Chapter 58 They loved the gifts she sent
The question caught Karen off guard, and before she could fully recover, another one followed. “Don’t forget our deal,” Giovanni reminded her.
Karen felt a lump in her throat as she processed his words. She had heard stories about mafia families, and meeting Giovanni had been the opposite of what she expected. However, his question left her puzzled.
Was he really asking her to insist on divorcing his son, or was he testing her? “You seem quiet. Is he with you?” Giovanni's question brought Karen back to reality.
“No, he's not here. I'm just surprised. He's your son, so why do you want me to still divorce him?” Roger had put in so much to make it up to her that she felt conflicted.
“Because I raised him to be better. I won't always be there for his younger siblings, and they will be his responsibility. Speaking of younger ones, I'm not just referring to Delanie and Declan but also Hector and Hendrix. If he learns the hard way, he will be able to guide them better in matters of love.”
Karen breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared that Giovanni didn't love his son as much as she thought, but it was quite the opposite. He cared deeply for Roger and wanted him to be the best version of himself.
“What if I have already failed?” Karen asked hesitantly, but Giovanni's tone remained calm. “I'll understand. But have you signed those documents yet? Stay firm in your decision.”
She couldn't believe Giovanni was encouraging her to proceed with her previous plans. Despite her fear of disappointing him once again, she decided to be honest.
“He showed me the document, but I couldn't bring myself to sign it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it represents his hard work, and I only made those demands to push him away from me. But he didn't give up.” Karen felt vulnerable, a feeling she thought she had overcome long ago.
“You never stopped loving him, did you?” Giovanni's question was patient, allowing Karen to open up in a way she never had before.
Her father-in-law seemed more like a father and best friend to her. “I tried, but the time was too short to move on from him.” She was starting to get over him when he re-appeared, sweeping her off her feet.
If only she had at least six months apart from Roger, then things might have been different.
“So you couldn't wait just a few days? What spell did he cast on you?” Giovanni's tone was light, eliciting a chuckle from Karen. The garden was the main game changer, as she imagined how much time Roger had invested into it.
That showed that his yearning for her didn’t stem from seeing her again. He had regretted it long ago, and began to make it up, even when he couldn’t find her and that mattered a lot.
“I haven't told him yet. I'm still observing and will come to see you after my exams next weekend.”
“That will be nice. Delanie will be excited. She hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
Karen was glad she had a family she could call hers. It felt like a dream come true. “Thanks, Dad, but can I ask a question?”
“Anything, princess,” he replied profoundly. Karen was touched. “You said you aren’t going to be there for Roger’s siblings. Are you going somewhere?”
“I thought you wouldn’t ask, but the thing is, Molly and I, we sacrificed everything for Roger. Our time, sleepless nights, you mention them.
It was the price we paid to keep RD Group afloat, and now that he’s proved himself capable, I’ll be putting him in charge of the Dawson’s Group, whereas his uncle Hank is also planning on putting his company under him. Roger would decide when to hand over to his younger ones.”
Karen feared slightly, asking, “if you are going to grill him with all these responsibilities, then how will he have time for me?”
Giovanni laughed out loud for the first time since she met him. “Honestly, princess, I don’t know, but I also don’t care. Molly and her best friend, Nora, Hank’s wife, have decided on a year-long vacation, and we the men are in. If you are so concerned about Roger, then you should help him.
The best I can do is to wait until you finish with your exams.”
All she wanted was a simple life with the bodyguard she fell in love with, but now, she was caught up in this battle for wealth and power. When was it going to end?
“I’ll think about it, but that brings me to why I called. Did you by any chance receive gifts from someone named Mavis?”
“Oh, you mean the one who sent the special handmade gifts? I had Roger’s gift dispatched this morning, and Molly loved the handmade bracelet. Delanie took the handmade necklace with the matching bag, and Declan took the socks, while I took the tie. Do you know how we could reach her?”
Karen released a breath she didn’t know she was hiding. They loved the gifts she sent. “I sent them, but Wade checked them in for me, and since he knew me as Mavis, he used that name.”
Giovanni chuckled. “I knew it was you, or we wouldn’t have taken it. I saw your chats with Wade, but don’t get it twisted. I monitored it for your protection.”
Karen wasn’t upset but rather happy to have someone looking out for her. “Thanks, Dad, I love you so much. Please tell Mom I love her too, and Delanie and Declan.”
“We all love you, princess, and whether or not you end up with Roger, we always will. I’ll pass your message to the rest of the family and see you over the weekend as promised.
Roger would love what you sent him. Thanks, princess," he said and hung up. Karen took a deep breath.
She loved this family so much, she wouldn't trade it for anything.
Arriving at RD Towers, Karen felt like her dream of being atop one of those skyscrapers was finally about to materialize, but reaching the reception, her excitement died when she saw who was there.
"Who do we have here? Karen Fletcher?"