<-I-L-A-<<< "Ila, sweetie." Dante's mother shook m awake. "You missed lunch, it's dinner time. Go on ahead and get something to eat, I'll watch my boy and the other two for you."

"Thank you," I said as I got up from my desk chair and blushed out of embarrassment. I had fallen asleep from watching all three injured people sleep. Like them, I was exhausted, for different reasons of course. I had partied the night before, got only three hours of sleep, and had to work on three patients with a major headache. I had really strained myself.

I walked out of my office after grabbing my phone and decided to take the stairs in hopes of waking me up. However, that one flight of stairs did the opposite and tired me even more. I felt an instant regret as I yawned, I should have taken the elevator down. Nevertheless, I made it to the kitchen on the ground floor.

On the table, there were clam chowder bowls. I served myself one and sat down at dining room table. Some people I was acquainted with came up to me and asked me about Dante, Lauretta, and Marco. Minji and Jonah also held a conversation with me on the topic of Stollo.

"The meeting is going to be in five minutes," Jonah told me. "If you don't finish your chowder bowl you can bring it to the meeting room."

"Meeting?" I asked, unaware that one was being held.

"Yeah." Jonah smiled as he asked the Asian women next to him, "That means we're going to do something big, right, Minji?"

"Definitely. So don't miss it, " Minji said.

They both got up with their empty dishes, leaving me alone to finish my food. I quickly put my plate in the sink and went back out into the dining room to grab a meatball, meant for the spaghetti, as a snack for my trip to the second floor. I exited the dining room, going to the living room. The front door opened and an old man walked in. He was tall and looked fit for his age. He closed the door behind him and began wiping his shoes on the rug. When finished, he stood still and scanned the area, mumbling to himself. He took a couple steps towards the accent wall of framed pictures and moved one.

I haven't seen him around the mafia house but he does look familiar. By the way, he was looking around, it made it seem like he was lost. I opened my mouth to ask him if he needed help with anything and froze. My eyes landed on the mafia portrait behind him and his face came into recognition. It was Matteo's father and the most wanted drug lord alive, Francesco Casciani. I stared at the standing man before me, recalling everything I've ever read or heard of him. He was cruel and sinister, some would say crazy and heartless. All of what a monster is believed to be was standing a couple yards away from me.

Out of shock, I acted on my first poor intention. I screamed.

>>>-F-R-A-N-C-E-S-C-O-> I closed the door behind me after entering the mafia house that my son, my daughter, and some of the best members of my illegal empire where living in. I looked down as I wiped off the mud at the bottom of my shoes on the rug, getting rid of evidence that showed I had chosen to walk through the lawn rather than walking the long route of the sidewalk. Before taking a step further into the mansion, I scanned the living room out of curiosity.

"How is the place still standing with Giovanni and Aiden living here?" I mumbled to myself, surprised that the place was intact. I would have expected that this mafia house to be trashed. Of course, I knew that Marcella would never let that happened. I could always trust her to keep the two in some sort of check.

I noticed a picture frame, on the accent wall of the living room, was placed in a rather odd spot. It broke the aesthetic and was further from the rest of the photos. I walked to it and pushed the frame aside, revealing a big hole in the wall. A sticky note that had Aiden's name, in Giovanni's handwriting, was stuck next to it.

I sighed, "Not everything could be perfect."

I slid the frame back to its odd place, concealing the hole that Giovanni obviously created and tried blaming on Aiden. I was going to make my way to the meeting room when a women's scream startled me. I located the source and found a lady in shock a few yards away from me. As soon as we made eye contact, she stopped and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I was just scared for a moment. N-no, scared isn't the word, I meant s-shocked. I was shocked. I didn't think I was ever going to see you in person."

"Really, considering the relationship you have with my son?" I asked her. I recognized her immediately. How could I not if my son talked so much about her? Aside from Matteo, I've seen the news and all the selfies that Marcella took and posted with her on facebook. With my question, she was speechless. I decided to ask another, "Tell me, did my son ever fix the elevator?"

"Y-yes."

I walked passed her to go to the elevator and realized she wasn't following. I stopped and turned around. "Aren't you going to attend the meeting?"

"Right, um, I could take the stairs."

"I rather you join me."

"Yes, sir," Ila replied, quickly coming to my side.

We got into the elevator and Ila pressed for the second floor. I noticed that her hand was shaking.

I didn't stare at her directly face to face but I examined her through the reflected mirror walls of the elevator. "I didn't take you as a woman who's into criminals or crime, coming from a prestigious hospital, good college and medical school, and a financially stable family. Don't be alarmed that I know so much, we run background checks. You do have a family history of cops."

"I-i didn't think I was either." She admitted. She answered while looking at the floor as if it was the one who was speaking to her.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you packed up your bags and left for England," I said.

Ila was confused. "Why would you say that?"

"You remind me of Matteo's mother."

"How so?'

"She wasn't into the illegal stuff. However, she stayed until she couldn't handle it anymore. Now, she's in England, living a simpler and "legal" life. The irony is she's doing all of that under a fake identity. I could have gone with her with my son but many people had already joined Il Bisbiglio and we were in a tight spot as a mafia. If I were to have dropped the illegal crime organization, their lives would have been negatively affected. So I hope that would help you think of me less than a monster."

The elevator doors opened apart and we stepped out of it. I led the way to the meeting room. The door was already opened but I stepped aside for Ila to walk in first. She took a seat next to Marcella, who saved her a spot, while I parted ways with her to stand in the front with Matteo. My son gave me a confused look, questioning my arrival with Ila.

"What did you talk about with Ila on your way here?" Matteo asked as he waited for people to take their seats and stop discussing among each other.

"The usual thing a drug lord dad would say to his drug lord son's potential wife."

"Which is?"

"That if she turns to the police and stabs me in the back, I would personally yank that knife out and she'll end up in a ditch with her body so messed up she'll be unrecognizable."

"Dad!"

I could see the anger rising within him. Something about me didn't like how much passion he held for her. It was the same passion I had for his mother that cause Il Bisbiglio to be in danger. For him and for now, I was going to keep my silence.

"I kidding." I laughed, "That would be a twisted thing to do."

My son sighed in relief, "But you did do that to Raul."

"I did, didn't I?" I smiled. "Should we continue with the meeting and see if the same can happen to Stollo?"

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