I gave a small smile to Zavi before the door to the dining hall opened. I don't think I've ever been in this part of the mansion, it was the dining for the family and…I stopped thinking, I don't wanna feel uninvited, after all, I'm not the only one, Irene is just like me and she isn't even scared.
Don Lucien and her daughter were sitting, waiting as we walked in. Zavi's twin, whose name I didn't know, was sitting at the right hand of her father. She's always trying to look cool in those sunglasses and I wonder why she had to wear that to dinner.
His father had a smile on his face, a fake one. But I think it was part of him, for the time I've observed him, he'd always had a smile which you would mistake to be warm, but others see him so deadly, you'd better be careful around him.
Zavi was no different, he stared daggers at his father, his hand tightened around my waist as he led me carefully to the seat beside him, making himself and me far from the others.
He took the upper chair on the right side of the dinning, showing he was still in charge. I saw his gun on his lap and looked away.
Fancy-looking meals were already set out, it looked like meat and veggies. We were graced with Italian dinner meals.
"I'm glad you and Ms Campbell have decided to join us."
How the fuck did he know my last name?.
Zavi didn't say a word, instead, he ate quietly. I was hungry but I lost my appetite when I walked through that door.
"I didn't introduce myself earlier," This man continued, I think he's out to ruin me tonight, "I'm Lucien Romano, the father of your boyfriend." I picked up my spoon as he continued, "And don't bother telling me yours, I know who you are. I already know because you looked like your mother." I stopped looking and looked up.
"You know my mother?." I asked him.
He shook his head, from the corner of my eyes, I saw how tense Zavi became after my mother was brought up.
"You look just like Eliza." Lucien continued, I dropped my spoon.
"What do you know about my mother?."
He smiled and began eating, "Many things, I know a lot about her."
I clamped my hands together as I got interested, "You must have known that I was your best friend's daughter."
He scoffed.
"Of course. You're Damien's favorite child because you came through ra:e."
Irene gasped.
"You see, Damien is a manwhore who gets everything he wanted, all of his children came through ra:e, but he loved your mother, your mother wasn't going to give in to him and he ra:ed her after her wedding with Douglas, that was how you came. We don't give a fuck about love, the business we run prospered because we had nothing to do with love, you see, I have my children with me, I have no wife. We use women to make offsprings that will continue our legacy."
I was stunned. This man was worse than I thought.
"Stop here, father. Don't prolong this conversation." Zavi cautioned, seething in anger.
But man, he continued…"I know many things, child. I also know how your mother died."
Everywhere became silent.
"Yeah. I know she was killed by half-brother." I said, trying to shun him from bringing up the conversation.
His daughter chuckled, taking a glass of wine to her lips. "She got the wrong one, dad."
Zavi snarled, "Shut the fuck up, Andrea."
Andrea grinned and dropped her glass.
What is she talking about? This was the first time I heard her name.
Lucien looked at his daughter, "Let that be, I think I shouldn't be the one to tell her though."
And his eyes landed on me, "I don't think you know what I meant by saying we use women to make heirs to the legacy. We don't fuck for love, not romance or any mistake you both could have done, we fuck so we can have kids who will run our business while we are no longer alive. That is how we run our businesses."
He was trying to say that loving his son was a mistake.
"I like Zavi because he was strong, I was proud of him, he makes a good leader too, he's cold and he kills like me. His brother Evan came before him, he was a mommy's boy, I didn't want him because of his soft heart that made him a fool. But when Zavi came, I vowed not to get him close to his mother. He became him because I trained him and now everything's about to go down because of you. I didn't want him to make the same mistakes again, the girl he wanted to die for, I removed her, I saw how he suffered when I did, I don't want to see him suffering again, so I'm asking nicely, I want you gone. I want you to sever ties with him before it is too late."
I got scared, my heart began beating faster than it should, no…he didn't just say that.
"You have no right…." Zavi began, "You have no right to detect my life, you have no fucking right to tell her to go."
"I brought her, I own her, we love each other…and we don't give a fuck of what you think."
"Shut up, Zavi." The man growled.
Zavi hit his hand on the table, and a loud bang echoed around.
I shut my eyes.
"You forget father, I own the mafia now, how dare you disrespect me in my house?."
His father brushed his words with a laugh.
"You act like you love her but does she know you killed her mother?."
I opened my eyes quickly.
The words left as they came.
"What…what are you talking about?."
Andrea grinned, "Ask your boyfriend."
My eyes began to flare up in anger.
"I didn't ask you, bitch." I told her angrily and looked at his father.
"Lucien, I know you've seen women as the demeaned reproductive system, you think we're some weak humans you can use and then get away because you have power and money, if I may ask, what is that wretched bitch doing beside you? is she no different from us?."
This time, the gasp came from Alec.
"What?." Andrea began.
"Shut up, I'm not finished, I'm talking to your father…. I gave you respect because you're Zavi's father, if your son isn't going to defend those venom you brought out of your mouth, I will. You're a stupid man to think life revolves all about money and power. You don't know what you're missing, now I see why Mrs. Romano left you, it's obviously because of this mentality, it's because you're a greedy, selfish man who doesn't want the happiness of others, not even your family. You look down on women, yet you have a daughter, aren't you ashamed of yourself?."
I looked at Andrea.
"You think acting cool is everything a woman needs, do you have sense?."
Irene chuckled.
"I'm so pissed that you two ruined my evening."
I got up and walked away.
***
Zavi Coville.
My mouth widened after she finished that and walked away. I looked at my father, his face was burning up in anger, hell I didn't think my dad would ever forgive me.
"You see that…" I pointed at the way she left, proud of Nora. "That was a fucking woman. I know not even a man has ever challenged you, father. I feel so fucking ashamed knowing I came from you.." I shuddered, "Eww..you disgust me, both of you."
I stood up and left.