Episode 1

Hello!!! My beautiful readers🥰. Are you ready for another adventure? Okay, let's dive in. This book will be short and will tell the story of Liz and Ethan, Henry, and Larissa. They are identical twins from a pregnancy of quintuplets of Isis, the Lady of the Cosa Nostra, continuing the story of some characters in the fourth book and the subsequent fifth book.

Unlike book 2, this one requires reading book 1 to fully understand it. If you don't want to read it all, just the parts where Liz enters the story are from chapter 104 of 'Promised Souls Meet'.

Introduction of characters

Ethan Messina Denaro and Henry Messina Denaro, identical twins. Current age 22 years.

Liz Messina Denaro, current age 18 years.

Larissa Nilden, 26 years old.

Vitor Messina Denaro, 23 years old. Son of Vitor and Paola.

Ryan Oliveira Brazz, 22 years old, son of Lais and Raul.

Saul Oliveira Ricci, 21 years old, son of Sara and John.

Lorenzo and Dominic, identical twins, 22 years old.

Jade and Samantha, daughters of Sara and John, 22 years old.

Mateo Messina Denaro, 19 years old. Son of Vitor and Paola.

Ethan: You all know Liz's story, but you don't yet know how we fell in love. But for that, we need to go back in time, three years and exactly two days after Liz was taken to Italy by my brothers.

We are all at home, me, my brothers Lorenzo, Henry, and my cousins, in Oxford, England. When Sara calls, asking us to support the newest family member, as she was having difficulty dealing with all the traumas. It took me a while to talk to her. I couldn't understand the anxiety that took over me whenever one of my cousins or brothers was on a video call with her. After a lot of thought, I decided to call my mother and got her number, calling at a moment when I am alone, it feels almost like I'm about to commit a crime. I snap out of my thoughts upon hearing a voice so sweet it makes my heart skip beats and my hands tremble as I hold the phone, she, hearing nothing from me, repeats.

Liz: — Hello, is anyone there? I ask, feeling nervous, because I know who our mother, Isis, gave me the number of all my brothers and I know that it's Ethan calling. It's strange feeling my heart skip beats when he finally decides to speak.

Ethan: — H, hi Liz, it's Ethan, I called so we could talk a bit, I know I'm still a stranger to you but we're family now and you can open up to me, talk about anything you want, I'll just listen and nothing you tell me will go any further.

Liz: I don't know why, but I feel the urge to spill everything that's been stuck in my throat. I throw myself back on my huge bed and start talking. You know Ethan, I used to be a happy girl, I studied, played in the streets, yes, in the country where I was born kids still play, or used to play in the middle of the street until...

AUTHOR NARRATING LIZ'S STORY...

Liz lived with her mother, she was a girl full of life, cheerful and smiling, until her mother moved in with Afonso, a man who initially appeared very loving towards both of them, but as days passed, Afonso began stalking Liz, running his hands over her body in a manner that became increasingly malicious, touching her budding breasts, one day Liz woke up with Afonso sitting on the edge of her bed, touching her intimately, she screamed in fright and her mother heard and came into her room. What Liz did not imagine was that her protector already knew of all her husband's intentions and was complicit in everything.

Liz's Mother: Stay quiet, he's just showing you a bit of affection, let's show her what you will do to her one day, my love.

Amanda, Liz's mother, approaches Afonso, and they have sex right there in front of the daughter, who is shocked by what she sees. Months later, Liz is abused by her stepfather with her mother's help, often forced to watch the two of them having sex like animals. Liz lost weight and became a sad girl who always walked with her head down. Two days before Liz was found by Dominic and Samantha, a neighbor heard something strange and went to investigate. The next day he was outside the gate waiting for Afonso, the neighbor confronted him about what he was doing to the girl and made it clear that he had heard everything. Afonso made up an excuse that the girl was desperate because they were taking her to a boarding school. The neighbor, not satisfied with Afonso's response, made it clear he would be watching. Afonso, afraid of being discovered, talks to Amanda who tells him to get rid of Liz or they could be arrested and die in jail, as what they do in jail is certain death. Afonso decides to take Liz to a forest the next morning, a place where it would be hard to find a body, and by the time it was found he would be far away from the river, he wasn't rich but had enough financial means to start a life elsewhere, arranged everything with Amanda who had already packed everything for them to run away as soon as Afonso got rid of Liz. So, the next morning he took the trail to Pedra Bonita with Liz.

When they arrived at a certain spot, he left the trail heading towards a cliff, Liz cried a lot but at the same time thought that all her suffering would finally end. As they reached the edge of the cliff, which was very high, Afonso tore Liz's clothes and began to abuse her again, Liz screamed as always, even knowing it wouldn't help, she thrashed and cried a lot until someone pulls Afonso off her, she curls up. It was Dominic and Samantha who took her to Italy and Liz was raised by Isis and Vincenzo.

Back to the present moment after Liz tells Ethan the whole story above, she says...

Liz: — I just want to be a child again, not to have lived any of this, I feel dirty, unhappy, I feel hate, anger, and fear, all at once. I speak amid tears, while Ethan just listens on the other side of the line.

