His Promise: The Mafia's Babies

Chapter 148

Chapter 148

“W-what?” I stuttered and looked at Dario in surprise. I had a feeling it would be easy, but not this easy.and it almost made me feel bad. He really thought I had the right intentions.

“I told you to ask me anything. You brought me here and it obviously means a lot-so I owe it to you.”Dario explained. It was almost as if I was preparing myself for an interview because I had a list long ofquestions to ask him.

I knew this would be the only opportunity, so I could not screw this up. “Let’s see.” I smiled. “I’m themost curious about your mom.”

“My mom?” Dario repeated. “I told you this a long time ago, but she passed away.”

I stared down at Dario’s clenched fist and wondered what could have made him this angry. “She was illand passed away.”

“I’m so sorry.” I apologized. Even though I was trying to get more information out of him, it was not myintention to torture him. “What was she like?” I asked. Cesca compared me to that woman, so I wasextremely curious.

“Different.” Dario chuckled. “She was confident, outspoken, didn’t bow down to anyone—she wasamazing.

“I see.” I smiled. She was everything the Lamberti’s didn’t like, which was funny because somehowthose words also described Cesca, minus the amazing. “Mauro must’ve loved her a lot, right? Hemust’ve had such a difficult time.”

Dario shrugged his shoulders and was looking for ways to end the conversation. That was right. Hecouldn’t use Mauro this time. I did not know who that man was, but it was definitely not his dad. “You

and your dad seem to be getting along well. That’s all that matters, right?”

“Right.” Dario spoke. “There was a time where he abandoned my mom and me, so we weren’t thatclose in the past. He explained. “But now he’s trying, and he promised to make up for his mistakes bygiving me what I deserve.”

The Lamberti business.

“What you deserve?” I played along. Dario had a lot to say, and he probably had no one to talk toowhich made it easier to get more information out of him. “I used to hate him. He had a big family, andhe was so rich, but for some reason, he didn’t want my mom or me. He divorced her before I wasborn.”

“My mom told me that his family was extremely controlling and that they were the ones at fault, but Iused to think otherwise.” Dario sighed. “He contacted me years after, and my mom brought me to hisbirthday party, but I was not part of the family. I never was.”

Dario just kept going and going, and the best would be not to stop him.

“He told me to keep my identity a secret. I saw all of my cousins-I even saw the little brothers I didn’teven know I had, but they didn’t even know about me.” He spoke full of anger. “All the kids knew eachother, so they all played among themselves and shut me out.”

His words pained me because I went through the exact same thing. It probably wasn’t intentional, but itwas very easy to hurt a child’s feelings. “There was this one kid.” Dario continued.

“All the children followed him, he was like a leader, and I used to look up to him. I approached him and

told him I wanted to be his best friend, but he turned me away.” Dario ranted. “He told me he alreadyhad best friends, and his brothers and his friends humiliated me.”

“I could see that he didn’t agree to it, but he just stood there and watched while they bullied me, threwme around, and made fun of me. He didn’t do anything, but he was a bystander.” Dario explained. “Hewanted 10 stand up for me. I could see it in his eyes-but he thought power was more important, so hedidn’t.”

It wasn’t that difficult to put two and two together, and I figured it might’ve been about Christian. Itdefinitely sounded like him. I could also confirm that Gio, Enzo and perhaps Isobel had all been bulliesat one point.

“What happened then?” I asked. “This other kids who was his best friend and my…brother stoppedthem. He was more than a leader than the other kid could ever be, and I never forgot about hiskindness.”

My mind traveled to Christian’s past and the stories he told me about Vince. It suddenly made sensewhy Dario had no issue visiting or praying for him. It was because he was grateful, and the reason whyI used to compare him to Vince was because Dario wanted to be a good person like him. “Whathappened after that?”

“The stuck-up kid’s dad showed up and pulled me away. He gave me words of encouragement and toldme not to let anyone walk over me, not even his son.”

“I later learned that the man was my uncle and that kid was my cousin. He and his brothers were sostuck up. but he didn’t have the right to be-my grandpa turned on my dad and gave everything he hadto that very uncle.” Dario fumed. The story was getting more interesting by the second, and I gained alot of information.

“I came home crying that night, and my mom cried with me. She told me that it was all her fault, andshe could never forgive herself. She could’ve fought against her illness, but she could not fight against

her sadness. My dad and my mom loved each other, but he chose his family instead.” Dario explained.“After I lost my mom, I wanted to live with my dad-but he told me I couldn’t.”

“He told me I had to wait until I was older so I could rightfully claim what was mine, and then…hedisappeared.” Dario shared. I figured that was around the time he supposedly died.

