It was past midnight when he walked back into his suite after strolling through the hotel lobby. Johnathan couldn't sleep a wink no matter how much he willed. If it wasn't for his friend Rouvin, attached to the hip, he could've stayed in the lobby for a little while longer. But Rouvin wouldn't let him stroll around alone as he's worried for Johnathan's safety.
Johnathan slumped on the soft bed resting against the headboard and stared at the picture in his hand. He noticed that Hunter looked nothing like his parents.
Felicity would say, "You little trouble maker" every time he did something naughty. It was one of Johnathan's fond memories. A smile worked its way onto his face as he remembered Felicity's beautiful face.
"And, what a trouble maker you were!" Johnathan vocalised as he remembered Hunter's childhood. He was barely three and yet had the genius brain that would manipulate anyone to do his bidding. His father's gun used to be Hunter's favourite toy.. Felicity would burst out in anger every time Alexander let him touch his loaded gun.
"All you'd to do to wipe your mother's anger out was to look at her with your big beautiful purple eyes, and your lips pulled out in a sad pout. She would sigh and forgive all your mischiefs just like that." Johnathan chuckled reminiscing the sweet memories. How he wished he could undo everything he did. He'd destroyed Felicity's happy family.
Fifteen years ago:
Johnathan loosened his red tie before he slid open the glass windows. Dressed in a royal blue three-piece suit, he looked charming like the prince he was. He sighed as he adjusted the binocular properly to look out through the window.
He'd rented a villa in the same locality so that he could see everything happening in Alexander's place.
Alexander took the champagne bottle from the ice-bucket and poured two glasses. He clinked his champagne-filled flute with his wife's and, Johnathan watched through the binoculars as they sipped their champagne.
"Who even drinks champagne at breakfast? The crazy Italians, of course!" Johnathan scoffed muttering to himself. He followed Alexander to Havana in Cuba all the way from New York. Alexander was out on a family vacation, but Johnathan had yet to see Alexander's son and daughter.
His heart clenched as he saw Alexander pulling his wife into his lap, and they kissed. They looked so happy and so much in love.
Johnathan couldn't watch anymore as their kiss turned into an intense makeout session. He looked away as his envy-filled chest felt heavy. He threw the binocular cursing loudly.
Johnathan had loved her since the moment he set eyes on her. He'd done everything to win her heart, but it was never enough to compete with Alexander because Felicity was in love with Alexander, since forever.
Alastair, his older brother and Alexander were best friends. Though Johnathan never liked Alexander, he still stayed around for Felicity.
"It's not the time to mourn over your broken heart, fucking stop being a pathetic loser and focus on the mission at hand," Johnathan scolded himself and straightened his suit. He'd promised his grandfather and his father before leaving Greece that he would fulfil their wish at any cost. But the hidden guilt had already started to show its ugly face, and he couldn't make it go.
It was screaming in his face, "Backstabber."
Johnathan knew that his brother would never forgive him for what he's going to do with his best friend's life. That's, of course, if Alexander allowed him to walk out alive. He checked his wristwatch for the time and decided it's time for the action. He dialled a number on his phone and issued orders to initiate the plan.
He picked up the binocular from the floor, and to his relief, thankfully it didn't break. He watched Alexander walk out of the house as he expected. He's talking on the phone, and by his body language, Johnathan knew his plan was working just fine.
'Thirty more minutes to go.'
Johnathan finished his breakfast and waited for the time to tick away.
On the other side of Johnathan's windows, Felicity was worried and adding more to her worries her husband was not telling her the reason behind his restless behaviour.
She knew something was wrong, but he just asked her to take a stroll on the beach until he finishes his call. She looked down into her arms when she heard her little girl gurgling happily. Setting aside her worries for a while, Felicity cooed at the baby.
It'd been six months since Hera came into her life and completed her happy family. She always wanted a daughter, and she couldn't thank Mariana enough for blessing her with a daughter.
Johnathan smiled to himself as he watched her, strolling on the beach with a baby cradled in her arms. Dressed in a red strapless, off-shoulder knee-length dress, she walked barefoot under the warm sunny weather.
The impression of her footsteps followed her one after the other as she walked on the white sand. The slow wind blew her strawberry blonde hair, and she jerked her head to the left to prevent the hair from falling on her eyes.
'Time to bask in the serene beauty called Felicity.'
Johnathan couldn't afford to lose the opportunity, so he didn't waste time before invading her bliss-filled bubble. He was so going to burst it. He increased the speed of his footsteps and stopped at an arm's length right before her, waiting for her to notice him. Without lifting her eyes off the baby, Felicity walked right into his chest.
Gasping in shock, she stepped back apologising.
"I'm sorry I didn't see where I was going. I was talking to my little girl and I," she stopped as her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, my God! John, is that you?" She exclaimed with a broad smile on her face. Johnathan chuckled at the pleasantly surprised look adorning her face.
"Small world, isn't it?" He asked, eyes appreciating her beauty as his heart skipped a beat. "When was the last time we met? I never expected to see you here in Havana. How have you been, Felicity? Did you say, your little girl?" He asked, looking at the baby. He sounded surprised.
As though she'd been hit she stepped back and clutched the baby to her chest. She was speechless and looked shocked. Johnathan smiled secretly as her eyes automatically darted towards her husband.
Alexander was pacing in the lawn, his phone still glued to his ear. Dressed in black jeans with a black dress shirt untucked, he looked the usual deadly dangerous. Johnathan wondered what made Felicity fall for that devil.
He knew what they were hiding from him. They had no idea that he's aware of the baby's truth. Johnathan knew that Mariana was the biological mother of that baby.
'Maybe the baby took after her mother, and that's why Felicity didn't want me to see her.'
Felicity turned back to him, gesturing to follow her as she walked towards her husband.
As soon as Alexander's eyes landed on him, he disconnected the call with an 'I'll call you back.' He was not happy to see Johnathan's face, and he didn't even try to hide his displeasure. Felicity went inside their rented two-bedroom beach view luxury villa, and when she reappeared, followed by a maid with a tray of coffee, the baby was not in her arms anymore.
"Why are you here, John?" Alexander's blunt question didn't surprise him. "Business trip, Xander. Just running some errands for my father," he replied.
Alexander clenched his jaw by the mention of his best friend's father. Johnathan knew his situation very well. Alexander would've gladly killed his father if it wasn't for his brother Alastair.
Though Felicity asked him to stay for lunch, he could see that her husband didn't want him anywhere near them. He politely declined her invitation. "I have an important meeting to attend, but I'll try if I can make some free time, no promises though," with that said, Johnathan left.
An hour later, a tall, muscular man in his early thirties got down from the black Mercedes, followed by four other men and entered into Alexander's Villa. Johnathan watched everything from his room through binoculars.
Sabastian Romano was Alexander's, right-hand man. Apart from his family members, there were only a few people who had the privilege of earning Alexander's trust. Sabastian was one of those few. "Are you sure, Romano, that it's the Baresis?" Alexander asked him. Baresis were their longtime nemesis and since the older Baresi had asked Alexander's father, Francesco for a favour, they'd agreed to sign a truce. Accordingly, it forbade them from harming each other's family.
Matteo Baresi had known that his sons were thirsty for the power which the Carlos had. But he's aware of the possible consequence of their greed for power. Carlos ruled the Mafia organisations all over the world. His sons wouldn't stand a chance of surviving against them. Francesco was generous enough to agree and accept his proposition and gave him his word that they would never harm his family.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om