Back & Forth | Book 1 of Back & Forth Series

It’s been a whirlwind of events. My life has literally changed so much in the span of what? Two days? It’s crazy and unbelievable. I never thought I’d be related to a literal mafia boss. Not even in my wildest dreams. What makes this even more bizarre is my family also has literal superpowers. Being in the mafia and having superpowers sounds like a deadly combination. I don’t feel like my family is one of those power hungry people who destroy everything and everyone around them though. I hope that’s the truth.

In my younger days, I do have odd wishes that other people could probably relate to. I’ve gone through my vampire phase and acting as if I have secret superpowers such as seeing the future and reading people’s minds. I also wish to have more superpowers like being able to teleport myself, telekinesis, and other things. As I got older, I know all of those are just wishful thinking. My logical mind stops me from thinking that any of it would come true. Now that I actually have a superpower, I don’t know what to think of it. I’m speechless. Perplexed. Flabbergasted. Gobsmacked.

Discovering that my family has superpowers to be real and not a mere fantasy is wonderful but finding out my cousins actually run a literal crime organization is on a whole other level. However, despite the possible dangers it might bring to me, I don’t mind being here. Even before I knew the cousins I didn’t know I have are part of the mafia, I don’t even give a shit about the danger of crime organisations. I seek it. That’s probably my suicidal side talking. I sometimes wish someone would come and get me and then kill me. It’s better to be killed or live here than being stuck in my country and living life on survival mode for the rest of my life.

People who are sane enough probably won’t even dare to lay their eyes on any crime organisation members. They would stay as far away from this kind of people for the sake of their safety and livelihood. Once you come across someone who lives this kind of life and knows the crimes they’ve done, there’s no going back for you. Danger will follow you everywhere like a shadow for the rest of your life. Threats that are lurking behind you force you to watch your back all the time, causing you to be paranoid. Even in the most crowded places, you’re not feeling safe. You know you’re always being watched, whether by the members of the criminal organisation you know or their rivals.

I guess I’m crazy for considering being in this kind of lifestyle. No. I am actually crazy. I’ve been suicidal for as long as I can remember. My days are filled with intrusive thoughts. I don’t fear death anymore. I’m not fighting it anymore. I embrace it. Dangers and death don’t scare me anymore. I perhaps still have fears of the pain and suffering that comes with being here but not death. I have nothing to lose. However, if my family here won’t care about me just like how my parents are, I’d rather take the money Alessandro offered me and live far away from here.

I begin to wonder about my mother again. How could she not have any powers? Why did she lie about her family? Does she resent her family? Did she leave because she felt left out by her family from not having any powers? If that’s the case, imagine how mad she’s going to be when she finds out about me being able to read minds. She hates me enough for being an average girl with basically no social life. She’ll absolutely go ballistic if she ever finds out about my superpower.

“Allura.”

My eyes wander around the almost dark bedroom, searching for the source of the voice. No one’s there and the door is still closed. Did I just hallucinate or did someone actually call my name? If someone did call my name, who was it? The voice sounds so unfamiliar. The voice sounds so clear as though someone is talking next to me. Who the fuck was that? It doesn’t sound like my cousins or Luciano.

A knock on my door snaps me out of my confusion. It has to be Luciano. He’s the one who always comes to my room.

More knocking comes from the door, sounding more urgent than before. What’s going on?

“Allura. Get your ass out of the room. It’s dinner time,” Luciano says.

I’m right. The voice who called my name before doesn’t belong to Luciano. If it’s not him, who the fuck was that? Fuck. I need to stop overthinking. I’m probably imagining things. It’s no big deal.

“Allura. Wake up. Open the goddamn door and get out of the room or Alessandro will scold you,” Luciano warns.

What? Scold me? Che cazzo? He’s got to be fucking joking. I’m not a child. I don’t need scolding from anyone.

“What am I ? A child? He can’t scold me,” I shout to Luciano. I scowl at the closed door as if he can see me through it.

“We’ll see about that later,” Luciano says.