Ethan: Hearing Liz recount her story makes me bite my lower lip until it bleeds, but doesn't stop me from pacing back and forth nor from gripping the phone tightly. It's the only thing I can do to contain my rage, for now. — I'm so sorry, Liz, for all of this, but we can't change what happened, and you can't hide in a past where you were happy to forget the recent past, but you can face your fears, quench your hatred. Don't feel dirty, none of this is your fault, and I'm here to make you smile, as is everyone in our family, I try to correct myself.

Liz: — What do you mean by face my fears and quench my hatred? I ask, genuinely interested.

Ethan: — Liz, what I'm about to say may sound cruel, but now you are part of a world where we make our laws, and people who do bad things to us are punished. When I talk about facing your fears and quenching your hatred, I mean for you to confront your mother and stepfather, they will be killed because you don't do that?

Liz: — To, kill them? I am afraid. Afraid they might hurt me again, but at the same time, yes, I want to see them die and go to hell. You know Ethan, I hate my mother more, I have wanted to kill her many and many times. Do you know why? Because she wasn't just complicit in all of it, she was active in the rapes. I speak and mentally reprimand myself for saying that, but for some reason, I want to tell Ethan everything.

Ethan: — What did you say? She, she... I'm unable to utter the words and stand up, pacing back and forth. Liz realizes and starts to speak.

Liz: — Yes, she would rub against me naked, putting her mouth there. I stop speaking, feeling my throat scratch with my words. I hear noises from the other side and Ethan cursing. But I need to get it out, unlike with others whom I always talk to about trivial issues or answer random questions they ask me, now with Ethan, I want to talk. Here now, speaking on a call with someone I've never even seen, I snap out of my thoughts and continue speaking. — You know Ethan, contrary to how I act childishly, I'm very much an adult because the person I loved most in the world took that from me when she went to live with that damned man, when she touched my breasts, when she did those things with him in front of me, when she stuck her fingers inside of me, I hate, I hate her with all the strength of my being. I speak in tears, curled up on the bed.

Ethan: — Liz, all that is in the past now, you need to face it head-on, focus on becoming a strong woman, which you already are. To go through what you went through and still stand is rare. But I'm speaking about focusing on the training and when you're ready, you can put an end to those who caused you so much pain.

We talked for a long time, the subjects varied, turning into many, and before I knew it, we were laughing about something I said. As I spoke with Liz, I asked Lina to charter a jet, to take me to Italy just for the day. I'll only stay three hours in Italy, soon I receive a message that my flight is in two and a half hours. — So, you like horses?

Liz: — Yes, I really wanted to have horses.

Ethan: — Well, that’s not hard to achieve, I promise that as soon as I go to Italy for good, we'll make that happen.

Liz: — Yay!!! I'll be looking forward to that Ethan, now I need to hang up, I have to go to an appointment, bye.

Ethan: — Bye, can I call you later?

Liz: — Yes. I say and hang up.

Ethan: — As I hang up, I feel a great void. I rush to my room to grab a change of clothes and my phone's portable charger. As I'm descending the stairs, I see my duplicate enter with my other brother, my duplicate looks at me and immediately knows something is wrong, he comes over to me.

Henry: — What's happening? I ask, seeing in my brother's gaze the unease, anger, and knowing he wants to blow someone's brains out.

Ethan: When I open my mouth to reply, Lorenzo, my other brother, approaches, asking the same. I explain everything to them, and here we are, the three of us landing in Italy, only our parents know we're here. We head directly to the mafia headquarters, and the first face I see is our father's, with his eyebrows raised, asking where Amanda and Afonso are? I ask my father after giving him a brief hug. Mr. Vincenzo just looks at Nina, who looks at me and walks in front of me.

Nina: — Here, he's free, no handcuffs.

Ethan: She says, giving me a challenging look. But when she looks into my eyes, I see her swallow hard, I'm sure they're black as night and here now stands mafioso Ethan. I enter, and the man looks at me, frightened. — Where's all your bravery now? Or do you only have the courage to act tough against children? I speak and pull him by the collar of his shirt, delivering a punch. He stumbles back, and I land another punch. Come on, won't you fight back? I'm ruthless, I won't kill you today only because it's not for me that you should die. I beat him so much I almost killed him, then I walk to the room where that monster is. I've never hit a woman, but she doesn't even deserve to be called a woman. I enter her office and slam the door, grab her by the arms and lead her to a torture room, handcuff her hands to the ceiling, and grab a whip, starting the lashes. — This is for you to remember the monster you are, the coward you were. She was your daughter, for God's sake. The woman screams and screams, and I, without any mercy, whip her, watching the blood flow down her body until she faints. I grab a bucket of coarse salt and throw it on her, awakening her to screams. I leave there, meeting my mother in the corridor who hugs me tight without a word, we leave there to where my father and brothers are.

Vincenzo: — What did she tell you? What made you come here?

Ethan: — I believe she wouldn't want me to tell you, but you need to know to be able to help her. I tell them everything, leaving my mother furious. After a while, we leave there heading to the jet, our parents accompanied us.

Isis: — What's happening? Ethan, I know you, and there's something more in your gaze. I speak, and he stares, letting out a long sigh and speaks with a glow in his eyes, the same I saw in Liz's eyes when she told me Ethan called her earlier. But his answer truly impressed me.

Ethan: — I made a call today, a call that made me certain that on the other end of the line was my other half. I fell in love the moment I heard her say "Hello". I speak, and my mother beams with a beautiful smile.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***