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Chapter 23: GABRIEL
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Life First Love Chapter 24: BECKY
“Calm down; we can’t call the cops; how many times must I tell you that?” I was busy trying to find a tow company to come to remove the burnt-out hull of a car from the driveway before Felix got home. I knew as soon as Victoria’s car went missing that it was going to involve the Russos in one way or another and was afraid to act.Never in a million years would I ever expect to be in this position. The position of having the most powerful family in town going against my daughter and I when we’ve never even met them except for in passing, and that very rarely. We’ve had no dealings with each other until now, and this is not the way I would’ve liked things to be between us.Now, instead of an invitation to one of those fancy teas the wife throws that everyone is always gushing about, everyone who’s lucky enough to be invited, that is, I’m being ostracized and looked down on by the son and threatened by the other men in the family. How long before things start to unravel?I’ve been care
The Life First Love Chapter 25: DRACO
“Draco, what’re you doing?”“Sofia, my beautiful, beautiful baby, come give us a hug.” She came to me smiling even though she had no idea why I was so happy. “Now, do you want to tell me why you were dancing in your office like a crazy person?”“Did you see our son? He’s in love.”“And that’s why you’re dancing? I don’t get it.”You would if I told you, but then I’d have to explain a whole lotta shit that’s best left alone for now. “Isn’t this something to celebrate? I’m happy for him.”“I hope you feel the same when it’s the twins’ turn.”“That won’t be for another ten or twenty years; no need to mention it.” Nothing is going to put a damper on my day.I’ve been butting my head against the wall for months trying to beat the clock and get ahead of this thing in Sicily before Gabe makes a move, but now, I don’t have to. I have enough breathing room now to continue the search for my father-in-law without having to worry about my son making an end-run around me.I danced my wife a
The Life First Love Chapter 26: FELIX
The kid is moving too fast for me. It seems that when I peel back one layer, he’s already been there and moved on to the next. I stupidly didn’t put two and two together after he’d so blatantly mentioned the car the other day, but in all fairness, my mind was still dealing with all the new information I’d learned. I was finally coming to terms with the fact that she and her daughter had abused my kid right under my nose and with my help to boot.If that’s not bad enough, there’s now the fear of losing my business if Mr. Russo follows through with his threat. I’m not sure how he got all the information he collected since most of it is private. Like knowing who ninety-five percent of my investors are, all of my investments and holdings, including real estate that had been bought under an umbrella.I still don’t know what the hell is going on right now because I’m stuck trying to unravel the past, and now according to Ella’s advice, I’m looking for Greta, the old housekeeper, to get the
The Life First Love Chapter 27: FELIX
This is now twice in less than a week that I’ve had the law at my door, and there’s a heavy sense of ominousness in the air. Things are moving at a rapid pace, and I can’t help but think that Becky has a point when she says that this is all the machinations of the Russo family. That being said, it doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. “Felix, do something.” Becky looked scared, and I’m having a hard time sticking to my role of caring husband. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll call the lawyer.” I opened the door to let the officers in, not sure what I was supposed to tell them. Are they supposed to know that we were expecting them?“Officers.”“Are you Mr. Fontane?”“I am; what can I do for you?”“Mr. Fontane, is there a Rebecca Fontane living here?”“Yes, there is, Becky.” She had a look of betrayal on her face, but I can’t say that I cared. Victoria had already disappeared, so she didn’t get to see her mother being cuffed or hear the racket that ensued as she was dragged kicking and scre
The Life First Love Chapter 28: THE TWINS
“Something happened to Gia’s mother.”“What do you mean? Hasn’t she been gone since Gia was like five?” Rosa asked her sister, confused as they went through their morning routine.“Look at it, Gia went to meet the old housekeeper and came back a mess, then Gabe went to see her as well and came back with murder in his eyes, then he and Pop disappeared, something’s up.”“What do you think it could be?”“I don’t know, but those two had something to do with it. Victoria and Becky.” Anna applied her contour like an expert marksman.“If that’s the case, it can’t be Victoria’s fault; she would’ve been a child herself.”“I don’t give a fuck.”“Anna!”“Seriously, at this point, she gets no passes. Whatever it was, she benefited from it. If we told Gabe half the shit she did, she’d be dead.”“And that’s why we’re not telling him, remember what Lance said.”“I know, I know, but we… Oh, hi Gabe, what’s up? Where’s Gia?”“I just took her down to breakfast. I need a favor from you two.”
