Chapter 25
Ales Pov~
The moment I looked down at the food on my plate, my stomach growled loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Dean chuckled beside me and reached over to poke my stomach. I swatted his hand away with a playful glare. "Don't laugh at me," I mumbled before immediately stuffing a forkful of the cheesy goodness into my mouth.
"Someone's starving," Dean teased.
"I almost got kidnapped yesterday," I replied around another bite. "I'm allowed to be hungry." He held up his hands in surrender, laughing.
Across the table, Raf and Kaia were whispering back and forth, trying and failing not to laugh every few seconds. I had no idea what they were talking about, but judging by the mischievous looks on their faces, it was probably something ridiculous.
Aunt Yana and Aunt Leena had completely cornered Aunt Mili, who looked like she wanted to disappear under the table. They were definitely teasing her about Uncle Niccoli. I smiled to myself. Now that everyone knew, they really did make an adorable couple.
Thinking back, it was actually kind of obvious.
Every time Uncle Niccoli came to visit, they'd somehow end up standing next to each other or sneaking little conversations whenever they thought no one was paying attention. They'd never made it obvious enough for anyone else to notice...
Well, apparently not obvious enough for most people. Dad had known the whole time. That thought made me smile even wider.
After everything we'd been through over the past few weeks, kidnappings, betrayals, council drama, and enough family chaos to last a lifetime, it finally felt like things were beginning to settle.
Gianna Pov~
I smiled adoringly at my husband as he told us the story of how he and Gabriel, the owner of La Pergola, had first met.
Gabriel used to be Ano V's neighbor, so whenever Adriano came to Italy as a child, the two boys would spend nearly every day together. Their friendship had grown quickly, eventually becoming a brotherhood that lasted into adulthood.
Gabriel's father had owned the restaurant before him, but after falling ill, Gabriel took over. Ever since then, Adriano and the rest of the family had come here almost every week whenever they were in Italy.
They had been so close...
Yet not once had Adriano ever mentioned Gabriel to me. I knew my husband rarely spoke about his childhood, but Gabriel was clearly one of the happy parts of it. So why had he never brought him up? I'll have to ask him later.
Adriano took his first bite of food, and a genuine, heartwarming smile spread across his face. One I hadn't seen in a long time.
"Just like I remember," he murmured, glancing down at me. I smiled before leaning up to press a soft kiss against his lips, tasting the herbs and spices lingering there.
"Mmm..." I laughed quietly. "It is good." His eyes sparkled with amusement as I lowered my gaze to my own plate and took my first bite. The moment it touched my tongue, I nearly groaned. It was incredible.
"Ancora non delude, fratello." (Still doesn't disappoint, brother.) Matteo said, looking at Adriano with an appreciative smile before digging back into his meal.
Just then, Gabriel sauntered into the dining room with the same easygoing grin he'd been wearing since we arrived. He rested a hand on Adriano's shoulder. "So," he asked cheerfully, "how's everything out here?"
There was something effortlessly likable about Gabriel.
He wasn't as physically imposing as Adriano or Matteo, but he still had a lean, athletic build.
His dark brown hair framed warm honey-colored eyes that seemed to glow whenever he smiled.
Everything about him felt relaxed and carefree, the kind of person who could make an entire room feel lighter just by walking into it.
I could see why Adriano had become friends with him so quickly all those years ago.
"So good I could kiss you right now, Gabriel," Yana joked. Matteo slowly turned toward his wife. She immediately pointed a finger at him. "I said could, not that I would."
To prove her point, she leaned over and planted a kiss on Matteo's cheek. Gabriel laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "She's perfect for you, Matteo." Moments like this reminded me how normal our family could be... despite everything.
"Mom," Marcio groaned from across the table. "Please don't go around telling people you could kiss them."
The table erupted into quiet laughter. Yana stuck her tongue out at her son before waving him off. "Eat your food."
"Gabriel, è tutto perfetto. Tuo padre sarebbe molto orgoglioso di te." (Gabriel, everything is perfect. Your father would be very proud of you.) Ano V said sincerely, though I caught the hint of sadness in her voice.
Gabriel's bright honey-colored eyes softened at the mention of his father. He lowered his head slightly. "Thank you, Ano Vincenza," he replied quietly.
