𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀

XXI

M

Papà

Gio's words lingered on my mind hours after Damien and I arrived home. I couldn't stop reflecting back to that moment as I watched Melli walk away with him in her arms like I was nothing, only for those simple yet shocking words to fall from Gio's lips.

I could tell immediately from Melissa's expression she didn't want that new found information to be known—especially by me.

For all the months that I've known her, knowledge of who the father of Gio was, remained unknown. I was never one to pry, so I never really asked and she rarely ever talked about him.

It was clear his father was never in his life and for sometime, maybe, Melissa believed it would remain that way, however things changed. That was now clear to me.

In our falling out she had found the time to reconcile with the father of her child. A part of me felt happy for her, happy that Gio would actually get the chance to have his father in his life, happy that the weight and responsibility of being a single parent was now being lifted off of Mel's shoulders. Despite all of this, I still felt saddened. Sad that I could no longer be a part of her world—their world.

Gio, similarly to his mother, meant everything to me. I missed them dearly. I missed the sounds of Gio's laughter coupled with his energetic episodes that had Melissa playfully rolling her eyes. I missed sleepovers at Melissa's, how easily I could spend hours chatting away endlessly with her without a care in the world.

Now that's all gone. Now it was all just memories that brought about endless guilt and sadness. I had hope that we would eventually talk things out but it was clear that that was never going to happen.

Laying awake at night that's all I could think about. My mind was restless, my thoughts getting the best of me yet again as brief flashes of the good times I had with Melli crossed my mind. I felt alone when I shouldn't. I mean I had Damien now, I had Cori and Loretta. I even had Olympia, yet I still felt alone.

This endless feeling of loneliness only amplified following Damien's departure as he was needed elsewhere. I understood that having spent the day with me, he probably missed out on important matters and was now making up for it.

Whatever it was he was doing it must've been important as both Ragi and Mario went with him, temporarily abandoning their assigned posts as my bodyguards.

I worried for his safety and theirs, fearful of the worst case scenario. I only hoped that in the end, he was okay and with that in mind I restlessly slept.

D

I didn't want to leave Mina's side. I wished to stay home with her and console her considering the events that transpired. A great day crushed by the horrifying realisation that Mina's friendship with Melissa was ending.

I knew she was hurting despite her constantly telling me that she was fine on our way home. I could see her fighting tears when she saw Melissa walk away and the hurt and confusion cross her face when Melissa's son mentioned his father.

Putting two and two together, I figured Mina didn't know who the father was. Considering how close the two were, I was led to believe they told each other everything but this was obviously a secret Mina had no knowledge of.

"You've been quiet." I heard Roberto say as he drew near to my side, moving away from the others who were grouped at the shipment containers and SUV's.

I glanced over at him, later turning my attention back onto our men. "I'm just thinking."

"About?" He asked, withdrawing his cigarette to smoke. My mind instinctively went to Mina's words about my smoking habits, making me step farther away from my brother. He raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment.