FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,

WHEN ALEXANDER LOST HIS LOVED ONES;

He heard the cry of a baby.

Alexander came back to his senses at the sound of his daughter's cry. 

'My little girl.' 

His panicked eyes frantically moved in search of the source of that scared voice. He found little Hera on the floor behind him. His men circled around his daughter were fighting against his enemies. They were protecting his daughter without caring for their own lives. Alexander's chest filled with gratitude. He couldn't thank them enough for their loyalty. 

Sebastian yelled his name again, and Alexander nodded in acknowledgement, signalling him not to worry about him. His daughter's sobs demanded his attention, and Alexander jumped to his feet. The sound of the gunshot and the people's shouts and screams frightened baby Hera. 

Alexander looked down at the wound on his chest. He didn't believe he would survive, and he had to reach Felicity before it's too late. However, Alexander had to save his daughter first. He glanced around to study the depth of the damage caused. Most of his men died, and he couldn't trust anyone else other than Sebastian in this foreign country. He couldn't risk losing Sebastian's life too. 

He reached for his little girl and took her in his arms. His blood ruined the baby's blue hooded blanket wrapper. He rocked her in his arms and cooed at her until she stopped crying. Amidst all the shooting and killing, Alexander found a safe corner. Struggling with his injured shoulder, he put Hera into the stroller and fastened the belts securely. 

He admired the red-violet grey coloured stroller, reminiscing how fondly Felicity chose this colour after searching the whole shop before buying it for Hera. His daughter finally smiled at him, and her toothless grin somehow soothed Alexander's pain. He noticed the blood on her blanket and pursed his lips in mock fear. 

"I ruined your pretty blanket. Mum won't be happy," he said, and little Hera gave him a happy giggle as if he cracked a joke which she perfectly understood. Alexander's smile was watery when he heard her laughter. 

"I don't want to lose you, Sweetheart, but you have to leave daddy for now," he said while kneeling in front of the stroller. "It would be so unfair on us if we lose mum. I have to save both of you," Alexander confessed in a stuttering whisper, his voice raw with emotions and his eyes wet with tears. 

He grabbed the feeding bottle from the side pocket of the stroller. Hera kicked her tiny legs inside the stroller happily while her father fed her milk, hoping it wouldn't be the last time. 

Alexander searched for a piece of white paper in Hera's folder he had retrieved from Marco. He didn't find any, so he tore one of the papers from Hera's medical report and decided to write on the backside. He took his pen out from his shirt pocket, a gift from his father. 

'What if I die? What would happen to my father, my mother? How would my little boy and my little girl survive in this cruel world without me?' 

Alexander thought, looking at his father's pen. It had so many fond memories. Shaking his head, he wiped his hands on his pants to clean them as neatly as possible. He didn't have time to waste, so he signalled for Sebastian to come to him. 

"Do me a favour, Romano," Alexander said and paused to fill his lungs with sufficient air. Sebastian wore a concerned look and asked if he was okay. Alexander nodded with a faint smile. "What do I need to do, Alessandro? Tell me, I'll do anything," Sebastian promised. 

"I'll give you an address in California. You have to take my daughter there," Alexander said. "Why, California?" Sebastian interrupted to ask. "Look, Sebastian, I don't know if I'll survive or not," Sebastian heard his boss say and shook his head in disagreement. Before he could protest, Alexander stopped him. "Let me finish, Sebastian. Felicity got shot," he delivered the news, and Sebastian gasped before cursing. 

"It has to be Johnathan. That bastard called me to tell me she's dying," Alexander answered Sebastian's unasked question. "I need to go to her as soon as possible," he confessed. "We'll go right now, Alessandro," Sebastian assured. Alexander shook his head. "No, you're not coming with me. If Felicity and I both died, I need someone I could trust to keep my daughter safe," Alexander voiced out his concerns. 

"No one's dying today, boss. You're wasting our time. Come on, get up now. We need to go," Sebastian said, his tone sounding impatient and annoyed. 

