Lethal Combination

CHAPTER 14

"Ice, I can hear someone crying in the background," Ainsdale told her brother while they were talking over a video call which her brother initiated half an hour after Alessio left her in her room.

It was not like she didn't know what was happening on her brother's side, but she was curious about what happened this time. After all, he made Euphrosyne suffer from a near death experience last time without feeling any remorse nor guilt. Who knows what he decided to do again just to make her suffer to his own twisted satisfaction?

"What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?" Aizen asked back, acting all innocent.

"Not think, Ice. I know you did something," Ainsdale pointed out. "She wouldn't have been crying so hard if you had not."

He chuckled. "I poured alcohol on her open wounds to wake her up. It's not like I did something big, like cutting one of her fingers, for instance, while she's sound asleep. I always made sure she'd survive to curse the next day she finds herself alive. I can't have her dying on me this early morning now, can I?" He answered as he went towards an area where Euphrosyne's cries could no longer be heard.

She raised her eyebrow in question as she walked towards the French doors that led to the terrace overlooking the gardens surrounding the manor and sat on one of the chairs there. Just as when she put down her phone beside her laptop, the screen on her phone was automatically projected on the screen of her laptop which she set to be divided into two screens for her to be able to review some documents which Lewis had sent while talking to Aizen at the same time.

"Don't tell me you finally decided to take good care of her. Are you disinfecting the cuts and wounds on her skin which I might point out to have been caused by you? Why the sudden change of heart? Does your conscience finally smack you in the face?"

As if she'd just told a joke, her brother laughed at her statement. "Please, me? She can go to hell for all I care."

"You're evil."

He grinned. "Thanks!"

"Non ti sto complimenti, Aizen. (I'm not complimenting you, Aizen.)"

"Really? But I'm taking it as a compliment anyway."

"Shameless."

"Yes, I'm aware. I'm your brother after all."

Ainsdale stared at her brother through the screen and he just raised his glass to her with a smile.

"Is there any progress with your prior plans when you accepted the assignment Scion gave you? You have spent quite a long time holding her up."

"I've confirmed my suspicions."

"Which is?"

"There is only one Euphrosyne Amherstia. And the one who got engaged to Alessio isn't her."

"Are you saying it was me?"

Aizen shrugged. "Who knows? With the things I found out these past few days, I couldn't say."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"A branch of the Simonettis – headed by a son that was renounced to inherit any dime from the family for certain reasons, engaged themselves in a cloning project twenty-three years ago without Julio Simonetti's knowledge. And the subject was the granddaughter loved by the late patriarch of the family, the only one named to solely inherit Simonetti's fortune. The old patriarch didn't know about the project itself nor the intention behind it, though he found out the truth when his granddaughter was eight years old. That was the time when he died due to a sudden car accident while on his way home from attending a party hosted by the Arcanes."

"Fifteen years ago…" Ainsdale whispered as she tapped the glass table with her forefinger.

Ainsdale's thoughts wandered to the things she could remember from there. When the Castigliones found her, she was in a critical state. As Aizen had recalled, if they had found her an hour late, she would have died from the head injury she suffered along with a few broken bones. When she woke up in the hospital after being in a coma for a few months, she could no longer remember everything regarding her past. Not even her own name.

Aizen nodded in agreement. "It was the time when Euphrosyne was declared to have been put under tight protection after she survived the accident because of the threats to her life. Thus, she disappeared from the radar of everyone who knew of her existence aside from those who had hidden her from the public eye. The very same time when Sage and I found you fighting for your own life after we found you on a riverbank one particular night," Aizen stated. "If we had not found you, we could believe all the bullshit they have told the public with regards to Euphrosyne's existence. But you are there and your connection to Alessio blurs everything they have put into place so far."

"Are you saying my existence is a major key to finding out the secrets they have kept in the dark all these years?"

"Yes. But then we can't be sure if you are the real Euhprosyne or another clone planted to deceive the late patriarch then."

"If there's a cloning project, how can we tell which one is the real Euphrosyne Simonetti?"

"Oh, I'm sure there is something that could point us in the right direction when it comes to that. We just have to find it. Besides, Alessio keeps a photo of Euphrosyne from fifteen years ago. It was taken on the night before the unfortunate accident happened. If we take note of all the important details, we'd end up with the conclusion that it was you who was with the late patriarch of the Simonetti's fifteen years ago when he met with a car accident on his way home. Meaning, there's a high possibility that you are the real one. Though we still have to look for proof to prove that to everyone."

Silence settled in between them for a while. If they are going to pursue the memories she had forgotten, they'll be digging out secrets which have been set to be hidden from the very beginning.

