- Alice

The first response Massimo received after that scream was a whimper from Millie, who hugged Alice's neck even tighter, looking like she was about to cry at any moment. And, as uncomfortable as that situation was, Alice couldn't help but feel irritated with that stupid man, who had dared to scare her daughter.

“What happened today was just an accident.” She replied, her voice now firmer “Rest assured that if this is how you plan to treat us, because of what Amber did, then we will do our best to stay away from you. There is no need to threaten us for this. I thought maybe I could find the man I once considered my friend...” she admitted, crestfallen “But now you've made it very clear that it was a futile hope.”

“That...” Massimo’s chest rose and fell quickly, without Alice knowing whether he was about to get sick or have a tantrum “How dare you...?” He shifted in his chair and, surprised, Alice watched the oversized sleeves of his sweater rise a little, revealing deep scars on his arms, dark red and certainly very painful “Fuck!” he growled, quickly pulling his sleeves back up to his wrists “Get out of here! Now!" Massimo demanded.

“Massimo…” Alice hesitated, worried “If… If you need any help, you know I spent a year at nursing school and…”

"You did not listen to me?" he suddenly exploded, making her flinch “Do you think I need your fucking pity? That I called you here to do things for me because I’m not capable anymore?” the corners of his eyes turned almost scarlet “Get the fuck out of here! And don’t let me see your face again, understand?”

“Alright, Massimo…” she nodded, returning his glare with disappointment “We’ll leave you alone, as you seem to want it so much.”

Without another word, Alice just snuggled Millicent even more against her chest and took her daughter away from that man, not wanting him to scare her little angel even more. She had promised Millie that they would both be happy in that house, regardless of the reasons that led her to marry Massimo. However, if instead of a sick man with fragile health, he had become a grumpy and embittered idiot who had no shame in shouting and swearing like that in front of a child, just like a monster, then...

She would have to keep Millie away not just from the Dawseys, but from him as well.

Well, it wasn't like she didn't have experience in this. But still, there was something very painful about it. Maybe because, even without her realizing it, there was still a part of 19-year-old Alice hidden inside her, eager to see Massimo again just like she used to feel whenever he visited her house, years ago...

“Mommy?” Millie called out to her, her voice tearful “Was that scary man yelling at you because I went out to look for the horses?” her daughter pulled away enough just to look at her, guiltily “I’m... I’m sorry... I didn’t want him to get mad at you...”

“It’s okay, honey. Just promise me you won't leave my side again. And… Don’t worry about that man.” Alice sighed “He'll never yell at you again, I promise.”

“Is he really your new special friend?” she asked, clearly worried.

"This is complicated. In fact, even Mom is trying to make sense of it all.” Alice sighed, kissing her daughter’s forehead “I promise I’ll explain everything to you when things are... In the right place. At the moment, you just need to know that that man's name is Massimo Bianchi and he was in a car accident that left him injured. Like, really, really hurt. He is no longer able to get up and walk, like you and I.” She said, making Millie widen her eyes in shock.

“Is that why he’s so angry? It’s because he’s sad?”

“Yes, honey... Something like that. This accident left him very sick, not only on the outside, but also on the inside. And, from what I can tell, it seems to have filled him with rage.” She lamented “So... Let's make a promise to do what he wants and stay away from him, okay? Let’s just focus on getting to know this house better and start making it our new home.”

“But, mommy, you always say that no one should be left alone when they are sick.” Millie reminded her, confused “Why are we going to do this to Mr. Bianchi?”

“Well...” disconcerted, Alice searched for a reasonable answer in her mind, but couldn’t find it no matter how hard she tried “That’s because... You see...”

“Oh, there you two are!” a sigh of relief saved her from giving Millicent an answer for now “I was so worried! Glad you found her! Please, little dear, don’t run like that again.” Thea pleaded, though her eyes were darting nervously down the hall behind them, as if she were expecting to see a wheelchair appear from the shadows at any moment “So... Uh... Would you happen to...”

