6.

Italy, 2014



Summer Holidays were finally over, and it was time to get back to school, much to the youngsters displeasure.

While the more studious couldn't wait to get their lessons started, the careless ones groaned out in annoyance, not ready for boredom life to start again.

And one of that careless one, was Agatha Russo.

Agatha groaned as she remained passed out on her Queen sized bed, her hairs all over the place and her blanket a tangled mess around her.

Above her hovered her maid, who was debating what would be the best way to wake up the young Miss.

"Miss Agatha? Miss Agatha wake up. Wake up. You have school today. Wake up!"

"Get lost." Agatha groaned while the maid sighed in frustration. She pulled the blanket away, which was a really bold move for a maid, and especially for the maid of Agatha Russo.

When the blanket was pulled away, and the coldness begins to seep into her skin, her eyes shot open, and instantly, her infamous glare was shot at the maid.

"You dare do such a thing you imbecile? Do you have a death wish?"

The maid sighed, knowing that although Agatha's threats were genuine, she knew there was a threat far worse than that on top of Agatha's head.

"Lord Gustav wants you ready for morning practise in less than fifteen minutes. He will have your allowance cut off if you miss it." The maid said it like she had rehearsed it, because in a way she had, for Gustav Russo, father of Agatha Russo and the Lord of the most ruthless Italian mafia named The Cross Sword, was not a man to mess with. Not even his children.

And Agatha knew that very well.

For no sooner had the words left the maids mouth, Agatha was up and out of the bed, cursing lowly at the hangover she was having.

"Why didn't you start with that part!? You should have said that fir- Ow ow ow my head. Ugh!"

"Bad night?"

"Terrible." Agatha corrected, pushing herself out of the bed and letting the maid lead her towards the bathroom to wash up. She remembered she only had fifteen minutes left to finish getting ready for the day and meet her father in the garden for morning practise.

Her head felt like it was going to explode, such was her drinking habits.

She had partied all night long, got drunk to the bone, and had had a steamy make out session with a guy from the bar.

But nothing accelerated, for Agatha did not find the guy very convincing, so she had left him hanging, and drank all the way to home.

And, here she was now.

"Ugh..." She groaned again, which this time, the maid really found concerning. "You need to stop drinking so much Miss Agatha. Or at least learn to hold your liquor. It could affect your young age."

Agatha stopped walking, pausing the maid as well. Removing her hand from her head, she stared at the maid with no real emotion crossing her face, which was the scariest.

She was scariest when she had a blank face.

"Hey, did I ask you for your opinion?"

The maid stared back, realizing that she had after all crossed the line. However, she didn't fear Agatha like others, although she knew what Agatha was capable of, and it wouldn't even take a second thought for her to send a bullet through her head if she wanted to.

But the maid also knew Agatha was a spoiled brat, and her behaviour was a given. So she silently dropped her gaze, not replying.

"Did I ask for you to be concerned you bitch?" Agatha stalked towards the maid, her eyes boring her down, and almost drilling holes into her head.

"No, Miss Agatha."

"Then shut the fuck up and do your job. Stop being a nosy bitch."

Sometimes, the maid pitied her Miss, for she was really pathetic, but at times she did understand where that anger was coming from, and she couldn't blame the girl.

Richness doesn't always mean happiness, if you don't know who to share it with.

***

"Agatha Russo what has gotten into you today!?" The trainer thundered, making them all almost flinch, but Agatha stood her ground, her head bowed down while she gulped the spit forming in her mouth.

The shooting lesson was a mess, courtesy to the half drunken Agatha who couldn't see properly due to the hangover still in her head.

Agatha was one of the best shooters, and she was going to be the best of all in more practises. However today's lesson was just something else.

The trainer stalked towards Agatha, glaring down at her as he pointed a beefy finger towards the board, where all the shots were scattered around.

"Explain me the meaning of this."

"What else? I'm just having a little bit of fun."

"What did you just say?"

"It gets boring when you are hitting the same spot all the time." Agatha replied with a tight lipped smiled, black fringes dropping in front of her face while she stared up at the soon reddening man with her jet black eyes.

The trainer looked like he was going to explode, and no one could blame him actually. He had his reasons.

Agatha Russo was known for being a self-centred selfish wench, who cared about nothing but herself.

The trainer begins to back away, but one single smirk from Agatha had him raising his hand up in an attempt to teach the imprudent girl a very much needed lesson.

"Sir don-"

"That's enough." Came the voice of the man every single person in Italy feared. The voice of Gustav Russo, who slowly walked towards the scene with his second in command beside him.

Agatha's body went still, and the smirk disappeared as her father grew nearer, until he was no more than a few feet away, staring down at her.

"Agatha, are you drunk?" Gustav questioned, too calmly, like the calm before a storm. Agatha shook her head. "No father."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes father."

"Then shoot the board. Now."

Agatha gritted her teeth, slowly turning towards the board before she raised her hand, trying to focus on the bull’s eye but everything just seemed...hazy.

Fuck my life.

A single shot rang out, smoke escaping Agatha's gun while everyone stared at the hole on the board, disappointment crossing their expression.

The shot was nowhere close to the bull’s-eye.

However, Gustav had the calmest expression, nodding towards the board like he just solved the most complicated chemistry problem, when in reality he was planning his own daughter's eminent end.

"You are drunk."

No reply.

"Why did you lie?"

Still no reply.

"You know I hate liars, don't you?"

"Y-yes."

"So what should I do with you?"

When Agatha didn't reply, Gustav inched closer to her, pulling out the dagger he kept in his pocket and running it across her chin. "Perhaps I should cut of your tongue, stop that liquor from entering or just stitch up your mouth once and for all. Wouldn't that be the best? Hmm?"

Tears begin to prick Agatha's eyes, not of what her father was saying but of the humiliation she was going through in front of everyone.

In front of the fat ass trainer, in front of the servants, in front of...her.

Agatha gritted her teeth so hard; she felt them cracking in her mouth. She didn't want to beg for forgiveness, it would look so pathetic, at the same time she didn't want her father to do all that, which he would do, no doubt.

What do I do!?

Just when Gustav took her silence as a yes and begin getting to work, a voice interrupted, stopping him midway.

"Father please stop! Please!"

That annoying voice. Why the fuck is she speaking?

The said owner of the voice walked forward, staring at her father in horror while she clutched her gun to her chest, her pink hairs tied in a bun.

"I will apologise on her behalf, so please, please stop this. I beg you father, Please!"

Gustav stared at the young girl, a sly smirk appearing on his face before he pressed the blade into Agatha's chin harder, releasing a laugh when the pink haired girl almost screamed.

Laughing to himself, Gustav withdrew the dagger, pocketing it back before turning to Agatha again. "I want to see your aim back to normal by the night or I will finish what I just started. Understood?"

"Yes."

"And you," Gustav called, making the pink haired girl flinch. "Focus on your own lessons before jumping on to someone else rescue. If you don't learn how to aim soon, I will teach you myself, and Agatha here will be your target."

Dread and shock pooled into the girls features, while Gustav's face broke into a big grin as he walked away, followed by his second in command.

No sooner was he gone, the girl rushed to Agatha, holding her hands in hers. "Agatha are you okay? You must have been so scared! I'm sorry! I'm sorry from his side I-"

"Why are you," Agatha hissed, her voice thick with venom. "Always so annoying?"

Saying that, she pushed past the girl, past her twin sister Soralina Russo and stalked away, leaving Soralina to take the blow all alone, on her own.

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