The Don's Legal Eagle's Baby: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance

33. Griselda

”Ilove you.”

His confession sent a beautiful shiver through me, a cascade of emotions that I had been yearning to hear. For so long, I had hoped he felt the same way, but the circumstances and the fear of complicating things held me back. Now that he had confessed, it was both a relief and a moment of truth.

Emilio”s words echoed in my mind and heart, sinking in slowly like ripples on a calm lake. His confession had been abrupt, catching me off guard, but the feelings behind it were genuine.

But as I lay there, overwhelmed by my feelings, not knowing how to react, it was both exhilarating and terrifying.

Emilio slid close to me and pulled me close so that he was spooning me.

”Griselda,” he began, his voice gentle, ”I hope I didn”t make you uncomfortable by saying that. I couldn”t hide my feelings anymore.”

His words carried a tinge of regret as if confessing had been a mistake. It jolted me out of my stupor, and I turned to face him. In his eyes, I saw vulnerability and disappointment, though he tried to hide it. He seemed to be giving me an out, suggesting I didn”t have to return his feelings.

”You didn”t make me uncomfortable,” I said, my voice soft but certain, a rush of courage bolstering my words. ”I”ve been hoping for this too.”

His eyes widened, the regret replaced by surprise and a glimmer of hope.

”Really?” he asked, almost cautiously, as if afraid this was a dream that could shatter.

I smiled, trying to convey what was in my heart. ”Yes. You don”t know how much I”ve wanted you to say that.”

Relief washed over his face, and he looked at me as if a weight had been lifted. It was almost a comical moment, realizing that we both wanted the same thing yet had been holding back, afraid to shatter the delicate balance we had. Now, the truth was out, and it was liberating.

He pulled me closer, his arms embracing me in a secure, comforting hold.

”Griselda,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear, ”I love you.”

”I love you too,” I whispered back, my voice breaking with emotion.

His face broke into a wide grin, a burst of happiness and relief that was contagious. Without another word, he leaned in and crashed his lips against mine in a deep, tender kiss.

I giggled into the kiss, unable to contain the bubbling euphoria that was flooding through me. Our lips moved in sync, expressing what words couldn”t,

The world around us seemed to fade away.

When we finally pulled away, our smiles mirrored each other, brimming with happiness. He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently against my cheeks.

I couldn”t contain the excitement and joy bubbling within me.

”I”m so happy, Emilio,” I gushed, unable to hide my exuberance. ”I”ve been waiting for this for so long, for us.”

His eyes sparkled with delight at my words, and for a moment, it seemed like nothing could dampen this newfound happiness. He pulled me closer, wrapping me in a warm embrace. I could feel his heartbeat, steady and reassuring, against my chest.

”You”ve made me the happiest I”ve ever been,” he murmured, his voice filled with a tenderness that made my heart flutter.

”When Enzo told me about how you were considering cutting all ties with the mafia, you had no idea how relieved I was. I thought about our child growing up in a safer, more normal life.”

As I spoke those words, my excitement still buzzing in the air, Emilio”s expression changed. It wasn”t the reaction I had expected. Instead of the happiness and relief I thought I”d see, his face seemed to cloud over with a sudden heaviness. It was as if my words had unexpectedly unearthed a hidden burden.

I paused, my voice trailing off as concern etched across my features. Did I say something wrong? I replayed my words in my mind, trying to pinpoint what could have caused the change.

”What”s wrong?” I asked, concern etching my voice. ”I thought you”d be happy about this.”

He seemed to hesitate, annoyance flickering in his eyes. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. My worry only deepened as the seconds ticked by.

”Just say it, Emilio,” I urged, my heart thudding in my chest.

With another sigh, he confessed, ”I am the new leader of the Fiore family.”

The words hit me like a sledgehammer to my chest, sending shockwaves of disbelief through my entire body. I sat up abruptly, the bedsheets falling around my waist.

”What?” I exclaimed, unable to mask the astonishment in my voice. ”How... how did this happen? I thought you were leaving the mafia. You were strictly opposed to sharing any part of that life, and now you’re becoming the leader?”

Emilio closed his eyes.

”I didn”t expect this either,” he admitted. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but it was pushed to the back of my mind when you told me about our child.”

My confusion only deepened.

”But what about your brother?” I asked, recalling the conversations we”d had about the family hierarchy. ”Wasn”t he supposed to be the next don? What changed?”

He sighed again, pinching the space between his eyebrows, clearly frustrated.

Emilio took a deep breath, trying to navigate through the complexities of his family”s affairs. His frustration was evident, an underlying tension that had likely been building for a long time. He began recounting the events surrounding his father”s will reading.

He explained, his words tinged with bitterness. ”He divided his properties among us, but I got the majority, more than Carlo and Uncle Luigi.”

I sat there, baffled by this revelation. It was common knowledge that Emilio”s relationship with his father had been strained, if not outright tumultuous. The idea of him receiving the lion”s share of the family estate seemed like a joke.

”But why?” I asked, my confusion growing. ”Why would he give you the majority when it”s clear he had issues with you?”

Emilio”s smile was tinged with sarcasm. ”Exactly my thoughts. I didn”t need the money, and I planned on transferring the properties to Carlo and Uncle Luigi. After all, I aimed to sever all ties with the family, but the lawyer went on to announce the next leader of the mafia, and instead of Carlo, he named me as the new Don.”

I was utterly stunned. ”But why?”

I couldn”t fathom why Emilio, despite the strained relationship with his father, would be chosen as the successor. It wasn”t that I doubted his abilities—after all, he had proven his competence as the CEO of a prominent car company.

It was more of the fact that his father never treated him well, so why would he bypass the oldest and favored son to choose Emilio as the Don?

Emilio nodded, his expression mirroring my astonishment. ”Exactly. Given how I was treated, especially by him, this was the last thing I expected.”

I leaned towards him, my curiosity pressing. ”And what about Carlo and your uncle?” I asked. ”How did they take the news?”

A sardonic smile played on his lips. ”How do you think? They didn”t exactly give me a round of applause.”

I felt a twinge of shame for questioning him like a suspect instead of seeing things from his perspective. ”It”s not your fault, Emilio. You had no idea this would happen.”

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. ”I know, gattina (kitten), but it doesn”t change the situation.”

”Are you going to stay?”

He shook his head decisively. ”No. I can’t, and I won’t.”

I was relieved. As much as I wanted to support Emilio, the idea of him staying within the mafia”s clutches made me uneasy. The dangers that came with that world weren”t something I wanted for him—or our child.

”I can”t believe his influence still reaches beyond the grave,” I commented, frustration in my voice. ”How could he treat you that way for so many years and yet practically make you his successor? What exactly was he thinking when he did that?”

Emilio sighed. The heaviness of the situation was evident in his eyes.

”Before I left, my father”s lawyer came by to give me an envelope,” he revealed, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the pocket of his jacket where the message was stowed. ”Something he asked the lawyer to pass on to me.”

”Where is it now?” I asked softly.

”It”s still in my pocket,” he replied, his voice tinged with hesitation. ”I don”t think I”m ready to read it, at least not yet.”

”You don”t have to force yourself,” I assured him, moving closer and wrapping my arms around his waist. He reciprocated, encircling me in his warm embrace.

”It”s just... I need time,” he murmured, resting his head on mine.

”And you”ll read it when you”re ready,” I affirmed, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.