"Placing you beside Alessio seemed to have been the best choice we made because the Arcanes and Simonettis share a bond created between the old patriarchs. Euphrosyne and her accomplices used that bond to their advantage and we are going to need to make use of that bond this time around to bring out the truth behind what really happened fifteen years ago when you lost your memories. I'll send you the information I've gathered so far but the accident which involved the old patriarch of the Simonettis fifteen years ago and his granddaughter is more complicated than I thought. This time, if we wanted to dig out their family secrets, I think, we had to infiltrate the Simonettis."

"What are you going to do with Euphrosyne? You can't leave her there alone."

"I'll hand her over to Alessio, of course. It's a commissioned assignment after all."

"He's going to break her."

Aizen stared at her through the screen. His expression never changed. For a while he stayed silent until he spoke once again. "Se ti aspetti che mi prendessi cura, il fiume, mi dispiace se ti sto deluderti. (If you're expecting me to care, river, I'm sorry if I am going to disappoint you.)"

"I'm not. I'm just considering whether I should watch from the sidelines when he does."

Aizen tilted his head as he softly laughed. "You haven't been there with him for a very long time yet he's already rubbing off his cruelty on you."

"When I, a fragile lady of the House of Castiglione, is surrounded by men such as you and Scion, what do you expect will happen? Of course, I'll adapt your behaviour like a chameleon would to its surroundings. It's an instinct of survival."

Aizen clicked his tongue teasingly. "Did the head of the Arcana somehow make you eat something weird? You're saying absurd things. Tu e io sappiamo entrambi che non sei fragile. Mia cara sorella, sei mortale. (You and I both know you are not fragile. My dear sister, you are deadly.)"

She smiled. Amusement glistened in her now green-colored eyes. "Hmm. In what way?"

"Men die at the sight of you."

"So why are you still alive?"

"Oh. I'm immune to your charms."

She just chuckled at that.

For a while, they talked about their future plans to accomplish their goals. And for them to be able to infiltrate the house of Simonetti's, they needed to completely erase the existence of Euphrosyne. They need the help of the current head of the Arcana if they are going to do just that. If he doesn't cooperate this time because of the relationship between his family and her, they'll just have to push through with it using another way. But since Alessio hated Euphrosyne's existence for some reason, they are going to make use of that.

"Oh, before I forgot, you should visit the villa sometimes."

"Yes, I'll go home one of these days. With Scion at that. Maybe after he recovered from his gunshot wound."

"Alessio? Why would you need to bring him with you?"

She frowned. "Non è stato tu che ha creato uno spettacolo su di me con un fidanzato? (Wasn't it you who created a spectacle about me having a fiancé?) Mom called and it was Scion who answered. Mom, weaved a story of her own based on your original plot and Scion just got entangled in the tale as the fiance without much of a choice."

Aizen laughed. "Ah, so the main characters are now both in the middle of it, eh?"

"What?"

"And while you're at it," Aizen continued as he completely ignored her, "tell mom that you are already in the process of making cute little grandchildren. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed."

She glared at her brother, who looked like he was having fun. "Go to hell, Aizen."

"Sure, but I'll bring you and Alessio with me. The more, the merrier!"

"Shut up!"

He laughed. "Regards to both mom and dad. Take care, fiume. Bye!"

Ainsdale was left staring at the screen of her phone. One of these days, she'll really strangle her brother.

She sighed and leaned back in her seat before she stared at nothing in particular. How many days has it been since she took Euphrosyne's place as Alessio's fiancée? Almost a month. Regaining her memories back proved to be a chore especially when she is only having glimpses every now and then. Would going to Simonetti's residence be better than staying here? After all, if she really is the real Euphrosyne, she'd have more memories in the place where she spent her childhood.

"This is getting more complicated." She whispered to herself as she let time pass her by while spending it idly.

When she decided to go downstairs that day an hour to spare before lunch time, she never expected she would meet Walter's daughter, Gavionne, in the hallways on the upper floors of the manor before she could even reach the stairs. She recognized her immediately because, while she had spent her previous days doing nothing important in particular, she had learned everything about the Arcane's family tree – all of its members, including those that branched out through the family's underground business, their family assets and everything she considered important to know while she is staying in the premises of Terra di Sienna. Memorizing information had never been a problem for her because she could remember everything she read and where she read it at a glance without meaning to. In fact, right now, she knows more than what she's supposed to and the knowledge she possesses with regards to the Arcana, can bring down the family if she wanted to.

