My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 109

Ellie

Giovanni’s dark gaze drilled into me with an accusatory intensity. "You have the codes," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

I couldn’t tell whether he was angry or not, as his face remained stoic and unreadable. But I didn’t want him to misinterpret my actions. It wasn’t that I was intentionally keeping the codes from him! My heart raced as I tried to find the right words to explain myself, the tension between us palpable.

"I...I can explain," I said hesitantly.

Giovanni leaned back against the headboard, his eyes never leaving mine. "Then explain."

"I found it yesterday. I was telling Lucas a story and he was fiddling with my necklace..."

"Necklace?" Giovanni stopped me.

"Yeah. This necklace," I said, holding up the pendant to show him. "Slava gave this to me a while back."

"I see. Continue," he said.

"Well, while Lucas was playing with it, something snapped. A switch of some sort and a small compartment opened in the pendant. There was a small piece of paper rolled inside it. With some number written in it," I said, releasing a sigh of relief as I finally told him.

Giovanni’s eyes narrowed as he processed my explanation. He reached out a hand, signaling for me to hand over the pendant. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how he would react, but finally placed it in his outstretched palm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Silence settled between us like a heavy fog, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on me as he unrolled the tiny piece of paper. His expression shifted as he read the numbers inscribed on it. Without a word, he stood up and walked to the window, his back to me.

I held my breath, waiting for him to speak, my heart pounding in my chest. "Well?"

"This is it," he said. "These are the codes I was looking for." His lips curled into a small smile.

"What are they?" I asked.

"I can’t believe it. That bastard Slava is smarter than I thought," Giovanni said, ignoring my question.

"What are they for?" I asked again.

Giovanni turned to face me, his eyes now holding a glint of both satisfaction and surprise. "These codes," he began slowly, "are the key to Slava’s hidden accounts. They hold the locations of his stashed wealth and sensitive information, which he didn’t want falling into the wrong hands."

My mind raced with the implications of his words. "So, these codes are worth a fortune?"

He nodded.

"So you killed him for his money?" I asked, unable to hide my disgust. "Didn’t you have enough of your own?"

I stood frozen as I waited for his answer. Giovanni’s gaze bore into mine, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"Is that what you think of me, Ellie?" Giovanni’s voice was low and dangerous, a stark contrast to the smile that had adorned his lips moments ago. He got out of the bed and walked toward me.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding uncomfortably loud in my ears. I held Elora close to my chest, finding solace in her warmth. "I... I don’t know what to think anymore," I admitted, feeling the weight of my own doubt pressing down on me.

Giovanni’s eyes softened slightly, a flicker of something vulnerable passing through them before he masked it with his usual stoicism. "It’s not about the money, Ellie," he said firmly. "It’s about power. Slava held secrets that would’ve brought down everything I’d built. I sent my men there to retrieve the codes so I could protect myself. Things went sideways and he got killed."

I chewed on my lower lip uncomfortably. I couldn’t blame him for his actions. Him and Slava were both in the Mafia and were rivals. I learned how to deal with this lifestyle and sometimes things turned out this way.

"I understand," I finally managed to whisper, the weight of his gaze almost suffocating me. "I...I am not angry at you for killing him."

Giovanni’s expression softened for a fleeting moment, revealing a vulnerability that seemed out of place on his usually composed face. In that brief instant, I caught a glimpse of the man behind the mask he wore so effortlessly.

"Good," he said quietly. "I wouldn’t want you to resent me."

"So...now that you have the codes, does it mean you don’t need me anymore?" I asked.

Giovanni’s lips curled into a small smile. "What do you think?"

After Giovanni’s question, I could feel a knot forming in my stomach. The air between us crackled with tension, like a storm waiting to break loose. I struggled to read his expression, the subtle shift in his features leaving me unnerved.

"I think..." I hesitated, unsure of what to say next. The weight of his gaze bore down on me, urging me to speak.

"I think you’ll always find an excuse to keep me around," I finally replied.

Giovanni chuckled. "I am glad you figured that out, mia cara. You can’t get rid of me. And don’t forget whose name is written on your daughter’s birth certificate." He winked.

I rolled my eyes. "I am going to check on Lucas. He should be awake by now."

I put Elora in her crib and made my way to Lucas’s room, my mind still reeling from the conversation with Giovanni. As I approached his door, I could hear the soft murmur of his voice. Pushing the door open, I found Lucas sitting on his bed.

"Good morning, sweetie," I chirped.

"Mommy! Will Uncle Gio take us to the park again today?" Lucas asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

I smiled at Lucas, feeling a mix of relief and worry at his enthusiasm. "We’ll see, honey," I said gently, ruffling his hair. "Let’s get you dressed and then some breakfast, okay?"

Lucas nodded eagerly, hopping off his bed and running to his dresser. As I helped him pick out his clothes, I couldn’t help but think about Giovanni’s words. Despite everything, he was right. Giovanni had intertwined himself into our lives so deeply that cutting him out wasn’t an option anymore.

Once Lucas was dressed, we headed to the dining room. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted us, and I saw Giovanni already there, a mug in his hand and a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked up as we entered, his gaze softening when he saw us.

"Morning, Lucas," he greeted warmly.

"Morning, Uncle Gio!" Lucas replied, running over to give Giovanni a hug.

I stared at them dumbfounded. Since when did they get so close?

As if reading my thoughts, Giovanni grinned at me smugly. "At least someone likes me, eh?"

"Hmph!" I scoffed and sat down at the table, trying hard not to smile.