they both die. Don't you think your stepmother would be a much better candidate given the circumstances?”
“Alessandro, please—” I begged for the hundredth time that evening, but he had no mercy.
“Yes or no will do, tesoro. There is no need for useless formality.”
I parted my lips, but he cut me off.
“Don't beg me for her life. You’ll only make me angry again.”
The bastard didn't even wait for my reply. He just took hold of his phone, dialed the number and pressed it to his ear. Adrenaline ran in my blood, and there was no time to think. I couldn't stand still while he ordered his men to murder my family. I ran toward Alessandro and lunged myself at him, grabbing his arm and trying to take hold of his phone. He overpowered me in seconds, his arm held me immobilized against his chest as the phone continued ringing. Then, my eyes fell on the gun around his waist and I bit Alessandro's arm as hard as I could without thinking about the consequences. As he screamed and instinctively let go of me, I snatched the gun and pointed it at him. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. The expression of surprise was a priceless thing to behold.
“Don't move,” I raised my voice. “Drop the phone or I will s-shoot!”
The gun shook in my hands, but Alessandro took my threat seriously and he slowly lowered the phone to the floor. Then, he stood with his hands in the air. Aiming the gun at him the entire time, I marched to the spot where he left the phone to make sure the call was disconnected.
“Olivia, I’m warning you—”
“W-Warn away, you’re not the one with a gun,” I pointed out, taking a few steps back. “Now I do the talking and you listen.”
He took in a deep breath and smiled as if he was amused. “I'm all ears, piccola.”
“Stop smiling!” I yelled at him. “This isn't funny.”
He stopped, but his lips still twitched from time to time. He was an insolent bastard. I arched my eyebrows, uttering a silent warning.
“I'm trying my best, but it's difficult. A gun doesn't suit you, Olivia.”
“Aren't you afraid you’re going to die?”
“Death doesn't scare me, piccola. Besides, I have a hard time believing you have the guts to shoot,” he said with brutal honesty.
“Then you don't know me, Alessandro,” I told him in that same emotionless tone. Suddenly, I was calm and resigned to the fact I had no other choice but to end his life. It was the only way out. “And you never bothered to get to know me. Instead, you made me stay with you against my will, and you treated me like a piece of property. You made me live in loneliness and fear. May God have mercy on your soul because I will never forgive you for what you've done to me.”
“I'm impressed,” he murmured softly, completely unstirred by what I'd said. “That was quite a little speech.”
I swallowed and aimed the gun straight at his heart, holding it firmly with both hands, my index finger placed on the trigger. I had never held a gun in my life and I went by with what I'd seen in the movies. It was the best I could do. It was the only thing I could do. “Do you have any sins to confess?” I asked in a tremulous voice, coming to a realization I was about to kill a man.
He smiled charmingly. “I don't think you have that much time, tesoro. Just skip that part and pull the trigger.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, forcing my nerves to settle. When I met his gaze again, I didn't hesitate and my hand didn't waver. I pulled the trigger and shuddered, expecting a loud bang, but there was nothing. The gun didn't shoot. I pressed the trigger again and again as Alessandro advanced toward me with a smug expression on his face, but it was useless.
He laughed without humor and shook his head. “You just don't know when to stop, do you, Olivia?” He leaned closer and yanked my hair so I would look at him. “You want me dead?” His black eyes bored into mine. When I failed to answer, he pulled the gun from my hands and held it in front of my face. Then, he brought his lips to my ear. “You're going to have to try harder than this. A gun must be cocked before