“I'm sorry I went against your request, but I needed to find my daughter.” Alice answered her silent question “And... We ended up meeting Massimo, without meaning to. But do not worry. He has already made it very clear that he does not want to be disturbed and I will make sure nothing like this happens again.”

“Oh, God... I wish I could have avoided this...” Thea sighed sadly “The boss is... Going through a delicate moment in the last few months after the accident and this ended up changing his personality drastically. But who knows... The feeling of having a family might help you get through these dark times.” She nodded, even though she didn't seem too sure about it “Now, please, let's go. Let me take you to the wing of the mansion where your two rooms are, so you can take a shower while I make you a hearty snack. You deserve it, after all... This.”

“Thanks, Thea.” Alice murmured, already noticing that Millie was tense just by the way her little fists were gripping the fabric of Alice's blouse.

"Do not worry, dear. We will be very happy here.” Even though uncertainty and fear were crushing Alice's heart with thoughts of what the future would be like, she made a silent promise to herself that, no matter how much she might suffer in that place, Millicent would always be happy and safe "You can trust Mommy.”

- Alice

“Look, mommy, this bed looks like a cloud!” Millie’s laugh warmed Alice’s heart, the only thing that seemed sweet and warm in the middle of that silent and gloomy mansion “Can we play trampoline in this?”

“Uh… I don’t think we should do that, honey.” With the most carefree smile she could muster as she took Millie's favorite blanket out of her suitcase, Alice approached her daughter, ready to cover her "Doing that could break the bed and you know it's not cool to break other people's things. Besides, everything here belongs to Mr. Bianchi, so…”

“Is he going to be mad with us again?” Millie, who was standing on the bed looking ready to start jumping, stopped abruptly, as if she had seen a ghost.

“I won’t let him scare you again.” Alice sat on the bed, pulling her baby close, feeling once again something inside her burn like acid as she remembered the look of pure hatred on Massimo's face earlier, very different from the man she had fallen in love with so long ago “But anyway, we have to be careful with the things who belongs to him, okay? I don't want him to get... Nervous again. That wouldn’t be good, with him being sick like that.”

“Can’t you give him some of my medicine, Mommy?” Millie asked, looking at the glass bottle that was the first thing Alice had taken out of her suitcase “Maybe he doesn't want to drink it at first because it's bitter, but you can give him a little juice later, like we do for lunch.” The way she smiled excitedly at that idea made Alice’s heart hurt a little more “That way his boo boo will heal and he won’t be mad anymore.”

“I'd love for it to be that easy, honey, but... Massimo doesn't just need some vitamins to stay healthy, like you do. His boo boo is... Difficult to cure. Maybe impossible.” Alice sighed “That's why you have to promise me you won't go near him again. He needs to rest.”

“But won’t he feel alone, without anyone to play with?” Millie tilted her head, looking desolate at that thought “Whenever I get sick, you always stay close to me and I get better quickly. Why is his boo boo so different?”

“Uh... Well, that's what Mr. Bianchi wants. So, all we can do is give him the silence and tranquility he wants so much. This way, he won't get nervous and won't be so rude again. Now, why don't you put Hoppy to sleep? I’m sure he’s very excited to meet the horses tomorrow.” Alice smiled, helping her daughter lie down before pulling the blanket over her.

“Did you hear, Hoppy? Tomorrow we’re going to see the horses!” Millie laughed happily, moving onto that huge bed, more comfortable than any other bed Alice had ever managed to give her “And no wanting to get out again, okay? Thea said the horses only have rooms outside, not here. Besides, Mr. Bianchi can’t get sicker because of us.” Carefully, she snuggled the stuffed rabbit into the pillow, just like Alice had done with her “Hey, mommy...”

“Yes, dear?”

“Mr. Bianchi is just like the Beast, don’t you think?” Millie seemed deeply focused on that thought “He's big, hairy and screams a lot. And a little rude, too.”

"Yes." Alice smiled sadly “You’re right, honey.”

