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I couldn't contain the excitement and joy bubbling within me.
"I'm so happy, Emilio," I gushed, unable to hide my exuberance. "I've been waiting for this for so long, for us."
His eyes sparkled with delight at my words, and for a moment, it seemed like nothing could dampen this newfound happiness. He pulled me closer, wrapping me in a warm embrace. I could feel his heartbeat, steady and reassuring, against my chest.
"You've made me the happiest I've ever been," he murmured, his voice filled with a tenderness that made my heart flutter.
"When Enzo told me about how you were considering cutting all ties with the mafia, you had no idea how relieved I was. I thought about our child growing up in a safer, more normal life.”
As I spoke those words, my excitement still buzzing in the air, Emilio's expression changed. It wasn't the reaction I had expected. Instead of the happiness and relief I thought I'd see, his face seemed to cloud over with a sudden heaviness. It was as if my words had unexpectedly unearthed a hidden burden.
I paused, my voice trailing off as concern etched across my features. Did I say something wrong? I replayed my words in my mind, trying to pinpoint what could have caused the change.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concern etching my voice. "I thought you'd be happy about this."
He seemed to hesitate, annoyance flickering in his eyes. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. My worry only deepened as the seconds ticked by.
"Just say it, Emilio," I urged, my heart thudding in my chest.
With another sigh, he confessed, "I am the new leader of the Fiore family."
The words hit me like a sledgehammer to my chest, sending shockwaves of disbelief through my entire body. I sat up abruptly, the bedsheets falling around my waist.
"What?" I exclaimed, unable to mask the astonishment in my voice. "How... how did this happen? I thought you were leaving the mafia. You were strictly opposed to sharing any part of that life, and now you’re becoming the leader?"
Emilio closed his eyes.
"I didn't expect this either,” he admitted. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but it was pushed to the back of my mind when you told me about our child."
My confusion only deepened.
"But what about your brother?" I asked, recalling the conversations we'd had about the family hierarchy. "Wasn't he supposed to be the next don? What changed?"
He sighed again, pinching the space between his eyebrows, clearly frustrated.
Emilio took a deep breath, trying to navigate through the complexities of his family's affairs. His frustration was evident, an underlying tension that had likely been building for a long time. He began recounting the events surrounding his father's will reading.
He explained, his words tinged with bitterness. "He divided his properties among us, but I got the majority, more than Carlo and Uncle Luigi."
I sat there, baffled by this revelation. It was common knowledge that Emilio's relationship with his father had been strained, if not outright tumultuous. The idea of him receiving the lion's share of the family estate seemed like a joke.
"But why?" I asked, my confusion growing. "Why would he give you the majority when it's clear he had issues with you?"
Emilio's smile was tinged with sarcasm. "Exactly my thoughts. I didn't need the money, and I planned on transferring the properties to Carlo and Uncle Luigi. After all, I aimed to sever all ties with the family, but the lawyer went on to announce the next leader of the mafia, and instead of Carlo, he named me as the new Don."
I was utterly stunned. "But why?"
I couldn't fathom why Emilio, despite the strained relationship with his father, would be chosen as the successor. It wasn't that I doubted his abilities—after all, he had proven his competence as the CEO of a prominent car company.
It was more of the fact that his father never treated him well, so why would he bypass the oldest and favored son to choose Emilio as the Don?
Emilio nodded, his expression mirroring my astonishment. "Exactly. Given how I was treated, especially by him, this was the last thing I expected."
I leaned towards him, my curiosity pressing. "And what about Carlo and your uncle?" I asked. "How did they take the news?"
A sardonic smile played on his lips. "How do you think? They didn't exactly give me a round of applause."
I felt a twinge of shame for questioning him like a suspect instead of seeing things from his perspective. "It's not your fault, Emilio. You had no idea this would happen."
