What is family?

Chapter 102

Third Person POV

Marino Mansion, Italy

The mansion was unusually quiet on the day of Christmas.

Just like every year, it was decorated beautifully, but the atmosphere was far from being happy.

Nina, who had been trying her best to make this a memorable Christmas, was herself sitting quietly, pondering on her tense interaction with her niece.

Rosario understood that no one was in the mood to celebrate and decided to indulge himself in his work. The series of misunderstandings and wrong decisions seemed to have no end in his family and he was thoroughly frustrated.

Donatello and his wife were angry. Even after their grandchildren visited them after three whole years of separation, the situation made it difficult to celebrate the holiday with them.

Riccardo was sitting in his room, with his wife's photo frame in hand, thinking about his daughter's indifference and the anger he saw in her eyes.

"I have seen intense anger in our daughter's eyes today, Claire. She had never looked at me that way, not even when I accepted that I didn't like Angelina. I don't know why she's so angry today. I wish you were here with me, Claire, everything would have been so better with you around.", Riccardo said gently, looking at his wife's smiling face in the photo.

On the other hand, the situation was no better with the boys.

Theo was sitting in the garden, lost deep in his thoughts, trying to erase the look of accusation in his sister's eyes that was deeply imprinted into his mind.

He was high on emotions when Angelina had left the previous night, there was a lot of confusion and especially he was in a big shock listening to his brother's decision.

But now that he was sober, the gravity and the reality of the situation was slowly sinking in.

The fact that his sister was gone and would never come back hit him hard, his heart clenching tightly in pain.

He was tempted to call her and bring her back, but again the look of pleading in Vince's eyes was something he had never seen and never wished to see again.

He felt torn between his love for his sister and his respect for his brother.

The reality hit him painfully hard when he saw the accusation in Aria's eyes. 

He understood that she was disappointed, angry and disgusted even. He knew he wouldn't be able to look her in the eye anymore.

Theo felt terrible thinking how they had successfully destroyed his sister's first Christmas with them.

Despite all the anger and anguish he felt, he didn't have the heart to confront his brother.

Though he tried his best not to blame Vince, a corner of his heart was already doing that and he didn't want his brother to see or sense that.

He could have asked Aurelio, but the guy stuck to his office and came out only to greet Arianna. And Vince was accompanying him in the office, not giving any opening to speak to Aurelio.

The rest of his brothers were dispersed to various places, doing god knows what.

Theo was too tempted to make a call to his sister, but she had left her phone behind.

The only other way to contact her was through Easton and Theo was sure that the guy would not take his call or so he assumed.

An hour or two passed by in silence.