I roll out of my bed with a groan. The clock shows that it is indeed almost time for dinner. I guess I better get out of my room now. Not because I don’t want to get scolded by Alessandro, but because I want to eat.

I go to the door and pull it open. However, it won’t budge. It stays shut closed. My eyebrows furrow at the locked door. Did I lock it before? I don’t think so. I don’t remember doing it. So that’s why Luciano didn’t barge into the room like how he did in the morning. He can’t come inside.

I unlock the door and open it. On the other side of the door, Luciano stands there with a different outfit than what he wore this afternoon. He’s now in a pair of black slacks and a black dress shirt. Some of the top buttons are undone. What’s the occasion? Why is he dressed quite fancy? Tonight’s dinner doesn’t feel like it’s an ordinary one. Why though?

Luciano has three paper bags and a black garment bag in his hands. I stare at them in confusion. Why does he have so many bags with him? Are all of them for me? What does he have in there? He already brought me my clothes, what I need to remove my fake bruises, and all the things I need for my rope burns earlier.

“Here’s a set of pyjamas, a new dress, a pair of heels, and a lipstick. Put on the dress and the heels. There will be important people at the dinner,” Luciano says.

Important people? Oh man. Why didn’t Alessandro tell me about this earlier? Like when we were in his office? Doesn’t he want me to look presentable? If he told me about tonight’s occasion, I could’ve prepared myself better. He can’t blame me if I didn’t look as good as he expected me to be.

“Who are the people?” I ask as I take everything from Luciano’s hands.

“You’ll know about them soon. Now go and get changed. I’ll escort you to the dining room,” Luciano says.

“Okay,” I say.

“Get back in your room and do it now,” Luciano says, gently pushing me back into my room. The door shuts close in front of me, leaving me speechless.

How rude. What’s with the rush?

I go to the bathroom with a black silk dress in my hands. In the mirror, I see myself wrapped in a black, floor-length, off-shoulder dress. The sleeves are lightly draped over my upper arms. I can’t help but to gape at how pretty the dress looks on me. Who the hell are we meeting tonight? Why should I wear a dress this pretty just for a damn dinner?

I stare at my reflection once again, still in awe of how gorgeous the dress is. From how the fabric feels and how the dress fits perfectly on my body, this dress has to be expensive as fuck. I still don’t understand what’s the need of wearing such expensive dress just for a dinner. Are we going somewhere? Are we going out for dinner?

I return to my bedroom and take the lipstick from the tiny paper bag. Now I’m back in the bathroom and standing in front of the mirror, applying the lip product on my lips. How the shade of the lipstick fits me perfectly puts me in awe once again. How did they get the perfect shade for me? I never got something this good. The red lipsticks I’ve bought before never fits me and always make me look so old.

I stare at myself in the mirror. With the lack of makeup products on my face, I still don’t feel presentable enough. Why didn’t they give me at least an eyeshadow palette, a blush on, and mascara? I’m not sure if I want to go out like this. I feel pretty bare and despite not wearing makeup often. Whatever. This is their fault if I don’t look good enough. Or maybe? Should I do it? Should I use the lipstick for the blush on and eyeshadow? Well, I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

After washing my hands and dry them off, I take the lipstick again. With hesitation, I rub my finger on the lipstick and dab the red tint on my cheeks. I do the same with my upper eyelids, giving them a tinge of colour. I stare at my reflection and sigh in relief. Much better.

I continue getting myself ready by brushing my wavy hair, gently getting rid of the tangles in my hair. Now I’m back in my bedroom, sitting on the edge of my bed. I quickly take the heaviest bag and take out the shoe box from it. The brand that’s shown on it causes my jaw to drop.

Christian Loubotin? What the hell? What’s actually happening to me and my life? I have never seen a pair of red bottoms in real life, moreover wearing them. I hope they’re not tall heels though. I don’t think I can walk in them if that’s what they are. I’d rather use my old sneakers and be like the girls who wear converse for prom. It’s not like it’s a bad thing if it’s comfortable.

