The Foiled Plan (War of Sins Book 2)

‘You don’t have to ask, Raf. Of course we’ll help,’ Catalina gives us a warm smile, while Marcello nods by her side.

‘We’ll be on standby too. We’re not exactly Michele’s biggest fans,’ Sisi mutters dryly.

‘I offered to kill him for you, hell girl, but you refused my offer,’ Vlad, her husband, pouts.

‘It’s odd to think about killing him personally.’ She turns, adding thoughtfully. ‘We do share DNA after all.’

‘And that is a pity,’ he shakes his head, amused, but his hand finds his way around her waist, dragging her closer to him—if that’s possible. ‘No offense, but your brother,’ he looks between Raf and Sisi, ‘is a pest.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Sisi rolls her eyes. ‘I’ve only met him a handful of times but it was enough to make me want to puke,’ she makes a funny expression.

‘Michele has the ability to awaken those feelings in people,’ Raf chuckles.

It soon becomes clear that Michele is hated by everyone in the room, and why.

A few years back he assaulted Catalina, and was subsequently discovered to be involved in a decade-long organ trafficking ring that involved children.

The more I hear about him, though, the more I realize that monsters are everywhere and under different disguises. Sergio’s vile character had been reflected by his appearance. But with Michele, you wouldn’t be able to tell that so much depravity could hide under such a beautiful face. I’ve seen pictures of him, and he looks like a fallen angel with his dark curly hair and pale skin, all emphasized by the lightest eyes I’ve ever seen—eyes that he shares with Sisi.

‘We can’t underestimate him. I don’t think we’ve seen everything he’s capable of yet,’ Raf adds grimly.

With the piano recital fast approaching, Raf had reached out to everyone he could think of to ask for backup, telling me he would never risk my safety to save some misplaced pride. His proclamation had warmed my heart, especially as I’d seen him work day and night to make sure there were no loopholes in the plan.

‘I’ll always put you first, Noelle,’ he’d told me at one point, and I’d almost swooned. For someone who’d been relegated to last place my entire life, his words had warmed my heart in a way that nothing else could.

Marcello and Catalina had been more than receptive to the idea, and Sisi and Vlad had jumped in right away.

It had taken a while for Vlad and Raf to work out their differences, but once Vlad was convinced that Raf had no interest in making a play for his wife, he’d become more tolerant. He’d still imposed a no touching rule, as evidenced by his tight grip on Sisi at the moment.

We’ve met a few times already, but it’s always the same. What starts with them sitting like normal people usually ends up with Sisi on his lap by the end of the meeting. At this point, I have to wonder if they’re joined at the hip, since they don’t seem to be apart for one second.

Curious, one time I’d even asked Sisi if they are ever apart and she’d given me a guilty smile while recounting that both of them have separation anxiety, and they are rarely apart for more than five minutes.

I was shocked.

Sneaking a glance to Raf, I can’t help but compare. Vlad doesn’t care that people see how over the top he behaves with his wife. Raf, on the other hand, always follows etiquette.

We’re always together in private, but in public he maintains a polite distance. And I can’t help but wonder why…

‘Oh, great, the tea is here,’ Catalina interjects, and a member of her staff brings over a tray of tea and a selection of cakes.

‘You have no idea how happy I am to see Raf settled,’ she continues as she serves the tea. ‘For a while we were very worried about him,’ she sneaks a glance at her husband.

From what Raf had told me, not many are aware of what had happened to him while he’d been missing.

‘I don’t think I told you, but I’m sorry about your parents,’ Marcello says. ‘I know you never wanted to step in your father’s shoes.’

‘It wouldn’t have been my choice, no,’ he agrees, ‘but I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. One being that the things that are truly worth it are never easily acquired,’ he murmurs as he looks at me.

A blush envelops my features, only to deepen when I feel his hand on top of mine, squeezing it.

‘My, my, but don’t you look all lovey-dovey?’ Vlad drawls, amused.

‘As if you’re one to talk,’ Raf shoots back, but Vlad merely shrugs.

