THE DARKDEVIL

It was past 7pm when Adriana returned home. The silence that welcomed her struck her heart greatly, it was a great reminder that her boys wouldn't be around her till three weeks time.

"You were in agreement before, remember?" She sighed as she walked into her room. She dropped her bag beside the bedside and headed to the bathroom to have her night shower.

As she settled on the bed, her phone rang at that instant and she smiled when she saw her babies calling her.

Without any hesitation, she picked it up. It was a video call. Emelio and Emiliano's face popped up on the screen immediately.

"Mommy!" The chorused, waving their hands at the camera. Adriana smiled and hugged a pillow to herself.

"Hey kiddies, how are you doing?" She asked.

"Great. Could you believe we had ice cream on our way here? The taste was heavenly!" That was Emelio's voice as he smiled dreamily.

"And then, Aunt Alessia promised to take us to an amusement park tomorrow, so excited!" Emiliano giggled.

"I thought you were against the idea before?" Adriana raised a brow teasingly.

"Not anymore. We're just gonna miss you," Emiliano pouted.

"It's fine, I'll always call you. Have you had dinner?"

"Yes. And you, Mommy? Have you eaten anything?" Emelio quickly asked.

"Well… Yeah," Adriana lied as she bit her lower lip

"That's a lie," the twins said at once, their face wrinkling into a frown.

Adriana laughed. Did she forgot her kids could see through her?

"I was about to when you call came in," she lied again, this time covering it up with a smile.

"Then we shouldn't hinder you then. Have a nice night, Mommy. I love you," Emelio blew a kiss at her.

"I love you more than anything in the world," Emeliano added. Adriana smiled prettily before blowing them a kiss, then she disconnected the call.

She laid on her back whilst hugging her phone to her chest, she was suddenly missing her boys, they were her everything.

Even though they're just seven years old, they acted like adults. They scold her at any slight chance they get, but that doesn't mean they don't cherish her.

She giggled to herself before sighing. "Let's call it a night," she whispered and instantly, she dozed off.

••••••••

Morning arrived like the flash of lightening and the next thing Adriana knew was to find herself in her restaurant, going to and fro as she tried her best to meet her customer's demands.

When she finally had a little time to rest, she collapsed on a chair before the counter and slapped her cheeks gently. Today was unusually hectic for her and the restaurant was filled to the brim.

If her kids were here, they'd have surely helped her out. "Stop it Ana, let them enjoy themselves," she sighed to herself.

"A bowl of beef soup please!" A male voice yelled and she immediately got to her feet.

"Yes, coming!" She yelled as she hurriedly went to serve her customer.

While she was at that, the restaurant door was suddenly flung open and a man with a pot belly trotted in, his guards were right behind him.

"Who's the manager here?!" He yelled. Adriana excused herself and went to meet him.

"Good day sir, I'm sorry to say this, but we have no seats left for any customers as at now, I suggest you head somewhere else," she said in a polite manner.

The pot bellied man scoffed before placing his hands on his waist.

"In short, you're chasing me out of your restaurant?" His voice was unexpectedly high.

Adriana gasped and quickly tried to defend herself. "I will never do that sir, it's just that, the seats are all occupied, you can only have your meal somewhere else," she stated.

"Too bad, I'm having my meal here and there's nothing you can do about it!" The man held his ground and Adriana sighed frustratedly.

Did she forget to mention some customers can be extremely irritating? She was tired enough as it is and this pregnant man had to add more salt to her wounds?

"Listen here, Mister. I don't think you understand what I mean, there's no seat left and…"

"I said I'm not going anywhere!" The man yelled, shutting her off.

Adriana clasped her lips together as she was suddenly at a loss of words to say.

"Your restaurant is not that great and yet you act so pompous. So low," the man mumbled but Adriana would be insane if she pretended as though she didn't heard what he said.

"Excuse me?" She blinked her eyes while the man clicked his tongue.

"I was crazy to have come here in the first place, let's leave," the man said to his bodyguards or giants?

"Hey, you pregnant man!!" Adriana yelled before she could control herself and all eyes turned to their direction immediately.

As soon as the customers saw the pot bellied man,they burst into a fit of laughter as they immediately understood why Adriana had addressed him that way.

"What? Pregnant man?" The man was all red in the face as he glared daggers at Adriana.

"I wonder why you need to eat when you're already blessed with hundred men's tummy," she rolled her eyes.

"You…. You brat!" The man raised his finger and his guards immediately surrounded Adriana.

"What? You're gonna hit a woman?" Adriana challenged him, not afraid a bit.

"He's a woman beater? So bad"

"We need to report him to the cops,"

Hearing the murmurings from the people present in the restaurant, the bodyguards backed down immediately.

"I'll surely be back for you!" The man shot before storming out of the restaurant.

"Yes, please come back again!" Adriana yelled. She breathed out and faced her customers.

"I'm sorry for the inconveniences, you can continue your meal," she smiled gently and walked to the counter.

She wouldn't lie that her legs were shaking badly. When the bodyguard surrounded her earlier, she had almost peed on her pants and it took all her being to stand strong in their presence.

"Gosh, they were so scary," she rubbed her chest as she exhaled deeply.

Before she could blink her eyes, it was night time and the restaurant was almost empty with just two couples having a date night as she guessed.

She watched as the guy stared at his girlfriend with love clearly evident in his eyes.

"I won't let any guy that comes to you go scot free," he suddenly said and the girl laughed.

"Seriously? You're being too over protective," she hit his hand which was on the table slightly.

"Well, I don't share," the guy said.

Those words hit Adriana a million times as she remembered him. That was his slang whenever she was with him.

"I don't share what's mine," he'd always say.

Adriana smiled sadly and got to her feet as she began clearing the plates on the table. By the time she was done with that, the couples already left the restaurant and she used that moment to count her sales for the day.

"3,000 dollars?!" She screamed after she was done counting the money.

"Oh my God!" She got to her feet and began jumping around, screaming with her whole might. That was a lot as she had never made up to that amount in a day.

As she was celebrating her achievement for the day, a black Limousine came to a halt in front of the restaurant. Out of it came out Riccardo, dressed in an impeccable suit with an aura of darkness exuding all over him.

His face was as cold as ice as he stared around the restaurant. His eyes suddenly caught Adriana dancing around as the glass was transparent.

Seeing how happy she was got him mad and he began walking towards the entrance.

Adriana, who was still smiling to herself heard the restaurant door opening. Without checking the entrance, she utter loudly,

"We're closed for the day, do come back next time," she sang but there was silence.

"Huh huh?" Curiously, she stared at the person who had just entered without a word.

Her words of greetings died away as her eyes settled on a powerfully built man standing before her. Dressed in a dark suit with his blonde hair gleaming, he looked like the incarnation of the devil as his eyes burned into hers, searing like hot coals.

Her former lover, the one whom she had shattered his heart by leaving him in the cruelest way ever.

It took every ounce of the willpower she had not to run to him and throw her arms around him, kissing the lips she was so familiar with fervently.

"Riccardo…" she breathed slowly as surprise and shock warred within her.

He didn't respond. He stood there with his hands buried in his pocket, watching her.

He was incredibly different from the Riccardo she knew. She realized that when she saw how devilish he looked. His eyes were as cold as ice as they peered into her own.

This wasn't the Riccardo she knew. The one in front of her was a devil, a Darkdevil. Little does she knows that was his nickname in the underworld business