I let out a relived sigh when I see a pair of black platform pumps with ankle straps in the box. Thank God. I don’t think I’ll reach the dining room without breaking my ankles or rolling down the stairs first if I wear an ordinary high heels model.

After putting the pumps on, I get on my feet and go straight to the door. My eyes widen as I bump into Luciano. I step back in shock, causing me to lose my balance. Luciano grabs my upper arms, preventing me from falling. My breath is now stuck in my throat and my eyes are wide open as I stare into Luciano’s eyes. After God knows how long, I snap out of my daze and step away from Luciano. He lets go of me but still keeps his cautious gaze on me.

“You ready to go?” Luciano asks.

“Yes,” I say.

Luciano lets me walk in front of him but I stumble on my own feet. He immediately saves me from falling again and steadies me back on my feet.

Fucking hell. These pumps are no better than the heels. I’ve worn 12-centimetre high-heeled boots before but only a few times and I can walk just fine. It’s been awhile though. I’m not really used to wearing tall footwear because I’m already taller than most of the people in my country. I want to blend in with the crowd so I’d rather use sneakers or sandals whenever I leave the house.

“Are you okay?” Luciano asks.

“Not really. I can’t walk in these damn shoes,” I say, frowning as I stare at my feet.

“You can hold on to me,” Luciano offers.

“Is that okay with you?” I ask. I’m sure he’s fine with it because he’s the one who offered the help in the first place. I’m the one who has a bit of problem with it. Am I okay with holding him? Just thinking about it makes me feel so awkward.

“Yeah. Sure. Absolutely,” Luciano says.

I nervously loop my arm with Luciano’s arm and we begin to walk towards the stairs. With his help and patience, I successfully descend the staircase. Once we reach the dining room, I stop by the doorway as my eyes wander around the busy room. Six people I’ve never seen before are mingling with Alessandro and Alessio, smiling at my cousins as they converse with each other. Despite never meeting them before, somehow I’m able to recognise each and every one of them.

Shit. What are they doing here? What the fuck? Why didn’t Alessandro give me a heads up about the family coming here? I just find out I’m cousins with Alessandro and Alessio this afternoon and now I’m meeting my nonna, nonno, aunt, uncles, and another cousin as well. All this feels so rushed. My head is spinning from my anxiety. Why is this happening now?

Formal attire envelopes everyone so elegantly. Despite of our similar clothing choices, I still feel out of place being among them. The sight of my family gathering together renders me speechless. I have no idea on what to do. Me, being nervous is an understatement. Nothing could’ve prepared me for meeting the family I never thought I had. Not even a hundred years of preparation could’ve prepared me for this night. We’re related by blood, but other than that we’re still literal strangers.

“They’re here for you. We’ll discuss about you and your powers later. For now, just talk about something ordinary. Don’t bring up our family secrets just yet,” Alessandro says in my head.

“Are you seriously introducing me to them right now? Aren’t you worried about the moles in the slightest?” I ask.

“They want to meet you. I can’t stop them from seeing you. They’re literally begging to do so ever since my mother and father found out about your arrival yesterday. The traitors don’t really matter. They will find out about who you truly are sooner or later anyway. I do hope there’s no mole in this house so we can keep you as a secret for a bit longer,” Alessandro explains.

“Okay.”

Luciano and I enter the dining room. A smile appears on nonna’s face when she notices me. Not sure of what to do, I begin to panic. My heart beats frantically inside of my chest as nonna approaches Luciano and me. Nonna’s gaze falls on Luciano and I’s interlocking arms. Out of sheepishness, I quickly let go of Luciano and smiles at nonna awkwardly.

Nonna shoulder-length hair has completely turn grey but she wears it beautifully. Despite her increasing age, she still looks stylish. She’s now dressed with a long-sleeved, below-knee-length black dress with her hair is styled with loose waves. A simple pearl necklace is wrapped around her neck.

“Lei è qui. Allura è qui,” nonna announces. She pulls me into a hug and I hug her back nervously. Everyone in the room turns to me and gathers behind nonna. Fuck. I guess no one will leave me alone tonight. I hate being the centre of attention.

