• Company •

Layla's POV

As we walked out I noticed Leo, Yuri, and Sinn walking in front of us. Leo was saying something while the other two listened to it with a serious look.

I continued walking with Theo and Luca beside me. They were talking about something but I completely zoned out as the only thing in my head was Veronica's dead eyes.

Could I have stopped that man from killing her? He didn't seem the type who would. Even the Three Devils kneeled before him.

Now that I think, I've heard about him. And just like that when Mattheo and Luca talked about him and I heard his name from them, I started listening to their conversation.

"Can't believe I finally got to see Papa Don. He's old but still, I felt chills run down my spine when I saw him wipe out the entire Astor family. He isn't the Mafia King just like that."

Luca said and then Mattheo added, "I know right, that old man even had the Three Devils bow their heads before him. I mean he's the one who nurtured them. He's like their real Papa."

Papa Don, his real name, Donovan Dimitri. He was the current King of the Mafia and had a tight hold over it. He never married and has no children of his or even any blood relative left, making it so anyone other than his bloodline to take over the Mafia after he's gone.

"Sinn Phoenix would surely be the one to take his position as the ruler after him. It's clear as day." Luca said and my eyes traveled where Sinn stood, by a black van and his eyes were already on me.

We stopped before them and I never broke eye contact with him as Sinn's deep voice emerged, "You can ride with them. I'll be with these two."

I just nodded and went with Mattheo and Luca while Sinn stood there the whole time watching me get seated in the car and when the car started, then only he got seated himself while I noticed Leo and Yuri were already talking about something.

After the van was on the road I stared out the window and stared at the trees blurring past me because of the speed. It was already night and within the darkness of the night the moon shined brightly at me and I remembered a memory from my past,

"I don't want you to ever cry cause crying is for the weak and that'll make you even disgusting."

The man who I called father ordered my nine-year-old self. I just stared at the ground and nodded my head.

"Yes Sir,"

"Don't turn out to be like your mother who only knows how to cry. She couldn't give me a son so I'll have to settle with you. Though you'll prove to be nothing but a disappointment, that I know."

He spat those venomous words at me and I just swallowed it all down cause I know, if I argue that'll only give him an excuse to punish me.

"I won't disappoint you, Father,"

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the car pulled over outside the building where we stayed before Sinn and I left for the Astor mansion.

I got out of the van and noticed two other vans just like ours. From one came out Spencer and Francis and the other had the Three Devils.

"Oh dear I'm famished, let us celebrate completing this fucking mission that has been a pain in my ass!" Yuri exhaled and Leo looked at him.

"You're being like you were the one who had to infiltrate when it was Sinn and Layla doing the real job." Yuri furrowed his brow at him and raised his katana like he was pointing his finger at him.

"You'll understand me when you'll have to deal with the Yakuza and the Mafia together." Leo shook his head and Yuri put down his katana from Leo's face.

"Yeah man I know, you've got it hard with the Yakuza and all." Leo said, "Now let's go in I think we all are exhausted from the ordeal." Everyone started walking and as I walked past Sinn I notice him glance my way once before he made his way in.

"Oh and Layla," Leo called me out when we were inside and I stopped before him looking at him,

"You look stunning in this dress," he told me and Yuri nodded his head from beside him, "Yeah, red suits you."

If I was in a good mood I would've said something snarky and joked around with them but right now didn't feel like any of it so I simply tried forcing a smile and mumbled a small "Thank you," before continuing to walk by and noticed Yuri and Leo stealing glances at each other including Theo and Luca who all understood that I was upset from my reaction.

I didn't engage in conversation with anyone after that and we all sat in the lounge as they talked to each other.

We had all changed of course. I wasn't feeling coming down after that but had to cause it was a celebration and I didn't want any of them to ask questions and Mattheo to worry cause he was already peeking at me from time to time and I ignored him.

They cheered their champagne glasses and I downed the whole thing in one go, my throat hurt from its effect but I needed it. It wasn't my first time, I've drank it several times since I was sixteen. Hiding from my Mother of course and I didn't care about my Father cause he didn't either.

Everyone drank except Sinn. He didn't say why and neither did the two of them forced him to do and the rest wouldn't dare to ask him to. I would've if I were in the mood.

They started chatting, I had Mattheo and Luca beside me, and beside them were Spencer and Francis. Thankfully after Sinn's threat Spencer didn't talk to me but I felt his gaze on me from time to time and I ignored it for now. I didn't have the energy to engage with him.

