Lose You To Love Me (Mafia Romance)

CHAPTER 57

THEO'S POV

CHAPTER 57 - I AM THE BOSS

Lukas is back.

After years of goofing around, he finally decided to take on the responsibilities that came with his last name, Salvatore, and fully embrace his role in the organization.

And of course, the Don was more than pleased to have him back. Especially when his heir, the next Don of the family, me, is becoming difficult and a complete pain in the ass.

Ever since he learned about my cheating, he has been especially hard on me since then. For a year, I had to endure his constant scrutiny. Every move I made was met with harsh criticism and relentless questioning. It seemed like he was determined to break me, to make me regret my wrongdoings.

But little did he know, his relentless pressure was only fueling my determination to prove myself and rise even higher than his expectations. With every success I achieved, it left him speechless. This was my silent retaliation, showing him that my affairs and personal life wouldn't affect my capabilities and achievements. A reminder that my worth and importance in the clan, no matter how much of a cheater I had been, were not defined by his opinion or judgment.

But it was fuckin' hard to take, especially if I wasn't really that kind of person.

This was one of our plan's flaws. We didn't take the Don into consideration. Of course he would know about my so-called affair with Penelope. Lia wouldn't keep her mouth shut about it. I didn't even have it in me to come clean and tell him the truth--that it was part of a bigger plan.

Otherwise, I would also tell him about my business with Hector and that after all this, I would eventually leave Lia--which he had grown so fond of.

Lia.

There were times that I felt she wanted to leave me. She was so fed up of this life with me, but I just wouldn't let her. Not because I wanted her to stay. No, I grew past that, but because we haven't making much progress with the mission. We were stuck with the last information--her father was in Italy. That's it.

Until we get the full details, and are confident she is completely safe, I would let her go. But in the mean time, I will keep her, give her just enough reasons to stay and play this house with her.

Until then.

But that's a future issue.

For now, there was something that was bothering me even more, an immediate concern that needed my attention.

Lukas.

Since the Don kept pushing me to my limits, I couldn't help but think he was here for a more important reason. So, immediately after the Don told me about Lukas' return, I gathered Penny and Andreas to investigate.

"You're right. There is something shady about the situation," Andreas declared. "The Don visited Lukas himself, which he had never done before. It was like a desperate move for something."

"They met after he recovered from his heart attack," Penny explained.

"For all I know, I bet the two are up to something."

"What? To replace you?" Penny asked, and they both looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"Replace me?" I scoffed at the absurdity of the idea. "Please, as if they have the power and influence to challenge my position, I'd like to see them try though."

"That's true." Penny nodded in agreement.

"As if they had even the slightest chance of challenging your position. Your expertise and leadership are unparalleled, making any attempt to dethrone you nothing more than a laughable fantasy." Andreas stated proudly.