(She’s here. Allura is here.)

“Ciao, Allura!” a women says. I think she’s my aunt and my cousins’ mother, Aunt Emilia. She has straight brown silky hair that cascades behind her shoulders. Her eyes are brown with a gleam of excitement in them as she stares at me. Her floor-length, one-shoulder, emerald silk dress compliments her tanned skin color.

“Ciao,” I say with an awkward smile as I let go of nonna. I turn to nonna again, her smile is soft as she stares up at me.

“Come va, Allura?” nonna asks

(How are you, Allura?)

“Sto bene, nonna,” I respond. Nonna’s face immediately lights up after she realises I speak Italian.

(I’m fine, nonna.)

“Parli Italiano?” nonna asks.

(You speak Italian?)

“Solo un po. I’ve studied the language a bit a long time ago,” I answer.

(Only a little).

If I commit myself to learning Italian I’m sure I would understand what everyone will say in Italian. I wonder if real-time translation could be a real power I can attain. I know it will be different than knowing the language for real but it will be a useful power to have. I can translate people’s thoughts so I think it might be possible.

“Oh, that’s amazing!” nonna says. Her face brightens as she grins at me. The happiness in her face fades once she looks down on my wrists. Her smile has been replaced with a frown as she grabs both of my hands gently.

“What happened to your wrists?” nonna asks.

“They’re fine. It was an accident. It will be healed by tomorrow so no need to worry,” I lie. Nonna seems sceptical about my response but she doesn’t say a word about it.

Does nonna know I’m lying? I don’t know her superpowers yet but I hope it is not detecting truths and lies. I might get someone in trouble if she knows the truth even though what happened is my fault.

“Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Emilia and Emiliano, your aunt and uncle. They’re Alessandro and Alessio’s parents,” nonna introduces, gesturing at the woman and man on her right.

Aunt Emilia’s smile is bright as she stares at me, almost giddily. Next to her, Uncle Emiliano stands tall with a small genuine smile. His brown eyes and black hair are similar to Alessio’s and Alessandro’s eyes.

“And this is your uncle, Tomasso, and his son, Matteo,” nonna says, motioning her hand to the man and boy on her left.

Uncle Tomasso looks only nods at me while Matteo smiles, waving his hand excitedly. Both of them have dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Based on his looks and height, Matteo is clearly younger than me, around eight years old which is about fourteen years younger than me. I wonder where Uncle Tomasso’s wife now. Why isn’t she here with us now?

The thought in my head almost causes the smile on my face to disappears. I hide my shock by keep smiling at my uncle and little cousin.

Oh no. Shit. She’s not alive anymore. Uncle Tomasso’s wife died when she gave birth to Matteo. That’s terrible.

“And this is your nonno,” nonna says, pointing at the man next to her. Nonno’s hair has also turned grey just like nonna’s. He’s dressed in a dark green sweater and black trousers. His brown eyes gleam as he smiles at me.

“Let’s sit down. We have so much to talk about,” nonna says. Yep. We definitely do.

I’m seated between Luciano and Matteo. I begin to feel nervous again. Being surrounded by people I never knew before really feels nerve-wracking. I can’t help but to think about how they think of me. Their assumptions of me. I don’t read their minds to find out about it. Doing that feels like a violation to their privacy even if they won’t know about it.

“Buonasera a tutti,” Alessandro greets, cutting my conversation with Matteo short. Phew. I guess that’s for the best. I’m not sure if I should tell Matteo the truth.

(Good evening everyone.)

I frown at Alessandro as he takes a glance at me. His previous words making me a bit anxious. I hope he won’t speak in full Italian. Please don’t. I’ll serious get dizzy and pass out trying to understand what he’s going to say.

“This evening, we gather here to welcome our family member, Allura. She was brought here over a terrible circumstance but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s one of us. Allura has always been a part of our family by blood despite the distance that parted us for all these years. Nothing can ever change that. With that being said, please welcome Allura to the with open arms and warmth. Welcome to your new home, Allura.” Alessandro says.