I just downed the fourth glass starting to feel dizzy after it. I've concluded that I have a rather high tolerance for alcohol and right now, I felt like getting drunk. I would've if a voice didn't interrupt.

"I think it's time that you stop." Sinn's deep voice came and I looked up finding his icy eyes already staring at me.

I ignored him and continued pouring another glass when I felt his grip on my wrist making me stop. His grip was firm but in a way that it didn't hurt me.

"Enough." His voice was calm but held dominance. The three of him were sitting in front of us and everyone in the room fell quiet.

"Go to your room, you are dismissed for today." He ordered and I kept on staring at him as he did the same.

When I didn't move or said anything he continued, "It's an order." I wanted to argue and talk back but that's really what I wanted to do, I wanted some time alone and this time Sinn Phoenix was ordering me to do just that.

When Sinn noticed me getting up he let go of my wrist and I stood up muttering, "I'll go to bed early today, have fun without me." I wanted it to sound like how I usually talk, sarcastically but it just came out plain and they all looked at me in silence as I turned my back to them and went up the stairs.

I walked in the hall over to my room but stopped when I saw an empty room. The thing that pulled me towards it was its large window which was showcasing the full moon.

I entered in and suddenly felt no energy in my legs, sliding down the wall while pulling my knees to me as I stared out the window and glanced at the moon.

I was trying not to feel anything about Veronica, I didn't even know the woman. Fuck I just merely greeted her but that woman reminded me of my mother. To be more specific, the state she was in; her gloomy eyes, and the sad look on her face like she was done with her life but still didn't give up and stayed with her husband. Just like my mother is.

My father didn't leave out my mom from her fair share of hell from him. I'll say that she had it worst cause she loves the man.

I pulled out my dagger from its sheath as the moonlight reflected on it showing its shine and I felt like crying at this moment but I won't.

I put my hand on my forehead, the one I had the dagger in, and tried to get a hold of my emotions.

I don't know how long I sat in there but when the sun was about to come out, I then only got up and made my way out to my room.

Sinn's POV

She wasn't doing well.

From the gloomy look on her face after the annihilation of the Astor family till after when we arrived back at the building, it was clear what was the reason behind her being this way.

Veronica Astor. She was furious when Beth spoke to the woman in that way that she was ready to risk blowing her cover and teach her a lesson and if I hadn't stopped her, she would've done it.

And now that she's dead right in front of her eyes, it justified why she'll be this way.

I had to stop her from drinking any further and made her go to her room. I don't want her getting drunk when there still is Spencer under the same roof as her.

It's not like I'll let him any near her but I don't take chances.

"She must be really upset," Luca spoke and Mattheo just stared at his glass.

After she left, they didn't talk and just drank. Only now Luca broke the silence.

"It was her first mission, even though we succeeded she still had to see the casualties. It's never easy." Leonardo said holding his wine glass in between his fingers as he stared at it.

He's right, it never gets easy.

"She shouldn't have joined it's not like she didn't know what kind of stuff she's getting herself into. That's why women should only stay in the house and let the man do the work-" Spencer stopped midway when he noticed all the stares including Francis'.

"I need you out of here by tomorrow morning," I told him sharply and he looked at me, his eyes held fear in them as I stood up and left them behind walking up the stairs.

I walked into the hall and stopped when I walked past the spare room and saw her sitting by the wall, her knees by her face as she took out her dagger.

I was about to interrupt, thinking she was about to harm herself but stopped when she put her hand on her face and sighed.

She was staring at the moon as she did back at the Astor mansion and I wondered back then just like I am right now what did she find in the moon that made her stare at it for hours. It amused me.

She continued being like that and I leaned back at the wall, making sure I could watch her and not make my presence known to her at the same time.

She would want to stay alone right now and I wanted to respect that but I wanted to make sure she was fine and wouldn't hurt herself.

She has always been feisty and rebellious but right now, she wasn't. I expected her to talk back when I told her to stop drinking but she just looked at me blankly and left following my orders.

Even though she was sad I didn't see her shed a single tear and never have before. She was the first girl I met that I had never seen cry once. I wonder what made her be like that.

In the mafia, since I was a child I was taught to never shed a single tear. The saying that men don't cry. And when you do the work we do, you'll have to let go of your emotions to succeed.

Never let your emotions have the best of you. Have them under control.

But since her arrival in my life, I'm starting to lose control of some emotions inside me.

I stayed there with her, keeping her company without her knowing it, and at dusk, when she was starting to get up, I walked away like I was never there.