Third Person's POV:
Ariana was thinking about whether to tell her parents or not about her mafia. She couldn't decide on what to do. As she was thinking deeply about it her family was also contemplating on the best course scenario. Both the situations had pros and cons.
"Princess, whatever you decide we will support you fully. You can do whatever you decide to do. I would just suggest you think carefully about your decision so as to not regret it in the future." Leonard said.
Ariana nodded and thought over it carefully. Then she decided on what to do.
"Ok everyone. I have decided to tell them the truth. As we all know the risks of being involved with us, it is better that they know and be prepared."
All of them nodded and fully supported her decision.
"How do you want to break it to them?" Matteo asked.
"Just go with the flow. We will find the right opportunity to tell them. Can you guys stay for the night and go to Italy after this settles down. I know that asking you to stay will disrupt your work and schedule but please if you all stay it will be much better and I will also feel better. But if it isn't possible then that is also fine." Ariana asked them.
"Of course my child. We will stay here to support you. Even if you hadn't asked we would have stayed. You don't have to feel guilty, your cousins are capable enough that we can stay here another day." Isabella said, caressing Ariana's head.
"Thank you nonna."
Just then the Parkers also arrived and Ariana was again nervous just thinking about what she had to say to them.
"Mom, dad, I missed you guys." She hugged them tightly.
"We missed you too Ari." Evan and Hollan said. While Ariana was hugging them she felt a soft body on my leg and she looked down to see that it was Milo. She quickly crouched down.
"Milo baby, I missed you too. Aww. You have grown taller. Did you miss me huh?" She hugged him and petted him. He enjoyed her petting and happily wagged his tail. He let out a soft bark and Ariana giggled. They both truly loved each other.
"Evan, come and sit with us. Let them play by themselves with Milo." Gabriel said and they went and sat with Robert."
"How are you Mr. Romano?" Evan asked Leonard.
"Good good. How is your job going Evan?"
They chatted for a while. Hollan also chatted with Isabella and Sophia.
"Hey Milo, come here now. I also want to play with you." Matteo said. Milo didn't even glance at him and continued to shower his attention to Ariana.
All of the Romano brothers laughed at him when they saw that.
"Even he knows who he should consider. I guess dogs know who has more IQ and whom they should interact with. Right Milo?" Benjamin mocked him and Milo braked as if to say that he agreed.
They all laughed at him even harder upon Milo's barking.
"See, even he is agreeing." Orlando laughed.
Matteo glared at them and then looked at Milo as if he had betrayed him and hurt him very much.
"As if you can ask him to come to you. He won't come to you either. So don't gloat so much." Matteo huffed in anger.
"Really then why don't we see if he will come or not. Milo, come here." Benjamin called him and Milo looked at him. It seemed as if he was contemplating whether to go or not.
"Hah! Look he won't go to you..." As Matteo was rejoicing he saw that Milo had dashed to Benjamin before he could complete his sentence.
Matteo "...."
"Hahahaha." Ariana laughed so hard that tears were running down her face. It was hilarious to see his face when he saw Milo dash to Benjamin. Everyone also chuckled and shook their heads. They couldn't understand as to why Matteo tortures himself like that always and he gets defeated every single time. Still he continues to do it.
Meanwhile Matteo looked like life has no meaning to it and he has been abandoned by the world. When Ariana saw him looking like that she couldn't help but sympathise and went to him to comfort him. After all, he was her twin and she couldn't see him looking like that.
"Hey twinnie, it's okay. You have me so you don't have to feel despondent." She said while she gave him a hug. Matteo felt like he was revived and he immediately became energetic again. He hugged her tightly, not letting her go.
"Hah! So what if you have Milo. I have my twin with me. I don't care about that dog. Hehehe..." Matteo was full of himself and mocked Benjamin not noticing that he was going to die soon.
Ariana couldn't help but shake her head and think that he was really courting death. Otherwise why would he poke twelve brothers who will rip him apart for saying that. She slowly let him go and moved to Leonard and sat beside him, the most safe place, and watched all of the scenes unfold.
"Sigh. I don't know where he got his low EQ from. It definitely is not from me." Leonard muttered beside her.
Ariana nodded her head and agreed with him. He surely has low EQ. Just as he said that sentence all of the other brothers turned and glared at him so hard that he froze on the spot.
It seems that he finally realized that he has said something that he shouldn't have said. He slowly turned and looked that all of them were glaring at him. He quickly turned and tried to flee from there but Orlando quickly grabbed him and stopped him from running away.
"Don't even think about it." Orlando said while gritting his teeth.
"Not so brave anymore huh?" Elio asked him tauntingly.
