LA GIOIA MIA (HIS JOY)

Seeing her vulnerable state, Vincenzo's eyes softened, guilt prickled his heart instantly, and he cursed at himself inwardly.

Adriana held Riccardo's arms, her eyes pleading with him not to let her go. The pain she went through for the three days flashed through her mind, she never wanted to experience such again.

"They won't hurt you, I'm here for you," Riccardo caressed her hand on his arm slowly, calming her nerves down. But once her gaze met with Vincenzo's, she averted it immediately.

"I didn't kill Mother," she repeated, shaking her head slightly. Hearing the truth of their Mother's death had left her restless. The thought had never for once crossed her mind. Her only wish was for her children to see their grandmother, the woman who had pestered her to tie the knot with Riccardo and give her beautiful children. She never knew all this was her wishful thinking as she had left the world long ago.

"It was you!" Theodore voiced out. His voice was neither harsh nor soft. He lowered his head, clamping his eyes shut as the memories filled his mind.

"That day… you came. Right in her heart, you stabbed with the hairpin she gave you. Do you know how much she cherished that hairpin? She gave it to you all because she loved you! But what did you do? You killed her!" Theodore yelled, raising his head. His eyes were bloodshot as he fought back his tears.

"I didn't! I don't even know what you're talking about!" Adriana cried, staring at each of them. Theodore looked away, while Antonio sighed. Vincenzo's eyes were expressionless, so she couldn't read his emotions.

Slowly, her head turned to Riccardo whose eyes were on her. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she immediately got hold of his hand.

"Believe me, Rick. I didn't kill Mother, I can never do so!" She cried, trying to make him reason with her. What if he doesn't believe her also? Then, it's surely the end for her.

"I don't even know what they're talking about, I never came back after that day, believe me!" Her cries grew louder as her eyes searched Riccardo's own desperately.

He removed his hand from her grip and her heart sank. Just like his brothers, he doesn't believe her too.

But to her ultimate surprise, his hand held her soft cheeks and rubbed her tears off with his thumb. "I know you can't do that. I believe you," he whispered. Adriana threw herself to his arms, her hands going around his neck as she continued crying, proving her innocence through her words.

Moments later, her tears had died down. Her head was on Riccardo's shoulder whose arms were wrapped protectively around her back, telling her she was safe with him.

"If you actually never turned back after you left, does that mean Mother's killer was actually an imposter?" Antonio spoke out when the silence in the room became unbearable.

"The only one who can solve all this puzzle is you, Adriana," Vincenzo said and Adriana stared at him.

"Tell us whatever you know, we'll solve the rest," he added. Adriana gently raised her head and stared at Riccardo who nodded in return.

She sighed and took her gaze away. Slowly, she fiddled her nails as she prepared herself to let out the secret she had harbored within her for years.

"I've never seen his face before," she began. "He's always putting on a black scary mask, and he uses a voice modulator. Thus, it makes it hard for me to tell who he is," she suddenly stopped talking, her eyes flashing with hurt for a brief moment.

"He forced me," her lips quivered as she explained herself. "He threatened to take my happiness away from me, I was so young then. I was stuck, I didn't know what to do," she shook her head.

"He once forced himself on me," as soon as she uttered those words, she felt Riccardo's body tensed beside her.

"Did… Did he succeed?" As much as his voice sounded calm, she didn't fail to notice the dangerous tone laced in it.

"I fought back," she replied. "I was punished severely for that, but I didn't care. I could never allow any other man in my life except Riccardo."

•••••••

<FLASHBACK≈SEVEN YEARS AGO>

Adriana laid on the floor, almost unconscious. Her clothes were half torn, and stained with her sweats. Before her, stood a man who was dressed in all black, his head was covered too and he was on a mask. She could never picture his face.

"Do what I want and your family will be safe," due to the voice modulator he used, she could never figure out the tone of his voice.

"Leave Riccardo's life!" His voice boomed around the whole building. Adriana shook her head, her eyes filled with tears.

