The Don’s Venom

Chapter 8

(Kieran)

The hum of my car died down as the driver pulled up in front of the mansion. I was tired, physically but mostly mentally. It had been a long day filled with meetings and putting erring people in their place.

As one of my men opened the door, I was greeted by the sound of laugher- Giana’s and voices too. Marco’s? and Lily?

I frowned, my brows creasing as I handed my bag to the driver. Marco had taken a personal day off and I didn’t expect him to be here at this time of the night. It was unusual for Giana to be this excited without me there, especially on a school night.

I’d seen her smiling and chatting with Lily but I hadn’t expected this. This genuine laughter that echoed through the house as I followed the sound of their conversations to Giana’s play room. As I reached the big room at the end of the hallway that my daughter had claimed for herself since she was young, I paused in the open doorway as the scene unfolded before me.

Giana was sprawled on the ground, surrounded by dozens of stick figure paintings, with her hand dancing over them as she explained something animatedly to Lily and Marco who were sprawled next to her.

Lily noticed me first, flashing me a glare as the smile on her face faded, quickly replaced by a stoic expression. She brushed off her pants as she hoisted herself to her feet, causing Marco’s and Giana’s attention to shift to me.

Giana smiled, pushing herself to her feet as she ran to me. “Daddy,” she called out, her small hands catching me in a tight squeeze.

“My princess,” I called, lifting my little girl in my arms. “How was school?”

“It was fine,” she said boredly, then her face lit up. “But after school, Uncle Marco and Lily took me to get ice cream.”

I flashed Marco a questioning gaze. “Ice-cream huh? What did you get?”

A double scoop,” Giana quipped excitedly. “Chocolate and mint.”

I smiled, glancing over her head to look at Marco who was still sitting on the floor and scooping up Giana’s painting. “Seemed like you had a fun personal day.”

He shrugged. “A little ice-cream never hurt anyone. Besides, you know I cannot say no to Giana.”

I nodded, my eyes briefly catching Lily’s as she stands a few feet away, her eyes not betraying any emotion.

“It’s been a long day, princess. Daddy needs to see Lily in his study and then I have to go to bed. You should too.”

“But dad, I was showing uncle Marco and Lily my painting,” Giana protested.

“I know, princess. You can show them tomorrow. I’ll have Gracie put you to bed and Uncle Marco can read you your bedtime story. Okay?”

“Fine,” she huffed reluctantly. “Good night, dad.”

“Good night, my princess.” Turning to Lily, I said, “I need to speak with you.”

Her eyes darted between Marco and Gia before she followed me down the hallway to the privacy of my study.

In the study, I gestured to her to close the door behind her as I settle in my seat and pointed to the chair opposite mine. “Sit.”

She wordlessly obeyed and kept her stern expression on. I ran my hand through my hair, stared at the floor for a moment before raising my head to meet Lily’s gaze.

“Thank you,” I began, noting the shocked look on her face at my words. “I haven’t seen Giana that happy or lively in a while. You’ve done good work with her in so little time.”

Her expression remained neutral. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Gigante.”

“I know it’s not easy keeping up with her,” I said, “But I can’t express how much this mean to me. I owe you for this. Not just watching over her but making her feel like a regular kid again.”

Her gaze hardened as I got out of my seat. “It’s what I’m paid for.”

I took a step closer to her. “No, Lily. Its more than that. You’ve done something even I couldn’t do.”

Her posture remained stiff, her eyes unwavering. “Like I said, that’s my job, sir. If that’s all.”

I hesitated, then continued in a low voice. “I owe you an apology, Lily. For the way I treated you in the past. For calling you weak.”

She didn’t say anything at first, her eyes unreadable. Then I saw a crack in her stoic mask, her eyes widened just a little and I saw a gleam of something. Curiosity maybe. Ina voice barely above a whisper, she asked, “Why did you?”

I flinched, the pain in her eyes crashing into me like a punch to the gut. Why? The question hung in the air already thick with tension. I knew the answer, but the truth was sure to cause her even more hurt.

How was I to tell her that I was a weakling who couldn’t even fight for her. How could I tell her that it was either that or have my dad kidnap her and use her to cut a deal so I could come back home to take over Il cerchio?

“Just say something, Kieran, damnit. Cook up some excuse. Your family, the mafia, there was someone else—”

“There was no one else, Lily. It was only you. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

She scoffed and blinked, as though in an attempt to push her tears back. “Right. Then why did you?”

At my silence, her eyes flickered with a brief flash of anger and hurt. “That’s what I thought.”

I felt a knot tighten in my chest as her eyes went cold, every trace of vulnerability gone.

“If that’s all, I need to get back to the job,” she said, walking towards the door, her footsteps echoing in the silent room.

She didn’t turn around or pause. The door slammed behind her with a finality that sent a chill through me.