Ainsdale stopped in her tracks and faced her. The little four-year-old girl's doe green eyes stared at her fearlessly as she stood by the large glass walls overlooking the beautiful view at the back of the manor. She looks cute in her flower printed dress paired with doll shoes designed with pearls and beads while holding a fluffy teddy bear in her arms. When she noticed that Gavionne was looking up at her just for their eyes to meet, Ainsdale crouched in front of her.

"Aren't you Walter's daughter? What's your name?" Ainsdale asked as she smiled at her, but being a little girl who was seeing her for the first time, Gavionne took a step back, away from her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Instead of retorting, Gavionne just stared at her as if she couldn't understand a word she said.

"Mi dispiace, ma non riesco a capire una parola di quello che hai detto. (I'm sorry, but I can't understand a word you said.)" Gavionne said, almost in a whisper, like a lost child afraid of what's going on around her.

"Vuoi che usi l'italiano? Posso conversare con te usando la lingua se è quello che preferisci. (Do you want me to use Italian? I can converse with you using the language if that's what you would prefer.)"

Gavionne's eyes gleamed, probably not expecting that she was proficient in Italian, especially when she conversed with her using the English language first. "Oh, parli anche italiano! (Oh, you also speak Italian!)"

"Sì. (Yes)."

"Come ti chiami? Mi chiamo Gavionne. Sei la fidanzata di zio Alessio? (What's your name? My name's Gavionne. Are you uncle Alessio's girlfriend?)"

"Girlfriend?" Ainsdale chuckled as she playfully poked the little girl's forehead using her forefinger and middle finger together. "What have your parents been teaching you for you to know that word at such a young age? But then again, the culprits must have been your uncles from the Arcane family."

Gavionne frowned. "Che cosa? (What?)"

"Niente, piccolino. Gavionne è un bel nome. (Nothing, little one. Gavionne's a pretty name.)"

Gavionne grinned from ear to ear. "Sì, l'ha detto zio Alessio. (Yes, uncle Alessio said so.)"

"Non tuo padre, ma tuo zio? (Not your father, but your uncle?)"

"Hmm-mmm. Come ti chiami? (What's your name?)"

Ainsdale gathered her thoughts for a second and contemplated whether she should tell the girl her real name or just stick with the identity she had stolen. But considering that she is a chatty little one, it was better to be on the safe side for now.

"Euphrosyne."

"Pretty…" Gavionne whispered.

Ainsdale smiled as she playfully pinched the little girl's cheeks. "Cute," she thought to herself. "Dov'è tua madre? O tuo padre? E anche la tua guardia? (Where's your mom? Or your dad? And even your guard?)"

Gavionne played with her fingers while she looked around looking lost. "Mia madre è in camera da letto. Mio padre è con lo zio Alessio. E la mia guardia… Lo zio Kian è con mio padre? (My mom's in the bedroom. My dad's with uncle Alessio. And my guard….. Uncle Kian's with my dad?)"

Kian. Isn't he the guy who was with the twins Lucien and Luca back when they tortured her? The tall one with ash-brown hair whose pale blue eyes hold dark secrets which one would be afraid to know. So he was appointed as this little girl's guard while the family was taking precautions with regards to the Brovinos after everything that had been going on between the Arcanes and that family.

"Vuoi venire con me? Tuo zio Alessio ha detto che il pranzo sarà in giardino quindi ci vado. (Do you want to come with me? Your uncle Alessio said lunch would be in the garden, so I'm heading there.)"

Gavionne nodded rather excitedly, as if she was not a stranger at all. Ainsdale opened her arms and Gavionne walked towards her embrace before holding onto her neck. When she stood up, the little girl had already settled rather comfortably in her arms.

"Dov'è la tua stanza? Dobbiamo informare tua madre che verrai con me. (Where's your room? We need to inform your mother that you're coming with me.)"

Gavionne pointed at the door on the far left. Ainsdale walked towards that direction and when she was standing in front of the bedroom door with the little girl in her arms, she knocked and waited for it to open.

Surprise is not enough to describe the reaction that was written on the face of Amelia, Gavionne's mother, when she saw her daughter being carried carefully by the woman whom her brother-in-law used to hate. This was the first time she had met Alessio's fiance and she had heard enough information from the members of the family themselves for her to think that she was not a likable person. But what she's seeing right now is far from what she knew. If she is pretending to like her daughter, it could have been obvious, but Euphrosyne's eyes show that she really does adore Gavionne.

"Gavionne… Hai vagato di nuovo da solo per il maniero? Sai che tuo zio Kian non poteva essere con te perché è andato con tuo padre a incontrare tuo zio Alessio nel suo ufficio. (Did you roam alone around the manor again? You know your uncle Kian couldn't be with you because he went with your father to meet with your uncle Alessio in his office.)"

