Vengeance.
It's something I've been taught as the son of a cruel mafia don; something I've comforted myself with for years.
When the one thing that kept me grounded is yanked away so ruthlessly, it's only in my nature to strike out in the only way...
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The door swung open before I could bring my hand up to knock, and I figured the guards had already signaled him.
Gregorio Fanelli looked up at me warily. Rightfully so. The last time I was here, I tendered my marriage proposal for Giselle, but he knew we could never have a father- and son-in-law relationship. We never got along in the past, and the difference in our views played a part in that.
"Niko!" He exclaimed in a false upbeat tone. "Pleasant surprise. Come in, please."
He opened the door wider for me to walk in before leading me to his office.
"No security with you today?" He asked over his shoulder, a sketchy smile on his lips.
Cazzo, could he be normal for once in his life?
"Pretty weird question to ask, Gregorio. Do you have an ambush planned for me?" I asked, cocking a brow at him.
He let out a burst of strained laughter, waving me off. "Never, Nicholas. You are my son-in-law. I would never do something to betray you."
He would. I threw the question at him in a lighthearted tone, but I knew what type of a man he was. Gregorio was a snake that wasn't to be trusted. Everyone knew that. Luckily for me, I wasn't here to do business with him.
"To what do I owe this visit, Nicholas?" He asked when we were seated in his office. "Want something to drink?"
"No." I pulled back a chair, taking a seat. "What happened on the night of Gianna's death?" I asked without preamble.
Gregorio was at a loss for words for a few seconds. "Gi- Gianna's death?" He sputtered.
I pinned him with an irritated glare. "Yes, Gregorio. Gianna's death."
Giselle had always insisted she didn't kill Gianna, and after seeing the way she was fiercely protective of Cara, a girl who wasn't even fully her sister, it raised questions in the air for me.
She looked like she couldn't hurt a fly, but I always saw that as a part of the act she put up. Now I wasn't sure anymore. The woman had put her neck on the line to save one sister. Would she really kill the other? Especially the one she bonded with the most?
"Everyone knows what happened," Gregorio said, a look crossing his face, like the story was too painful for him to tell. I never paid much attention to it in the past, but looking at him now, I knew it was all an act. His views on women were disgusting and losing a daughter was not keeping him awake at night.
"Gianna was driving the car, and out of nowhere, Giselle took over the steering wheel. From the audio the dash cam recorded, Gianna tried to talk her out of it, but Giselle was adamant, and she drove them into a tree."
"And the video from this dashcam?" I asked. "Do you still have the tape?"
I didn't know Giselle well when we were younger, but I didn't remember her being suicidal, either. She was also at risk of dying in the car after causing the accident, so why would she risk her life if she was jealous of Gianna and wanted her dead?