He never gave her the chance to speak when he clicked his fingers. Suddenly, a video came up on the large screen before her and her whole body froze in shock when she saw her parents tied to a chair.

"Choose wisely. Your lover or your family?" Her eyes went back to the man before her. She had never crossed anyone in her life, so why was this person hell bent on destroying her life?

"Please…" she whispered. Right in her presence, she saw the man pointed the gun at her mother and fired it. Adriana thought it was a joke, but when she saw her Mother slumped to the ground with blood gushing out of her chest, she knew her life was never going to be the same anymore.

"Mom!!!!!!!" She screamed on top of her voice. She felt air seeping out of her lungs as her whole word went still for a moment.

"No! Nooooo! No!!!!!" She was shedding tears, but he cared less. She watched as he aimed the gun at her Father's skull.

"On the countdown of 3, I won't hesitate to fire his damn skull. 3…, 2…,"

"I'll do it!" Adriana screamed amidst tears. She stared up at the man before her, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'll leave Riccardo's life, don't touch my family please," she pleaded. She heard the sound of his laughter and watched as he crouched down to her level. He held her chin and raised it up, meeting her eyes.

"Good girl. You should have said this before wasting your Mother's life," he said.

"You're the light in Riccardo's life, I want to shut it down. I want to make his life full of darkness, I want to watch him howling in pain at the loss of his woman! I want to watch everything! Hahahahaha," the man got to his feet and continued laughing till he left the room.

Adriana's body fell to the floor lifelessly, her tears falling like an ocean. She couldn't mutter a sound, she just lay there, crying softly.

Moments later, she was released and her Mother's body was brought forward to her. She was barely breathing and it seemed as though she'd give up the ghost immediately. With the help of her Father, they rushed her to the hospital but after everything… She died.

•••••••

"When I broke up with you, My Mother was gone," Adriana sniffed her tears as the ordeal she passed through resurfaced back into her mind.

"I had no choice. I wanted to save my family, I wanted to save you too! He left me with no choice." She paused for a while and cleaned her tears with the back of her palm. Then, she continued.

"After we broke up, he came after my Father. He killed him too, right in my presence. I was traumatized, I went crazy. The world came to an end for me during those crucial moments. And after landing in the hospital several times, I discovered I was pregnant with your babies," she faced Riccardo whose head was bent low.

"It was the symbol of our undying love, I couldn't bear to flush them out. So I left the country. I was scared he'd come after my life too, after our children's life. So I started all over again, with Alessia."

"It was hard for me. I had to keep moving on for my babies, I did everything to survive. I never for once turned back after I left the country. I didn't kill Mother, believe me," she concluded and she began crying softly.

"I was so young. I had no one to confide in, I… I just…" Riccardo pulled her head to his chest, preventing her from saying any more words.

"It's okay, Anna. It's okay," he whispered as he rocked her back gently. He resented her for seven years, not knowing what she had to pass through all because of him.

Theodore by now was sitting on the floor, resting his back on the bed. His eyes were filled with tears. Her sufferings were unknown to him, he even called upon his brothers to punish her for a crime she knew nothing of.

An eerie silence descended in the room until Adriana's heavy breathing could be heard. Riccardo pulled her head back a bit to find her already asleep in his arms. He faced his brothers.

"She's asleep. You need to leave now," he uttered. Vincenzo rubbed his face with his palms, exhaling sharply.

"I'm a devil. A real one," he mumbled to himself. Riccardo never said a word and after a minute, the brothers left the room, leaving him all alone with Adriana.

Slowly, Riccardo gently placed her on the bed, lying beside her. His hand touched her cheek gently and Adriana immediately snuggled closer, curling herself in his arms.

Not hesitating for a moment, his arms went around her and he pulled her impossibly closer to himself, gumming their bodies together.

"Mi dispiace, Gioia mia {I'm sorry, My joy}" he whispered, placing a loving kiss on her hair.