33. Alessandro
Alessandro: Poker is off. Something important has come up.
Nico: Everything okay?
Val: Is that code for fucking your wife?
Nico: You’re a dick, Val.
Val: You were thinking it.
Rocco: He knew tonight I was going to win.
Alessandro: Natalia and I are over.
Val: What the hell?
Nico: Did you win the deal?
Val: Did her brothers finally pull out?
Alessandro: I’ll tell you all tomorrow.
Then I turn my phone off.
It killed me to break Natalia’s heart, but it will mend, she will find someone who the family will love.
That will never be me.
All because of him.
Everything that my father has ever done to me and my family hits me like a ton of bricks. This tyrant has made all our lives hell. Growing up, I was always scared of him, of his fists, and his temper. But I assumed that was what all families were like. That if you didn’t toe the line, you would be punished. I saw my mother live in a loveless marriage, turning a blind eye to my father’s cheating ways, disappearing to our other houses away from Roma as soon as we were old enough to fend for ourselves, and she always seemed happier away than home.
I didn’t realize I had so many daddy issues till now. This man that I share DNA with is a monster. Not a hard ass, not an intelligent businessman. No, he’s a ruthless, win-at-all-costs asshole. My grandparents were the sweetest people, how the hell did they produce my father? Not to mention what he did to his own sister, turning the family against her because she got pregnant out of wedlock. He made her life miserable because she wouldn’t do as he said. Everyone else was the problem, not him. Everyone was out to get him. Everyone was jealous of him. But now, in reality, he was the problem, always has been, always would be. Nothing I can or will do will be good enough for this man. Maybe that’s what Romeo realized, and he had to move halfway across the world to break the cycle. Is that why Dario drank and did drugs so much? To escape being like our father? He was the carbon copy of him from looks to certain areas of his personality.
How stupid have I been all these years? Trying to chase something from my father that he was never willing to give to me. He dangled the carrot of his love, his gratitude, and the family business over me so that I would do his bidding. He’s obviously burned too many bridges and needs me to help him get what he needs, which is to win over the Fiorenzos. I feel disgusted that I hated the Fiorenzos all my life for something my father did to them. Something so heinous. I don’t blame them for hating us now. I get it. I would too. I hate us. My stomach recoils at the thought.
I pull up out the front of my father’s and can see his car, so thankfully, he is home. I get out, storm up the path, and knock heavily on the front door. He pulls it open, and shock and surprise register on his face as he sees me standing there.
“We need to talk,” I tell him, storming past, not waiting for him to welcome me in.
“Sure, why don’t you come right in,” he answers sarcastically before slamming the door behind me. I ignore his temper. “Please tell me you did something right and won the deal. And that you’re divorcing that Fiorenzo whore.”
When he talks about Natalia like that, I lose it. I whirl around and charge at him, pushing him up against the wall. “Don’t you ever fucking speak of her like that,” I warn him.
His eyes widen in surprise before they narrow on me. “She’s pussy-whipped you, boy. Knew you didn’t have the guts to do what needed to be done for the family.”
“Like what you did when you attacked Maria Fiorenzo,” I spit in his face. My father stills at my words. “That’s right. I heard the real reason why you hate the Fiorenzos.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy,” he says, pushing me away from him and storming off.
“What, that you didn’t tell her brother about her and Francesco, knowing it would set him off?” I yell at him.
“Please, pure fantasy.” He chuckles, ignoring me as he pours himself a scotch.
“That you didn’t track her down in the darkness after sending Francesco to hospital and taking what you wanted from her. What she wasn’t willing to give you,” I yell at him. He stills, and the next thing I know, the crystal tumbler is hurtling at me. I move to the side, and it smashes against the wall behind me. “You know I’m right.” My father’s face turns red at my accusation, his hands ball into fists beside him. I know he wants to hurt me, he’s just trying to work out which way will be best. “That’s why you covered up Dario’s death, because of what he did.”
His eyes widen. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Dario’s death was a tragic accident. It’s your fault he’s dead. You were supposed to have been watching him, but you didn’t, you were distracted by a fucking woman again. There will always be another whore willing to spread their legs for you, Alessandro. But you only had one brother,” he yells at me.
“Two. I had two fucking brothers, or have you forgotten about Romeo?” I yell at him.
His face scrunches up as he glares at me. “He’s not my son.”
Everything in me stills, my heart beating uncontrollably in my chest. “Bullshit.” I don’t believe him.
“It’s the truth, ask your mother. She had an affair with one of my friends and got pregnant. Like I said, women will spread their legs for anyone,” he sneers.
“I don’t blame her. You’ve messed around on her your entire marriage,” I argue.
He shrugs. “It’s my job to provide for the family, and with that comes stress. Those women were nothing more than relief, and your mother knew that.”
“You’re an asshole.”
He huffs. “I even got you tested after finding out about Rome because I couldn’t believe you were my son. Unfortunately, you are.” Why am I still surprised at the venomous words he says toward me?
“I’d give anything to not be,” I say.
“You ungrateful asshole. Everything I have done for you,” he sneers.
“What? You have done nothing for me,” I argue back.
“I gave you the fucking world.”
“I would rather be poor than a Conti.”
His face turns red with anger. “That can be easily arranged.”
“I called Elek on the way over here and pulled out of the deal, formally,” I tell him.
“You fucking did what?” he screams as he launches himself at me. “You piece of shit,” he curses as his fists land on me.
And I let them.
I take every single blow he delivers to me. My penance for being a Conti. When this is all over, I’m never looking back. I don’t care if I never set foot back into Conti headquarters ever again. I’m done being this man’s literal punching bag.
“Fight back, why are you not fighting back?”
“You’re not worth it,” I spit at him.
He backs off and wobbles on his feet as he glares at me. “You ungrateful piece of shit. I’m going to make you pay for this insolence. God is cruel that he took the only son I loved from me.”
“Your wish is my command. After today, you are dead to me, too.” And with that, I walk out the door, wiping my bloody face.
“Oh my god, what happened?” my mother shrieks as she walks in and sees us.
“Your son just fucked us that’s what’s happened.”
I flip my father off and leave.
I drive back to my home in a blur, waiting for the devastation to hit me, but it never comes. In its place is relief. Like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I don’t know what this means for me or the company, but I’ll work it out.