With a smile on his face, Alessandro raises his glass of wine to everyone on the table. His smile lingers on his face as he shifts his gaze to mine. Everyone’s eyes are now on me. I nervously take the glass of wine and raise it to everyone, smiling awkwardly at them. I take a little sip from the glass and look around the table. Uncle Tomasso and Uncle Emiliano seem to have their minds elsewhere as they take a sip of wine from their glasses.

“You’re my cousin?” Matteo asks. In his eyes, there’s curiosity and hopeful gleam. I smile at him, nodding my head a little.

“Yes, I am,” I answer.

“I never see you before,” Matteo asks with a frown.

“Well, little man, the thing is, I don’t even know any of you exist before I got here,” I say. Matteo’s frown deepens at my answer.

“How?” Matteo asks.

“Uh, well, the truth is, my mother never told me about anyone here. For all my life, she made me believe that I don’t have any aunts, uncles, and cousins from her side of the family,” I say.

“Why?” Matteo asks.

“I don’t know. That doesn’t matter though. Now we have finally met each other,” I say, smiling and patting his shoulder lightly.

“Yes. You’re right,” Matteo says with a grin.

“Mia never told you anything about us? Not even me?” nonna asks.

“No. She told me that you and nonno already dead. She also never told me she’s an only child,” I answer.

“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry for never reaching out to you. I don’t want to anger Mia,” nonna says with a frown.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. Now I know the truth. Alessandro told me about everything earlier,” I explain.

“We should’ve met you earlier. It’s been years. We never met you since you were born. How old are you now?” nonna asks.

“I’m 22 now,” I reply.

“22 years. We’ve been away from each other from 22 years, nipotina. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady,” nonna says with a smile. Her eyes are gleaming with tears under the light above us.

“Thank you, nonna,” I say.

“How’s your parents?” nonno asks.

My parents? They’re probably happier than ever now that I’m gone. Even worse, they’re probably celebrating my disappearance by eating in a fancy, dimly-lit restaurant.

“They’re okay,” I say. Please don’t make me talk about them. What are there to talk about anyway? Nothing much. I barely know what they’re doing in their lives anyway. I never question them because I don’t care and they won’t answer my questions if I do that.

“How have they been treating you? Are they good to you? Be honest,” nonno says. The question causes nonna to nudge him, warning him with a glare. They’re probably arguing telepathically by looking at their expressions.

How the hell am I supposed to answer that question? Should I tell the truth about my parents or not? What are they going to do if I tell them the truth? I feel like I’m going to sound like a snitch if I tell everyone the truth.

“Uh…” I waver, still not sure of the words to say.

“I know what’s been happening but I just want to hear it from you,” nonno says with a frown. I sigh at what he said. I just remember they’ve been keeping their eyes on me and my mother ever since she left the country. Well, I guess I can’t lie about my parents now.

“It’s fine. I’m here now so I’m okay,” I say. I feel fine. I guess. Being here does feel better than being with my parents. At least they won’t scold me or punish me for even existing.

“Anyways, how have the boys been treating you here?” Aunt Emilia asks. I smile at her, feeling relieved that she changed the topic of our conversation.

“They’ve been nice to me,” I say.

That’s true. They’ve been good to me so far. They didn’t physically hurt me or anything. At first, I thought they weren’t nice because of how Alessandro told me that he’s going to sell me last night. However, that doesn’t matter anymore now that I know the truth. He just wanted to treaten my indifferent father and I’ll gladly follow through his plan just to see if my father’s reaction.

Well, actually, I remember something bad Alesssandro did. He puts me in the bedroom that turns out to be Alessio’s fucking room. A literal room for fucking. At least that’s what I thought the room is according to his words when I caught him almost fucking right in front of me.

Wait a minute. Does everyone know that I’m here because Alessandro told Luciano to kidnap me? Maybe. Earlier, Alessandro said that I’m here because of a bad circumstance and no one asked about what he meant.

