Chapter 44
Lorenzo stepped into the Severino mansion after his two days off, he had expected a change or something after the attack but everything looked normal and everyone was going about their business as though nothing had happened and this infuriated him, he felt offended and annoyed, he felt insignificant for some reason and that was a feeling he disliked a whole lot.
He went to his position with the anger brewing deep inside of him, nothing was going his way, Andrea was still with Emil, Anna was making him mad and acting like she was going to run away from him the second she had the chance and worse, his attack did nothing to the Severinos.
“Pucinni” Walter, another bodyguard called out.
Lorenzo turned around to look at him, he was not in the mood for chit chat right now but he did not exactly have a choice, his persona in the Severino mansion was that of a lively easy going young man and he had kept it up so far, he could not exactly stop now.
“Hey Walter, how’s it going?” Lorenzo said with a perfect smile on his handsome face.
“Man, you are so lucky you had the last two days off, things have been crazy over here, you know with the attack and all” Walter said.
Walter was a big man, tall and hulking, he looked like he could crush a man’s skull with his bare hands but Lorenzo knew better, the man was just like a huge cuddly bear, he was not even a fan of violence and only took part in it because he got paid for it.
“I heard all about it but I had to stay with my mother, you know she is sick and all” Lorenzo said with a sad smile.
Walter’s smile faded and he said “Poor Mama, bless her”
Lorenzo smiled and said “Amen, Amen”
“So do you have any guesses as to who might be responsible for the attack, an attack like that takes guts and power, honestly there aren’t many families who would dare pull such an attack on the Severinos” Walter said.
Lorenzo smiled, he could not wait to hear all the conspiracy theories everyone was coming up with and he was certain which family was on the top of the list of suspects.
“I am not really sure, it could be anyone really” Lorenzo replied.
Walter made a face “It can’t just be anyone, in my opinion there is only family capable of pulling a stunt like this one and it is definitely the Ferrari family” he said.
Lorenzo had to fight back the urge to laugh out loud, it turned out his plan was not a complete failure after all.
“The Ferraris? I highly doubt that, they signed a peace treaty remember, they have no reason to break it so soon” Lorenzo said.
Walter shook his massive head and said “You never know with these powerful families, their minds work in the most twisted of ways, they might have been responsible, Don Emil even visited yesterday, he spent hours with the boss before he left, no one knows the details of their meeting but I am certain it had something to do with the attack’
Lorenzo smiled, things were looking great all of a sudden, if Dante Severino was also suspecting Emil Ferrari, then this was a perfect opportunity for him, it was going to be easy to pit both families against each other, they already had a history and it will not take much to make them remember their lifelong enmity.
He casually shrugged his shoulders and said ‘I don’t really like to involve myself in these family politics, it is really none of my business, I just need to worry about my paycheck at the end of the month, I have my mother to worry about after all”
Walter scowled his face and gave Lorenzo a light shove ‘You are really one boring bastard but for some reason, I still like you” he said with a light laugh.
Lorenzo chuckled lightly and said “Well I guess just have that effect on people”
Walter laughed again and was about to say something when they were interrupted.
“Puccini” a voice called from behind them.
Lorenzo turned to look and to his surprise, it was Armand, Armand was the head of security in Severino house and Lorenzo could not remember a time when they ever spoke.
“Yes Sir?” he said as he walked up to him.
The man looked at him, Lorenzo could feel the man scrutinizing him with each second that passed.
“You are Lorenzo Puccini?” he asked.
Lorenzo why the hell Armand was asking who he was, whatever the reason, he was not sure he was going to like it.
“Yes, I am Sir” he said.
Armand gave him a scrutinizing look before he said “Come with me” and walked off.
Lorenzo turned back to look at Walter, hoping to get some sort clue from him but judging by the look on his face, he had no idea what was going on as well.
Lorenzo took a breath and followed after Armand who was already walking in the direction of the main house, he followed him quietly till they got the door that led to Dante’s study.
Many thoughts were going through his mind now, it was next to impossible that his cover had been blown, no one knew he was and so it was not possible for him to be discovered.
