Sweet Truths & Silent Lies ✔️

CHAPTER 44 - ❝confronting the man we used to call father❞

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

“CONFRONTING THE
MAN I USED TO CALL FATHER”

GIOVANNI CASTIGLIONE

Vito was seated beside me in front of my dad’s desk in his office. We were waiting for him to arrive after we saw his car entering the driveway not long ago.

Vito chews on a cuticle right when my father decides to enter his office.

He was not pleased at all. He probably see Eden’s car parked just outside.

“Did this mansion suddenly become some kind of lodge?” He asks sarcastically when he sits down behind his desk. He wasted no time at all to start his shit with us today, but this time we were ready for him. We will not cower. We will not back down.

“The mansion being a lodge is something that you shouldn’t be worried about right now, father.” I tell him and see him cocking his head to the side at my tone.

“Excuse me?”

“Vito and I are here to cast you out of the family, once and for all.”

He scoffs, it was a bitter laugh mostly, but my dad still scoffed.  “I ask again, excuse me? You two want to cast me out of the family? Me? The one who built this empire?”

“It’s just a shame that ‘this empire’ you refer to is built on lies and innocent bloodshed, father.” Vito was the one to say.

He rests his right elbow on the desk and places his chin on his hand, watching my father.

“You better watch your next words carefully boy—”

“We know you killed mom.” I cut him off. “You killed her because she had an affair.”

I see my father tense in his seat and I immediately knew what Scarlett told me, was true. He did, in fact, kill our mother. I don’t know if he was shocked to know that we knew the truth, or that he was planning an excuse to tell us next.

“Where did you come across this nonsense?”

“The details don’t matter, father. All we know is that you were angry at her for choosing someone else over you and that she was happier with him than she was with you, and then you killed her for it.”

My father gets up from his chair and slides it backwards. “I didn’t tolerate her cheating. She died because she was a traitor, just like that bastard Antonio—”

I slam my hand so hard against his oak desk, I immediately feel a stinging pain shooting through my hand, but it wasn’t nearly enough to lessen the anger I felt for the man in front of me right now. “Don’t fucking bring Antonio into this. You know what you did and you’re going to pay for it.”

“You cannot cast me out of my own home! I built this. This is mine.”

“Not anymore, father. You see, I’m the heir and if you ‘accidentally’ die, I will own everything anyways.” I lift my shoulders in a half shrug. “So, you either leave this place and never come back, or you will meet the barrel of my gun. I am leaving you with two choices; it’s at least more than you gave our mother.”

My father watches me through his eyelashes, like a predator stalking its prey. “You dare threaten me, boy! Remember who raised you! I made you into the man you are today. You too, Vittorio!”

Vito shakes his head at our father. “You did not raise us, father. You cared more about your reputation than anything else. We were just your pawns in this game, but no more. Make your choice, before we make it for you.”

Our dad pinches the bridge of his nose and before any of us could process what he was doing, he pulls out his gun from behind his back and points it at me.

I pull out my gun too and point it at my father, just like he pointed it at me. “I’m not scared of you, father.” I tell him. “Pull the trigger… but one of us is definitely going to leave this place in a body bag either way.”

“Love is going to be the cause of your death.” He spits. “Love is going to make you weak. It has already. That girl is going to be the death of you.”

“You’re wrong, father. You’re the weak one here. Not us.” I tell him. “Scarlett doesn’t make me weak, she makes me stronger. She makes me realise that there’s more to life than just guns and money. She makes me see the world in a much better perspective, and for that I will always love her.”

“You’re going to throw all of this away, for a girl?” He says the last part with so much disgust. “For a girl who can turn on you in just one second?”

“She sacrificed a lot of things for us dad, she even gave up her own life to save us. She’s more trustworthy and loyal than you can ever be. She’s more a Castiglione than you will ever be.”

“Put the gun down, father, and leave with the little dignity you have left.” Vito says. “You already lost your fight and Giovanni has already told everyone that he’s in charge now. So, if you shoot, you die either way. Make your choice.”

My dad shakes his head before he lowers his gun. “Pathetic.” He mutters under his breath. “Pathetic. You could’ve had it all.”

“I already have it all and she’s in her room right now, recovering from nearly dying the other day to save our fucking lives.”

Even though my dad lowered his gun, I still had mine pointed at him. Something told me to pull the trigger, to end it all right here, right now, but I didn’t.

He’s going to live a horrible life out there, if he even survives for that long without us, that is. That’s enough for me to know that he will suffer.

“I’m just glad I won’t be here when this entire empire falls to the ground.” He says before he leaves the office, but he stops in the doorway and turns just enough to look at me over his shoulder. “I really expected more from you, but you threw the fedele away just like he did. I’m family, they’re not. You’re just like them.”

And then he leaves.

But his words had no effect on us, whatsoever. We had loyalty and we definitely had trust. My father, on the other hand, had none and now he has nothing.

It was only when I heard the front door shutting when I lowered my gun and getting up from the chair.

Vito sighs next to me and I look at him.

“Do you regret it, brother?”

He shakes his head and smiles. “Fuck no. I’ve wanted to do that since forever. He’s a real dick and he deserves what came to him.”

“I agree.” I release a sharp breath. “But now we have a much bigger threat awaiting us.”