“Good. Which room are you staying in? I hope it’s one of the good room,” Aunt Emilia says with a smile.

Well shit. How do I tell her about it? My room is definitely not considered the good one. Does anyone in here other than Alessandro and Luciano know how Alessio has been using the room for fucking purposes? I think they know. Well, except for Matteo obviously.

“It’s the second room to the left in the second floor,” Luciano says.

Luciano now has a cheeky grin on his face. On the other hand, annoyance has covered Alessandro’s face as he stares back at Luciano. I hear Aunt Emilia audibly gasps in shock. By the look of horror on her eyes, she definitely knows which room Luciano means. Uh-oh.

“That room?” Aunt Emilia asks. The look of disbelief is still covering her face. Luciano nods at her, his smile is visible to everyone.

“Yes. That room,” Luciano says.

Alessandro’s annoyance and anger are now more apparent. Luciano snitching on him is the main cause of it. He’s absolutely annoyed that Luciano told his mother about his shenanigans. Now Aunt Emilia is glaring at Alessandro, seemingly furious by her son’s doing.

“Alessandro Massimo Martinetti!” Aunt Emilia shouts. The room has turned silent as everyone focuses their attention on Alessandro and Aunt Emilia.

Everyone is now aware that Alessandro is in trouble after Aunt Emilia called Alessandro by his full name. Even Uncle Emiliano seems quite mad about what Alessandro did. How do they even know about what’s been happening in that specific room?

“What?” Alessandro snaps. Just like a kid, he’s scowling at his mother. I press my lips together, suppressing my smile as I watch the scene unfolding in front of me.

“Out of all the rooms in this damn enormous house, you told her to sleep in that room?! You know what that room is used for!” Aunt Emilia says.

“What happened in that room?” Matteo asks.

“It’s nothing, piccolino. Don’t worry about it,” Aunt Emilia says with a smile.

(Little one.)

“Okay,” Matteo says, shrugging. He then puts his attention back on his phone screen.

Huh. That’s weird. Kids are usually curious about things. Matteo just go with Aunt Emilia’s answer.

“It’s just a joke,” Alessandro says. He throws a dirty look at Luciano before turning to Aunt Emilia again. The same scowl is still showing on his face. Aunt Emilia turns to Luciano and Alessio, scowling at both of them.

“Why didn’t the two of you do anything?” Aunt Emilia asks. I guess everyone’s in trouble now. That’s their fault. Not mine. I’m just doing what I’m being told to do.

“He’s the boss. I’m just following orders,” Luciano says. He shrugs, showing that he refuses to take responsibility of what happened. He’s right, though. It’s not really his fault. Alessandro put this on himself. So, he’s responsible for what happened.

“Luciano is right. We’re just following orders. I didn’t know Allura would be in the room when I got home. I didn’t even know she’s here. I’ve told Alessandro about what happened and he just ignored me,” Alessio agrees.

I honestly don’t care much about where I’m sleeping. Alessandro can put me in the basement if he wanted to and I won’t complain. However, Aunt Emilia thinks everyone must treat me nicely. After all, I’m still a part of the family even though I don’t know any of them for over two decades.

“It’s not a funny joke,” Aunt Emilia says.

“Okay. I’m sorry,” Alessandro sighs.

His meaningless apology doesn’t seem to impress his mother. Aunt Emilia can see through his words. Alessandro only apologised because he needed to, not because he wanted to. Now, he’s no one but a child in front of his mother. This is too funny. I never thought I’d ever witness a mafia boss getting scolded in my entire life.

I glance at Alessio and find him scowling at me. What the hell? Why is he mad at me? His mother is mad at him because of his own fault. Not mine! Earlier, he said that he didn’t regret putting me in that room earlier. Now look at what’s happening. He’s facing the consequences of his own action. You should’ve thought twice before doing something stupid, Alessandro.

“You didn’t move her to another room after that? You let her sleep in there?” Aunt Emilia asks. Anger is showing clear on her face as she keeps her glare on Alessandro.