And then all of a sudden it hit him, Emil Ferrari, it had always been a possibility that he could recognize him but he had not believed that he could ever work with the Severinos, their treaty was just in name and everyone knew it, it was only a matter of time before it blew up in everyone’s faces.
“Don Severino will like to see you, I am not sure why he wants to see a nobody like you but you better make sure to behave yourself” Armand said, his face hard and his eyes very serious.
Anger suddenly bubbled deep within Lorenzo, he did not appreciate being spoken to in that manner, especially not by someone who would be licking his boots if he knew who he really was, they were all the same really, following the one with the most power and always looking to eat whatever scraps they could find.
But instead of reacting like he wanted to do, he simply nodded said “Yes sir”
Armand nodded and said “Go in, he is waiting for you”
Lorenzo forced a smiled before turning to open the door and go in.
He could not remember a time when he and Dante Severino had spoken before, he had watched him from afar, the bastard responsible for the death of his family, every single time, it had been hell, seeing him living his life, his family were alive and well and he had all the power he could ever dream of while he had been forced to live in the shadows and forever remember the pain of losing his parents, he felt his blood boil in his veins as he thought about the hatred he felt for Dante Severino.
He walked into the room and closed the door behind him, Dante Severino was standing the opened windows staring ahead, his looked deep in thought and Lorenzo thought of how easy it was to simply toss him out the window, the drop was significantly high so it was likely he might just die.
But instead of carrying out his murderous thoughts, he cleared his throat and said “You asked to see me Don Severino”
Dante finally turned around to look at him, his deep set eyes staring straight at Lorenzo, he had many thoughts on his mind when he saw him, there was some resemblance to his parents, he had never noticed the boy before, this was definitely his first time seeing him and he found himself awash with a flurry of emotions all at once, Dante Severino had never been a man that handled emotions well, he had always been stoic and he had preferred it that way but when faced with this boy, he was not sure how to react.
There was guilt, there was shame and there was also anger.
Guilt that he had been the reason the boy was now an orphan, shame that he had run away from his responsibility his parents had been killed on his orders and finally anger that he dared to go up against him.
“You look a lot like your father” Dante said.
Lorenzo’s eyes widened at once, it was over, he had been found out, he had expected it but still, he was surprised that it was actually possible.
“So, you have finally realized that you had an enemy under your roof at last” he said with a smile on his face but as usual, there was nothing warm about it.
Dante realized this was even more difficult than he had initially, there was something unsettling about the boy and he felt it was not something to be easily ignored.
“Lorenzo, I did not ask to speak with you because I intend to sugarcoat my words, I know what you have done and you know what I have done, so let us talk this out and settle it like men” Dante Severino said, his hands folded behind him as he watched Lorenzo.
Lorenzo could not help the chuckle that escaped his lips “Are you trying to negotiate with me?” he asked.
“Call it what you will boy but this my way of letting you get out of this alive, if I wanted you dead since last night, I could have done it but I do not want that, I believe we can find away out of this” Dante said.
Lorenzo was not sure why he was finding the entire thing comical, was Dante Severino really trying to threaten him?
“Your threats don’t scare me, I have nothing to lose and I am sure you know this already so what makes you think I will be scared of your threats” Lorenzo said, his eyes were starting to look wild and the anger was coursing through his veins.
Dante had always been a perceptive man, he realized quickly that this was a man standing dangerously close to the edge and the issue had to be handled delicately.
His voice and face softened, this was something that he had done before in his life, Dante took a deep breath and said “I am sorry Lorenzo, I am asking for your forgiveness, I have wronged you and I am aware of it so accept my apology if you can”
Lorenzo paused, he had not expected this at all, this was a remarkable turn of events, things had changed greatly and he was not certain how he felt about the change
“I will need time to think about this, I can’t just accept this” Lorenzo said, his voice was low and controlled.
Dante nodded and said “I understand but don’t take too long, I hope to hear from you soon”
Lorenzo nodded slowly before turning around and walking out of the room, he said nothing to Armand as he passed by, his mind was filled with thoughts.
Meanwhile Dante Severino weighed his chances and he highly doubted that he had gotten through to the boy, he was going to keep his eyes on him no matter what.