“Years later, he showed up again and told me that he had to clear his mind for what his family did tohim,” Dario spoke, and I did not know why, but I was starting to feel sorry for him. This was notsupposed to go this way. “I guess he felt ashamed.” I sighed, hoping to get more information out ofDario.

“No, he told me there was this incident and that he saved his brother, but right after that, my grandpagave out an order to retreat while my dad, his own son-was still in danger.”

That sounded like Franco.

“He told me that it was time for him to fulfill his promise, and that’s how we became the Orlando’s.”Dario ended his story. “It was the surname of my maternal grandmother.”

“That’s a nice story.” I played along. “It seems like you and Mauro went through a lot.”

“We did.” Dario nodded. I was hoping for him to come with a stupid explanation so I could hate him, butI couldn’t. I felt incredibly guilty towards Christian, but I could understand Dario’s feelings. I used tohave those exact feelings towards Carmen. Carmen was stuck up and rude while all I could think aboutwas how she did not have the right to be, because she didn’t even belong there.

Dario must’ve felt so alone and hopeless after his dad supposedly died and became attached to himafter returning. I couldn’t blame Dario because I stuck with the Alfonzo’s, no matter how twisted theywere, and

It kept me thinking about just how twisted the Lamberti’s must’ve been for Christian’s uncle to fake hisown death.

Dario and I had one thing in common, wenovelbin

didn’t like Franco. No matter how I looked at it, Franco was in the wrong. I had nothing to say abouthim. disowning Christian’s uncle because I never knew him, but anyone could see that the man wasnot exactly a ray of sunshine.

Sometimes I even wondered why he retired if he wasn’t going to let go of the business in the first place.Was it because of me or Siena?

He seemed like a misogynist and felt threatened by women who could stand up for themselves, but hewould not get rid of me as he got rid of Dario’s mother. There was not a chance.

There was one thing Dario’s mom didn’t have, and that was Christian. He was different and was evenprepared to drop his entire family for me. Christian loved me a lot and not even Franco couldmanipulate

him.

It was easier said than done, but I could not resent Dario. Not anymore.

“I think I understand you a bit better.” I spoke as Dario gave me a confused look. He probably didn’tknow what I meant by that, but that was okay. That was for me to understand.

Destroying the Lamberti business and taking down Christian was not the way, but I could understandhis frustrations. What I could not understand was his dad. It seemed like Berto Lamberti held a grudgeagainst the entire family. It was obvious because if he wouldn’t, he would’ve shown himself after

hearing about Lucio, but that was not the case. He gave Dario instructions to ruin the family’s name-and was probably waiting for the best moment to reveal himself.

I would protect Dario, and he would be off-limits, but I had to find Berto as soon as possible. TheLamberti’s going down meant Siena would be going down with them-and that could absolutely nothappen. I had to find out who or whatever was behind that vault.

“I don’t want this to sound weird, but you remind me of my mom.” Dario chuckled. “She was just likeyou, and that’s why I want to look out for you.”

She was just like me…there it was again.

“I’ve dealt with these kinds of people before, and that’s why I don’t think Christian is good for you. TheLamberti’s will destroy you. Did you forget about how fast they turned on you? Because that’s how fastthey turned on my mom-”

“They?” I questioned, after noticing his slip up-but Dario shook his head. “You know what I mean,Mauro’s family.”

“Right,” I spoke. “But Christian’s not like that. He went against his family way too many times. I know Isaid we only got back for Siena and that I didn’t love him anymore-but that does not remove the factthat he’s a good person.” I told him. Even though I understood his feelings, it was time for him to go.

Christian and his brothers were not little children anymore and knew right from wrong. They must’ve feltterrible about it, but what more could they do?

“I’m not telling you how to live your life,” Dario reassured me. “All I’m telling you is that I’ll be here for

you once you can’t take it anymore. I’ll be here for you once you’ve finally opened your eyes.”

“My eyes about?” I snapped. There was no point in opening my eyes, I could clearly see what washappening, but I was built differently. I wouldn’t take Siena and run away, I would be with Christian, andno one would be able to touch me. “Nothing.” Dario spoke, startled, and was probably shocked by myrude.

tone..

“You guys!” Kim spoke and walked through the door. Nice timing. “Dinner’s almost ready. You guys arecoming, right?”

Dario and I looked at each other and nodded our heads. We made our way downstairs and played withthe children, which made me wonder how things could’ve been like if Dario had the opportunity to be abig brother to Johnny and Luca.

I was also curious as to why he hadn’t approached them. Did he resent them, or did he not knew howto approach them? Was he even allowed? All of that remained a mystery.

I was only able to confirm one thing, and that was the thing that mattered the most.

Berto Lamberti was alive and was planning something big.