheeks, “how did we even get close all of a sudden again?”
She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Beats me,” she breathed dramatically. “I guess trauma bonding over men named Luciano?”
I snorted, shaking my head. For the first time that day, my chest felt a little lighter.
Maybe alcohol really was the answer.
\~~~
The bar Alessia took me to was nothing like the loud, crowded places I imagined when she said drinks.
It was calm, dimly lit, and soft jazz was playing in the background. The kind of place where people came to forget quietly.
We sat at the counter and Alessia didn’t even bother asking what I wanted. She ordered two shots and slid one toward me.
“Drink,” she said.
I sighed but picked it up anyway. The liquid burned my throat as I swallowed, and I coughed lightly.
“Easy,” she laughed. “We are just getting started.”
She poured another shot almost immediately, then another. At some point, I stopped counting.
“You know,” she said, resting her elbow on the counter, “that thing you told me earlier… It is still unlikely of Luciano.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Oh, please.”
“I mean it,” she insisted. “And I am not saying this because he is my brother. I know exactly what he is capable of. And cheating openly like that? That is low. Even for him.”
I stared at the glass in front of me, swirling the drink slowly. “Well, congratulations. Your brother just unlocked a new level.”
She frowned. “I swear, if I had been there, I would have knocked some sense into his head. Sometimes I forget he is not a teen anymore.”
I shrugged, lifting the glass and taking another sip. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I am done, I mean, completely done. He can be with whoever he wants. Irina, the devil, whoever. I don’t give a shit.”
She studied me for a second, then smirked. “Oh, come on. Rafael might actually be the best person in the world, you know.”
I snorted so hard I almost spilled my drink. “That man? Please. Don’t make me laugh.”
“I am serious,” she said, almost offended. “I would kill for my brother. No hesitation. I would even go to the moon and back for him.”
The words settled in my chest strangely.
I laughed, but it came out darker than I intended. “Even after the loss he caused you?”
The air shifted and Alessia’s smile faded slightly. “What loss?”
God, I should not be talking anymore.
But the alcohol was already warm in my veins, loosening my tongue, and I couldn’t seem to stop.
“There are rumors,” I muttered, lifting my glass again. “Sister-in-law.”
She chuckled lightly. “Ah. That Rafael killed our father?”
I hiccupped, embarrassed. “Sorry.”
“No, it is okay,” she said calmly.
I hesitated, then leaned closer. “So… did he?”
She turned to look at me fully now. “Did Luciano truly kill our father?”
“Yes,” I pressed softly. “Did he?”
Alessia didn’t answer.
Instead, she lifted her glass, took a slow sip, and leaned back against her chair, her eyes fixed on the ceiling like she was staring at a memory she hadn’t visited in a long time.
“Some truths,” she said finally, “are buried so deep that even the people who lived through them don’t know where they start or where they end.”
I frowned. “Huh?”
Her lips twitched, not quite a smile.
“That night,” she said, her voice dropping, “there was more than one monster.”