Heartless Guardian – Bonus Prologue
Mia
One year before
The warm afternoon sun filters through the trees as my feet pound the path in sync with Maddalena’s. My sister’s ponytail bobs beside me, her cheeks flushed from exertion. Central Park feels like a sanctuary away from the chaos of the city.
“So, you really think you can make the Olympic team?” Maddalena asks between breaths. A bead of sweat rolls down her temple.
A wide grin spreads across my face. “Coach said if I keep up this training regimen, I’ll have a great shot in two years.” The dream that once seemed so impossible is finally within my grasp.
Maddalena returns my smile. “I’m so proud of you, sis. You’ve worked your ass off for this.”
Warmth blooms in my chest at her words. No matter what happens, I know Maddalena will always be in my corner cheering me on loudest.
We round the curve, falling into a steady rhythm. My legs burn deliciously, reminding me of the grueling gym sessions and endless laps in the pool. Every ache and pain has been worth it.
“Just think,” I say, my breath coming faster, “in two years, you could be watching me compete for Olympic gold on TV.”
Maddalena laughs. “I’ll be the one holding up the embarrassing cardboard cutout of your face.”
I give her a playful shove. “You better not!”
We pause at our favorite food kiosk in the park, sweat glistening on our foreheads. The cheerful vendor greets us with a bright smile.
“The usual?” he asks, already reaching for the blender.
“You know it, Tony,” I reply, pushing damp strands of hair from my face.
As Tony whips up our fruit smoothies, I catch my reflection in the kiosk’s window. My cheeks are flushed, my ponytail disheveled, but my eyes shine with exhilaration.
“Here you go, ladies.” Tony passes us the thick, icy drinks, condensation already beading on the plastic cups. “It’s on the house.”
Maddalena’s eyes widen in surprise, but I beam at his kind gesture. “Aw, you didn’t have to do that! But grazie, it means a lot.”
I take a long, greedy pull of the tart, fruity concoction, the icy mixture doing wonders to cool me down. Maddalena does the same, humming in delight.
“This really hits the spot,” she murmurs between sips.
We find a shaded bench nearby, collapsing onto it with relieved sighs. For a few minutes, we simply sit in comfortable silence, slurping our smoothies and letting our heart rates return to normal.
“Can you believe in two years, I could actually be living my Olympic dream?” I finally break the quiet, unable to contain my giddy smile.
Maddalena’s eyes crinkle at the corners as she returns my grin. “You’ve got this in the bag.”
Leaning back against the bench, I tilt my face towards the filtering sunlight. I can almost feel the weight of an Olympic medal around my neck, the roar of the crowd echoing in my ears. Years of sacrifice and grueling training, all leading to that one shining moment of triumph.
“You know I’m going to make you sit through every second of footage from my events, right?” I tease, bumping Maddalena’s shoulder. “Even the boring qualifiers.”
She groans in mock horror. “My worst nightmare! Is there any way I can get out of sister duty?”
We dissolve into laughter, the kind of uninhibited, joyous giggling that comes from a place of pure contentment.
If anyone had told me a few years ago that this could be my life, I would have thought they were crazy. Yet here I am, smoothie in hand, Olympic trials in my sights, my wonderful sister by my side. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
I lean back against the bench, savoring the last few sips of my smoothie. The sugary tang tingles pleasantly on my tongue as I let the warm breeze wash over me. A contented sigh escapes my lips.
“We should probably get going, start the cool down jog back,” I say, not quite ready to leave the peaceful oasis of the park just yet.
Maddalena groans, her head tipping back. “Do we have to? I’m already tired just thinking about moving again.”
A wry grin tugs at my lips as I eye her dramatically slumped form. “Oh come on, lazybones. This is nothing compared to the training I do.”
“Yeah, well, you’re the one trying to join the Olympic team,” she shoots back with a pointed look. “I just need to be fit enough to get my pharmaceutical license, no marathons required.”
Chuckling, I rise from the bench and stretch my arms overhead, relishing the delicious pull in my muscles. “Fair point. But where’s the fun in that?”
Maddalena simply shakes her head in response, a teasing glint in her eyes. Before she can retort, I swipe her phone from where it rests beside her and take off down the path at a brisk jog.
“Hey!” She bolts upright, eyes wide with outrage. “Get back here with my phone, you jerk!”
Tossing a mischievous grin over my shoulder, I pick up the pace, clutching Maddalena’s phone to my chest. My sneakers pound against the paved path as I weave between the sparse clusters of park-goers.
“You’ll have to catch me first!” I call back breathlessly.
With an indignant huff, Maddalena takes off after me, her face set in a playful glare of determination.
The rush of adrenaline and the cool breeze against my flushed skin make me feel alive in a way I haven’t in a long time. The trees blur past, and the laughter bubbling up from my chest feels like a long-lost friend.
Suddenly, Maddalena lunges forward with an unexpected burst of speed. I yelp in surprise as she tackles me from behind, sending us both tumbling onto the soft grass. We land in a tangled heap, laughing breathlessly.
“You… are… such… a brat,” Maddalena gasps between giggles, trying to wrestle her phone from my grip.
I hold it just out of her reach, still laughing. “You need to work on your sprinting if you want to keep up with me.”
She finally manages to snatch her phone back and collapses beside me on the grass, panting. “Next time… I’m going to trip you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I reply, catching my breath and staring up at the sky through the canopy of leaves above us. The dappled sunlight creates a mesmerizing pattern that dances across our faces.
For a moment, we just lie there in comfortable silence, the only sounds our labored breathing and the distant hum of park activity. This simple moment feels like a precious escape from the pressures of our lives.
“You know,” Maddalena says softly after a while, “I’m really glad we did this today.”
I turn my head to look at her. Her eyes are closed, and a peaceful smile is playing on her lips. “Me too,” I reply sincerely. “I needed this.”
Maddalena opens one eye and peers at me curiously. “What’s been bothering you lately? You seem… distracted.”
I hesitate for a moment, weighing whether to burden her with my worries. But Maddalena has always been my confidante, and I know she’ll understand.
“It’s just… everything,” I admit quietly. “The training is intense, but it’s not just that. Dad’s gambling debts are still hanging over us, and I’m worried about Mom.”
Maddalena’s expression softens with understanding. “We’ll get through it together,” she assures me. “We’ve faced worse.”
Her words bring a measure of comfort. I nod and offer a small smile in return.
We lie there for a few more minutes before reluctantly sitting up and brushing grass off our clothes.
“Ready for that cool-down jog now?” I ask with a wry smile.
Maddalena groans but gets to her feet anyway. “Fine, but you’re buying dinner tonight.”
“Deal,” I laugh as we start jogging back down the path at a slower pace.