‘It is what it is. I don’t think I’d manage a moment without my hell girl,’ he winks at her.

The discussion turns to playful banter as everyone becomes more at ease, the previous morose subjects promptly forgotten.

Both Catalina and Sisi do their best to draw me out of my shell and include me in the conversation, which slowly makes me more comfortable. And as I note the jokes being passed around and the air of levity around the room, I can’t help but feel surprised.

I’ve never had that.

Growing up, I’d been a necessary evil to my parents. Already in their mid-forties and fifties, and tired of rearing children, they’d had certain expectations of me—all of which included behaving not like a child.

I was not allowed to make loud noises, throw tantrums, or play the silly games children play. Learning to play the piano was the only acceptable thing, since it was a classical endeavor.

Instead of annoying them, I strove to make them proud with my achievements. At the same time, that meant I grew up in an entirely sterile environment. My parents were disinterested in me and my siblings were too old to bother with someone over a decade younger.

That made me seek refuge in whatever I could—my piano, and sometimes my computer.

As I watch Sisi’s interactions with her brother, I can’t help but feel a little jealous that I’d never shared such a bond with any of my brothers. Yet somehow, I can’t see Cisco smiling tenderly at me like Marcello does with his sister.

‘Are you ok?’ Raf whispers in my ear, snaking his arm around my shoulders and drawing me closer to him. Instantly, the heat of his body transfers into mine, enveloping me in a protective cocoon.

‘Yes,’ I give him a small smile. ‘I like this,’ I tell him, and his expression turns soft.

‘I’m glad,’ he leans in to kiss my cheek. ‘I want you to make friends and do whatever pleases you,’ he whispers. ‘I hate that Cisco isolated you from everyone, but I vow to you that as soon as the danger is over things are going to change.’

Late at night, as we lay in each other’s arms, we talk about everything and anything. And as we’ve both opened up about our childhoods, Raf knows very well that mine wasn’t the most stellar one. In comparison, his sounded like heaven. He’s been transparent about his parents’ faults from the beginning, but he’s also shared that they truly loved and cared for him—most of the time to the detriment of his brother.

It’s one of his biggest regrets, that he did not react in time to stop the abuse that was going on with his brother, and to a certain degree, I think he blames himself.

Still, the more we talked about our pasts, the more he vowed to me that our family would not turn out like that.

I’d listened to his assurances with a smile on my face, but inside he’d opened up a storm of feelings and doubts. If I won’t be able to have children, then what family could we possibly have?

And just as that thought surfaces, a wail permeates the air—a baby’s wail.

A young woman rushes into the room, a baby in her arms as she tries unsuccessfully to calm her down.

‘We were just playing and she started crying,’ the girl explains, a downcast expression on her face.

She hands the baby to Catalina, who is quick to coo sweet words in her ears, swaying her gently in her arms before the baby suddenly stops crying. Her big eyes are open wide as she looks around the room, blinking rapidly and curiously at everyone present.

‘This is Mirabella, our six month old daughter,’ Catalina introduces her, and Sisi wastes no time in taking her in her arms, raising her in the air and playing with her until she’s laughing—a sweet sound that touches my heart.

‘Raf, you remember Venezia, right?’ She asks as she points to the young woman who’d brought Mirabella down.

‘Of course!’ he exclaims with a wide smile. ‘Nice to see you again, Venezia. You’ve grown so much.’

He quickly introduces us, and I find out that she’s Marcello’s youngest sister.

‘Pleased to meet you,’ I offer my hand in a small shake.

She has a timid smile on her face as she takes a seat across from us. Dressed in a long gray gown that covers her from head to toe, there’s still no denying that she’s extremely beautiful.

‘They finally relented and let her go to public school,’ Sisi mentions, giving her brother a dry stare.

‘And she’s been doing amazing,’ Marcello replies, ignoring his sister’s jibe. ‘I’ve been in contact with her teachers and she’s been making great progress,’ he states, looking at Venezia with a proud expression on his face.

