Chapter 26
Kalani Pov~
After seeing my mother run out of the room after my father, my brain finally caught up with everything that had just happened. I looked away from the door and took in the scene around me.
Everyone was frozen. My siblings. My cousins. Even the adults. Everyone had the same expression. It was a varying mix of emotions, shock, some in fear but a lot of confusion. And honestly... I understood why.
If that was the man my father had been fighting all this time, then I finally understood why he was always gone. Why he carried so much responsibility. Why he looked exhausted even when he tried to hide it.
Aldo wasn't just dangerous. He was evil. And the worst part? He stood there so confidently saying those things like he truly believed them. No one should ever call my father a monster. Because compared to Aldo...my father was nothing like him.
I felt a hand squeeze mine, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked down and realized I was gripping Damien's hand so tightly my fingers were probably turning white.
"Sorry," I whispered, immediately loosening my grip. Damien shook his head. "You're fine."
Even though he was only a year older than me, Damien had always been one of the people who noticed things others missed. He was tall like my father, while Kaia and I got more of our mother's height.
Right now, though, he didn't look like the confident, joking brother I knew. He looked worried and that scared me more. Because Damien didn't scare easily. My mind kept replaying Aldo's words over and over again.
Bastard children.
Disgrace.
They will never be accepted.
I had never thought about being half Russian as something negative before. Never. I was proud of who I was. I loved my family. I loved both sides of myself. But now... a small voice in the back of my mind started wondering.
What if there were things I didn't understand? What if there was more to this than I knew? Maybe I shouldn't feel this way. Maybe Aldo was right. Maybe we were different.
"We need to wait for your father and mother to come back," Ano V said gently, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Callie and Cata.
The little ones looked terrified. Who could blame them? They were too young to understand everything that was happening, but they were old enough to feel the fear in the room.
I nodded and forced myself to breathe. One breath in. One breath out. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on my twin. Kaia. She was holding onto Ales like she was a lifeline, her arms wrapped tightly around her.
When our eyes met, I saw everything she was trying to hide. Fear, confusion, panic. My twin and I come off as rebellious and fearless teenage girls. And for the most part we care. But for once...that fearless girl was on the back burner.
And however my twin was feeling right now, I felt the exact same way.
Marcio Pov~
I held Bella tightly in my arms while my dad held Lia, trying to calm her down, and Mom wrapped Dean in a protective embrace. Even though Dean didn't look as shaken as the others, I could tell he was more upset about what happened than afraid.
My mind kept replaying the same thought over and over.
I told AJ to talk to Dad. And he didn't.
I should have paid more attention. I should have pushed harder. I should have realized something was coming. But I ignored it. And now look where it got us.
Aldo walked into our family's safe place, like he owned it. Like he had every right to be there. And the worst part? He could have hurt us. Any of us.
The fact that he knew where we were before we even realized he was coming terrified me more than I wanted to admit.
My blood boiled as I replayed every word he said, every insult he threw at my family. He stood there looking at us like we were nothing. Like we were beneath him.
Like he had some kind of power over us. He doesn't. He can't. He has no right, no authority, over the Basilio family. And I swear, if he thinks he can walk into our lives and break us apart...he has no idea who he's dealing with.
Ales Pov~
My father came back into the room with an unwavering expression on his face.
My mother stood beside him with the same determination.
I didn't know what happened outside, and honestly, I didn't want to imagine it.
But seeing them standing there so strong, so certain, gave me a little bit of that same confidence.
Mom immediately walked over to Michel and Dantae, pulling them into her embrace while my aunts did the same with their own children. The room was slowly starting to breathe again, but the heaviness was still there.
Tonight's events had my mind flashing back to my conversation with Dad before we left New York.
He warned me.
He told me not everyone would accept us because of our Russian blood. He told me that eventually the world would remind us of the blood running through our veins. And he needed me there when that moment came.
When the metaphorical shit hit the fan. This was that moment.
