Reborn as a Mafia Princess.

Ch 6

The afternoon sun beat down brightly over the pristine, private park playground. Aliria was currently sitting in the sanitized sandbox, carefully patting down a small blob of damp sand with a bright yellow shovel.

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=Look, Cupcake Your sand cake is coming along great! But wait—it needs a grand entrance.

Matteo aggressively dug a trench around her tiny sand mound, tossing sand over his shoulder with the energy of a hyperactive golden retriever.

Luca Rostov (third brother)=(sighing, dusting sand off his designer sneakers)Teo, you're getting sand on her dress. Move two steps to the left.😼

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=Hey I'm creating a defensive moat for her castle, Lu What if rogue squirrels attack?

Aliria Rostov (thought)=Yes, Matteo, because rogue squirrels are top-tier security threats to the Rostov empire. Bless your heart.🤦‍♀️

Dante Rostov (first brother)=(checking his clipboard with a strict frown)Current moisture levels of the sand are dropping by four percent. Luca, fetch the purified spring water bottle to rehydrate the sand structure.

Aliria Rostov (thought)=SPRING WATER FOR A SANDCASTLE? Dan-dan, we are playing in dirt.You don't need to treat playground sand like fine concrete.😭

While Dante and Luca argued over the exact hydration levels of the sand, a sudden rustling sound echoed from the heavy green bushes along the edge of the playground's perimeter fence.

Aliria perked up her small ears, blinking her big round eyes.

Rustle... rustle... snap!!!🌿

Through a small gap in the iron fence, right under the watchful eyes of the dozens of suited Rostov bodyguards who were currently facing outward, a tiny head popped out.

It was a little boy—maybe four years old—with wild, messy black hair, dirt smudges on his cheeks, and a slightly oversized blue overalls set. He was holding a slightly battered, stuffed toy dinosaur under his arm, looking around the empty playground with wide, curious eyes. 🦕

The little boy locked eyes directly with Aliria.

Little Boy=Whoa... a playground with no line for the slide?😲

Aliria froze in place, her toddler mouth forming a soft 'O'.

Aliria Rostov (thought)=AN ACTUAL OTHER CHILD A REAL, LIVE TODDLER How did he bypass the armed security detail?! Is he a tiny ninja? 🥷✨

The little boy scrambled through a gap in the fence, brushing leaves off his knees, and waddled straight toward the velvet-roped sandbox. He completely ignored the imposing presence of three giant Rostov brothers standing around like statues.

Little Boy=Hi! Can I play in the sand too? My name is Leo. 👦

Before Aliria could even let out a toddler babble response, the entire atmosphere of the playground instantly dropped by twenty degrees. 🥶

Alistair, who was previously taking thousands of photos from the park bench, snapped his head up so fast his neck nearly popped.

Alistair Rostov (dad)=UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUAL IN THE PERIMETER! CODE RED! CODE RED!🚨😱

In less than half a second, Dante dropped his clipboard, his eyes narrowing into cold, icy daggers. Matteo leapt to his feet, shielding Aliria behind his back like a human wall, while Luca casually stepped between the boy and Aliria, his expression completely blank.

The guards in black suits outside the fence instantly turned around, reaching into their jackets with panicked faces.

Dante Rostov (first brother)=(cold, deadly voice)Halt right there, tiny intruder. State your business before you are removed from the premises.

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=WHO SENT YOU?! WAS IT THE RIVAL BUSINESS CARTEL?! ARE YOU A DISTRACTION?!💥

The little boy, Leo, blinked up at the three tall, looming brothers, completely oblivious to the fact that he was currently being interrogated by multi-billionaire heirs. He just tilted his head and held up his stuffed dinosaur.

Leo (little boy)=Mr. Dino wants to use the slide.

Aliria Rostov (thought)=GUYS, HE IS FOUR YEARS OLD! HE HAS A STUFFED DINOSAUR! HE IS NOT AN INTERNATIONAL SPY SENT TO ASSASSINATE ME WITH A PLASTIC SHOVEL.🤦‍♀️😭

Aliria quickly peeked out from behind Matteo's legs, grabbing Matteo’s pant leg to stop him from panicking further.

Aliria Rostov=Teo, stop He just a baby. 🥺

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=Cupcake, you don't understand. He bypassed our security perimeter. He could be dangerous. He might... he might ask to share your bucket.😱

Valeria walked over from the bench, her heels clicking softly on the pavement. She gently smacked Alistair on the arm as he hurried over, signaling the bodyguards to stand down with a simple wave of her hand.

Valeria Rostov (mom)=Alistair, boys, put your weapons away and calm down.He's just a sweet little boy from the neighborhood. 🥰

Valeria kneeled down in front of little Leo, offering a warm, graceful smile.

