Alexander pov
People feared me for being ruthless. People respected me for being powerful. No one dared to cross me without consequences.
That was who I was- Alexander Knight. The merciless mafia don who would kill without hesitation.
So tell me… why the hell couldn’t I say no to a woman and a kid?
Or better yet, why did I agree to this…. joke despite not wanting to?
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
“Ahh, you won again? How do you always know what I’m going to pick? This is the tenth time you’ve beaten me, I’m starting to think you are cheating.”
Felix shook his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes, before quickly scribbling something in his notebook and holding it up as Valentina read it out.
“No, Mommy. I’m not cheating, you’re just predictable. Every time you lose, your fingers twitch slightly before you choose rock. When you win, you smile before the next round, which means you’re likely to repeat the same choice. You’re following a subconscious pattern, and I’m just smart enough to notice it.”
Valentina’s eye twitched, but she forced a chuckle, nodding as she ruffled Felix’s hair before leaning in to kiss his forehead.
“You’re right, you’re right. Mommy is predictable, and you’re very smart. How about we get ice cream after two more rounds?” she asked, sounding more excited than Felix himself.
Felix’s eyes lit up, his smile widening as he watched her with a twinkle of pure delight.
“Rock, paper, scissor!”
Their laughter filled the air, but I tuned it out, a sneer curling at the corner of my lips. Adjusting my sunglasses higher on my nose, I crossed my legs and folded my arms, my mood souring despite the bright, cheerful atmosphere of the pack around me.
As you could imagine, we were at the pack for a picnic. After saying no this morning, Valentina had looked sad, and that seemed to change the kid’s mind because, with a twist of his head, he turned toward me and narrowed his eyes into a glare, silently daring me to go.
But Felix was just a kid. How could he possibly change my mind? It wasn’t like I was scared of the stubborn child… yet, for some reason, I had still found myself here.
In a place like this.
“Oh my goodness, is he a celebrity? He looks so hot. Should we go ask for his number?”
My cold gaze shifted to the two women who had stopped walking, whispering among themselves while their eyes remained fixed on me.
“Right? He’s so freaking hot! But look at the woman and the child with him, I think he’s married.”
“Or maybe not. That could be his sister and nephew. Let’s just go and ask.”
My head tilted slightly, hands clenching at the shameless, lustful looks they were giving me. I hated being looked at like that. If they dared come anywhere near me, I might just pull out my gun and shoot them- yes, I had my gun with me and my patience was running that low.
But before they could come any closer,
“Husband! Baby, come play with us! Your child and wife are getting bored without you!” Valentina called out, her voice ringing through the air, far too sweet and far too deliberate.
I froze and turned to her as I felt her arms wrap around me, a bright smile on her face. To my utter disbelief, my son who hated my guts, who had never hugged me before, ran into my arms and wrapped his tiny hands around me, muttering a soft, “Daddy.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. For a moment, I didn’t know how to react.
“See, I told you he’s married. Gosh, this is so embarrassing, let’s go.”
“Right, let’s go.”
As soon as they left, Valentina scoffed, and she and Felix shared a triumphant high-five.
“Good job, kid,” Valentina praised before quickly looking at me with a sheepish smile. She stood up from the blanket, holding Felix’s hand.
“Umm, we’re going to get some ice cream. It’s just around the corner,” she said, her face flushing red in embarrassment as she stretched out her hand.
I raised a brow, confused by the gesture, but before I could say anything, Felix pulled his hand free from Valentina’s grip and scribbled on his notepad.
“Mommy is broke. She’s asking for money for ice cream. Don’t be stingy and give her a lot so she can buy plenty.”
A scoff escaped me as I narrowed my eyes at Felix.
This kid. Who did he think he was to command me like this?
Before I could respond, my phone rang, drawing my attention away. Checking the caller ID, I saw it was Xavier.
Sighing, I stood up from blanket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill from my pocket before handing it to Valentina.
“Buy what you need, but don’t go far,” I said, then paused, glancing at Felix. “And watch over him.”
Valentina nodded eagerly, her eyes practically shining as she stared at the money in her hand. A wide grin stretched across her face as she waved me off.
“Of course, of course! Take your call-we’ll be back soon. It’s not like anything can happen in the minute it takes to buy ice cream.”
She then turned to Felix, excitement in her voice. “Let’s go! We can buy lots of things with this money!”
Felix grinned, nodding eagerly. Without sparing me a second glance, he took Valentina’s hand and walked away with her, his little legs carrying him along.
I scoffed, but deep down, I couldn’t ignore the relief that settled in my chest. Felix had changed so much over the past few months, and it was all because of her- Valentina.
Clearing my throat, I changed my expression back to its usual coldness and answered the call.
“Speak.”
“Oh my God, I feel offended. Is that how you greet the person who helped you raid Nico’s warehouse?” Xavier drawled dramatically on the other end, and I could practically hear the grin in his voice.
I rolled my eyes and, without a second thought, ended the call.
Within seconds, the phone rang again. With a sigh, I picked it up.
“Speak,” I muttered.
“You- how could you end the call like that, Alexander? Don’t you know anything about decency-”
I pulled the phone away from my ear, ready to hang up again, but Xavier must have sensed it because he suddenly yelled,
“Alright, alright! Don’t you dare end the call! I’m calling about the goods. What should we do with them? You know we can’t keep them for long, or Nico will track them down. So, I was thinking- let’s sell them and split the cash.”
I tilted my head at his words, tucking my hands into my pockets as I turned around, my gaze landing on Valentina and Felix. They were picking out their ice creams, both smiling, completely unaware of their surroundings.
Then, without hesitation, I smirked.
“Burn it. Burn everything. And send me a video of it going up in flames.”
“What?! Burn the drugs?! Are you even listening to yourself? Those drugs are worth millions of dollars! I know you’re rich, Alexander, but that’s going too far!” Xavier practically shouted.
I didn’t respond immediately. He wasn’t wrong. The drugs we’d stolen from the warehouse were worth millions, but money wasn’t an issue- I could make that in a single night. What mattered now was Nico’s reaction when he realized his goods had gone up in flames.
He could always make more, but knowing that his stolen merchandise had been reduced to ashes? That would drive him insane. And that, more than anything, was worth it.
I watched as Valentina and Felix finished paying for the three ice creams and started walking toward me.
“Burn it,” I repeated to Xavier. “If money is the issue, I’ll pay you.”
Xavier scoffed. “Do you think that’s the problem? I just don’t like the fact that you’re wasting-”
I froze, his words fading into the background as my gaze locked onto the scene unfolding before me.
A black car had pulled up right in front of Valentina and Felix. Before I could react, masked men jumped out, grabbing them.
The ice creams slipped from their hands, splattering onto the ground. Valentina clutched Felix tightly, trying to turn and run, but they were yanked back. The men shoved them into the car.
“Ahhh! Alexander, help! We’re being kidnapped! What the hell?!” Valentina screamed.
A cold wave of fury crashed over me, snapping me out of my daze. My hand shot to my gun, and I fired without hesitation.
Screams rang out as people scattered, running for cover.
But it was too late.
The car sped off, disappearing before I could reach it.