Chapter 1 #3
"Damien," Gianna warned, noticing her son holding a piece of corn in his hand. "Don't you dare throw that at your brother."
Damien froze, looking between her and A.J. Slowly, he lowered the corn back onto his plate with a sigh before lightly shoving his brother beside him.
A.J. immediately looked annoyed, but he knew better than to start something at the dinner table.
Gianna shook her head, hiding her smile. Her eyes moved toward Adriano, who was sitting beside her.
He was listening intently to Kalani, one of their beautiful twins, as she explained her latest problem. Apparently, her teacher had been giving her a difficult time. The moment Adriano heard that his daughter wasn't happy, his entire demeanor changed.
The coldness he carried outside these walls disappeared. All that remained was a father who hated seeing his little girl upset.
"Tell me exactly what happened," Adriano said, his voice calm but protective.
Kalani continued explaining, and Gianna couldn't help but smile. Everyone knew it, Kalani and Kaia were complete daddy's girls. Always had been. Always would be.
"I will have a word with this teacher," Adriano decided, his expression serious.
Then he turned toward the other twin. "Does this teacher not like you either, Kaia?"
Kaia shrugged. "No. I think he just needs to get laid."
The entire table went silent. Adriano, Gianna, Matteo, and Giovanni all nearly choked on their food.
"Kaia Fiore Basilio," Gianna said slowly, placing her fork down. The look she gave her daughter was enough to make most people fear for their lives.
"Ooo..." Dantae whispered with a grin. "She used her full name."
"Shut up," Kaia immediately replied.
Dantae's eyes widened. "Mommy, she told me to shut up."
Gianna looked at Kaia. "Yes, I heard her. Kaia, do not tell your brother to shut up."
Kaia immediately put on her most innocent expression. "What? A.J. is the one who said Mr. Fielder needed to get laid!"
The entire table turned toward A.J. Gianna slowly looked at her oldest son. Beside her, Adriano let out a quiet chuckle. One look from Gianna, however, and the laugh immediately disappeared.
A.J. cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. Then he shrugged, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I mean... it's the truth."
Smack.
Gianna reached over and smacked the back of his head.
"Ow." A.J. rubbed the spot, muttering, "Sorry, Ma."
"Wait a minute..." Antonio suddenly said, looking across the table. "Are we talking about Mr. Fielder?" His eyes widened. "Ales... did you tell them what happened?"
Alessandra shot him an annoyed glare. "No. But thank you for bringing it up, idiot."
"Alessandra," Gianna warned. "Don't call your cousin an idiot."
The lighthearted mood around the table vanished. Adriano slowly set his fork down. "What happened with Mr. Fielder?" His voice was calm. Too calm.
Alessandra immediately felt the weight of not only her father's stare but also her two uncles Matteo and Giovanni.
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "He wanted me to stay after school for tutoring," she said, forcing a small smile. "I told him no, and then I left."
Silence. Adriano didn't say a word, he simply continued looking at her. He knew his daughter and knew when she was lying. His eyes slowly shifted toward Antonio. "You."
Giovanni nodded toward his son Antonio. "Talk."
Antonio winced, sending Alessandra an apologetic look. "Sorry, Ales." She sighed, already knowing he wasn't getting out of this.
Antonio looked back at the adults.
"Mr. Fielder got really angry after she turned him down. He grabbed her by the arm..." He paused before continuing. "...before he could do anything else, I punched him in the face, grabbed Ales, and we left the building."
The dining room fell completely silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward Alessandra.
Adriano's jaw tightened. "Why didn't you tell us?" His voice was low and controlled. Which somehow made it even more terrifying.
Alessandra let out a frustrated sigh. "Because I didn't want you to kill the man." No one answered. That silence alone was enough to tell her she hadn't exactly reassured anyone.
"Uncle Adri wouldn't do that," Lia said innocently, frowning at Alessandra. Several people at the table suddenly became very interested in their food.
Gianna slowly looked at Adriano, then at Matteo and Giovanni. She didn't have to say a word. The look she gave them said everything.
Not in front of the children.
Adriano caught her eye and gave the smallest nod.
Then he looked back at Lia and winked. "Thank you, sweetheart." Lia beamed.
Gianna couldn't help but shake her head. Lia adored her Uncle Adri. She had inherited Yana's quick mouth and fearless attitude, but when it came to Adriano, she could do no wrong in his eyes.
Across the table, Matteo leaned back in his chair with an innocent expression. "So..." he said casually, reaching for another dinner roll. "Who's ready for dessert?"
Giovanni snorted into his drink.
The children quickly started talking again, the conversation shifting to other things. But the three brothers exchanged a single look.
Mr. Fielder had just made the biggest mistake of his life.