Thinking about it, staying in that room is no different than staying in a hotel room. Things have happened in a hotel room but we never really question everything that has happened in the room. Worse things could’ve happened in a hotel room than the guest bedroom I’m staying in.

“I’ll move her to another room later,” Alessandro says. He doesn’t look angry anymore. He looks defeated. It’s getting harder for me to suppress my smile and laughter.

“You shouldn’t even put her there in the first place,” Aunt Emilia says. She then scoffs as she rolls her eyes at his son’s ridiculous and childish action. Alessandro sighs, covering the upper half of his face with his hand.

“I’m sorry for putting her in there,” Alessandro apologises. Aunt Emilia rolls her eyes again at Alessandro.

“Don’t apologise to me. Apologise to Allura,” Aunt Emilia says.

I turn to Alessandro. By the look on his face, it seems like he’s already tired of getting scolded by his own mother. He just wants all this to end. He has enough. He doesn’t want to be humiliated in front of the family any longer.

“I’m sorry for putting you in that room,” Alessandro says. Just like before, he doesn’t sound genuine with his apology. I don’t think I’ll forgive him just yet. For revenge, I’m going to play with him. I’ll pretend to not accept his apology. Let’s see how he’s going to respond to it.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I roll my eyes at Alessandro, pretending to be mad at him.

“I’m not accepting that half-hearted apology,” I say, scowling at Alessandro.

The gloomy look Alessandro has on his face fades a little. Behind his eyes, there’s a hint of anger. However, it doesn’t stay for long. His angry gaze immediately disappears once he catches Aunt Emilia’s eyes. He averts his gaze to the table where his untouched plate of appetiser is. Now, all he has on his face is a genuine look of exasperation and regret.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry about what I did. It won’t happen again. It’s just a one-time prank,” Alessandro says. I shake my head, still not accepting his apology just yet.

“That’s not enough. What you did kinda traumatised me. It should be compensated,” I say.

“What do you want?” Alessandro asks.

“Hmm, let me think about it,” I say.

I tap my finger on my chin, contemplating my choices as I stare at Alessandro. Despite the regretful frown he has on display, I can see that he’s still annoyed at me. Let’s make him really regret what he did to me. What should I do though? What should I make him do for me?

Ooh wait a second. I’ve been wanting to buy cute and pretty dolls like Disney Animator’s, Blythe, Paola Reina, and Santoro Gorjuss’s dolls. Buying one isn’t that expensive but the whole collection? Yep. It will definitely cause him to lose some money. The problem is, I don’t know where to store them. They need a whole room for themselves.

“I swear to God if you think of something stupid, I’ll make you regret it later,” Alessandro says in my head.

“Alessandro. Na-uh. I know that look. Don’t even dare to threaten her like that,” Aunt Emilia warns. Alessandro sinks into his seat, looking more dejected than before.

The repeated poking on my upper arm makes me turn my attention away from Alessandro. Beside me, Matteo is already grinning ear-to-ear.

Oh, the little gremlin is back! He has freed himself from the shackles of his electric device once again. I wonder what he wants to say to me. It seems like he has a good idea in mind.

Matteo motions me to get closer to him. I do what he wants and he puts his mouth near my ear, preparing to say his possibly brilliant idea.

“Ask him to give you one of his cars,” Matteo suggests. The idea brings a grin to my face. I move away from Matteo and do a high-five with him. That is indeed a brilliant idea. I wonder if Alessandro will actually do it.

“That’s an amazing idea. Thanks for telling me that. I’ll make sure you can also enjoy it later,” I say to Matteo and then wink at him.

“Cool!” Matteo exclaims. The grin on his face has turned wider than before.

A cool fast car? Who doesn’t want that? Well personally, I can’t say no to that. I’ve never had a car of my own so getting one would be awesome. Plus point is, it will be a cool car.

I turn to Alessandro. My punishment for his little crime has been decided. I don’t expect him to actually fulfil my wish but it would be great to have one of his cool cars. I hope he’ll at least let me drive one.