Valeria Rostov (mom)=Hello there, little one. Did you squeeze through the fence?

Leo (little boy)=Yep, The big gate was locked by men in suits, but Mr. Dino found a secret tunnel in the bushes. 🦕

Alistair gasped, pulling out his encrypted phone immediately.

Alistair Rostov (dad)=A SECRET TUNNEL? Fire the perimeter security team immediately. Upgrade the park fence to titanium reinforcement by tomorrow morning.

Aliria Rostov (thought)=Dada, please do not build a military-grade fortress wall around a public playground. 😭

Aliria stepped out from behind her brothers, shuffling over to the edge of the sandbox. She looked at the little boy, then at his stuffed dinosaur. As an adult soul in a 3-year-old body, she hadn't interacted with an actual peer yet.

Aliria Rostov=Dino... cute.

Leo’s eyes lit up with absolute delight. He held out the stuffed dinosaur proudly.

Leo (little boy)=His name is Scruffy! Do you want to build a mountain for him?

Aliria Rostov=Ria build big mountain.🥳

Aliria happily sat back down, scooping up a pile of sand with her small yellow shovel. Leo happily sat down on the opposite side of the sand, using his plastic green bucket to help her pat down the dirt.

For a few minutes, it was completely normal, cute toddler playtime.

However, the three Rostov brothers were standing around the edge of the sandbox like gargoyles, watching Leo’s every single move with absolute, terrifying intense scrutiny. 👁️👁️

Dante Rostov (first brother)=(arms crossed, whispering)He is sitting too close. His left elbow is three inches from her space. I don't trust him.

Luca Rostov (third brother)=(leaning on his knees, staring cold eyes at Leo) If he throws sand toward her face, I'm taking his dinosaur.😼

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=Look at him, trying to show off his dinosaur. CUPCAKE, LOOK AT MY SAND FORTRESS AGAIN MINE HAS TOWERS.🏰💥

Aliria Rostov (thought)=Oh my gosh, my brothers are glaring at a four-year-old like he's competing for a corporate merger. Poor Leo is going to be traumatized for life if they keep hovering like towering shadow demons.😂

Suddenly, a panicked voice echoed from outside the park fence.

Worried Mother=Leo?! Leo, where did you go? Oh dear goodness.

A young mother came running through the open park gates, catching her breath as she saw her son sitting in the sandbox with Aliria. But the moment she looked up and realized the entire park was surrounded by armed guards, luxury SUVs, and the famous Rostov family, her face turned pale as a sheet. 😱

Worried Mother = L-Lord Rostov?! Master Dante?! Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, My son snuck through the bushes—we didn't mean to trespass on your private area.

She rushed over, grabbing little Leo’s hand to pull him up, bowing repeatedly toward Alistair and Valeria.

Leo (little boy) = Mommy look, I made a sand mountain with the cute girl.🦕

Alistair cleared his throat, stepping forward with his usual commanding aura, but his expression softened as he looked down at Aliria, who was waving her tiny chubby hand goodbye at Leo.

Aliria Rostov=Bye-bye, Dino boy.👋

Alistair Rostov (dad)= It is fine, ma'am. No harm was done. Your son... demonstrated impressive tactical infiltration skills.😎

Dante Rostov (first brother)=(nodding slightly)He breached our secondary defense line. A formidable effort for a four-year-old.

Worried Mother=(confused and sweating)T-Thank you... Come on, Leo, let's go get lunch!

As the mother quickly led Leo away, Aliria sat back in the sand, letting out a soft sigh.

Aliria Rostov (thought)=Well, that was my five minutes of normal toddler socialization for the decade. My family really turns every single normal interaction into an action movie plot.

Matteo immediately dropped to his knees next to her, holding up a shiny pink juice box with a straw already poked in.

Matteo Rostov (second brother)=Cupcake,You survived the tiny intruder encounter,Drink some juice. Replenish your energy.🧃

Luca Rostov (third brother)=(sitting beside her, patting her sun hat)You did good, Chibi. But your brothers are still cooler than a guy with a dinosaur, right?😼

Aliria looked at Luca's smug little smile, Matteo's eager face, Dante holding a cool damp towel for her hands, and her dad taking even more pictures.

She took a sip of her juice box, her heart melting just a little bit.

Aliria Rostov=Teo cool. Lu cool. Dan-dan cool. Dada best.🥰

All four men froze, their eyes widening before they practically burst into tears of pure affection.

Alistair & Brothers=OUR PRINCESS LOVES US THE MOST.😭❤️🎉

Aliria Rostov (thought)=Yep... they are completely insane. But they're my crazy mobster bodyguards, and I wouldn't trade them for all the stuffed dinosaurs in the world.💖

To be continued...