After bidding goodbye to the dogs, Hera and Hunter settled comfortably in the back seat of the black Mercedes. Mathew buckled up in the front passenger seat and signalled Dave to proceed with his driving. Hunter wanted to drive in his sports car back to the mansion, but Mathew didn’t approve it. He’s more concerned about Hunter and wouldn’t leave him alone until they reach home safely. 

Hera unwrapped her chocolate and ate it with the strawberries. Hunter grimaced in disapproval while she showed him the finger. Watching them, Mathew smiled and turned to the front, checking a message on his phone. 

He pursed his lips in anger as he read the message. Johnathan had already fled the hotel in the middle of the night. 

Hunter had asked Mathew to keep Hera’s existence a secret, and Mathew respected his privacy. He was thinking about how much to reveal in his report to Alexander. 

.

Mathew was an orphan and barely eleven years old when he ran away from the orphanage home in Brescia city of Northern Italy. It was more of a hell than a home for the homeless ragamuffins. What he’d witnessed at that very young age, terrified him to death. The Matron and her assistants in the orphanage were monsters with no hint of humanity. Children suffered from sexual assaults and subjected to brutal abuse every day. 

The orphanage home was no less than a brothel as boys and girls were used as prostitutes to please the wealthy monsters in human disguise. Mathew silently endured everything sinful happening in the orphanage. He wanted to help the victims and save the rest of the children from getting abused, but he was too young and helpless. He didn’t know whom to approach for help as he couldn’t trust anyone. 

Finally, the moment he was dreading came. A woman dressed in expensive clothing visited the orphanage. Mathew watched as the woman surveyed the abandoned children standing in a line. He couldn’t guess her exact age, but he knew that she was at least three times older than him. Mathew’s heart jumped into his throat as the woman eyed him like a hungry wild animal salivating over a bloodied fresh meat. 

He knew it was his turn to go through the physical as well as emotional assault his fellow orphans had already endured. He was smart enough to sense the danger and dared to run away from them, but unfortunately, the eleven-year-old boy couldn’t run far enough, before they caught him. Instead of being a coward, he tried to be brave and threatened them of going to the police. 

The Matron’s hired goons were dragging his body in the dark alley of an old road after beating him to the verge of unconsciousness. Suddenly, a large white car stopped in front of them, blocking their way. A tall man dressed in an expensive tailored suit got off the car, and he eyed the injured boy. 

Mathew gazed at the man with his half-opened eyes before losing consciousness. The Matron and her goons looked like they’d seen a ghost, and they were frightened to death. The man standing before them was Francesco Giovanni Carlo, the most powerful and most feared man in Italy. On his command, his men rescued the boy, and when Mathew opened his eyes, he was in Francesco’s house. 

Francesco not only saved Mathew’s life but also helped the other children of the orphanage by finding a new shelter home for them. The Matron and her men were taken away by the police, and the orphanage was closed down. Mathew was so scared to go back to the shelter home that he adamantly refused to leave Francesco’s side. 

Francesco, along with his wife Katherine raised him as their own and became his parents. Mathew got a new home and a family he always longed to have. He found a protective elder brother in Alexander. 

Mathew never had a last name until he met Francesco. The orphan boy now became one of the Carlos. It didn’t take much time for him to learn that Francesco Giovanni Carlo was a dangerous Mafia Don. People eyed him as a bad man, but for Mathew, he was his guardian angel, a godfather. He was his God who gave him a new life. 

That day Mathew swore to serve his godfather until his last breath. Nothing could buy his loyalty towards Carlos. 

Mathew gazed at Hunter and Hera through the rearview mirror. Hunter fell asleep due to lack of sleep last night, and Hera frowned in worry as his head kept hitting the glass window. She gently pulled his head upon her shoulder and let him sleep in comfort. Mathew smiled to himself as he saw Hera hooking her arm through Hunter’s. 

Mathew was not just Hunter’s bodyguard. Hunter was his godson, and he would do anything to protect him. He remembered the times when Felicity tried to teach her son to address Mathew as ‘Uncle’. But her little troublemaker refused to comply and always addressed Mathew as Matt. He would say, “Matt is my buddy, not my Uncle, and I’ll always call him Matt.” 

Hunter was three years old when the Baresi men plotted to kidnap him. Mathew was overwhelmed with pride when Alexander gave him the responsibility of keeping his son safe. Alexander trusted only a few men, and Mathew was one of them. He had followed Hunter everywhere like a shadow since then. 

Neither Mathew nor Francesco knew about Hera’s existence in Alexander’s life as he’d kept it under wraps. All Mathew knew was, Felicity was attacked and shot by Johnathan, a younger brother of Alexander’s best friend. But he never knew why. 

Mathew wondered why Alexander had left him alive till today. He couldn’t wait to tell him about Johnathan personally. 

Alexander was searching for Hera for the past fifteen years. What he didn’t know was that Hera was growing up along with his son under the protection of his most trusted man, Mathew. 

Fifteen years ago in Havana, Cuba:

Alexander didn’t know that when he left with Sebastian, he unknowingly paved the way for Johnathan to accomplish his evil plan. 

Johnathan waited long enough to make sure that Alexander was way too far away to return home in time. He walked by foot, and when he reached Felicity’s temporary home, it wasn’t that easy to gain access. Guards with loaded weapons stopped him at the gate and didn’t let him in. Much to his annoyance, they even threatened him to run off. Otherwise, he’d be shot dead. 

Johnathan was never this happy before to use his power as the royalty. But to his irritation, all went in vain as the guards didn’t let him in even after checking his identity proof. Him being the royalty didn’t matter to them one bit. He silently appreciated the loyalty of Alexander’s men. 

Alexander was lucky that his men swore loyalty to him. They would gladly sacrifice their lives for him, but would never dare to betray him. 

However, there would always be at least one rotten mango in the cart spoiling all the rest. Johnathan had successfully found one such lousy mole in Alexander’s loyal troop, Sabastian’s cousin Deacon. With his help, Johnathan acquired all the information he needed to know before planning his next moves. 

It was not that difficult to find partners to his crime as Alexander was never short of enemies. Johnathan sought help from the Baresi brothers, and they gladly agreed to take part in the conspiracy. Their only condition was that they wanted Alexander’s son as payment. 

Johnathan told the guards that he’s a guest and asked them to check with Felicity as she’s expecting his arrival. One of the guards talked on the phone, and after a thorough check, they let him in. But of course, he’d to deposit his licensed gun with them before going inside. Johnathan let out a worry-filled sigh, as he entered the house. Why wouldn’t he worry? After all, he was setting foot into the battlefield without any weapon for his protection. 

Felicity was shocked at Johnathan’s arrival and worried about his wrong timing. Her only fear at that time was revealing the truth of Hera’s birth to him. Nonetheless, she greeted him with a genuine smile, and he hugged her in return. They exchanged pleasantries and talked about each other’s families. 

Even though it was past lunchtime, Felicity still asked him to have lunch, but the food was Johnathan’s last priority that day. He could tell by the tiredness on her face that she didn’t have lunch yet. He declined the lunch offer and settled for the coffee instead. Johnathan was surprised when Felicity went to the kitchen to bring him coffee. He couldn’t see the cook and the maid planted by him anywhere. 

‘Of course, Alexander has got rid of them already. The Devil trusts no one.’ 

Johnathan cursed inwardly and hoped that his chosen household staff in Felicity’s home had fulfilled their part of the job before Alexander fired them. Adding more to his already pent-up pressure, the guard in the living room was watching him like a predator.