Xander always knew he was different. From the moment he was brought into the Caravello household, he had been treated with a mixture of indulgence and distance—indulgence because he was smart, talented, and had an uncanny ability to read people; distance because he was, unmistakably, adopted. The Caravello family had everything: wealth that could buy nations, influence that ran through the veins of the city's criminal underworld, and power that commanded both fear and respect. Yet, Xander never felt entirely part of it.
His older brother, Darius, was the natural heir. Handsome, ruthless, and clever, Darius had charisma that bent people to his will effortlessly. Xander, by contrast, had to prove his worth constantly, earning the smallest approvals as if they were medals. Yet, Xander didn't resent his position. He knew his place and played the role of the quiet, observant son. Perhaps that was why he was the only one who saw the cracks in the family's golden facade—the petty rivalries, the thinly veiled threats, the betrayals that hid beneath polite smiles and handshakes.
Today, however, the cracks were about to become chasms.
The city's night air was thick with rain and neon haze, droplets streaking the slick asphalt like blood on silver. Xander Valerio stood at the threshold of the Caravello estate, his fists clenched, knuckles whitening under the dim glow of the streetlights. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the grand mansion in a harsh, unforgiving light. To the outside world, it was a palace, the crown jewel of one of the most influential mafia families in the city. To Xander, it was a cage—one that had suffocated him since the day he became part of this family.
Inside, the mansion hummed with false laughter and clinking glasses. His foster parents, Victor and Selene Caravello, were celebrating Darius's "achievement," a lucrative but highly illegal deal that had earned him the favor of the family's more dangerous allies. Xander had watched silently, long enough to see their favoritism, their cruel whispers, their satisfaction at his supposed mediocrity. Every compliment Darius received, every smile Selene cast him, was a reminder of his place: the expendable, the shadow, the sacrifice.
He had warned them. Xander had warned Darius himself. "You can't push it this far," he had said earlier that night, in the dim privacy of Darius's office. "This deal—this… this whole stunt you're pulling—someone's going to get hurt."
Darius laughed, sharp and cruel. "Hurt? Please, If anything happens, you're the one they'll blame, Xander. Not me. You always cover for me anyway." he stood up from his seat, with a devilish grin adding to his handsome features, walking slow paced as he approached Xander. "Next time think before you talk to me, you are nothing but our family dog, don't try playing smart and try to hinder my path, well remember you have a wife" he slaps Xander cheek and walks out while laughing like a maniac he was.
And Xander had nodded, swallowing the bitterness, because he knew it was true.
Xander clenched his fist after hearing Darius threat, he knew his older brother was serious."Darius don't take this far, if anything happens to Isabella I won't take it lying down" he thought.
He had always protected Darius. Always shielded him from the consequences of his recklessness, from the shadows of their parents' scrutiny, from the world itself. But tonight, it wasn't just a warning anymore. Tonight, it was an ultimatum.
"Xander," a familiar, silky voice called, breaking him from his reverie.
He turned to see Isabella, his wife, standing in the doorway. Her presence was both calming and grounding, the only constant in a world of deceit. She had married him for love, not for the trappings of his adopted family. That alone had made her a rare treasure in Xander's life.
"Morning," he said softly, placing the cup down. "Slept well?"
"Enough," she replied, her tone light but her eyes sharp. "You've been distant lately. What's on your mind?"
Xander forced a smile. "Nothing that concerns you."
But she didn't accept the lie. Isabella had known him too long to be deceived. Her eyes searched his, and for a moment, he felt the vulnerability he rarely allowed himself to show. He knew that whatever storm was approaching, she would be caught in its center.
Before he could answer, the quiet was shattered by the sharp sound of Darius's angry voice echoing from the hallway. Xander's stomach tightened. Darius was storming in, flanked by a group of men in tailored suits—the family's enforcers. His brother exuded power effortlessly, a predator in a perfectly pressed suit.
"Damn it, Le cose stanno andando a puttàne" he said in Italian while punching the wall, dad, mum we have a problem" he shouted.
"Darius, what's getting you worked up" his mum asked with love, care and concern.
"I will fucking kill the spy in this family, when I find out who leaked the information I swear it will be the end of them" he cursed. Somehow the police has gotten wind of some of our operations, they found some dead bodies in one of our warehouse and connected it to us, Dad, I don't want to go to jail now, besides I think there is a spy" Darius said while kneeling down pretending to be crying.
Xander watched all this coldly, off course he knew where this was going to, he knew finally he was going to have some use, he knew there wasn't a spy everything was messed up by his perfect brother, he scoffed.
"Don't worry Darius, I won't allow anything to happen to you, you still need to take over the Caravello's family how can you go to jail, you are too young for this, we just need someone to take the fall, isn't it" Victor Caravello said with a light smirk not disturbed at all my the situation.
Darius face lit up with a smile and he started laughing, why didn't I think of this, it seems God is helping me.
"Xander," Darius said, his tone mocking, "I guess it's time for you to show your worth, isn't it?"
The words cut deeper than any blade could. Xander had always known that Darius's ambition would be dangerous, but he had never expected it to come at such a personal cost.
"Darius…" Isabella interjected, her voice firm, "there's no need to—"
"Stay out of this," Darius snapped, his eyes narrowing. "This is family business. And Xander…" He leaned in, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "One day, you'll realize loyalty isn't given—it's taken. And sometimes, taking the fall is part of the game."
Xander's heart raced. The weight of Darius's words settled like iron chains around his chest. He had known the family could be ruthless, but he had never imagined that his own brother—would betray him in such a calculated way.
"Xander no need to hesitate, we will look for the best lawyer and make sure you don't go to jail, all you have to do is to take the fall for your brother" Selene said.
Xander was trembling all over, can't they think of his feelings too, why does it have to be like this, why must he take the fall for someone else's crime, he has a wife to protect, Damn. He was grieved, his family has wrong him, the world has wrong him, he will make everyone pay.
"Dad, Mum, Darius, why must it be like this, Xander is innocent, after all his part of this family and my husband." Isabella tried shielding him.
"Shut up Isabella, and stay our from this, remember he is an adopted child, a bastard child" Darius shouted at her.
Xander's jaw tightened. He knew what needed to happen. He had rehearsed this in his mind for years, though he had never admitted it aloud: he would take the fall. Always him. Always the expendable. It was the only way to save Darius, the only way to protect the fragile thread of the family bond.
The police arrived minutes later, sirens wailing in a discordant symphony with the storm outside.
"I did it," Xander said calmly, voice low but resolute. "I'm the one responsible. Take me. Arrest me. I'll handle it."
Xander stepped forward as if stepping into destiny, hands raised, face calm. He took full responsibility. Confessions were made. Stories told. Lies to protect the family, to save the brother who would never have done the same for him.
By evening, Xander was arrested, his rights ignored, his protests drowned in the chorus of corruption that always accompanied the Caravello's family's dealings. Isabella followed him to the holding cell, her hands trembling as she clasped his.
"Xander…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "They're lying. You didn't—"
"I know," he interrupted gently. "But knowing doesn't change what they want the world to see, I just have one selfish request, he held her hands staring into her eyes with love and determination. "wait for me, there will be a day I will be free and will tell the world am not a criminal ". He said while walking away, leaving a crying Isabella who was crying"I will always wait for you Xander, I will wait for your return" she said softly.
Betrayal. The word lingered in the air, tasting bitter as bile. Xander thought of the years of false affection, of forced smiles, of being treated as nothing more than a shield for Darius. He thought of the nights he went hungry while Darius feasted, of the secrets he carried alone, of the humiliation he endured. And yet, in this moment, he pushed it aside. It was time for Darius to live.