Adriano reached over and clasped Gabriel's forearm. The two men didn't say a word. They didn't have to. The look Adriano gave him said everything, that he wished Gabriel's father were still alive to see the man his son had become.
Gabriel looked away first, his gaze drifting toward our children as they laughed among themselves. "You did good, Adriano," he said softly. His eyes swept over our family before settling back on my husband.
"I'm happy to see you... and your beautiful family." Something about the way he said it made me realize Gabriel wasn't just another old friend. He was important. Important enough that I couldn't understand why Adriano had never spoken about him.
Before I could ask the question forming in my mind, the front door of the restaurant swung open.
All heads turned toward the entrance.
A lean man with silver hair walked confidently into the restaurant like he owned the place. His posture was calm, almost arrogant, like he wasn't stepping into a room full of people who wanted him dead.
Then realization hit me. Aldo. The atmosphere changed instantly. The warmth and laughter from moments ago disappeared, replaced by a heavy silence that seemed to suffocate the entire room.
Adriano was on his feet within seconds, stepping in front of the table and putting himself between Aldo and our family. Matteo and Giovanni immediately followed, standing beside him like a wall.
"What are you doing here?" Adriano gritted out, his voice dangerously calm.
I looked toward the children.
Leo, Damien, and Ales had moved closer to the younger ones, silently keeping them behind them. Yana and Leena were with them, their eyes alert and focused. AJ, Raf, and Marcio stood farther back, watching carefully, ready to move if their fathers needed them.
No one panicked. No one screamed. They knew exactly who stood in front of them. Aldo chuckled as he stepped farther into the restaurant, but not close enough to put himself within reach.
Smart.
I glanced through the windows and noticed several men waiting outside. He may have walked in alone, but he wasn't foolish enough to come without protection.
"Adriano," Aldo said with a smug smile. "You should know by now that I can find you anywhere. Don't act so surprised to see me, son."
Adriano's jaw tightened immediately. "Don't call me son." The anger radiating from him was almost physical. "I suggest you explain yourself for interrupting my family's dinner before things get very unpleasant."
Aldo only smiled wider. "No need for explanations. I assume your eldest hasn't spoken to you yet, considering you don't seem to understand why I'm here."
My stomach dropped slightly. So this was about AJ.
Aldo continued, his voice filled with false confidence. "I don't appreciate you tormenting my men and taking my allies. You are on my territory, Adriano. Not yours. Don't forget that."
He tilted his head. "I'm allowing you to stay alive while you are here. Don't push that privilege." His eyes narrowed. "This warning only comes once."
My blood boiled. The audacity of this man. He walked into our family's dinner, threatened my husband, and acted like he had power over us.
Adriano's hands curled into fists at his sides. I could see the restraint in him. The fight between the man he was and the father standing in front of his children.
Matteo and Giovanni were no different. Their anger was barely contained. Even Gabriel, who had been confused moments before, seemed to understand that something was deeply wrong.
Adriano moved. Only a few steps.
But everyone felt it.
Within seconds, he was standing directly in front of Aldo, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous. "Enjoy that power while you can." His eyes hardened. "Because I'm coming to take it from you."
For the first time, Aldo's confidence faltered. Only for a second. Then he laughed. A sharp, ugly sound that echoed through the restaurant. "Who?" he mocked. "You?" His eyes traveled around the room. "And your bastard children?"
My heart stopped. The room went completely still. Aldo looked at our children with disgust. "You sleep with the enemy and create a family built on weakness."
My hands tightened into fists.
"You bring them here, into this life, and expect them to be accepted?" His voice grew louder, more hateful. "Your children are nothing. They will never be anything in this Mafia because of the blood running through their veins." He pointed a finger directly at Adriano. "And that is your fault."
The silence afterward was deafening. I watched Adriano. The man who had faced enemies without blinking. The man who had stared death in the face countless times.
For a brief moment, I saw something different. It wasn't fear but pain. Because Aldo wasn't just insulting him. He was insulting the people Adriano would burn the world down to protect. "Leave." Adriano's roar shook the room. "Now."
Aldo stared at him for a moment before his expression returned to its smug mask. "Happily." And just like that, he turned and walked away. No fight. No struggle. Almost like he had accomplished exactly what he wanted.
Adriano remained standing near the door long after it closed behind him.