FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

By the time Sebastian landed in California, a team of police officers, local detectives, and private security guards in plainclothes were already waiting for him with his name board. Alexander had made sure to provide him with the required protection in the foreign country even before Sebastian reached there.

Meanwhile, Johnathan, Rouvin and his security team stayed behind until Sebastian left the airport. One look at the rescue squad, and Johnathan knew they were officials in plainclothes.

Johnathan was royalty, and he had his name to keep untainted. He couldn't use his power and approach the official law enforcement team for his assistance when he was involved in a punishable crime of kidnapping and probably murder if Felicity couldn't make it.

'If Alexander has thought of seeking help from the local police, then for sure, he might have already made arrangements for my demise.'

Johnathan decided not to take the risk.

Sebastian didn't think he could easily trust people around him. Even though they were officials and were there to offer him protection, they were still strangers at the end of the day.. He wouldn't fail Alexander, not after learning that his boss chose Hera's life over his own.

Hoping for the best, he prayed for Alexander and Felicity's life.

Sebastian had no clue where to find the ex-police officer John Williams. He wasn't ready to risk William's life by revealing his identity to these strangers, so he decided to find him by himself. Besides, Williams would never trust his ex-colleagues after what they did to him when he was still in service.

Alexander had clearly told Sebastian not to contact him unless he was dying. With his twelve trusted men, he settled in the small rented house for the day arranged by the police.

Sebastian smiled sadly at Hera as she threw tantrums and refused to drink the milk. He knew she was missing her home and her parents. He remembered the countless sleepless nights he had spent after his little boy Michael was born.

He cradled her in his arms and sang a lullaby which he used to sing for his son. Hera stopped crying only to stare at him strangely, and Sebastian paused after the second line to chuckle at the baby's comical expressions. Hera's eyes were wide to their fullest, and her tiny mouth opened in a perfect "O" shape.

He heard his companions laugh behind him. Sebastian knew his hoarse voice was too horrible of a sound for a lullaby, but he continued anyway. It should work because it worked on Michael every single time. Thankfully, it worked on Hera too, and she drank her milk while he kept singing. Soon the baby in his arms fell asleep.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from them, Johnathan waited in the reception hall of a small motel when Rouvin booked them a place to stay the night. Johnathan refused to eat and settled himself inside the tiny room. He wasn't hungry for food, but he was starving for Alexander's demise. 

He and Rouvin planned their strategy to abduct Hera from Sebastian's safe clutch. Johnathan realised Alexander would have killed him if it wasn't for Felicity. But unlike Alexander, his trusted right-hand man wouldn't waste a single second before drilling every bullet into Johnathan's skull. He would be a fool to walk right into his grave willingly.

So he put his royal diplomatic administrative expert brain into use. He knew who would help him willingly. He made a phone call to Deacon, Sebastian's cousin, before making arrangements for him to land in California. Another phone call to Mateo Baresi and Johnathan grinned in satisfaction.

Mateo was a defeated, heartbroken father who had lost two of his sons in a single day. Adding more to his sufferings, the humiliation he felt while writhing under Francesco Carlo's boots served as salt on his inner wounds. He had to beg him to keep at least one of his sons alive.

He grasped it was impossible to defeat Carlos, yet Johnathan's offer was too good to refuse. His wounded pride wouldn't let this golden opportunity pass. When revenge blinds one's vision, nothing could lift or clear the mist.

Johnathan had shared the good news that one of Mateo's sons had shot Alexander in the chest. "If you want him to suffer more, I know where his child is. We can still help each other," Johnathan offered. He already knew he had lured the older man into his plan.

Mateo Baresi couldn't dare to go to California. He was aware of Francesco's power. He would kill him and his entire family if he came to know about his involvement in the conspiracy. So instead, he promised Johnathan that he would send him all the help he needed to end Alexander's life. 

"It shouldn't be that difficult to kill the already wounded beast. If you can't harm Alexander, then at least kill his child. Do whatever it takes to break him," Mateo said, and Johnathan was more than pleased to agree.

Unaware of the pact Mateo Baresi made with Johnathan, Sebastian and his team had their dinner inside and discussed their plan for tomorrow while California police guarded their front door. 

The address Alexander had scribbled on the paper suggested that John Williams lived in the city of Lake Elsinore. It would take an hour to reach the destination by car.

Sebastian's research indicated that the address would take him to somewhere deep in the middle of the suburban city of Lake Elsinore.

He decided that it's better to ditch the security team before reaching the city. He wouldn't need their help after that, and besides, it would only attract more attention. He would've to manage everything by himself. No one else needed to know the location of Alexander's daughter.

The next day in the early morning hours, two of them went out and came back with a big silver box as per Sebastian's instructions. He didn't want to expose the baby out in the light for everyone to see. Sebastian held the feeding bottle for Hera to drink while others started making small holes in the box.

Once Hera finished her milk, he rocked her in his arms, humming a random tune trying to put her to sleep. He nodded his approval when his men placed the baby stroller inside the box and made sure it didn't shake whenever they moved the box.

Packing everything he needed, Sebastian placed the sleeping baby into the stroller and fastened the belts properly.

"Don't worry, little one. You're safe with Uncle Romano," Sebastian promised. He discarded the blood-stained blue hooded blanket and brought one of the white, clean, fluffy towels he found in the cabinet. Draping it over her, he kissed her forehead before closing the box shut.

"Alright, it's time to move," he announced, jerking his head, and his men followed immediately. They grabbed their weapons, tucking them in the holster and strapping down. Even their pockets, shoes, and the waistbands of their pants had guns hidden inside.

They started their journey with police cars escorting them. The protocol the officers followed only worried Sebastian more. Though he wasn't aware of Johnathan's plan, something told him he was heading towards the danger. He didn't miss the SUVs following behind them. They came out of nowhere, and Sebastian immediately took out his gun.

He alerted his men, and all of them held their guns in position, removing the safety lock, ready to fight the unknown danger.

Johnathan grinned in victory while the black cars moved fast, following right behind Sebastian's. Mateo Baresi kept his promise, and true to his words, he had sent help. It wasn't that difficult to gather the enemies of Alexander. Everyone in the underworld of crime wanted to try their luck in dethroning the mafia lord.

Johnathan appreciated how Mateo had contacted all the leaders of the crime world in California and arranged everything overnight, from dusk to dawn. Sebastian's cousin, Deacon, led the team while Johnathan stayed behind, following them from afar.

To Sebastian's surprise, no one attacked or portrayed any signs of danger. However, he couldn't let his guard down and stayed on high alert. It would take time to cover the distance between San Francisco and Lake Elsinore. They had 448 miles to travel by car.

Never had Sebastian felt so on edge before. He and his men had their eyes guarding all four sides of their car, watching the following SUVs like hawks. By the time they reached the riverside drive, it's started drizzling suddenly. Sebastian asked the driver to speed up, but he did the opposite to his confusion.

Sebastian was quick to point his gun at the driver's head when he noticed the police cars escorting them came to a sudden halt. They stopped and cornered them at the empty riverside road with no sign of human habitats.

The firing began out of the blue, and Sebastian ducked his head when the rear windshield shattered. 

The first bullet from Sebastian's gun punctured the driver's skull, and one of his men took the seat behind the wheel after kicking the dead driver's body out.