“If you fall in love with him, could he become a prince?” her daughter asked, full of expectation, making her blush.

“Well, I don't think I'll have time to do something like that, because I'll be too busy loving you.” she leaned in, starting to tickle Millicent before she could dwell on the subject any further “I just need my little princess to be happy.” Alice assured, kissing Millie's chubby cheek as her daughter laughed.

“So you don’t miss having a special friend?” her daughter asked, curious “Don’t you want another one, now that Casey is no longer our friend?”

“No, honey. Me and Mr. Bianchi are... Helping each other.” Alice felt a little bad distorting the truth, but there was no other way “He needed someone who could live here with him and we needed a better place to live than Grandma's house. And here is exactly what we needed, don't you think? It’s beautiful, there’s plenty of space for you to play, and you’ll be able to see the horses whenever Thea gives you permission to do so.” She stroked her daughter’s hair, before kissing her forehead. “We can have a good life here. And that's all that matters. Do you think you can be happy here, honey?”

“I do.” Millicent nodded solemnly, even though she still looked thoughtful “I hope we can be friends with Mr. Bianchi. Being sick is very annoying. Maybe he wouldn’t have time to think about his boo boo if he had someone to play with.”

"Yes, who knows." Alice forced herself to agree, not wanting her daughter to lose that innocent optimism so soon. “Now, let's go to sleep, shall we? This way you will be full of energy to meet the horses tomorrow. And, don't worry, mommy will stay with you, holding your hand, until you fall asleep. I know a new room can be scary."

“Good night, mommy.” Millicent smiled one last time, before hugging Hoppy in her arms and snuggling between the covers, holding Alice's hand for much less time than she expected. A few minutes later, her little angel already had her mouth open, snoring deeply.

Certainly most children would take a little longer to adapt to a new house and a new room, but... Somehow, Millicent seemed to have been born to be there, in that huge and luxurious room, in the middle of the Bianchi mansion.

No! What was Alice thinking? Fate had played a trick by putting them there and even that would be temporary. Eventually, Massimo's thirst for revenge for being abandoned by Amber would end and he would realize that there was no reason to keep her there as his surrogate wife.

Alice just hoped that, by then, she had managed to gather at least half of the money her mother had stolen, to give Mililie the comfortable and peaceful home she deserved, away from the Dawseys, the Bianchis and anyone else who could be bad for her.

Feeling her head weighing down, Alice gently let go of Millie's hand, before getting up from the armchair next to the bed. After everything that had happened that day, she also needed to rest as much as possible to give Milliecent a little more confidence the next day.

God knew that, if her daughter realized that she was insecure about living in that house with Massimo around, then her plans to make that mansion Millie's new home, however temporary, would all go down the drain.

Closing the bedroom door softly, Alice shuffled down the long hallway as she stretched, her eyes almost burning after so many bad nights of sleep. Millie would probably be up earlier than usual tomorrow in anticipation of seeing the stables, but if Alice could just get some rest and forget that now, before the law, she was also a Bianchi...

A growl nearby made her freeze in her tracks immediately. She had spent enough time in her internships and her work as a home nurse to know that that was the sound of a person who was in pain. A lot of pain, probably.

And, even though the hoarse timbre already made it clear to her who it was, Alice still couldn't stop herself from turning towards the sound, following the trail of visceral wails, not only painful, but also angry, until she reached even one of the doors, which didn't seem to have been closed very well. However, the moment her hand reached out on its own to reach the doorknob, she hesitated, remembering the expression in Massimo’s face earlier.

He hadn't married her for Alice to meddle in his affairs, much less act as his nurses.

So, should she really...?

That thought was interrupted when a new grunt of pain sounded, much louder than the others, followed by a muffled scream.

“Fuck! Why don't you kill me once and for all, fucking piece of shit...?!”

“Massimo!” Alice gasped and, before she realized what the worry was causing her to do, she opened the door.

And she found Massimo on the bed, without his pants, several bandages thrown on the floor, the sheets dirty with his own blood and a deep open wound on his leg.