Chapter 6 : The Brother She Never Understood
999 Words
Alexandros Romano stood by the tall window of his bedroom, staring at the gates of the Romano estate.
They had been closed for hours.
Yet he could still see it.
The black vehicles.
The armed men.
Elenia being taken away.
The helpless look in her eyes.
And himself standing there, unable to do anything.
His hands tightened around the edge of the window.
He hated that feeling.
Helplessness.
It was something Alexandros had never tolerated.
He had wanted to move.
He had wanted to pull Elenia away from Damien De Luca and fight anyone who stood in his path.
But Damien hadn't come alone.
He had arrived with an entire squad.
Armed men had surrounded the estate.
Alexandros could fight.
He could defend himself.
But even he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could stand alone against Damien's men and walk away victorious.
His plans had not been ready.
Everything had happened too quickly.
And now Elenia was gone.
Alexandros closed his eyes.
"You're an i***t," he whispered to himself.
Not because he hadn't fought.
Because he had waited too long.
He should have seen what his parents were planning.
He should have realized that their financial problems had become worse than they admitted.
Most importantly, he should have realized that they were willing to sacrifice Elenia.
A knock sounded on his door.
He didn't answer.
The door opened anyway.
"Alexandros."
His mother's voice.
Evelyn Romano stepped inside.
She looked calm.
Too calm.
Alexandros turned away from the window.
"What do you want?"
Evelyn frowned.
"Your father wants you downstairs."
"I have nothing to discuss with him."
"He said it's important."
Alexandros laughed bitterly.
"Everything is important now that Elenia is gone."
His mother's expression hardened.
"Watch what you say."
"Why?"
He turned toward her.
"Are you afraid I'll say the truth?"
Evelyn stared at him.
"Your father did what was necessary."
"Necessary?"
Alexandros shook his head.
"You call selling a girl to a Mafia King necessary?"
"She was the reason we were able to settle the debt."
"She was your daughter."
The room fell silent.
Evelyn looked away.
That small movement told Alexandros everything.
She had never truly seen Elenia the way he did.
Perhaps she had never seen her as a daughter at all.
"She was part of this family," Evelyn finally said.
"Part of it?"
His voice became colder.
"Then why was she the first person you sacrificed?"
Evelyn had no answer.
Alexandros walked past her.
"I don't want to hear another excuse."
He left the room.
---
Downstairs, Steve Romano was sitting in his study.
Documents were spread across the desk.
Numbers.
Contracts.
Bank statements.
The things that had nearly destroyed the Romano family's empire.
Alexandros entered and looked at his father.
"So that's it?"
Steve didn't look up.
"What?"
"You got what you wanted."
Steve finally raised his eyes.
"The debt has been settled."
"And Elenia?"
Steve's expression remained firm.
"She will serve her obligation."
"She's not an obligation."
"She was part of the agreement."
Alexandros stared at him.
"Did you even ask her?"
Steve's silence was answer enough.
Alexandros's jaw tightened.
"You didn't care whether she wanted it."
"This family would have lost everything."
"You mean you would have lost everything."
Steve stood.
"You are young. You don't understand what it takes to protect a family."
"No."
Alexandros stepped closer.
"I understand exactly what you did."
Steve's eyes narrowed.
"You should be grateful."
Alexandros almost laughed.
"Grateful?"
"The business survives. Your future is secure."
"My future?"
Alexandros's voice dropped.
"You sacrificed my sister to protect my future."
Steve slammed his hand onto the desk.
"Enough!"
Alexandros didn't flinch.
For years, he had obeyed his father.
For years, he had remained quiet.
But something inside him had changed the moment Elenia was taken.
"I never asked you to protect my future like this."
Steve stared at him.
Alexandros turned and walked out.
---
That night, Alexandros entered Elenia's room.
He hadn't been inside since she left.
Everything was exactly where she had left it.
A small book sat on the desk.
A ribbon rested beside the mirror.
One of her old photographs was tucked between two books.
Alexandros picked it up.
It showed the two of them when they were younger.
Elenia was smiling brightly.
He looked annoyed.
She had probably been bothering him when the picture was taken.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"You were always annoying."
His voice cracked slightly.
He looked away.
He remembered how she used to follow him around.
How she would sit outside his room whenever she was upset.
How she would complain that he was mean to her.
And how he would tell her to stop following him.
But she never knew that whenever she went to sleep crying, he would quietly leave something outside her door the next morning.
A favorite snack.
A new book.
A small gift.
Anything that could make her smile.
He had never told her.
He wanted her to think he was strong.
He didn't know that she had mistaken his silence for hatred.
Alexandros placed the photograph back.
His eyes hardened.
Damien De Luca had taken her.
He couldn't change that.
Not tonight.
Not by charging into the De Luca Estate with anger and a handful of men.
That would only get him killed.
And if he died, who would help Elenia?
He walked to the desk and pulled out a blank sheet of paper.
Then he wrote one sentence.
**Find out everything about the De Luca Estate.**
He folded the paper.
This time, he would not act out of anger.
He would plan.
He would gather information.
He would wait for the right opportunity.
Because Elenia might believe he had never cared about her.
She might even hate him for not saving her.
But Alexandros knew the truth.
He had failed to protect her once.
He would not fail twice.
No matter how powerful Damien De Luca was...
Alexandros would find a way to bring his sister home.
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