The conversation flows, and I glean that Venezia is severely dyslexic, and since her education had been neglected for a long time, she’d had to put in extra effort to catch up.

‘Have some cake, Venezia,’ Sisi grabs the tongs off the table and adds a selection of cakes to a small plate, handing it to Venezia.

She accepts it with a trembling hand, her smile a little strained as she looks at the assortment.

‘She still doesn’t know what she wants to do and her graduation is right around the corner,’ Catalina continues, talking about different career options Venezia’s been exploring.

Though being the subject of the conversation, Venezia doesn’t interject a lot, merely letting her family do the talking. In fact, the more I look at her, the more I realize she is unusually withdrawn—somehow reminding me of myself.

‘We’re not that far off in age,’ I tell her as I strike up a conversation. ‘But I’ve never been to school. It must be so fun,’ I exhale dreamily.

She doesn’t realize how lucky she is. I don’t know any other don who’d let his young sister attend public school so easily. Certainly, my family would have never allowed it. I’m happy I’d gotten at least some education, since I know a lot of girls in our situation don’t even get that.

‘It is,’ she smiles. ‘I’ve made a lot of friends,’ she explains, and her features start to relax as she tells me about her school life and her favorite subjects.

More than anything, she’s lucky her brother is allowing her to think about a career instead of marrying her off.

Bringing a piece of cake to her lips, she seems reluctant to bite into it. Her hand trembles a little, and out of nowhere, she puts it back, placing the plate on the table and rising up.

‘Excuse me…’ She barely gets the words out as one hand flies to her mouth, the other to her midriff as she dashes out of the room.

‘Oh no!’ Catalina stands up. ‘She might have caught that bug from Claudia.’ She purses her lips in worry. ‘I’ll go check on her,’ she excuses herself, following after Venezia

Sisi is still playing with Mirabella, and I can’t help my eyes being drawn to the two of them. Sisi notices this too, and she stands up, moving closer to me—to Vlad’s chagrin.

‘Do you want to hold her?’ She asks in a kind tone.

I keep staring at the baby, unsure whether I want to hold her or not. But before I can reply, Mirabella is already placed in my lap.

I blink.

‘How… How do I hold her?’ I ask in wonder, staring at the little human in my arms.

‘Like this,’ Sisi shows me, placing my hands under her arms. ‘Just follow her cues. She’ll let you know if she’s uncomfortable.’

Mirabella is looking at me curiously, and Raf chuckles as he leans in to get a better view.

‘She’s so cute,’ I breathe out, amazed. Sparkling green eyes and a small tuft of blonde hair, she’s such a pretty child—will most likely grow up to be a beautiful woman.

I don’t know what I’m doing, though. We just sit like that, staring at each other. Suddenly her mouth widens in a silly grin, and my own mouth tugs up in response, her giggles infectious.

She waves her hands at me, grabbing a fistful of my hair as she tugs on it, somehow fascinated by it.

More happy sounds escape her lips and she starts to jump up and down in my lap while playing with my hair.

‘She likes you,’ Raf comments, extending his finger for her to grasp on to. She turns her head towards him, her mouth opening in a wide smile as she waves his hand.

‘I think she likes you,’ I add, amused.

His body is molded to me as he leans in to make funny faces at Mirabella, his heat enveloping me and giving me hope.

This is what it would look like if we had our own family…

But just as that thought surfaces, so does the unyielding reality and the fact that might never happen.

My breath hitches as pain clogs my throat, but I do my best to keep my smile on as I continue to play with Mirabella.

This time, however, as I try to focus on her, my mind starts playing tricks on me. I look at her, but she’s no longer in my arms, not her.

The image is distorted, but I can tell something is wrong.

The baby in my arms isn’t moving or making any sounds. It’s just…there.

I frown, squinting to get a better view. But, God, how I wish I hadn’t…

‘Take her from me,’ my voice sounds broken to my own ears as I thrust Mirabella aside, my skin itching, my entire body on the verge of a meltdown.

Sisi is quick to act though, and as soon as Mirabella is out of my hands, I’m up and dashing out the door, going to the first vacant room I can find.