“I’ve decided on something. I’ll forgive you only after you give me one of your cars,” I say with a smug smile. The same look appears on Alessandro’s face as he straightens his posture.

“What car? The old beaten-up beetle at the warehouse?” Alessandro asks. I roll my eyes at his response. He knows what I mean. He’s just playing dumb right now.

“You know what I mean. I want one of your sports cars in the garage. I’ll choose which car I want,” I say, smirking at Alessandro. The smug look on his face vanishes and now scowling at me again.

“Hell no. I’m not giving any of my cars away to you,” Alessandro refuses. “I’ll buy you a new one instead.”

The statement throws me off guard for a second. I stare at him and he only stares back at me. His statement was unexpected. It almost makes me feel like I’m dreaming. If that’s so, he better buy me a good car.

“Okay. I expect nothing less than an Audi R8 or a Porsche 911.” I say, smiling sweetly at Alessandro.

“What? Hell no,” Alessandro disagrees. I look at him dead in the eyes and he returns it with an unyielding glare.

“Why not? It’s not like they’re as expensive as the cars in your garage. I mean, come on. You literally have a Chiron, Huayra, and Koenigsegg,” I say, rolling my eyes jokingly. Alessandro frowns at the mention of his cars. It’s actually weird that all those names just pop in my head without me trying to read Alessandro’s mind. That’s good, I guess?

“Fine. I’ll buy you something similar to your specifications,” Alessandro says.

Yay! Awesome! I’m getting a new car!

“Cool! I’m looking forward to it,” I say. My face starts to hurt from grinning so wide out of excitement. Alessandro’s hard expression breaks as he smiles a little while he scoffs and rolls his eyes at me.

“Now that’s been settled, let’s continue to eat our dinner,” nonna says, smiling at all of us.

The tense atmosphere that was clouding the room has dissipated. Each one of us are now calm and relaxed. I think back to what I just did, suddenly feeling nervous. How did I just do that? I can’t believe I just asked Alessandro to buy me a fucking car. That’s was the most assertive I’ve been in my whole life, especially in front of people who were strangers to me. It’s good that I act as though I’ve known them since I was a child. It’s odd but also nice at the same time. Minutes ago, I literally felt like I didn’t belong here. Now, I don’t really feel like that anymore.

“We should go shopping tomorrow. You don’t have many clothes yet, sì?” Aunt Emilia asks, breaking the silence as everyone is busy eating their dinner.

“Yes,” I answer.

“Alright. We’ll leave early in the morning tomorrow,” Aunt Emilia says with a bright smile.

Yay! Shopping time! I can’t wait to buy cute and pretty clothes from the mall. Wait a minute. Who’s going to pay for my clothes? I don’t have any money with me.

“Emilia, we have other things to do, remember?” nonna reminds my aunt. From the look on her face, I know it has something to do with me. My powers.

A frown appears on Aunt Emilia’s face as she stares at nonna.

“But mamma, isn’t it better to help her get settled first?” Aunt Emilia asks.

“You’re right but before you leave, we’ll do something first,” nonna says. If I’m correct, nonna wants to test me tomorrow. I hope the tests will go well and I’ll discover new powers.

“Okay. We’ll leave at 10,” Aunt Emilia says.

“Okay.”

I begin to eat my appetiser and Aunt Emilia and nonna do the same. Around the table, everyone occasionally chat with one another. I can’t help but smile at the sight.

Anyways, what Alessandro said earlier was so sweet to the point I might get cavities. Whether it was only for formality or not, I never expected him to say anything like that. Each words of his sounded genuine though. It’s nice to be welcomed by him and the rest of the family. I wonder if Alessandro will say the same thing if I don’t have any power. Will everyone welcome me like this as well? It’s possible he won’t say the truth about me if he didn’t find out about my powers. No one would probably wouldn’t bother to see me if I didn’t have any power.

Stop thinking negatively, Allura. Don’t spoil this night with any negative thoughts. The most important thing is, everyone is treating me nicely until now. Nothing else matters now. I better just enjoy this moment while it lasts.