𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐈

~Gala~

-"I was born with an insatiable appetite for destruction."-

______________________________

"Il mio bambino!" Elena greeted.

(My baby boy!)

She walked up to Luca and hugged him tightly. Alec followed close behind with a grin. After Elena was done cutting off his oxygen, it was Alec's turn to hug him much lighter than Elena. Their heights were equal and towering over Elena's 5'7 frame.

His parents immediately saw the glint in his eyes and they knew it was all because of one special woman.

"Where is my future daughter-in-law? Do I have grandchildren yet?" she questioned. Luca massaged his temple as sweat started to form on his back.

He resisted rolling his eyes and saying 'I'm doing just fine thanks for asking, dear mother.' But Elena would have his head if he ever said that.

He had yet to inform them of Midnight's situation but he was sure that they would be understanding and wouldn't care.

Alec and Elena awaited the answer with anticipation.

They really wanted grandchildren.

"No. No grandchildren," he chuckled.

He looked around at any sign of Thea, but he couldn't find any.

He shrugged it off, making a mental note to call her tonight. He had tried calling her every day but she ignored every single one.

~

Matteo's parents, Antonio's parents, and Luca's parents were all here with a few of the other Italian Mafia members.

Everyone else was at the gala including Alexei and other important members of the Bratva. Major gangs and cartels were there, as well as some important people like presidents, royalty, and wealthy investors.

It was a grand ballroom, radiating money, extravagance, and luxury. People of all sorts of importance were there in their best clothes. It was very rare if someone got an invitation from the King to attend a function of some sort and people took it very seriously.

And if you got invited that meant that you were -to some extent- trusted by the King.

And that trust meant that you got to see Midnight's face and be in the same room with her. But they didn't know she was the right-hand, all they knew was that she was an important assassin for him like Ida.

Everyone in the room was armed, knowing anything could happen at these sorts of things with a lot of people. If someone fired the first shot then everyone had a fair chance to fire back.

It was fair.

But no one dared to start a fight, knowing that the King's guards would put an end to it faster than they could think.

"I don't understand why you couldn't settle down with an Italian girl, Teo," Matteo's father, Marcello, told him. He rolled his eyes as he continued to wait patiently for Ida.

Matteo and Marcello never had a good relationship.

It all started when he forced the Mafia life on him since he was young. Marcello was Alec's left hand when he was the Don of the Greek and Italian Mafia when he married Elena, and he felt the need to push that position on Matteo. Matteo's mother desperately tried to get him out of it, but he had been too brainwashed to think any different from being Luca's left hand.

It worked out though since he couldn't see another life from this one. It was where he belonged. Luca, him, and Antonio were like brothers.

Antonio's parents didn't care about who he fell in love with, as long as he was happy. To say they were excited about meeting Starr, was an oversimplification.