"Now tell me why the hell you both are here."
๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
The air was thick and heavy with uneasiness and apprehension. Rocco sighed as he messaged his temples. Aurelia was resting her head on his shoulder and was close to tears after hearing Rocco recount the horrible events that had taken place the day before.
She still couldn't shake the image of chaos from her mind, the echoes of panic ringing in her ears. Rocco wrapped an arm around her, trying to offer comfort while grappling with his own fears.ย
Light exhaled deeply and looked into the eyes of his son. Hearing about the terror they had faced only hours before weighed heavily on him. He could see the fear lurking behind his son's brave facade, the questions unasked but palpable in the air.
It was silent but their hearts screamed to escape the uneasy situation.
Light cleared his throat. "Roxland, you know I love you."
Rocco nodded. "Yes, father. Me as well."
"Good. I hope my news doesn't break our bond," Light said, "...but you need to leave my house. Both of you."
Rocco's heart dropped, disbelief flooding his mind. "What do you mean, leave?" he stammered, searching his father's face for any hint of compassion or understanding.
The betrayal felt like a cold knife twisting in his gut.
Aurelia's heart raced, and a chill ran down her spine as she processed Light's words. The gravity of the situation settled heavily on her chest, suffocating her.
"But... why?" she asked quietly.
Light's expression was resolute, but there was a flicker of uneasiness behind it. "It's for my own protection. You don't understandโthere are things going on that you're not aware of, that I am not aware of. I can't keep you here any longer."
Rocco glanced at Aurelia, their shared confusion amplifying the sense of betrayal. "You're choosing to push us away when we need you the most? After everything that's happened?" His voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt.
Aurelia squeezed Rocco's hand. "Um, what does your protection have to do with us staying in your house?" she wondered as Rocco nodded in agreement.
Light's gaze hardened, yet beneath the surface, Rocco could see a storm of conflicting emotions. Their world, their bond, already shattered, felt like it was unraveling even further.
"You stupid kids!" he exclaimed, almost yelling at them. He stood up from the couch and looked down at the troubled expressions of Aurelia and Rocco. "Don't you understand that you're being hunted down by the Vice President of the United States? There is no point in hiding with me because this house will be the first place he'll look. There's no point in hiding at all! He is going to get you both. The lion always gets his prey."
Rocco stood up to see his father eye-to-eye. They both were tall and lanky, giants compared to Aurelia.
"Where will we go then?" he shot back. "Do you even care about what will happen to me?"
Light sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's not like you haven't endured it before," he said, flopping down on the couch. "You've got your ass played with and you took it. Just take it this time again, it'll be no different. Just make sure that bastard pays you."
Rocco's stomach dropped upon hearing his father's cruel, dark words. They pierced his heart like a sharpened blade. His chest hurt. He knew his father's words were right, but it hurt even more because he had never wanted Aurelia to learn about his trauma.
He glanced at Aurelia's horrified expression, the confusion and pain etched across her features. She said nothing. Her face spoke for her. Her eyes were wide, shimmering with unshed tears, reflecting the weight of his past that had just been thrust into the light.
Damn it, Rocco thought.ย I never wanted Aurelia to know about my past. Why would my father embarrass me like this?
"Father, why would-"ย
"What do you gain from being a dick?"
Light stared at Aurelia, her gaze piercing through him like a dagger, cutting away his confidence. She was short but stood tall above his slouching figure, her hands firmly planted on her hips. Once, he had perceived her as an insignificant, fragile girl who simply cried. Now, there was something different in her expression, something that made him feel uneasy. She exuded strength and defiance, a force he had underestimated.
Rocco looked at Aurelia in shock. He had never expected her to defend him, as he was always the one getting her out of precarious situations.
"Excuse me?" Light said. His expression remained hardened and cold but it was evident that his ego was crumbling down.
"Oh, shut up. There's no excuse for your actions. Where the fuck did you get the audacity to speak to your son this way? His past is obviously something he doesn't want to discuss or go through again and you're here just telling him to deal with it! Are you out of your fucking mind?"
Light stood up in front of Aurelia. He towered over her but her temper faltered not. He wanted to seem as strong as the Torre Mayor but he knew Aurelia could push him over like the Leaning Tower of Pisa with just her gaze.
"You have quite the mouth on you, young lady," he said. "But I will not accept this disrespect. You both are leaving my house, and that's final."
"But Dad, please!"
"Enough, Roxland! Out of my sight! Now! Both of you!"
Suddenly, there was a blinding light and a loudย bang! as the door was kicked open.
The only reason Aurelia, Rocco, and Light weren't blinded was because they had quickly closed their eyes and hid their faces in their hands instinctively.
As the light faded, the three took their faces out of their hands and opened their eyes. The door had been exploded by a flash bang and kicked down.
Three men cradling machine guns ran into the house. They wore a black suit with a brown bulletproof vest and utility belt. The entire group was jacked, and their necks looked strong enough to break wood.
"FBI!" the men yelled. "We have a warrant for two arrests here."
Hey, Rocco thought, the FBI would never introduce themselves like that...
He eyed the faces of the three men and noticed that one man seemed to have a mustache that was glued on. Another man didn't have a badge on. Rocco was unsure of the authenticity of the men and knew something was wrong. He knew he was wasting critical seconds but risked a quick glance at the window.ย
Through the window, he saw a smirking old man. His expression read nothing but trouble, and Rocco knew that he was in for it.
Under a second, he grabbed Aurelia's hand and dashed out of the living room.ย
Now, Aurelia was no track star, but she was running like she was in a race for one trillion dollars. She tried her best to keep up with Rocco's pace, faster than a cheetah.
Two of the alleged FBI agents ran after them while the one other stayed with Light. Light blinked and opened his eyes to see the FBI agent quickly grab both his arms faster than he could process.
Shit! he thought, blinking back thick tears. I knew this would happen. I should've sent those kids out of my house earlier!
Rocco dragged Aurelia down a long staircase. He was heading for the basement. Rocco knew that inside the basement, there was a small, unnoticeable door that opened to a small roomโa hiding spot. He thought that if he and Aurelia stayed in the room long enough, the supposed FBI agents would accept defeat and leave them alone.
He couldn't have been more incorrect in his life.
The men were quick on their tails, giving them no chance to hide inside the room.
"Freeze!" they yelled.
"We have guns!" the one with a glued-on mustache shouted. "Unless you wanna get your brains blown, halt!"
Rocco stopped running and let go of Aurelia's hand to put his hands up. Aurelia did the same.ย
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I couldn't protect you."