Chapter 17
Angelo’s POV
I looked at the red and gold invitation card that just arrived in the mail, the maids had brought it to me the moment it arrived, it was an invitation to a renaissance themed party the Ferrari family was throwing to welcome Andrea to their family, the interesting part of the party was that every one was expected to dress up in renaissance themed dresses and the whole Severino family had been invited.
I smiled as I thought about how much Andrea was going to enjoy this party, it was things like this that interested her and I was glad they were throwing the party in her honor.
“Sir, the Don is looking for you, he said to come to his office” A guard said to me.
“Okay, inform him that I will be there soon” I said as I folded up the invitation, I wondered if my father will be interested in attending, the invitation was for all of us after all but I highly doubted it.
“Yes Sir” the guard said and walked out.
The walk to my father’s study was just a few minutes long so I was knocking in front of his study door five minutes after the guard had left.
“Come in” came my father’s gruff voice from inside the room.
With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in.
My father was behind his heavy mahogany desk with a bunch of papers and files on the table he was currently peering into one of the files.
“You asked to see me father” I said.
He raised his eyes from the paper and gestured for me to have a seat.
I took the seat in front of him and waited for him to conclude his business with the papers.
Luckily, it did not take long before he picked up his fountain pen and scribbled something on the paper and then kept it aside, I sat there watching him patiently.
Thinking back to my childhood, when I had been a very young boy, I remembered my father in this exact position, writing on papers and flipping through files, my father had never had time to come to school plays or speech and prize ceremonies, I always believed my father was just a busy business man with no time for his family because he was too busy making money until one night when I was 13 years old, I and my brother had been woken up in the middle of the night and taken to the back of the house, the part that had always been off limits to us.
We were led there by my father’s guards, we found father there along with a bunch of other men I could not recognize but that had not been the scariest part, it had been the two men kneeling down on the floor with blood streaming down their faces, sometimes I still saw of those men in my sleep.
Father had asked us to keep our eyes on the men on the floor and we did, one minute they were kneeling and looking at us and the next minute, the sound of gunshots filled the air and then shortly after, I heard screams of pain and I watched the men fall to the floor one after the other.
A metallic smell immediately filled the air, the smell of blood, I recognized it from the time my horse had broken his leg and had to be put down.
Fear immediately enveloped my entire body and my heart had been pounding in my chest loudly.
I looked away and my father commanded me to open my eyes and look at the men on the floor.
He walked over and knelt before my brother and I "You are Severino men, you are destined to be powerful men and every betrayal must be paid with blood, do you understand me?" He said.
I was extremely confused and did not understand what he was saying but the fear made me simply nod my head.
My father gave us each a hard look before he said "You can go back to bed now"
My brother and I scurried off with tears in our eyes.
I have never forgotten that night.
"I wanted to speak to you about something important" my father's gruff voice pulled me out of my thoughts, I blinked my eyes rapidly and said "Yes father, what is it?"
My father gave me a look that told me he did not appreciate the fact that I was zoning out when he was speaking to me but he just cleared his throat and continued.
"I wanted to talk to you about the succession as the leader of the family" he said.
My whole attention returned to the room and my father immediately "What do you mean succession?" I asked.
From my knowledge, there could only be a new Don after the present one passed away or it was taken by force.
"I mean it is time for you to assume the position of Don Severino of the Severino family" my father said.
I am sure my father could see the confusion on my face because he said "You do not need to look so confused Angelo, I am simply retiring"
"I never knew you could retire from the position of a Don" I said.
A small chuckle escaped my father's lips "A don can do anything he chooses and I choose to retire now" he said.
I wasn't sure which was even more surprising, the fact my father had just laughed or the fact that he was deciding to suddenly retire from his position as Don Severino.
The only word that came to my mind was "Why?" I said to him.
My father shrugged his shoulders casually and said "You could say my work is done for now, I am tired and I will very much like to get some rest"
I was surprised and confused at the same time, these were not words I ever thought I will hear from my father.
Taking a deep breath I said "And you think leaving the family under my care and supervision is the best option?"
"Whether it is best option or not, you are destined to lead no matter what, you are starting a little earlier than planned" he said.
"And what will you do if you are not Don Severino, it's all I have ever known you to be" I said.
A smile that could only be described as sad appeared on my father's face "It is a shame on me as a father that you as my son thinks that, it's means I have never been a father to you but I have been a Don and nothing more" he said.
I wasn't sure the best reply to say to that so I simply lowered my head and kept quiet.
My father laughed again "You do not need to feel bad, it is the truth and I know it, I have failed all of my children and that is a shame on me" he said.
My father was beginning to speak in a manner I have heard form him before and I was not sure if I should be scared or not.
"Are you feeling quite okay father?" I asked because I was genuinely concerned.
"I am feeling very okay my dear Angelo, you do not need to worry about me" my father said.
I was still stunned and not sure what to say, I just kept staring at my father like I had somehow walked into parallel universe.
"You will receive training on what I can teach you about being Don Severino and then when I think you have learnt everything you need to learn, I will let you handle everything" my father said.
Not sure of what to say, I simply nodded my head.
"You can leave now Angelo" my father said.
I stood up like someone in a trance and said "Thank you father"
My father gave me a curt nod and then returned to his papers.
I stepped outside the door feeling like something out of the ordinary had happened.
I thought about wonders and how they never ceized.