"Mi dispiace, mamma. (I'm sorry, mom.)" Gavionne answered sheepishly.

Amelia sighed. It's not that she wanted to reprimand her daughter, but Walter had told her they should be careful even while they were in Terra di Sienna, because their enemies had somehow found a way to infiltrate the family. Even inside the premises of the manor, they aren't completely safe. And being a child, Gavionne had the highest risk of being caught in the middle of everything that had been happening lately.

Ainsdale smiled at Walter's wife. She could see the worry in her eyes and she wanted to ease it even just a little. A mother would always worry about her child and she understood her even though she was not a mother yet, but she had seen enough to know. Besides, being a member of a family with an underground business like the Arcanes, one can't be too careless even in their own home.

"I'm sorry. I met your daughter in the hallway and decided to take her downstairs with me. It is not lunch time yet, so I figured we'd just spend a few minutes going around the gardens first." Ainsdale positioned Gavionne in a way that she could carry her with one arm before holding out her other hand to Amelia. "I'm Euphrosyne."

"Yes, I'm aware."

Ainsdale just smiled. She was sure the things she knew about Euphrosyne weren't good at all. She is aware that none of the Arcane's thought positively about Euphrosyne, especially when the woman in question showed her horns from the very beginning.

Amelia held out her own to meet hers. "I'm Amelia."

"Walter's wife."

"Yes."

For a moment, Ainsdale stared at Gavionne's mother. She was weighing whether we should tell Amelia that she was the cause of the cut on Walter's cheek or not, but then she chose to do the former. "I'm sorry about the cut on his face."

Amelia's eyes grew wide. She had been pestering Walter about why he ended up with a wound on his face, but he changed the subject every time. She suspected it was Alessio who did that to him but she never once thought it was because of this woman right here in front of her.

"It was you?"

"Yes, well, some things went out of hand one morning and that happened."

"Mamma, di cosa stai parlando? (Mom, what are you talking about?)" Gavionne asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

Amelia caressed her daughter's cheek and smiled at her. "Niente di importante, caro. (Nothing important, dear.)"

"So, is it okay if I took your daughter with me?"

"Sure. I'll be joining you later after I finish my work." Amelia focused her attention on her daughter. "Resta con tua zia Euphrosyne, Gavionne. Non andare in giro senza dirle dove stai andando. (Stay with your aunt Euphrosyne, Gavionne. Don't go wandering around without telling her where you're going.)"

"Si Mamma. (Yes, mom.)"

When the two left, Amelia remained watching the back of the woman who was carrying her daughter in her arms as she walked towards the stairs that led to the ground floor of the manor. It was actually quite a wonder how she was able to tame Gavionne. She had been trying to find fault in her the second she met her face to face but there was none. She had tried to see the Euphrosyne she had been hearing about from the mouth of her own husband but she couldn't. It was as if everything she heard about her before was a lie. Did the Arcanes badmouth her just because they didn't like her for the current head of the Arcana?

***

When Walter and the rest left after their meeting that morning in Alessio's office, he had chosen to be left alone for a moment to think about some few things. But, after spending some time being distracted, Alessio was not even able to review the documents which Lucien left on his table for him to look over, nor was he able to think of a plan to keep Ainsdale from attending the black gathering organized by the Castranos as Euphrosyne. The invitation deliberately mentioned her attendance and he couldn't just overlook that. They may not have threatened him directly, but they did so subtly by the mere mention of the donna of the Arcana.

He groaned in frustration as he leaned back in his seat. The black invitation is giving him a headache. It was sent earlier than expected and it seemed like the Castranos wanted to put the Arcana in the middle of what they had in store for the gathering which would be hosted by their family this time around. If he could only ignore it just the way he did before, he would. What could he gain if he attended? Nothing. After all, the black gathering is an excuse to keep families like theirs in check while each family flaunts their power and wealth and the women standing beside the present head of each family plays a big role in that game.

He couldn't focus on his other task at hand because of the situation he found himself in. His thoughts only focused back on the present when the door of his office opened and in came his grandfather Alonzo. Without a word, his eyes followed the movement of the old patriarch of the Arcanes until he was standing right in front of his table.

"Don't give me that look. I knocked and you didn't respond. I was actually starting to think about whether you had slit your throat open because of the situation at hand."

He grimaced. "What look?"

"That look when you're glaring at somebody who did something you didn't like."

Alessio remained silent.

"Vedo che ancora una volta è stato rivolto un invito alla famiglia. (I see an invitation had once again been addressed to the family.)"

Alessio sat straight and faced his grandfather. The previous head of the family still possessed an authoritative presence that even him, his successor, recognized. His grandfather stood regally as he looked over at the invitation which he left open atop of his desk among the scattered documents which he hadn't even read yet, and without asking for permission, he sat on the vacant seat in front of his desk.

