Your father

**~Dante's Pov~**

I can't remember my heart ever beating this hard and fast in my life. Even in front of a gun, I have never been this scared.

Why would Adrianna have run out like that? She looked so afraid like she had seen a ghost. I didn't even have time to check what made her react like that so I had to run after her. Unfortunately for me, it seemed like she had disappeared into think air by the time I got outside.

I quickly drive my car out of the garage to look for her. She couldn't have gone far. She barely even knows the way here. How could she have gone back so fast?

She should still be around here. I'm sure of it.

After about 30 minutes of driving with no actual results, I start contemplating calling one of her brothers to ask if she's home. But they would kill me if they find out that the sister I took with me is no where to be found.

Armando

How could I forget! I left Armando back home. Unfortunately, I don't even have his number to ask him about anything. That leaves me with Elio.

I pick up my phone and dial his line. It keeps ringing with no response. After being directed to voicemail three times, I give up.

I have just one choice now. I have to go to her house. Just as I'm about to round the corner, a call comes in.

Lily.

How did my mind not go to her? I pick up the call without any hesitation.

"Dante". Her worried tone immediately informs me that something is wrong. I park my car in order to focus on the call.

"Is it about Lily?". Dread fills me with  the silence that follows from her end.

"Just come over. We are all in the living room". She hangs up leaving me with a million questions and a whole lot of dread.

I start driving again while trying to get my head on straight so that I don't end up in the hospital.

Soon enough, I'm in the Romero Mansion. The sight I open the door to, makes me feel a kind of fear that I have never had in my life.

Right in the middle of the room, Adrianna is holding a knife while screaming at the top of her lungs. Everyone is circled around her trying to get her to drop the knife. The situation in the living room is the definition of chaos.

My eyes scan her body. Her purple eye looks so bright and dark. Her facial expression screams pure terror and fear. She looks so afraid. Tears cascade down her cheeks profusely.  I succumb to the urge to hold her in my arms. I slowly advance towards her.

Just when I'm about to close in on her, her eyes snap towards me. The one emotion I never thought I would ever see from her was directed at me.

Fear and pure resentment

What happened back there? I didn't do anything to her.

"Adriann-". She screams loudly before I can even finish calling her name.

"Don't call me. Don't come near me! Get out! Get out! I don't want to see that face! I don't want to see it! Get out!". She continued to yell like a broken record.

"What did I do?! I don't even know what I did! Why should I leave?! You just ran away from my house. No word. And you are chasing me away? I'm not leaving. It's either you tell me what's going on or just keep yelling but I'm not leaving". She doesn't say a word back instead she looks like she calmed down.

The knife drops from her hand and tears start streaming down her face, her mascara smearing on her cheeks.

She falls to her knees and brings them to her chest burying her face in them.

I quickly take the knife off the floor and give it to Lily.

I slowly walk over to where she is and bend down. In a swift move, I pull her into my chest and hug her tight. She starts thrashing around as expected.

After rubbing circles on her back for some seconds, she starts to calm down.

"You are fine. It's me, Dante. You are safe. No one is coming near you. I love you and I'll always be here. Everytime. Please don't push me away".

When it feels like she's a bit more calmer, I carry her up, bridal style, and sit on the couch placing her on my lap.

She's lifts her head up from my neck and looks at me with tears in her eyes.

I give her a peck on her forehead and shift her hair from her face. I rub my hand on her protruding belly. My family.

"Dante". Her voice comes out as barely a whisper.

My hand moves to hold hers and I give it a slight squeeze.

"Yes love". Tears start to spill out of her eyes again.

"It's okay if you can't talk right now. I will always be here whenever you are ready". She quickly nods her head.

"No. I'm fine. This is important and I need to tell all of you". At her statement, they all start to circle closer. This action makes me remember that the whole family is here.

"Go on love. We are all listening. But do you mind taking some water first? Your voice sounds croaky like a frog". This eases the tension in the room and a small smile, almost unnoticeable, is on Adrianna's lips. She nods and Lily gives her a cup of water.

She gulps everything so fast I'm afraid she would choke on the water but thankfully she didn't.

When she realizes that we are all looking at her waiting for her to start talking, her face turns pale and gloomy.

I genuinely hope my father doesn't have anything to do with this. She only became hysterical only after she saw him. It's only normal to suspect him.

"You guys remember me saying that I still remember the man's voice right?". Which man is she talking about?

They must have seen the confusion on my face because Lily turns to me and starts explaining everything to me.

By the time she's done, I feel like my heart is in my mouth. Adrianna.....

I look down at her small frame, tears brimming in my eyes. She has gone through so much.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You didn't deserve any part of it. We are all here now. For you."

I pull her closer pecking her forehead. I loosen her from my grip to allow her speak.

"W-w-when we w-w-we-went to his house, I saw h-h-i-him". The pindrop silence fills the room with the temperature reducing every second.

My blood runs cold while slowly understanding the meaning of her statement.

"The bastard is in his house!!!? Who is he? Who?". Emiliano yells angrily. But this only makes Adrianna flinch.

"Stop yelling at her. Can't you see she's scared! Shut the fuck up!". I yell back at him annoyed. Without waiting for his unwanted reply, I cup her face in my hands and look at her.

"Who is he? Just tell me baby and I'll bring him here to you. You can kill him or torture however you wish. Just say who he is". I give her a persuading look eager to punish the mother fucker that did this to my girl.

"Yes, tesoro. Just tell us. You know I will always protect you right? I will destroy him". Alessandro completes in a deadly calm tone. I am even surprised to hear his voice. He has been quiet since I got here that I didn't even notice him. Although he wasn't showing any emotions, it was obvious that he was in pain from seeing his only daughter like this. I would also kill anyone who dared touch a strand on my daughter's hair.

"I'm scared of telling you Dante". She replies in barely a whisper. Is she worried about the man? That's ridiculous.

"Why? Don't worry, I won't kill him until you say the word". She shakes her head.

"It's not that. Dante, please don't force me to tell you. I really don't want to".

"Tell me! What's so hard to tell? Do you consider me an outsider? You only want to tell your family right? I don't mean anything to you" I let go of her angrily and stand up.

" It's not that. I promise. I just can't tell you right now. It could make things worse. I don't consider y-"

"No. You don't need to explain yourself to me. Don't worry. I'll take my leave now. I'll be back during the week to take you for your appointment. It's fine".

"Please listen to me! Stop pushing me away! Please!" I turn my back to her unable to bear seeing her cry.

"I should listen to you? I'm listening. Are you ready to tell me or I don't need to know?"

Her face falls in defeat and she shakes her head.

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"Protect me? How are you protecting me by not telling me this? I am done. If you can't tell me something like this, then I don't know what we are doing".  I put on my sneakers and start making my way to the door.

"It's your father!" I halt in my tracks unable to believe what I just heard. My father?

"What do you mean?" I walk back to her slowly. Her head is hanging down, her shoulders looking tired from carrying a lot of baggage.

I raise up her head slowly using her chin.

"What do you mean my father?" Tears start dripping down her face.

"It's your father that kidnapped me"