"They are attacking me from every side, Sebastian. I'm worried about my parents and my son. I don't know if they are safe in Italy anymore. Right now, my priority is keeping my little girl safe. Take her to California, and you can move to Italy once you get clear knowledge of the situation in Italy," Alexander said. He didn't know for sure if the Baresis had planned to attack his parents' home too. 

Sebastian understood the delicacy of the situation and didn't protest anymore. He covered his boss, providing him with the security he needed while he wrote a letter. 

John,   

Remember your promise? 

It's time to live up to your words. You owe me this favour. 

My little girl's life is in danger, and I want you to keep her safely under your roof until I come to retrieve her. Sebastian will bring her to you, and he'll take care of everything. 

I'm handing over my precious treasure to you, John Williams. Don't make me regret trusting you. If you fail me in this, I won't hesitate to kill you, John. 

A. Hunter. 

Alexander folded the letter in half and wrote William's address in another piece of paper for Sebastian. 

"You remember John Williams, right?" He asked Sebastian, and he nodded. John Williams was an ex-cop, and Sebastian had met him once or twice. 

Alexander gave him the folder with Hera's passport and other required papers. "Leave this country immediately. Take her to Williams and wait for confirmation from my father. Once he gives a green signal, you can take her to Italy. Wait for my call and call me only if you need me," Alexander ordered. 

Sebastian watched while Alexander kissed his daughter goodbye. 

"What about you and Felicity? You're hurt, Alessandro. How can I leave you on your own?" Sebastian asked. Alexander could see the hesitation on his face. "Don't worry about me, Romano. I won't die until I reach my Felicity. Now take my baby and leave," he said, the voice of tone leaving no room for further discussions. 

Sebastian tucked the folder inside his jacket and checked the stroller making sure everything was alright. He smiled sadly at the baby as little Hera had her eyes fixed on Alexander. His boss had tears in his eyes while he gestured for Sebastian to leave. 

Alexander took charge of the situation and made sure Sebastian made it out of the building safely. 

One of the twins blocked Sebastian's way and tried to snatch the baby from him. Sebastian elbowed him and heard Alexander yelling a command to leave. As soon as Sebastian left, Alexander gave no more than a second for the Baresi brother to look up. He rammed his shoe into his head hard enough to make him collapse. 

Alexander fired his gun only to find it empty. Cursing, he grabbed the gun from one of the twins and shot him right in the middle of his forehead. 

He couldn't recognise who was who because of their faces covered with blood. He didn't bother to check either. His perfect aim didn't miss a chance and every bullet he fired reached its target. 

Another twin attempted to escape but in vain. Alexander grabbed him by his hair. He wanted to slice every part of the bastard's flesh and pull out his every organ, but he had no time to play games. 

"One last question, Baresi. Did you attack my parents' too?" Alexander asked. He wanted to know if these two brothers were here, then where was their third brother Luca Baresi. The man shook his head in denial. But Alexander wouldn't trust anyone until he spoke to his father. 

He knew his father would handle it. It wouldn't make much of a difference if the lion got old, right? No living being would dare to attack it from the front and risk its life. After all, Francesco Carlo was the terror every criminal was terrified of, and he had people who worshipped him for the good deed he had done for the needy people. 

Alexander knew his son would be safe under his grandfather's watch. He was more worried about Hera's safety. He couldn't trust Christopher Castellanos and his poor excuse of a son Johnathan. 

"You don't deserve this easy death, Baresi, but I'm in a hurry right now," Alexander said to his prey. The said Baresi laughed, looking at the bleeding wound on Alexander's chest, but he couldn't hide the terror in his eyes. "Not bad, huh, Alessandro. I aimed it perfectly," he said. He was the one who shot him. 

Alexander took out his dagger and kept the sharp edge under the man's jaw while his free hand gripped his hair in a tight fist, tilting his head upward. One clean swipe and the blood spilt like the water flow in a water fountain.