I watched as Dad walked over to Gabriel, who was quietly speaking with Uncle Gio and Matteo. Kaia had already left my embrace and was now standing near Aunt Mili, asking her something I couldn't hear.
"I am sorry this had to happen, brother.
" Gabriel said, his expression filled with sadness.
Dad shook his head, giving him a reassuring smile while placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It was good to see you, Gabriel. Even if it ended so severely.
" Gabriel smiled slightly and patted Dad's shoulder. "Pleasure as always."
Their exchange was short, but I could tell there was a history there. A friendship that went deeper than just knowing each other. Gabriel wasn't just an old friend. He was someone important to my father.
"We have to leave. Please round up the family." Dad instructed his two trusted men, my uncles. They nodded before going to gather everyone, but not before saying their goodbyes to Gabriel.
I helped AJ and the adults get everyone organized and into the SUVs. The younger kids were still shaken, rightfully so. They had just witnessed someone walk into what was supposed to be a safe place and attack the people they loved.
Dad and Mom were the last ones to leave the restaurant, getting into the SUV filled with the kids.
Soon, we were pulling away. One SUV following behind the other as the lights outside blurred together through the window. I could feel the questions building inside everyone's heads.
Especially the younger ones. Actually seeing Aldo in person made me more afraid of him. I hated admitting that. He wasn't physically intimidating. He wasn't some giant monster who looked impossible to defeat.
But his power wasn't in his size. It was in his confidence. His connections. The way he walked into a room full of people who could destroy him and still believed he had the upper hand.
My father and uncles would never bow down to anyone. If they felt threatened, they would fight back without hesitation. Sometimes I hated that part of them. Sometimes I wished they didn't always have to choose violence.
But tonight? Tonight I was grateful they were exactly who they were. Because they were ruthless when they needed to be. They protected their family at any cost.
And right now, that was what mattered. This was one of those moments where I understood why being part of the Mafia wasn't only about power. It was about loyalty.
Family. Knowing that no matter what happened, someone would always stand beside you.
AJ had been quiet the entire ride. Too quiet. His face was set in a hard expression as he stared out the window. I knew him well enough to know he was replaying everything that happened, trying to figure out how to explain it to the younger kids.
Surprisingly, Raf was the same. He drove silently, his expression unreadable. I sighed and leaned back against the seat, playing with my fingers as I mentally prepared myself for what was coming.
Because eventually, the questions would start and this time...there would be no avoiding the truth.
Gianna Pov~
As we all stumbled inside, Adriano's large hand never left mine. I held onto him like he was my lifeline because, honestly, I think we both needed the reassurance that the other was there.
We all knew where to gather. The living room.
Every family member slowly made their way inside until the entire room was filled. I still had no idea what to expect from the kids. How do you explain something like this to children without making them feel like they are different? Without making them feel unwanted?
Because that was the one thing I refused to let happen. They would never feel like a mistake. They would never feel like they were less than.
Everyone settled onto the couches around the large living room. Matteo and Yana stood near the front, slightly off to the side. Gio and Leena stood beside them. Mili sat amongst the kids, trying to give them as much comfort as she could.
I looked up at Adriano. His eyes met mine, and even after everything that happened, I could still see the love there. The reassurance. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before giving me a small wink.
His confidence seeped into me. If he was ready...then so was I. I took a deep breath and waited for him to speak first.
Adriano looked down for a moment, probably gathering his thoughts, before lifting his head and looking at every single child in the room.
"I'm sorry you guys had to see that earlier." His voice was softer than usual. "I know you all have questions, and we are going to answer them. Every single one."
I stepped forward slightly. "We want to hear your thoughts about what happened." The room went quiet. Some of them looked around at each other. Some looked angry. Especially the older ones.
Others just looked scared...confused...lost.
"Mom..." Michel's small voice broke through the silence.
"Are we really different?"
My heart squeezed. I sighed softly and nodded. "Yes, baby boy." I looked at Adriano, and he gave me a small nod.