My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 71

Aidan

"Secluded," Ivy murmured. "You bought a fortress as a house."

That’s what Ivy called our new house in the country. I knew she wasn’t happy about moving away from the city and so away from her parents, but I couldn’t risk her living near my enemies. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Sure, things were much quieter ever since I captured Raphael, but I couldn’t sit back and relax when I knew some of Raphael’s men were still alive. They were fiercely loyal to Raphael and would most likely attack Ivy just to avenge him.

So I did what I had to do.

But Ivy wasn’t happy.

I wanted to make her happy, but I needed to take her far away from the city. Especially now that she was six months pregnant.

She was glowing, her belly round and protruding with new life. But I couldn’t let her stay in the city any longer, not with the constant danger lurking around every corner. And now, with her six-month pregnant belly, she needed to be kept safe more than ever before.

"I worked really hard in this company. I am used to working and now..." Ivy started, but I grabbed her chin and lifted her head to meet my gaze.

"You’re worth more than just your company. You can do more than just work," I said.

"But I loved my life as the CEO," she argued. "What else would I do other than work?"

"You are still the CEO," I said firmly. "You are just taking a little break, that’s all."

"Alright," Ivy conceded. "I will wait for the things to settle down. Hopefully, my company won’t burn down by the time I am done with this break."

"The man you hired to take your place is more than capable. What’s his name again?" I squinted.

Ivy sighed. "Jonathan Baxter."

"Right. Let him do all the work," I said dismissively. I pulled her close. My embrace a fortress of its own.

I knew she loved her career, but for now, her safety and baby’s safety were more important.

"Everything’s changing," Ivy whispered.

"Change isn’t always bad, Ivy," I murmured. "Come on, I want to show you something."

I led Ivy’s hand, our fingers intertwined, through the spacious new house filled with modern furniture and neutral colors. We walked past a large living room with big windows, letting in soft sunlight, into a hallway lined with three bedrooms.

I pushed open a door to reveal a room that made her gasp. The soft blue walls were adorned with pictures of baby animals and clouds, creating an ethereal atmosphere. Sitting on the bed was a crib. It was massive yet charming.

"This is..." She couldn’t find words.

"A baby room," I finished her sentence, pulling her closer to my side. "I want you both to feel at home here."

Slowly but surely, her eyes roamed around the room: a rocking chair next to the window, stuffed animals lining one wall like a cozy forest, bookshelves stacked high with stories ready for bedtime reading sessions, and colorful paintings on the others.

"This is... beautiful!" she breathed out, her nose scrunching up. She inhaled deeply when a whiff of lavender diffused into the air from a little potpourri ball on the nightstand. "You did all this by yourself?"

"I had the help of the World Wide Web." I joked.

Ivy’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she took in the nursery. "I never imagined you’d do something like this," she said softly, her voice filled with awe. "It’s perfect."

I smiled, feeling a sense of relief. I wanted her to see that this place could be a home, a safe haven for our family. "I know how much you miss the city, Ivy. But here, you’ll have peace of mind, and we can start fresh. It’s a new Chapter."

She turned to me, her expression softened by the sight of the nursery. "I know you did this for us, and I appreciate it. It’s just hard to let go of everything so suddenly."

I nodded, understanding her struggle. "I get it. But think of this as a temporary retreat. Just until things settle down. Then, we can decide what to do next."

Ivy sighed and looked back at the room, a small smile playing on her lips. "I suppose I can handle a break for a while. Especially if it means keeping our baby safe."

I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. "That’s all I want, Ivy. For you and our child to be safe and happy."

She leaned into me, her head resting on my shoulder. "Maybe you will consider quitting the Mafia one day?"

I froze. Quitting it all? I hadn’t thought about that. I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t. Adapting to this life wasn’t exactly easy for me, and getting out of it was nearly impossible.

Luckily, Ivy didn’t push for the answer and moved on to take a closer look at the crib.

I watched her as she moved towards the crib, running her fingers along the polished wood. Her expression was a mix of awe and uncertainty, a reflection of her feelings about our new life. I wanted to reassure her, to promise her a future free from the shadows of my past, but I couldn’t make that promise. Not yet.

"This is beautiful," she said again, her voice steadier this time. "I never imagined you’d do something like this."

"I would do anything for you," I said seriously.

She turned to look at me, her eyes shimmering with the faintest vestiges of tears. "Even change?" she asked.

"Even change," I echoed. But as I said it, I felt a pang in my chest. It was easy to promise such a thing, but living up to that promise was another story.

But Ivy...she was my story now. She and this unborn child were my future, my possible redemption. I had dragged her into my dangerous world without considering the consequences and now here we were, far from the city, from her world, trying to make an entirely new one.

"You painted the walls blue," she said, suddenly changing the subject. "You peeked, didn’t you?" she asked.

I blinked at her, feigning innocence. "Peeked at what?"

"The ultrasound, Aidan," she said, crossing her arms over her round belly and smiling at me. "You found out the baby’s gender, didn’t you?"

I knew better than to lie to Ivy. She wanted it to be a surprise, but I couldn’t resist the urge to ask the doctor. "Alright, maybe I did," I admitted sheepishly.

Her brow furrowed slightly, and she walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "It’s a boy, isn’t it?"

I nodded, feeling my throat tighten as I looked into her eyes. "Yeah, it’s a boy."

She let out a surprised gasp before pulling back, tears brimming in her eyes. Watching her get emotional brought an odd sort of peace inside me. Our child was becoming real for her in ways it hadn’t been.

"So," Ivy murmured against my lips as we pulled away from each other. "Do we have a name for him yet?"

I shrugged, shifting uncomfortably at the question. Baby names weren’t exactly my forte. "Not yet," I said truthfully. "I was hoping we could decide together."

Her eyes sparkled at that, crinkling at the corners as she beamed. "Well then, Mr. Mafia Boss," she teased, her fingers tracing patterns on the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. "I have a few ideas."

"Do you?" I leaned in closer, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her snugly against me.

"I do," she replied with a slight nod, her lips curved in a mischievous smile.

A surge of excitement coursed through me at her words—her playful tone. This felt normal, like something any regular couple would do—choosing a name for their child while standing in the middle of a nursery they decorated together.

"Let’s hear them," I said, meeting her twinkling gaze with a genuine smile.

She started listing names that she had thought of, each one sparking an image of our future son in my mind. As I listened to her talk, I realized that it was possible for me to change—for us to change.

Suddenly, reality seemed more manageable. It wasn’t about leaving the Mafia or returning to the city right now; it was about this moment here with Ivy—our baby on the way—the love that bound us all together.

As she continued naming potential names and explaining the meaning behind each one, I felt a strange sense of tranquility wash over me. This life—this new Chapter—was not as terrifying as I had initially thought. It was different...but it was ours.

"Maxwell," Ivy finally said after what felt like an hour. "I’ve always loved that name."

Maxwell... I rolled the sound around in my mouth, tasting every consonant and vowel. The name held weight, like a promise of something great.

"Maxwell," I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. Images of teaching a little boy how to tie his shoelaces, throwing him up in the air while laughter echoed around us, and running after him in this big house filled my mind.

"He would be Max for short," she added.

"Max," I said again, feeling the word settle comfortably inside me. Looking into Ivy’s eyes, I knew that was it—we had our name.

Our son.

Our future.

Our Maxwell.