Liliane

“Done! Just need to grab the wine,” Dahlia declared with a sense of accomplishment, swiftly turning around but accidentally colliding with a solid chest.

“Ouch,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead where the impact had occurred.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were going to turn,” Merino apologized sincerely, concern etched across his face.

Dahlia shrugged, dismissing the pain. “It’s okay. I was just about to fetch Boss’s wine to complete his breakfast,” she explained, her voice devoid of any resentment.

Merino’s gaze softened as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “I just wanted to check on you…and Boss. Was he too harsh on you earlier? I’m sorry if he was,” he inquired, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Dahlia let out a light chuckle, her lips curving into a small smile. “Oh, well, it was rather foolish of me to think I could escape. But at least I’m still alive,” she replied.

Reaching for the bottle of wine, she held it firmly in her grasp. “Well, I should go and deliver Boss’s meal now,” she remarked, her voice composed and focused on the task at hand.

As Merino’s grip tightened around her hand, Dahlia felt a shiver run down her spine. Her eyes flickered briefly to the hand he held, a jolt of remembrance shooting through her as Salvatore’s menacing words echoed in her ears.

The chilling warning replayed in her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat. Swiftly and subtly, she managed to slip her hand out of Merino’s grasp, a hint of caution glimmering in her eyes as she turned to face him.

“Have… Have I seen you somewhere before?” Merino’s voice was laced with genuine curiosity as he studied her intently, searching for any signs of recognition.

Dahlia’s mind raced, desperately trying to find the right words to respond. “I’m not really sure,” she replied evasively, her tone guarded and careful.

A flicker of disappointment passed over Merino’s features as he tried to conceal his own sense of familiarity. “Guess it’s just my imagination then,” he replied, attempting to brush off the lingering thoughts.

With a cautious smile, Dahlia nodded. “Perhaps. Well, I should take my leave,” she said, her voice gentle yet distant as she turned to walk away, trying to maintain her composure.

Merino’s gaze followed her retreating figure, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. There was an undeniable intrigue that lingered in his mind, a sense of connection that he couldn’t quite explain.

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

In Salvatore’s suite, the room was dimly lit, casting a somber ambiance. Shirtless and lost in his own thoughts, he sat on the couch, his eyes fixated on a picture of a girl. Memories of the previous night flooded his mind, causing a mixture of emotions to swirl within him. Running a hand through his tousled hair, he couldn’t help but reflect on the aftermath of his actions.

Unbeknownst to Salvatore, he had taken Dahlia's virginity. Had he known, he might have approached the situation differently, seeking to find an alternative method to impose his wrath. Instead, he had chosen what he believed to be a way to alleviate his own pain – engaging in a physical encounter with her.

His fingers tenderly brushed across the girl’s face.

“Liliane…”, He murmured, as memories flooded his thoughts.

***~~~***

In a picturesque flower field, a pair of ten-year-old twins found themselves lost in their own little worlds. The girl, Liliane, ran freely through the vibrant blooms, her laughter echoing in the air. Meanwhile, her brother, Salvatore, sat on a swing, engrossed in a book that transported him to different realms.

With their matching jet-black hair and striking features, it was evident to anyone who glanced their way that they were indeed twins. Their eyes, shaped in a similar manner, held a spark of mischief that belied their young age. And their lips, perfectly shaped, often curved into contagious smiles.

Delighted by her own discovery, Liliane skipped over to Aurelio, a mischievous grin on her face. Clutching a fragrant rose tightly in her small hand, she extended it towards him. “Sally, look! I brought you a rose,” she proclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

Salvatore, however, did not even spare a glance at the gesture of affection. “I’ve already told you countless times, Liliane, stop calling me Sally. And I hate flowers,” he replied dismissively, his attention still fixated on the words in the book before him.

Liliane's bottom lip jutted out in a pout as she sat herself down on her brother’s lap, determined to capture his attention. “Come on, just this once,” she pleaded, her bright eyes searching his face for any sign of relenting.

Salvatore couldn’t help but let out a small groan. “You’re heavy, Lian,” he complained, shifting uncomfortably beneath her weight.

Temporarily ignoring his complaint, Liliane shifted the conversation to a topic that was far beyond their years. “Have you ever thought about how it will be when we grow up and do what our mom and dad used to do?” she asked, her voice filled with a curious innocence.

Salvatore’s eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks flushing slightly. “We’re too young to be discussing that,” he retorted, trying to push away the subject matter that seemed far too mature for their tender age. “I’ll tell Mom that you’ve been sneaking in to watch those rated movies again!”

Panic flashed across Liliane’s face as she quickly covered her brother’s mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in urgency. “You promised you wouldn’t tell Mom!” she hissed, her voice laced with desperation.

Salvatore mumbled a response.

“Come on! Please? You promised!”.

“Yeah, but…”,

They fell silent as a strange and unsettling sound echoed from within the house. Salvatore’s words were abruptly cut off, his attention quickly drawn to the source of the noise. Liliane, seated beside him, rose from her chair with a hint of curiosity sparking in her eyes. But Salvatore’s instinctive fear compelled him to act, grasping her wrist tightly as he urged her not to investigate.

“No… Don’t go,” He pleaded, his voice tainted with unease. “I have a bad feeling about all this.”

Liliane, however, dismissed his concerns with an air of confidence. She assured him that it was nothing to worry about, flashing him a reassuring wink before darting towards the house. Salvatore’s heart pounded in his chest, a sinking feeling taking hold of him, as he anxiously awaited her return.

Minutes stretched into an eternity for him, the weight of his apprehension bearing down upon him. And then, from within the depths of the house, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the stillness of the evening. It was a cry that pierced Salvatore’s soul, instantly recognized as his mother’s voice. Panic surged through his veins, propelling him forward without a second thought, fueled by the sheer desperation to protect those he held dear.

“Mom! Liliane!” His frantic exclamation filled the air as he raced towards the house, his feet carrying him with an urgency almost too overwhelming to process.

As he arrived at the entrance, a scene of unimaginable horror unfolded before his eyes, etching itself into his memory like a nightmarish painting. His heart sank like an anchor in his chest as he bore witness to the lifeless form of his mother, lying in a pool of her own blood. Her frail body had been ruthlessly violated, her internal organs exposed in a horrifying display of violence.

Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision as he frantically scanned the room. But what he saw next tore at the very fabric of his being. Liliane, his little sister, cried out in agony as two men subjected her to unthinkable acts of cruelty. The sight of her pain, mingled with the rivulets of blood marring her thighs, filled Salvatore with an indescribable mix of rage and helplessness.

Liliane’s tear-filled eyes met her brother’s, their silent pleas reflecting the depths of their anguish. Through the torment, she yelled at him to run before the one eyed man shot her.

Salvatore stood frozen in shock, his small body quivering in fear as tears pooled in his eyes.

The one eyed man laughed as he turned to look at him. With a cruel smirk, he lifted his firearm and shot at the boy.