I found everyone after a few minutes of looking for them. We are all seated in a private meeting room in the hotel building away from the event hall. Everyone is confused about why William wants to see us, so we all wait for him to speak before saying anything.
“I am sure all of you are wondering why I have called you all here,” William says and gets a nod or yes from everyone.
“I am here to tell you all who I really am. My real name is Martino Santi Salvestro. I am the son of Valentina Maria Lapaccio.” William says staring at mama who has tears in her eyes just from hearing that name.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s you. I have searched the whole world for you.” Mama says walking towards William or rather Martino.
“I am sorry I did not reveal myself sooner aunt,” he says, hugging mama.
“It’s fine my boy,” Mama says hugging him back with a lot of love.
“Can someone explain to us what is going on here?” I say, wondering how William is related to me.
“Oh sorry, Martino, do you want me to explain it to them, or you want to do the honours?” mama says after she releases him from their hug.
“Aunt you start the story and I will finish it,” William says.
“Alright, it all started when my little sister was supposed to get married. She ran away from home for a month or so before her wedding. She did not want to get married to someone she did not know. Her marriage was arranged like mine. She met a man who she said loved her and took her to Italy. During the time my sister ran away from home I did not hear from her. My father even said she should just come back, that he didn’t care if she got married or not, but my little sister did not come back. When I gave birth to Antonio, my sister finally reached out to me. She told me she had given birth too. I was thrilled. She said she was in Italy. I asked her to meet up with me, but she couldn’t. At first, I thought it was because she was still scared my father would get her married off once he knows her whereabouts, but I was wrong. The man my sister claimed loved her, did not love her. The only reason he took her to Italy was because she became pregnant with his son. Who we all know as William, but his real name is Martino. Once she told me, I started planning a way to get my sister away from that man, but I was too late because she died before I could save her.” mama says and starts tearing up. I quickly walk up to her to console her.
“And the worst part was I don’t even know how she died, but I know it was her lover. Once I get my hands on him I am going to kill him myself,” mama says with hatred in her eyes.
“He might be my father, but I can understand how you feel. My mother died because she was trying to save Mr Salvestro and his family’s life. My mother was the best woman in the world, even though she had the worst husband in the world she still smiled. My father hated me because I loved my mother so much and would not live the life he wanted me to live. I lived the way my mother trained me to. He would beat my mother and me till we wouldn’t be able to walk for days. My mother always tried to leave him, but he was always one step ahead of us. The day she died was a great tragedy for me. My mother and I overheard my father planning to kill Mr Salvestro and his whole family. My mother could not just watch her sister die, so she tried calling her on that day, but our plan did not go as planned. My father caught her and killed her in front of me; it was a nightmare and I will never forgive him for it.” William says with a lot of anger. Joan walks up to him and takes his hands in hers to calm him down.
“After my mother died my father became a monster because he did not succeed in his plans. So he always put all the blame on me and made my life hell. When I turned 18 I ran away from home and went to Spain, where I was able to put my life together.”
“Oh my God, William, I can’t imagine what you went through,” I say walking up to him to hug him.
“It’s fine,” he says, hugging me back.
“I don’t know how I will repay your mother for her bravery, but I can promise you I will find your father and make him pay for it if that’s what you want?” papa says to William.
“It’s okay Mr Salvestro, I would love to do that myself,” William says smiling.
“Alright boy and you can call me uncle, you are family after all,” papa says patting him on the back.
“But why did you not say anything sooner?” I say wondering why he is just speaking up now.
“That’s because when I ran away to Spain I met my mother’s father, who is also your maternal grandfather. He took me in and trained me to run his empire. He told me about your condition; so I felt I could not tell you who I really was when we met at university. I did not want to bring back bad memories and make your situation worse, since you were finally doing better. But when I found out you had gotten your memories back I planned to tell you earlier today, but something came up.”
“Oh, I understand. But can I ask you something?” I say.
“Sure”
“Why does Enzo hate you?”
“I can answer that, love,” Enzo says from behind me.
“I hated William because of who his father is; I never knew he was not like his father. I am sorry for judging you without knowing who you really are” Enzo says, putting out his hands for him to shake as a way of apologising.
“It’s fine, it’s all in the past now,” William says, shaking his hand. Seeing my best friend—who is also my cousin—and boyfriend becoming friends makes me very happy.
“Alright we should get back before someone starts noticing we have been gone for too long,” Enzo says.
“Okay, I will meet you later; I still have some things I want to ask William.”
“Alright honey,” Enzo says, pecking my cheeks before walking out with my parents, his parents, Antonio and Sofia. Joan stays behind with William and me.
“Am so happy we are related” I say squeezing the life out of him with a hug.
“Do you want to kill me, woman?” he says not really trying to get out from my embrace while laughing.
“You are not serious,” I say releasing him from the tight embrace.
“Even though you just explained how we are related, it does not explain why Joan was crying.”
“Oh, about that, she is sad that I want to go to Spain for business after we just had a shootout a few days ago.”
“Oh, that explains it.”
“How come you are so normal even though you just heard him say we were in a shootout a few days ago,” Joan says, looking at William and me like we have two heads.
“It’s totally normal because that is how life in the mafia is, and honey I was born into that life,” I say trying to make her understand why I am not fazed.
“Alright if you say so, but it’s still scary,” Joan says.
“You will get used to it, but it will take time.”
“I pray so.”
“I have one last question for you, William?”
“You are still calling me William, Cousin?” William says, looking at me with his brows up with a smirk on his lips.
“Sorry, Mr Martino,” I say while laughing.
“Better, and will you stop laughing.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, so what is your question?”
“Who is your father?”
“My father is…” William does not get to finish his statement when we hear gunshots being fired.
The shooting stops after awhile; we walk out to find out what’s happening. Enzo comes up beside me and hands me a gun. We all walk to the front of the hall to see who dares interrupt our night. When I look at who is standing there, I am not so surprised.
“Hello family,” Carlos says with a stupid smirk on his lips.
“That’s my father,” William says beside me. Oh my God! Can today get any more complicated?