I barely close the door behind me when I slide to the floor, trembling uncontrollably, my entire mind both a blank and a whirlpool of images—things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

‘Noelle,’ Raf’s voice resounds from behind the door, followed by a loud bang. ‘Open the door,’ he demands, but I find that I can’t do anything.

I can barely move, and as I slowly crawl away from the door, I see it burst open, a mad looking Raf entering inside.

‘I’m sorry,’ I start chanting, tears running down my cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault,’ I cry out as I bring my legs to my chest, rocking from side to side. ‘I’m so, so sorry.’

Like a broken record, I can’t say anything but sorry.

The images keep replaying in my mind.

‘Pretty girl, what’s wrong?’ Strong arms envelop me.

‘I’m sorry. So sorry,’ I sob, laying my head on his chest.

Deep within the recesses of my mind, I know what I’ve done deserves no forgiveness, that I’ve committed the ultimate sin and I don’t deserve anything.

But for the life of me I can’t figure out why.

There’s only that image. That haunting image that breaks my heart and makes me want to scream in pain.

‘Shhh, you’re safe, Noelle. I’m here,’ Raf’s calming voice gets to me—just barely.

He holds me tightly, murmuring soft words in my ear until whatever’s sunk its claws into me lets go.

‘I saw it,’ I whisper brokenly, nestling closer to him—my only source of comfort.

‘What? What did you see?’

I shake my head, unable to utter the words.

‘Noelle, my heart, I’m here. No one’s going to harm you, I promise,’ he continues to speak softly, stroking my hair and holding on to me as if the entire world depended on it.

Reaching for him, I wrap my arms around him, returning his embrace.

‘The baby,’ I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut in an attempt to exorcize the image from my mind.

‘Mirabella?’

‘No, no,’ I shake my head.

My mouth opens and closes, my throat dry.

‘My baby,’ I say in a small voice, feeling the pain to my soul. ‘I saw my baby.’

‘Noelle…’ he leans back, his palms to my cheeks as he searches for my eyes.

Worry is etched all over his features, and for the first time I’m confronted with the fact that there is someone out there who cares about me—who loves me.

‘He was dead, Raf,’ I tell him as I bring my hands to his, squeezing lightly. ‘He was dead in my arms and…’

My breath catches in my throat, the image I’d seen too much to bear—too much for anyone to bear.

‘You don’t have to tell me. Fuck, Noelle. I didn’t realize…’

‘No,’ I shake my head, meeting his eyes. ‘It’s not your fault. It’s mine. It’s my fault. All my fault,’ I ramble like crazy, though I don’t know why I’m saying that.

‘Pretty girl,’ he purses his lips, the gentlest look on his face as he calls out to me.

‘He was unrecognizable, Raf,’ I tell him, the words pouring from my mouth. ‘His face… It looked like someone had smashed…’ a sob escapes me, and I barely manage to recount to him what I’d seen—what no one should ever see.

‘Fucking hell, Noelle,’ he rasps, his lips on my forehead as he peppers kisses all over. ‘I wish I’d been there for you. I wish…’

‘You’re here now,’ I breathe out. ‘And sometimes you’re the only thing that keeps me going,’ I confess, almost ashamed.

‘Fuck,’ he curses out, and for a moment I think he’s going to get mad at me. After all, who wants to have that much responsibility on their shoulders? Who wants to be fully responsible for someone else’s happiness?

But he surprises me again as he brings me flush against him. Our lips are a mere breath apart, the tips of our noses already touching in the sweetest way possible.

His eyes are on mine. Caring. Determined. So full of love.

‘Then use me. Use me as your tether,’ his deep voice caresses my senses, his words latching themselves deep inside my soul. ‘Anytime you feel like falling, I’ll be there to catch you. Let go and know I have you.’

I stare at him unblinking for a second before I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and letting everything pour out of me.

Sobbing like crazy, I let myself go.

Because for the first time, I realize something. Love isn’t just about being strong together. It’s also about being weak, and trusting the other with your worst.