Tony's pov
Hearing that, Claire's eyes got really wide as her mouth dropped open in shock.
Panicking, she asked, "Wha_what do you mean?"
"That was just a warm-up for your smart mouth, piccola ragazza (little girl). Next time, answer me properly the first time I ask. Sono chiaro, bambina (Am I clear, baby girl)?"
"No, Daddy," she cried out, trying to pull away from me as more tears started to fall.
"No? Do I need to spank your thighs some more to make my point clear, Francesca?"
My daughter shook her head vehemently, "No, please, Daddy," she pleaded. "I've learned my lesson. You don't need to spank me anymore. Please."
"Get back over my knee, signorina (young lady). We're not quite finished yet." Thankfully, Claire acquiesced and let me guide her back into position. "The remainder of this spanking is for disobeying me and being careless by playing ball in the house."
I methodically punished my daughter's behind by spanking every inch of it several times over. The thoroughness of my work evidenced by the bright red hue of her well-spanked skin seen through her thin white cotton panties.
Pausing her spanking to rest my stinging palm on her warm bottom, I said, "I give you rules to follow for a reason, young lady, and now you see what happens when you break them."
I brought my hand down firmly across the center of her bottom a few more times before lifting her off my lap. Standing her between my knees again, I awaited her apology.
Throwing her arms around my neck and crashing into me she sobbed, "I'm sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean to break your special vase."
"I know breaking the vase was an accident, bambina (baby girl), but disobeying me by playing ball in the house was not. Am I correct?"
I felt her nod against my neck as she clung to me.
"Can you ever forgive me, Daddy, for ruining your fancy vase? I know it was worth a lot of money." Breaking my heart, she sniffled sadly saying, "I understand if you can't."
"Of course I forgive you, Sweetpea." I hugged her tightly as she cried in my arms. Once she calmed down, I sat her sideways on my lap so I could see her face. Rubbing her leg, I said, "I want you to listen to me very carefully now, mia figlia (my daughter). Capisci (Understand)?"
"Si, Padre (Yes, Father), but if I were you, I wouldn't forgive me."
"You are much more important to me than any object, no matter how much it's worth because you, mia bellissima figlia, sei impagabile (my beautiful daughter, are priceless). You are the most rare unique valuable piece of art I will ever have in my home. Nothing compares to your beauty and worth, my love. You are my heart and I would die without you, Claire. I already missed ten years of your life and I don't want to miss a minute more. Now do you believe that I forgive you?"
"I guess so," she replied, with little conviction.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to believe it enough for the both of us," I said, kissing the top of her head. "Now why don't you go up to your room and read until it's time for dinner." I stood her up and gave her a little tap on her bottom as I got to my feet.
"Ok," she said, heading out but stopping in the doorway. "Dad?"
"Yes, sweetheart. What is it?" I asked somewhat distractedly, as I had already started going through some paperwork on my desk.
"What did you mean earlier when you said I was just like my mom? I mean you never even met her, so how could you know what she was like?"
Realizing she had caught my earlier slip of the tongue, she now had my undivided attention. I guess she has been studying her Italian. Well, I knew this day would come eventually, so here goes.
"Claire, I think it's time I tell you the truth about your mother."
Claire's pov
My jaw dropped hearing my dad say he was going to tell me the truth about my mother. What is he talking about? I'm so confused. First, he said I was just like my mother and now he says he's going to tell me something about her that I don't know. He was just an anonymous sperm donor. I thought they never met.
"I don't understand, Dad. How do you..."
My father quickly cut me off, putting his hand up to stop me as he said, "I'll explain everything in a little bit. Right now, I want you to wait for me in the living room."
"But, Dad," I started to complain, before he interrupted me again.
"No buts, young lady. Now do as you're told before I take you over my knee again to give you a little reminder of why it's important to obey me. Capiscimi (Understand me)?"
"Si signore (Yes sir)," I replied quickly. My butt is sore enough already. There's no way I want to chance getting another spanking right now, plus I really want to hear what my dad has to tell me about my mom and if I make him angry, he may change his mind.
I went into the living room and laid on my stomach on the sofa to wait for my dad, like he asked. Unfortunately, my annoying uncle came in shortly after.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked, rather rudely.
"Uh, I think it's pretty obvious. You've got two eyes that work. Don't you? Clearly, I'm lying on the sofa. Duh." I know I probably shouldn't be mouthing off to my uncle right now but sometimes I just can't help it. He can be so irritating.
"I can see you're lying on the sofa, genius. Shouldn't you be upstairs crying in your room or something? I thought your father just punished you for breaking his Ming vase?"
"He did, genius, that's why I'm lying on my stomach. Duh!" I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. Sometimes he's so stupid. I thought lawyers were supposed to be smart.
"Obviously, he didn't do a very good job if you're not still in tears and you have the wherewithal to continue mouthing off." My uncle glared at me with his arms crossed.
"He did a plenty good job for your information and I was crying but now I'm just sore." I gingerly rubbed my still very tender bottom.
"If you say so." My uncle rolled his eyes in return and shook his head, clearly not believing me.
He started to walk away but I stopped him by saying, "Thank you, by the way." I turned on my side to face him.
"What?" he asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.
"Dad told me what you did."
"I don't know what you're talking about, brat. Did your father spank you in the head?" He pretended like he had no idea what I meant but I saw the look of comprehension flash briefly across his face before he masked it behind his typical pompous-ass sneer.
"You don't have to pretend you don't know, Uncle EJ. Dad told me you convinced him not to spank me with the strap." I smiled rather smugly. "Thank you," I repeated, with sincerity this time.
My uncle looked like he was about to say something but changed his mind. Instead, he just looked down and muttered, "Yeah, well it was nothing so don't make a big deal out of it."
"Why'd you do it?" I asked him point blank, hoping he'd actually answer me honestly this time since he was acting almost human for once in his life.
"Because I didn't want to be deprived of having the honor to be the next one to beat your ass with it. Shouldn't you be grounded to your room or something? Why are you allowed to roam free?"
So much for that theory I thought, hearing my uncle's incredibly rude response.
"I'm not livestock, ya know. I don't graze on grass in some fenced-in pasture."
My uncle just snorted in derision, "Could've fooled me. Remember, I've seen the pigsty you call a bedroom." He went away laughing as my father walked in.
"Very funny," I called out, before he was out of earshot, my voice heavy with sarcasm.
I heard my uncle making animal sounds, oinking and mooing in response.
"What was that about?" my dad asked, completely bewildered by the strange exchange he just witnessed between me and his brother.
I shook my head and smiled, saying, "You don't want to know."
"Alrighty then, you're probably right." Swatting at my legs, he said, "Sit up," so he could join me on the sofa.
"But my butt hurts," I whined, not moving.
"I can make it hurt a whole lot more if you don't move," he said, swatting my bottom.
"Okay, okay I'm moving," I said, getting up to make room for my dad. I winced as my bottom made contact with the sofa.
Smirking, my dad held up one of the small sofa pillows as a peace offering for my sore rear end and I begrudgingly accepted. It still hurt to sit on the pillow but it was at least a little softer than Grandfather's hard couch. As my dad sat down next to me, I noticed he was holding a photo album.