𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

IV

M

I spent a majority of my afternoon playing with Gio in the backyard. The two of us were practically inseparable. I didn't want to leave his side and he didn't want to leave mine either. The promise I made to stay with him for as long as he wanted me to was in place and I made no move to break it.

I listened to his endless babbles and giddy bouts of laughter, all of which brightened my day as it fell to evening. It was around 5 or so when I left his side after he succumbed to sleep, his eyes heavy from our hours of endless play.

I later joined Olympia who leisurely sat in the parlour with Yvonne. The two were deeply engrossed in a conversation that later settled once I took my seat a distance away from Olympia.

She looked over in my direction to flash me a warm smile as Yvonne did the same, "I see you two had fun. He's asleep?" Yvonne asked.

"We did and he is. It took a while. He didn't want to sleep but he couldn't fight it off much longer." I replied while I angled my body to face her as she sat adjacent to both Olympia and I. "What're you two talking about?"

Yvonne shifted closer to the edge of the couch after she set a piece of paper back down onto the coffee table where her phone idley lay. "We were talking about the final arrangements for Adriano's funeral." Yvonne answered. "It's this Friday, you see, and his family has just arrived from Sicily to do the final send off. We were just going through the list of attendees."

"Oh.." I softly uttered. "I see."

Adriano would be the last of my bodyguards who was meant to be laid to rest. The funerals of the others had already taken place—all of which I was unable to attend due to them taking place when I was still in the Clinic. I felt bad for not paying my respects and I wished to change that by at least attending Adriano's funeral.

"He has a lot of family coming?" I asked, stealing a glance at the piece of paper Yvonne previously had in hand. Reaching over to pick it up, I skimmed through the list of names with intrigue.

The list was long and it filled the two sides of the piece of paper.

"Something like that." Olympia grumbled with a look of disapproval. "Adriano's family has a lot of family ties back at home and some loose ends that don't exactly get along with some of our people over here."

"Like who?" I frowned in question.

"They don't get on well with Leo and his family. It's an old feud type of thing—the type that goes on for generations because men can't let pride go." Olympia replied with an exasperated sigh and expressive wave of a hand.

"Pride and ego. The cause of all of our issues." Yvonne chimed with the light shake of her head. Tucking a strand of hair behind her diamond adorned ear, she sifted through the other piles of paper that were strewn across the table.

"Adriano's death is bound to open old wounds but hopefully the funeral service will go smoothly. I leave the responsibility of peace keeping to your father," Yvonne added, directing the latter part to Olympia. "Or else we'll be organising more funerals." She lowly huffed.

Setting the piece of paper back onto the table, I lifted my head up to look back over at Yvonne. "It's that bad?" I commented, earning a wry chuckle from Olympia.

"It is cara mia," Yvonne responded. "I won't go into much detail because we will be here forever. All you need to know is that there is bad blood between Leo's family and Adriano's. Unlike their father's though, those boys didn't let their family drama get in the way of business. Leo's very good for being level headed. Adriano too—God rest his soul..." Yvonne muttered, briefly blessing herself.