The Life First Love Chapter 29: GIANNA
It’s been days, and still, no matter how hard I push myself, I can’t escape the anger that now lives inside me. It’s frightening and all-consuming in a way not even my grief had been. It was hard enough dealing with my mother being gone at such a young age, enduring the things I have with her not here.I’d learned to keep my head down and wait for the day I could make my escape, but now, there’s no way I’m leaving without that bitch’s head. “Hey!” Hey, Gianna, calm down, come here.” I felt Gabriel’s arms come around me from behind me, pulling me back away from the punching bag in the home gym. I’d forgotten he was here.“It’s okay; I’m fine, really.” I also forgot how he watches over me like a hawk with its young these days. Maybe he, too, has noticed the change in me though I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding it. I’ve been pushing myself to the point of exhaustion these days to get rid of some of the pent-up anger and frustration, but today I seem to have reached my breaking point
The Life First Love Chapter 30: VICTORIA
I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill all of them. There was a wild fury building inside me, a pressure that needed release soon or I’d explode, so I screamed. It didn’t do much, but at the very least, it helped ease some of the pressure from my head and chest. The air around me thickened, making my head spin as I made my way up the stairs to my room, all the while fighting back the tears that I refused to let fall. Tears are for the weak, like Gia.I stood in front of the mirror in my room, assessing the damage and feeling both angry and embarrassed. I can’t believe I let her do this to me and in front of Gabriel Russo, no less. Now that it was over, I thought of all the things I should’ve done to her, but I’ve never been much of a fighter; then again, neither has she. Where the hell did she learn to fight like that?My lips were already starting to swell when I cleaned the blood away, and I could barely see out of my left eye. I had the urge to just let myself cry just this once
The Life First Love Chapter 31: GABRIEL
She’s asleep. Exhausted, hurt, confused, it was all written on her face, even as she slept. I watched over her for a little while longer before easing out from under her and going to get cleaned up. The water burned the scratches she’d left on my back and shoulders, but instead of being elated at the wildness she’d shown in my bed, I felt true nervousness for the first time in my life.Something has changed inside her. She no longer seems like the levelheaded innocent I’d saved that day not too long ago. To add even more to my worry, now that the excitement of the moment is over, my mind keeps throwing horrifying scenarios my way. There’s so much that could’ve happened to her in that house, so much that could’ve gone wrong, and I’ll be forever grateful to my sisters for not letting her go there alone.My thoughts wouldn’t settle down enough for me to do what I need to because I’m too worried that she’d go rogue again and wondering how the hell I can prevent it. Right now, her blood i
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The Life First Love Chapter 37: GABRIEL
Breakfast in the morning was a riotous mess. Ma was in her element, having the whole family here, including the grands as well as Gianna’s relatives who had gone from talking about the party the night before to the upcoming trip to Paris and the ball. I learned that Gianna was going to be busy once we returned from the Caribbean, which is a good thing. It will give me time to put the finishing touches on the Fontane issue while gearing up for mine. Aside from finding her the perfect gowns last minute, which they didn’t seem as worried about as the other stuff her invite entailed, there was a mind-numbing amount of crap she had to go through. I’d been there for my sisters’ and knew she had a long road ahead of her. I’d gained a whole new respect for the tradition after getting an up-close look from behind the scenes. Before, I thought it was a lot of waste for what boiled down to just a party. But the way the women in my family act it’s almost like a rite of passage, and I can see w
The Life First Love Chapter 36: GABRIEL
“Let me grab a jacket. Be right back.” She started to fret that there was nothing to do justice to her gown like a typical female before I stopped her.“No need. Here.” I walked to the coat closet where the rest of her outfit waited and removed the cape I’d left hanging there.“Oh my, it’s beautiful.” I draped the ermine coat around her shoulders and stood back to look. The padded silk cape had been died to match her gown in daffodil yellow, while the white ermine border glistened beneath the light of the chandelier. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” She ran her hands over the fur in awe.I took her hand and led her to the door, or I have a feeling she’d have stood there all night admiring herself. She hadn’t yet noticed the butterflies outlined with gold thread pattern that flitted along the back and sides of the cape, but I knew that would be a whole other conversation if she did, and I didn’t want my prey to retreat before the finale I had planned.“It’s not too cold, is it?