"Sì, raccontamelo. (Yes, tell me about it.) And I couldn't even just ignore it because of the post-script. Can't I just erase them like they never existed in the first place?"

"If you do that, they'll certainly get back at the family through the people you cared about. They won't go straight directly at you. Instead, they'll make you suffer through the people you've taken under your wing."

"The Arcana has been staying silent for a while now and it seems like they are taking our silence for granted."

"Our family remember everything and return everything tenfold. Always keep that in mind."

"Of course," Alessio simply answered.

He knew what his grandfather meant. The Arcanes literally remember everything done to them. If anyone had done a favor for the family, they would return it ten times more. And at the same time, if anyone had done harm to the family, it was only then that they should retaliate, not on equal standards, but in a way that takes the family completely down to the ground.

Alonzo picked up the invitation letter and read what was written. The gathering will be held at a hotel which will surely be cleared of its usual guests to accommodate the participants of the event and it is going to take place a few weeks from now. His gunshot wound would have recovered by then. And the fact that it was sent early must mean that the host wanted the family recipients to prepare for whatever may happen. Alonzo stared at that one line on the lower part of the invitation letter. So Alessio's fiance is being invited along with him. He couldn't comprehend as to why Alessio was looking like he was torn. He hated Euphrosyne and the gathering was a chance for him to get back at her for what she did a few months back. He could bring her with him and leave her there unattended for the wolves to eat her alive. He never cared about her in the first place.

The old patriarch silently watched his grandson. He, himself, could tell that something had changed in him these past few days. When soft giggles echoed in the garden through the open window, the way Alessio's attention was immediately redirected outside was quite fascinating, as if his senses unknowingly led him to her. Alonzo saw the way his grandson's face lightened up while a subtle smile slowly etched on his lips as he watched both his fiance and his niece – both looking like a mother and daughter while making flower crowns in the garden. It was actually a sight to see. And as if fate decided to side with his grandson, his fiance glanced back directly at him from where she was at, a bright smile automatically painting her lips at the sight of him. Instead of looking away from her, Alessio's smile widened like a child who had just received a gift he had been wishing for for a long time. Even if they were not together, both looked like they were aware of each other's presence.

"Alessio, is there something you would like to tell this grandfather of yours?" Alonzo asked, but his words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Alonzo stared at his grandson when Alessio did not respond, the invitation letter was still in his hands. Alessio stayed staring at Euphrosyne and Gavionne in the garden. He obviously did not hear a word he said. It was like all he could see right now was the picturesque scene in the garden and all he could hear were the giggles of Euphrosyne and Gavionne, who were having a great time. For the first time, Alessio was letting himself be distracted by the mere presence of a woman. A woman he hated to the core a few months ago at that.

"Perché non hai ancora ucciso Euphrosyne? (Why haven't you killed Euphrosyne yet?)"

That seemed to have caught Alessio's attention. With a look in his eyes that was warning his own grandfather to watch what he say in front of him, he faced the old patriarch of the Arcana.

"After what she did, I was expecting she'd be six feet underground already." Alonzo continued. "Whether it was forced, she worked with the Brovinos and the Arcana almost took a hit after the spectacle she created. If Dian who helped her betray the family ended up that way in your hands, why didn't you do the same to her?"

"It was because of you that I was considering the things I should do to her."

"Since when did my presence affect your way of thinking when it comes to her?"

Alessio frowned. "Cosa stai arrivando, nonno? (What are you getting at, grandfather?)"

"Something changed between you two since that night you tried to kill each other. And I am wondering whether we'd still push through your engagement or not after what she did. In normal circumstances, if not dead, Euphrosyne should have been confined in the cells underground, without any freedom to do what she wanted."

"Would you have allowed her to be detained in the cells the moment we took hold of her?"

Alonzo paused and then sighed. "No. No matter what she did, she is still Julio's beloved granddaughter."

"E mi stai chiedendo perché è ancora viva? (And you are asking me why she is still alive?) Grands, I want you to remember that it was because of you why Euphrosyne is still alive while she was within my reach."

Well, at the very least, the last time he checked, though Aizen had made sure that she was completely miserable, she was still breathing while she was at the mercy of Ainsdale's brother. Though he could just order Aizen to dispose of her, he had chosen not to intervene because of Aizen and Ainsdale's own circumstances that involved her.

"But it did not stop you from hurting her back then."

"Well, she's still alive, isn't she? But one of these days, depending on what I'm going to find out, I'll kill her, grands," Alessio stated with finality.