My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 127

Giovanni, present time...

Ellie’s emerald green eyes widened in shock as she stared at me. Her lips parted and a soft gasp escaped them. "How did you escape?" she whispered, barely audible.

"I didn’t," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "They let me go after a week. I was disoriented and had no idea how to find my way back home, but somehow I managed it." A shudder ran through my body as I recalled the experience.

"And then what happened?" Ellie asked, her eyes filled with concern.

I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice as I answered, "When I got home, I found an even bigger surprise waiting for me."

A look of realization crossed Ellie’s face. "Your mother..." she started, unable to finish her sentence.

"Committed suicide," I finished for her, the words heavy on my tongue. "Didn’t even get to say goodbye to her."

Ellie reached out and took my hand, her touch offering a sense of comfort amidst the storm of memories crashing through me. "I’m so sorry, Giovanni," she said softly.

I clenched my jaw, the anger simmering just beneath the surface as I continued, "It was nothing I couldn’t handle."

"You were only sixteen," she reminded me.

I pulled her to my chest and stroked her hair. "You’ve endured much worse than I did and survived. What I’ve been through is nothing compared to your bravery."

Ellie lifted her head from my chest, her eyes meeting mine. "You don’t have to compare, Giovanni. We’ve both faced our own battles," she said, her voice determined. "But we made it through."

I nodded. "No one will hurt you anymore, mia cara."

She absentmindedly toyed with my chest hair. "And if they do?"

"I will rip them apart with my bare hands," I said coolly.

"Giovanni," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

I raised my eyebrows, intrigued by her question. "Of course, what do you want to know?"

"Why me? Why do you like me? Is it simply because you think I’m pretty? Or is it because you want to be a father and adopting my kids was...easy?" she asked.

I looked into Ellie’s beautiful green eyes, my heart swelling with emotion I didn’t know I could feel. "I like...no, I love you because of who you are, not what you look like. And I want to be with you because I see a depth to your soul that I can’t resist. You’re strong, resilient, and full of love. That’s why I chose you. Not because it was easy, but because it’s right."

Ellie’s expression softened, and she smiled at me. "You don’t actually love me. You are just saying that, right?"

"No." My tone was firm. What will it take to convince this woman how much I love her? I’d been smitten with her since day one, and she was questioning me whether I was just saying that.

"I do love you, Ellie," I said, my voice filled with sincerity. "Every moment, every breath, every beat of my heart is for you."

Ellie blushed and rested her head on my chest.

"Did you ever find out who kidnapped you that day?" Ellie asked.

My chest constricted. That was the part I wanted to avoid telling her, but for some reason, I found it difficult to lie to Ellie. "Yes," I said hoarsely.

"Who was it?" she breathed.

"My father," I confessed, my voice heavy with the weight of betrayal. "He orchestrated the whole thing, wanting to toughen me up, make me more like him. He thought it was a lesson, but all it did was drive a wedge between us that can never be mended."

Ellie’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Your own father?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

I nodded grimly, the memories flooding back with a vengeance. "He wanted me to become a part of his underworld empire, follow in his footsteps. And I did that. I gained power, strength, skills, everything he wanted me to gain, and lost everything at the same time."

Tears glistened in Ellie’s eyes as she reached out to touch my face gently. "I’m so sorry, Giovanni. That’s...that’s unforgivable."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "That’s the thing, Ellie. I don’t forgive him. And I never will for killing my mother."

Ellie’s eyes met mine, and we shared a moment of understanding. I could see the pain in her gaze, the scars left by her own father, and I knew that what we had in common was deeper than just our difficult pasts.

"I guess we both got shitty fathers, eh?" I said in a teasing tone, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Probably the only thing we have in common," she retorted with a small smile.

I chuckled, but then my expression turned serious again. "I have something for you."

Ellie got up and leaned against the headboard. "I don’t need anything else."

I simply smiled and got up. I walked over to my closet and came out holding my present for her.

I handed the box to Ellie, who looked at me with curiosity dancing in her eyes. She untied the ribbon and carefully opened the box.

Inside was a hand-knitted cashmere sweater, its soft red fabric that complemented Ellie’s eyes perfectly. She gasped softly, her fingers brushing over the knit with wonder.

"It’s beautiful," she whispered, her voice filled with awe.

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at her reaction. It wasn’t just a gift. I’ve been meaning to give that to you. It’s going to be winter soon, so I thought it would be useful.

Ellie held the sweater up to her chest, and a smile bloomed on her face, lighting up the room.

"Thank you, Giovanni," she said, her voice soft. "Did Nonna make this?" she asked.

I blinked. "Nonna?"

"Yes, I saw her knitting before. Did she make this?" she asked.

"Ah...yes. Anyway, let’s get some sleep now," I said.

Nodding in agreement, she folded the sweater lovingly and set it aside before turning back to me.

I put my arms around Ellie, pulling her close to me. We lay in bed together in silence, and eventually, we both drifted into sleep.

~-~

The next day, I woke up before Ellie did and went to see Nonna in her room.

I squinted my eyes as I saw her sitting up in bed, reading a book, looking fresher than ever.

Strange...I thought she was dying...

Nonna looked up from her book, a sly twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, Giovanni, you know how it is. Old age plays tricks on the mind and body. One day I’m on death’s door, the next I’m running marathons." She chuckled softly, but there was a mischievous glint in her gaze.

I raised an eyebrow, sensing that Nonna was up to something. "Running marathons, you say? I must have missed that on the news."

She patted the empty spot on the bed beside her, gesturing for me to sit. With a shrug, I obliged, curious about what game she was playing this time.

"You faked it, didn’t you?" I said coyly.

"Faked what?" she asked.

"Don’t look so shocked. You know what I am talking about. You acted like you were dying so Ellie would agree to marry me." I smirked.

She feigned innocence. "Oh, dear. I’d never do that."

"Sure, you won’t. But hey, you won’t catch me complaining," I said.

She stroked my hair. "You really love her, don’t you, nipote?"

"Si. I do. And I won’t let her go, no matter what," I said determinedly.

"Bene. I like her. She is a good woman," she said.

"Anyway, I didn’t just come here to accuse you of lying. I wanted to ask you for a favor," I said in a low and conspiratory tone.

"What is it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"If Ellie thanks you for knitting her a sweater, could you just...err...play along?" I asked, scratching my neck uncomfortably.

Nonna’s eyes widened with curiosity, and then she burst into laughter. "Hiding your secret talent, Giovanni?"

"Nonna, please..."

Nonna’s laughter subsided into a warm, knowing smile. "Oh, Giovanni. Alright, I’ll play along. But remember, you owe me one."

"Deal," I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Grazie, Nonna. You always know how to help me out."

Nonna patted my hand affectionately. "Anything for my favorite grandson."

I chuckled. "I’m your only grandson."

"All the more reason to take care of you," she replied with a wink.

We shared a moment of quiet understanding before I stood up to leave. "I need to take care of some business. Remember what we discussed."

"Yes, yes. I will keep your secret," she said. "As long as you don’t tell Ellie I am not actually dying."

I sighed and left the room.