68

The truth about Daniele and Simona, about their blood and why they didn’t look like me.
“Daniele and Simona are my children in every way. They can never find out the truth.” “They won’t.” Luca picked up the phone. “I should take care of it.” Luca smiled wryly.
“Your wife might not be happy if you kill her father, and Felix might count on him. Felix knows I would not hesitate to end his sad life, however.” I tilted my head. Luca had already killed members of his family, so Felix could not hope for mercy at all.
Luca pulled the phone close to his ear.
“Ahh, Felix, I heard you acquired some interesting information. Have you told anyone yet?” Luca waited.
“And it’s going to stay that way. Understand? I think it would be best to discuss the matter in person, only then can I really convey the message to you.” Pause.
“No, I’ll meet you in New York tomorrow at four o’clock in the afternoon. Don’t keep me waiting.” He hung up. I nodded in thanks, for the words would never leave my lips.
“You should go to your wife now.” I turned and headed for the door, but before I could open it, Luke spoke again:
“That was your last omission, Alessio. Not even three children will protect you the next time you lie to me.”
“I know.” I left. Faro was still waiting in the hallway and almost sagged with relief when he saw me. He waited for the elevator doors to close before saying, “I thought I would never see you again.”
“Luca knows I’m worth more alive than dead.” Faro shook his head.
“If you say so.” He looked at me carefully.
“Do you want to talk?” I grimaced.
“I don’t need to talk.”
The moment I entered the house, Gianna rushed toward me and hugged me so tightly that I feared she might bruise her baby bump. Her eyes were red. Daniel entered the foyer behind her. At twelve years old, he was almost as tall as Gianna. I still remembered when he had clung to my pant legs.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s school tomorrow.”
“I knew something was wrong when Mom came home crying. She wouldn’t tell me what was going on.” His voice was already changing from a boy to a man. I had raised him, had suspected that he was not mine for many years, and now I was certain.
Nothing had changed. Gianna loved Daniele and Simona as if they were her own, and so did I.
“I had an argument with Luca.” Daniele approached, fear on his face.
“Are you in trouble, Dad?” That word coming from his lips still filled me with pride. That would never change. Gianna stepped back to give us space. I grabbed the back of Daniel’s head and pulled him against my chest.
“I cleared everything up. It was a misunderstanding.” Daniele hugged me briefly. Now that he was no longer a little boy, these displays of affection had diminished.
“Now go to bed.” Daniele pulled back and headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I wrapped an arm around Gianna.
“Nothing has changed,” she said firmly. “Nothing has changed,” I confirmed.
“Daniel is a good boy, my boy, and he will make a good sub-chief.” Gianna smiled broadly.
“I know he will be. Just like his father.” She linked our fingers together.
“Let’s go to bed.” From the way she said it, I knew she needed more than just sleep, and after today, making love to my wife seemed the perfect balm. After Gianna had fallen asleep, I headed for the cigar lounge. Loulou trotted behind me.
She spent most nights in Daniel or Simona’s bed, but my footsteps must have pulled her out. After making myself a drink, I stretched out on the wide armchair and took a sip. It was dark in the room except for the moonlight streaming through the windows and the glow of dying embers in the fireplace. Loulou looked up at me.
I stroked my thigh and she jumped effortlessly to her feet and then curled up on my lap. Over the years she and I had gotten along well. She still preferred Gianna, Simona and Daniel, but when I spent a sleepless night in the living room, she always kept me company. I stroked her soft curls with a sigh.
Secrets had a way of coming out.
Today’s day proved that. I should have known that Dad had taken a paternity test the moment he learned about Andrea. He was not a man to let things that bothered him rest. I was angry at his disregard for my wishes and absolutely furious that he wanted so badly for me to tell someone like Felix. They both wanted to see their unborn grandchild as Underboss.
That was all it took to turn men who could hardly tolerate each other into allies. I did not want to imagine what it would do to Daniel and Simona if they found out. Our circles would have frowned upon them. The result of cheating and incest.
No matter how brutally I would have reacted to people’s gossip, I doubted I could have convinced my men to accept Daniel as their leader someday.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to face my father again. He had risked Daniele and Simona’s future. It was not something I could forgive. Luca must have called him today because Dad had tried to contact me, but I put the phone on silent mode. I didn’t want to talk to him. As if my thoughts had summoned him, my phone blinked, but it was Mia. The fact that she was awake at that time of night was already a bad sign. I picked up.
“You have to come to the hospital. Father is dying. He won’t survive the night.” I remained silent, hovering between shock and burning anger.
“Alessio?”
“I’ll be there soon.” I hung up. Loulou jumped off my lap and I hurried to wake Gianna.
“I’ll come with you,” Gianna said quickly.
We did not wake the children. I did not want them to see their dying grandfather, especially if he revealed the truth in his last moments. Elijah guarded the house while we were gone. Gianna gave me a worried look as I drove us to the hospital.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” “You love your father, don’t you?” I frowned. At that moment, my anger was the dominant emotion toward him, but I still loved him. “He was a decent father, better than many men in our world. He had his faults, but so do I.”
“Then don’t let your anger ruin the goodbye. What he did was wrong. He has been sick for a long time. That may have affected his judgment.”
“He has wanted the truth to come out for years.”
“I know. But still, don’t argue with him today. Let him die in peace. Not only for him, but also for you.” I sighed. Gianna was the forgiving soul. I was more of a vengeful being. I nodded anyway. Ilaria was waiting with Mom in the hallway. They were both crying and clinging to each other. My mother immediately rushed to me and hugged me tightly. I patted her back.
“What happened?” Mother could not answer. She just shook her head and cried.
I raised my eyebrows at Ilaria.
“Dad insisted on taking Luca and Felix’s calls today. You know how he is. He can’t let business stand still, even if you’re in charge. After that, he was upset, and that led to another small heart attack. His body is too weak.” I nodded, “Are you talking to Mia now?”
“Yes,” Ilaria replied.
“She wanted to have a word with each of us alone.” The door swung open and Mia came out, her face streaked with tears. When she saw me, she looked relieved.
“You are here. Father was afraid you wouldn’t come.”
“I’m here,” I said simply. Gianna squeezed my hand. I headed toward the hospital room, trying to stifle my anger at my father. The moment I saw him lying on the bed, looking frail and like a shadow of the man I had known all my life, he slipped away. Gianna was right. Today was not about making accusations. It was about saying goodbye.
That was one of the things Gianna had taught me: to allow kindness when I could afford it, which was not often. My father’s eyes followed me as I approached him. He looked terrified. I had never seen him like that. He was a brave man, one of the strongest men I knew. Now it seemed that a word from me could break him.
“Father,” I said in a low voice.
I touched his thin hand resting softly on the blankets. His expression softened and he slowly turned his hand so that he could wrap his fingers around mine, squeezing them weakly.
“Alessio.” The word was a croaky whisper. I leaned over him to listen better.
“I just-I just wanted what I thought was best.”
“I know.” He had been wrong, but I too was guilty of bad decisions in my past.
“I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Forgiveness was not my strong suit. I wasn’t sure I could give it to my father so soon after the events, but he didn’t have much time left.
“Yes.” It wasn’t a lie. I would eventually forgive him. Not today, but in a few months or years. He closed his eyes briefly and a tear slipped out. I had never seen my father cry. I leaned forward and hugged him carefully. He squeezed my hand again, even weaker than before.
“Can you… Get…?” I nodded and asked my sisters and mother to come in. My father died two hours later, surrounded by his family. Gianna was right.
Having made peace with my father had freed not only him, but also me.