The Mafia's Nanny

Chapter 43

My whole body tensed up. Emotion pulsed through my veins and I coughed back unshed tears that I didn't allow to roll down my cheeks. Not infront of Arianna. Her head tilted to the side and her finger wiggled near my face. "Your bruises have nearly gone. Does your face still hurt?"

My fingers moved towards my face and I placed my two hands on my cheeks. "Not really."

Arianna propped herself on her knees and placed light kisses over where my bruises were. The gesture made the most genuine smile I had possessed since coming back, blossom on my face.

"Thank you, sweetheart," I giggled as I watched her sit back in her original position.

"You're welcome."

I locked my hands around her body and looked at her. "Where's Gio?"

"He's playing with his Mummy in his bedroom. I decided to come and see you instead of playing with them."

"Oh, baby-"

"No!" Arianna squealed, interrupting me before I could finish my protest. "I really, really wanted to come and see you. I didn't want to play the game they were playing.... it looked boring."

I tilted my head to the side and kissed her cheek lightly. "As long as you're comfortable."

"I'm always comfortable with you," Arianna spoke with such love in her tone that my heart began to repair itself.

As I looked at her chocolate-brown eyes gazing at me — filled with adoration — I wondered whether my life did have a purpose.

Perhaps my purpose was her.

To care for her and love her forever. I'd never let her down and I'd always stay by her side. Though I had lost Alessandro and my heart was still shaken — my life could still journey on except with Arianna by my side.

Like my own daughter.

Arianna didn't deserve the agony I went through. She deserved to have people around her that adored her every single day of her life. And I was determined to be that person that she could always trust.

"Ari?"

Her lips pressed together and she hummed.

"Do you know how much I love you?"

Her mouth tilted up in a small smile. "A lot?"

"More than any amount you could ever think of," I replied with a genuine smile. Arianna gazed into my eyes and nodded slowly.

"If Daddy ever left — which I'm not saying he will leave, but if the time ever came that you didn't have him around as much... you'd always have me. You know that, right?"

Arianna was confused. I sensed her confusion in the way she furrowed her eyebrows and nodded, unsure of what I had said. "Of course."

My unshed tears were battling to be unleashed but I held them back tightly. I couldn't allow myself to weaken infront of Arianna. I had to prove that I'd always be her strength...

I pulled her close again and held her body against my chest, kissing her head and feeling my eyes water.

My angel. I never thought I'd love her this much. Arianna was like the daughter that I never had and she will always be my main priority. I only prayed for when she finally discovered that I'd be her only hope in the world... when she discovered that both of her parents had been killed.

By the same man.

In the same way.

I only hoped that anger wouldn't replace the kindness inside of her. I only hoped that she could move on with her life — despite the circumstances.