Nico's past

Nico's past
Nico
"Are you going to drown your sorrows in the drink now?"
The voice broke my trance. I didn't need to look up to know it was Dante. He walked in with that casual swagger of his, closing the heavy oak door behind him. He looked too cheerful for my mood.
I gave him a sharp look. "What do you want, Dante? Why are you here?" I took a sip, the burn welcome in my throat. "The meeting ended hours ago, didn't it?"
Dante didn't leave. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat opposite me, leaning forward. "Your wife is at home and pregnant, Nico. She is waiting for you. What gives you the itch to be this broody man again? I thought we left the dark days behind."
I sighed, setting the glass down heavily on the table. "I met Grace’s father today."
Dante paused. His expression shifted from teasing to serious in a heartbeat. He muttered, "Oh. No wonder you needed a drink. So, what’s happening? Is the old man causing trouble?"
"He is arranging Gabrielle’s marriage," I said, the words tasting bitter.
Dante let out a breath that sounded like relief. "Thank God. honestly, that is the best news I have heard all week."
I glared at him. He didn't understand. "It is against her own wishes, Dante. She texts me constantly. She says that if I let this marriage happen, she will die. She says she cannot survive it."
Dante rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "She is a selfish bitch, Nico. Let me tell you, Gabrielle loves herself the most. She is not going to do anything drastic. She is just trying to hook her claws back into you." He pointed a finger at me. "Just relax and focus on your own life. You have Serena."
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. "The question is not whether she will die or survive, Dante. The question is why Gabrielle is in this place at all."
I looked down at my hands. "It was I who liked her first. It was I who followed her when her father made it clear that she was forbidden, that she would never make a good Donna. He knew the life we lead. He knew the moment I married her, I would have to give up the Donship."
"And she knew it too," Dante reminded me.
"She did," I admitted. "She did not want her husband to run this dirty business. That was the reason we broke up. I know she had hopes that we would come back together, that I would leave this dirty world for her. But I could not. I wouldn't."
The silence stretched between us.
"Then the breakup stretched for a few years," I continued quietly. "And she simply left my heart. But now... she feels it is unfair. She sees me changing for Serena. She sees me trying to be better for my wife, but when Gabrielle asked for the same thing years ago, I could not give her that. I don't know what to fucking answer her. I am a hypocrite, just like she said."
Dante shook his head, looking disappointed in me. "She has you manipulated well, doesn't she? All her words made sense to you because you’re feeling guilty."
He leaned in closer, his voice hard. "But what did she do to Serena, Nico? Have you forgotten? She joined hands with Josh. She cheated Serena and tried to separate the two of you by lying and scheming. She is not as noble as she is trying to portray herself now. She played dirty."
He stood up and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Look, cousin, I want you to get your shit together. Put a smile on your face, forget anything related to Gabrielle, and return home to your pregnant wife."
The mention of Serena shifted something in my chest.
I suddenly smiled, a genuine one this time. "I heard the heartbeat of my child for the first time yesterday."
Dante’s face softened. "Kids change you, don't they? They make you sound... human." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I used to feel... I used to wonder why our parents did not feel the same for us. I think they never really wanted us. The children. They only wanted heirs to extend the family name. They never loved us."
"Our kids will never face the same," I vowed, my voice firm. "I will never be my father."
"Amen to that," Dante said.
I took a deep breath. There was one more thing. "I met Alicia."
Dante’s head whipped toward me so fast I thought his neck would crack. His eyes went wide. "Where?"
Before I could answer, my phone rang. It buzzed loudly against the wooden desk. I glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number, requesting a video call.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Who could it be?
Is it Serena? Is she okay? Did something happen with the baby?
I immediately picked up the call, panic rising in my throat.
"Ser—"
"Uncle!"
A sweet, high-pitched voice chirped through the speaker.
I froze. On the screen was a little girl with bright eyes and a familiar face. My niece. Ava.
"Hi..." I said, my voice trailing off. I felt a little awkward. I am the Don, the man everyone fears, yet I am awkward in front of my niece. But she is so much like Alicia, my estranged sister, that she makes me nervous.
Ava grinned, showing small teeth. "Uncle, tomorrow, I am hosting a tea party! You shall come on time. Bring Serena as well."
Dante whipped his head to my side, leaning over my shoulder to look at the phone.
"Who is this little cutie?" Dante asked, grinning.
"Hi! I am Ava," she said chirply, not scared of him at all.
"Hi, little Ava. You are Alicia's spawn... I mean, child," Dante corrected himself quickly. "You are inviting your uncle to a tea party? That is very serious business. Do you want a little friend to join? His name is Criston. He is my son, very handsome and available—"
I glared at him, shoving his face away from the screen. "If you couldn't snatch my daughter, you are trying to snatch my niece now?"
Dante laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "Hey, what is wrong with my son? He’s a catch!"
"Shut up," I snapped, though there was no real heat in it. "None of my girls are going to marry into your line. I did not want you to marry Alicia back then, and I haven't changed my mind. Now your stinky son can neither touch my daughter nor my niece."
"Stinky? He smells like expensive baby powder!" Dante argued. "Saddie said it costs almost 1000 dollars! Even my underwear does not cost as much as his baby powder."
Ava giggled.
Dante said, "Look at my cute daughter-in-law!"
Suddenly, a sharp, booming voice came from the background of the video call, cutting through our bickering.
"What the fuck is happening here?"