Lose You To Love Me (Mafia Romance)

CHAPTER 52

THEO's POV

CHAPTER 52 - MEETING HER

I'm late.

And I hate being fuckin' late.

Despite leaving Tokyo earlier than I planned, I still got stuck in air traffic that I have no freakin' control of. Of all the days, why today when I will meet Amelia for the first time?

This tardiness might give her the impression that I am unreliable, lack punctuality, or worse--irresponsible, which is not the first impression I want to make.

I wanted to convince the Don to schedule the meeting after the funeral. Tell him to let Amelia grieve first, but I know it would be a waste to even try, as the Don is known for his opportunistic nature and relentless pursuit of business advantages, putting his own interests above everything else.

Thinking like a true mafia Don and, honestly, I am no different.

I, too, would have thought the same thing. If it was someone else, I would be the one to push this to happen as soon as possible while they're vulnerable. I would feed on their fears and insecurities, manipulate them into making decisions that benefit me.

I was just slightly apprehensive because Amelia was involved, but I shouldn't show that to anyone, even the Don. So, because of that, the only thing I could do was hope that I would make it in time for the meeting.

But I fuckin didn't.

I was still late.

I finally arrived at the meeting place set up by the Don. The good thing about it was that the place had a helipad. This made it convenient for me to arrive less late and avoid the heavy traffic on the roads.

But this still didn't please me that much.

Late is still late no matter what.

Upon landing, one of the guards, Franco, greeted me. "They're already in the room." He informed me, which just added to my annoyance.

"How long?" I asked, taking hurried steps towards the entrance, my irritation growing with every step.

Franco glanced at his watch and replied, "About fifteen minutes ago."

"Fifteen fucking minutes?" I stopped and growled at him.

Five minutes is bad enough for me, and fifteen minutes is just damn unacceptable!

"I told you to do everything in your power to delay it until I arrive," I hissed, my impatience mounting. "I shouldn't have trusted you with this task." I started walking again. This time, faster than before, my frustration fueling each step I took towards my destination.

Franco quickened his pace, taking long strides to catch up to me, his eyes filled with apology. "Sorry, boss," he panted. "I did my best, but it was Ms. Astoria who arrived earlier than expected."

I didn't have time to hear his excuses. All I wanted to do was get there as soon as possible and not waste more time.

When he showed me which room they were in, I dismissed him immediately. As I stared at the door, I straightened up, and composed myself. I knocked and stepped into the room where the Don and Amelia awaited.

"Sorry I'm late." I told the Don and bowed in respect.

The Don stood up. He didn't look disappointed, like I expected; in fact, he was quite understanding and nodded in acknowledgement of my apology.

And did I see a small smile form on his lips?

Well, knowing my history of commitment-phobic and aversion to marriage, I bet he was appeased that I had taken the first step by showing up. I could tell by the glimmer in his eyes that he was genuinely pleased to see me here. And despite being late, my presence reassured him about my commitment to our agreement, and he seemed relieved to know that I was taking it seriously.