The Life First Love Chapter 35: VICTORIA
Who has this kind of security for a sweet sixteen? I couldn’t even get close to the gate. What am I even doing here anyway? Like a lost puppy searching for its owner. I don’t know what came over me, what made me get into mom’s car and sneak away, but I needed to know if everyone else had been invited but me.Just thinking about it made me too sick to my stomach to sit still. I couldn’t stand the thought of all of them laughing at me, talking about me behind my back, reminiscing about all the things I’d said and done in the past, and laughing at me. It always comes back to them laughing at me; that’s the one thing I can’t stand.But it’s like there’s an information blackout, and I’m the only one left looking in from the outside. My so-called friends aren’t returning my calls, and there’s no one else for me to ask. At least I haven’t seen any of them show up, and I’ve been here since well before the party started. I thought it would’ve been easy with all these people going in and out
The Life First Love Chapter 34: GABRIEL
“I wish the fuck you would.” Gianna jumped a good foot off the floor at my outburst when she stepped out of the room ahead of the others. My vision blurred for a few seconds, and I was lucky I was leaning against the wall, or I might’ve fallen on my ass at the sight. I couldn’t even find my voice for another minute or so, too perplexed by what I was seeing.I knew it, I knew they were up to some shit when they refused to show me what they were wearing for this dance number, but this, this goes beyond anything I could’ve imagined.“Gabriel, what’s wrong?” She looked spooked and more than a little wary at my tone, but what the hell.“What’s wrong? I’m going to wring your neck; that’s what’s wrong.”“Look, here comes the other two and their entourage.” Lance huffed beside me.“Gianna, what the hell do you think you’re wearing?” I reached for my jacket to cover her, only then remembering I wasn’t wearing one, and besides, I didn’t dare walk towards her, or I just might follow through
The Life First Love Chapter 33: GABRIEL
The next day there was nothing but chaos in the house. People talk about bridezillas, but I bet they have nothing on two Italian princesses who have their father wrapped around their fingers and a bevy of people willing to do their bidding for the right price. I didn’t see my girl all day because the twins wanted her with them. There were stylists, makeup artists, and who knows what else milling around the house since breakfast and the noise level was off the charts. Her ankle-biter kept me company all day while I kept him out of the way until it was time to get ready for the party. Pop had made his escape with Uncle Marcus on the golf course while I stayed in my room doing what I do best.I spent most of the morning eavesdropping on her family home and the other half preparing for Sicily. There was still no news of my grandfather, but I’d at least made headway in finding my way into the Ricci circle. My first plan of action has always been to find out who was at the party that nigh
The Life First Love Chapter 32: GABRIEL
The week flew by, or maybe it was the excitement surrounding the twins’ party that made it seem like it had. I’m always amazed at how life still goes on for others, even in the midst of your own turmoil. Gianna was being brave, but I’m almost certain she’s still in the trauma bonding stage, which is why I’ve been distracting her these last few days with anything other than sex.Sometime around Wednesday, which was the third day she cried in her sleep, I was hit by a thunderbolt. She’s going through trauma, but what’s my excuse? Why am I allowing this to happen when I know in the back of my mind that it’s not right? I’m not sure why it took me this long, but while everyone else is in a celebratory mood, I’ve been dealing with the guilt of taking an innocent’s innocence.Refusing her when I still want her is proving to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I’m doing it for her. I still won’t let her go back to her own bed, though, because she needs me in the night, so I stay
The Life First Love Chapter 31: GABRIEL
She’s asleep. Exhausted, hurt, confused, it was all written on her face, even as she slept. I watched over her for a little while longer before easing out from under her and going to get cleaned up. The water burned the scratches she’d left on my back and shoulders, but instead of being elated at the wildness she’d shown in my bed, I felt true nervousness for the first time in my life.Something has changed inside her. She no longer seems like the levelheaded innocent I’d saved that day not too long ago. To add even more to my worry, now that the excitement of the moment is over, my mind keeps throwing horrifying scenarios my way. There’s so much that could’ve happened to her in that house, so much that could’ve gone wrong, and I’ll be forever grateful to my sisters for not letting her go there alone.My thoughts wouldn’t settle down enough for me to do what I need to because I’m too worried that she’d go rogue again and wondering how the hell I can prevent it. Right now, her blood i
The Life First Love Chapter 30: VICTORIA
I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill all of them. There was a wild fury building inside me, a pressure that needed release soon or I’d explode, so I screamed. It didn’t do much, but at the very least, it helped ease some of the pressure from my head and chest. The air around me thickened, making my head spin as I made my way up the stairs to my room, all the while fighting back the tears that I refused to let fall. Tears are for the weak, like Gia.I stood in front of the mirror in my room, assessing the damage and feeling both angry and embarrassed. I can’t believe I let her do this to me and in front of Gabriel Russo, no less. Now that it was over, I thought of all the things I should’ve done to her, but I’ve never been much of a fighter; then again, neither has she. Where the hell did she learn to fight like that?My lips were already starting to swell when I cleaned the blood away, and I could barely see out of my left eye. I had the urge to just let myself cry just this once
The Life First Love Chapter 29: GIANNA
It’s been days, and still, no matter how hard I push myself, I can’t escape the anger that now lives inside me. It’s frightening and all-consuming in a way not even my grief had been. It was hard enough dealing with my mother being gone at such a young age, enduring the things I have with her not here.I’d learned to keep my head down and wait for the day I could make my escape, but now, there’s no way I’m leaving without that bitch’s head. “Hey!” Hey, Gianna, calm down, come here.” I felt Gabriel’s arms come around me from behind me, pulling me back away from the punching bag in the home gym. I’d forgotten he was here.“It’s okay; I’m fine, really.” I also forgot how he watches over me like a hawk with its young these days. Maybe he, too, has noticed the change in me though I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding it. I’ve been pushing myself to the point of exhaustion these days to get rid of some of the pent-up anger and frustration, but today I seem to have reached my breaking point
