"Lorenzo," he muttered, the name dripping with hate. Memories surged through his mind, each one more painful than the last. But one memory stood out above the rest: Lorenzo's chilling words, "I'll take everything you ever loved, and I'll ruin you."Alexander's eyes darkened, a storm of fury brewing within them. His body trembled with anger; the intensity of his emotions was almost overwhelming. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white."Find him," he commanded, his voice cold and resolute with unshed tears in his eyes.Alexander lay in the hospital bed, the sterile white sheets a stark contrast to the turmoil within him. The rhythmic beeping of the machines was a cruel reminder of his fragile state, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart. Cassandra was gone. The words echoed in his mind, a relentless torment that refused to fade.He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. Memories of Cassandra flooded his mind—her laughter, her touch, the way her eyes sparkled with mischief. She had been his anchor, his reason for living. And now, she was gone, ripped away by the cruel hands of fate....no not fate, his stepbrother Lorenzo.Gnawed at him, a relentless beast that refused to be tamed. He had failed her. He had promised to protect her, and he had failed. The weight of that failure pressed down on him, suffocating him, and making it hard to breathe.As he lay there, lost in his grief, a memory surfaced, pulling him back to a time when they were children.The training grounds were harsh, a place where only the strongest survived. Young Alexander, barely ten years old, was pushed to his limits every day. As a child from an affair born into a mafioso family, he wasn't going to live very long. His stepbrother, Lorenzo, took every opportunity to make his life miserable, taunting him, pushing him harder, and sometimes even sabotaging his efforts.One particularly grueling day, after hours of relentless training, Alexander collapsed on the ground, his body aching and bruised. Tears of frustration and pain welled up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He couldn't show weakness, not in front of Lorenzo."Alex," a soft voice called out, breaking through his misery. He looked up to see Cassandra, her curly blond her falling on her face and face filled with concern. She knelt beside him, her gentle hands wiping away the dirt and sweat from his face."Why do you let him treat you like this?" she asked, her voice trembling with anger and sadness. "You deserve better."Alexander shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. "I am a bastard, I am glad just to be able to wake up each day, I have to prove to Father that I deserve to live."Cassandra's green eyes softened, and she pulled him into a comforting embrace. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You're already strong, Alex. I wish I could be as strong as you. But my Father wouldn't let me train."Her words were a balm to his wounded spirit, and for a moment, the pain and exhaustion faded away. In her arms, he found solace, a haven from the harshness of the world. He pinched her cheeks softly, "You don't need to do anything, Cassy. I'll grow up and protect the two of us."His memory was interrupted by a knock on the door as Charlotte walked in."Alex." She says walking toward him with her eyes staring at the floor, "Are you alright?"He glared at her, fury blazing in his eyes. She had always been the perfect lapdog, crafted for his every whim. When she asked if he was alright, he turned away, unable to face her as unshed tears flowed down his face. Mafiosi were known to be stoic, but his heart was in agony because his love, Cassandra, was dead. If he had known, the security watching her would have tripled.Suddenly, the door burst open, and Giovanni stormed into the room, his face flushed with urgency. "Boss, I have news on Lorenzo," he said, his voice breathless. "His movements have been erratic these days. He's hiding, plotting something big."Alexander's eyes darkened further, the fury within him intensifying. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice sharp and unyielding.Giovanni hesitated for a moment, then continued, "We've intercepted some of his communications. He's been gathering allies, making deals in the shadows. Whatever he's planning, it's going to be huge. We need to act fast."Alexander's anger boiled over, his fists clenching tightly. "And Dean? I don't care what happens!"