"Who said I am brave? Come out and don't slander me. Fratello, believe me, I am not brave at all. Not brave at all. In fact I am very cowardly, believe me." Matteo sure knew how to save his life.
Ariana and others were speechless at his shamelessness. Ariana lamented that he at least knew how to save himself at the critical moment.
"Then what were you saying about princess?" Antonio asked slowly.
"I was not saying anything. I meant that we all have her so why would we need Milo. Just that, believe me."
"Hmm, but I remembered you saying that you have your twin and you don't need anyone else then."
"I was wrong. I need all of you. I was just saying nonsense. Don't pay attention to that." Matteo cried out desperately.
They were all speechless again.
"At least he knows when to back out." Isabella murmured.
The Parkers were watching all of this and were very amused. They always worried about her but slowly they were letting their worries go as they watched the Romanos showering Ariana in their love and care.
They were content now that they watched all of them interacting. When Ariana saw them she remembered that she had to tell them the truth and her expression turned solemn.
On this side Matteo has finally saved himself. He was now sitting alone looking like he had given up on others and didn't want to talk with anyone. Milo went and sat beside Ariana and was playing with a toy bone. They all chatted for some time and then had dinner.
*****
Ariana finally managed to bring herself to talk with them. He took a deep breath and then went to their side. The Romanos nodded and gave her an encouraging smile, telling her to go forward and they will be there with her.
"Mom, dad, I have to tell you about something." She was nervous but she knew she had to tell them.
"What is it? Are you alright?" Evan asked concerned.
"I am fine, dad."
"Do you have a boyfriend and you want to tell us about him?" Hollan asked excitedly. She wanted her daughter to have someone she can rely on all of the time.
"No mom." Ariana was speechless. She thought that mom, shouldn't you be worried if I had a boyfriend, why are you so excited.
"Then what is it, Ari? You know that you can tell us anything right?" Evan said gently. Ariana nodded and braced herself to tell them the truth.
"Dad, mom, I have been hiding some secrets from you for a long time now. I wanted to tell you myself before anyone could. Just hear me out and please keep your mind open." Evan and Hollan exchanged a glance at each other and wondered what it could be. Nevertheless they nodded and listened patiently without interrupting.
"Actually back in Texas when I was working in the bakery I lied to you. I wasn't working there. I was going somewhere else. Actually one day when I was coming home some men tried to ambush me and robbed me. I was very terrified that night because I have never encountered anything like that and when I tried to run they surrounded me. I had no way to protect myself and tried to call for help. Just when I felt like I was doomed that day a man came and helped me. He single handedly defeated them and saved me."
By now Evan's face was pale and he was looking very furious while Hollan was crying a little. Just when they were going to say something Ariana shook her head and they remembered that they had promised not to say anything until she finishes her story.
"Nothing happened to me mom, dad, you can relax. I didn't tell you anything because I didn't want you to worry. I know that I was wrong but I was also immature back then. I am sorry."
"Anyway after he saved me, I forced him to teach me self defence so that anything like that never happens to me again. I didn't know anything about him then, just that his name was Levi. Some time passed and I learned from him how to defend myself. He told me that I had exceptional talent and he has met only a few people like me. I was also very determined and totally devoted myself to learning well. Then something happened and I happened to know who he really was. He was from the Garcia mafia which was the largest in Texas. He was their second-in-command."
Just then Evan and Hollan gasped in shock and they were looking at her in absolute horror. When Ariana looked at their expression her heart sank and she had a terrible feeling. This will not end well. Despite that she continued to tell because she knew if she didn't tell then she will not have the courage in the future.
"I was very shocked and thought that he had some ultimate motive and was going to harm me but as time passed I knew that I was wrong about him. Then I began to know about them, their mafia, their style of business and everything. Just so that I can find some fault and get away from them. But I didn't find anything with them. I got to know them better and eventually became part of them."
By then both of them were numb from hearing all of this. They hadn't expected to learn this.
"Yes mom and dad, I was part of the mafia. I used to go to their headquarters when I told you that I am going to the bakery. I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you will not understand and will be afraid. I am telling you all of this now because my family, Romanos, are... also... mafia..."
Silence. Utter silence all around. No one spoke anything. They all wanted them to absorb everything clearly and sort them out. Ariana sat there looking at their expression nervously. She knew that it would not be easy for them to understand. They never were a part of the mafia and were leading a pretty normal life away from all of the chaos and brutality of the world.
Still she hoped that they could understand her because she was part of the mafia and now she couldn't tear herself away from this life. It all depended on their decision now...
****
Happy reading.
Love, Stella.♥️