Chapter 66

                                    

                                          
A/n: the whole chapter is a flashback
Flashback
Alexandro had built his empire with discipline, strategy, and a willingness to do what others wouldn’t dare. He intended to raise his daughter, Alissa, the same way—not as a delicate flower to be sheltered but as a force to be reckoned with. From the moment she entered his world, he began crafting her into someone who could stand beside him, not behind him.
By the time Alissa turned three, Alexandro decided it was time to lay the foundation for her future. He arranged for the best tutors from around the world to teach her languages, mathematics, history, art, and other subjects. It wasn’t just about knowledge; it was about preparation. Alexandro believed power wasn’t just physical—it was intellectual. She needed to outthink her opponents before she ever needed to overpower them.
At first, Alissa struggled with the intensity of her lessons. The tutors were relentless, demanding excellence in every subject. But Akexandro saw the fire in her eyes, the same fire he saw in the mirror. When she mastered her first foreign phrase in fluent French, she ran to him with excitement. For the first time in his life, Alexandro smiled without restraint.
"Good," he said, his voice firm but proud. "But don’t stop here. Learn more. Always more." Alissa nodded, determined to make him proud.
When Alissa turned five, her training shifted. Alexandro introduced her to the physical side of her education. It began with balance and coordination exercises disguised as games but soon progressed to handling weapons. Under the watchful eye of Gabriel, Alexandro's most trusted enforcer, Alissa learned how to hold, aim, and fire a small pistol. At first, her tiny hands struggled to steady the weapon, but her determination was unshakable.
Gabriel grinned as he watched her improve. "She’s a natural," he said one day, handing her a smaller blade for training. "Just like her father."
Alissa beamed at the praise, but Alexandro merely watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable. He wasn’t training her for compliments. He was preparing her for survival.
By the time she was six, Alissa could disarm a grown man twice her size with precision and speed. Her movements were fluid, her strikes calculated. Alexandro pushed her harder than he pushed anyone else, knowing the world wouldn’t go easy on her just because she was a child. And Alissa, eager to prove herself, embraced every challenge.
One day, during a training session, Alexandro finally stepped onto the mat himself. "Enough sparring with Gabriel," he said, his deep voice commanding. "Fight me."
Alissa hesitated, her wide gray eyes searching his. "You’re my father. I can’t hurt you."
Alexandro knelt to her level, his expression stern but not unkind. "You fight to survive, Alissa. It doesn’t matter who stands in front of you. Never hesitate."
She nodded, swallowing her fear, and attacked. Her strikes were swift and precise, but Alexandro was faster, dodging and countering effortlessly. Each time she fell, she got back up, more determined than before. Hours passed until, finally, Alissa managed to land a small but decisive blow, her blade grazing his arm.
Alexandro looked at the faint scratch and smirked. "Good," he said. "Now do it again. Better."
From that day forward, their bond deepened, not as just father and daughter but as master and apprentice. Alissa grew stronger with each passing year, her skills sharpened by relentless training and her father’s unyielding expectations. She learned to read people’s intentions before they acted, to command authority with a single glance, and to wield her weapons like extensions of her own body.