Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

NICO

I almost talked myself out of coming here.

I rationalized that it would be just as effective sending either Vlad or Danny to come here. All they had to do was drag her to her father's compound. Once she was there, I would have figured out exactly how to speak to her. But I knew deep down that wasn't true. She would never give either of them the time of the day. And judging by the expression on her face, she's about to tell me to fuck off as well.

I haven't seen Aurora Maranzano in ten years. In some ways, she's utterly, devastatingly unchanged. And yet, there are some things that have changed. She walks toward me with an air of confidence, her captivating brown eyes sharper than before. I know without her even standing close to me, that her eyes have flecks of green in them. It's something nearly everyone would miss, but I spent the better part of my teenage years staring into those eyes. I know them well.

Her figure boasts alluring curves that are impossible for me to ignore. There's a white fur coat hanging on her shoulders. I wonder if it's real fur or a high-quality fake. Underneath she's wearing a striking emerald-green suit, with a sleek skirt that stops just above her knees, hugging her form elegantly. The color accentuates her features, complimenting her wavy brown hair, which cascades down her back.

Honestly, in the time since I last saw her, she's only grown even more painfully beautiful. Which is unfortunate. Extremely fucking unfortunate.

She walks right past me, stopping in front of the door. She's by my side now, and the smell of her perfume washes over me. Coconut and roses. It's just how I remember it. I arch an eyebrow when she doesn't even look at me. She simply inputs the code into the keypad and enters. She's pretending I'm not even here.

I smirk, amused. She's about to shut the door in my face when I wedge my foot in the gap. She's not deterred; her movements are controlled as she continuously tries to shut the door with my foot still in the way. This goes on for over a minute. I roll my eyes when she refuses to stop, despite it having little to no effect on me. With only one hand, I'm able to stop her, pushing against the brown oak door and forcing it open.

"You don't mind, do you, sweetheart?" I ask as I walk past her and enter the house.

That's the first thing I've said to her in a decade. It's a little disappointing. I hear her let out a soft huff of frustration from behind me.

"Get the fuck out, Nico!" she yells.

Those are the first words she has said to me in that time as well. In her case, though, those first words are oddly reminiscent of the last. I ignore her, taking in her house. She lives on the fifth floor of a high-rise apartment building. Every inch of her home speaks volumes about the owner's refined taste.

In the living room sits a large, plush sofa in a soft, neutral tone. There are a few fluffy throw pillows placed on it. The pillows are a splash of color that complements the abstract pieces of art hanging on the cream walls. Light pours in through large, elegantly draped windows, enhancing the airy feel of the space. The curtains are a soft, flowing fabric that allows just enough light to create a cozy, yet bright environment. An intricately carved wooden coffee table sits in the center of the room.

Every detail of the space is meticulously curated and cohesive. It's all so very her.

"If you don't leave in five minutes, I'm calling security to drag you out," she threatens. "Who even let you up here?"

I turn around, my gaze meeting hers. "No one ‘lets' me do anything, Aurora."

She crosses her arm over her chest, eyes alight with fury.

"You're trespassing. I don't fucking want you here!"

"Do you think saying that over and over is going to suddenly make me do something I don't want to do?" I ask seriously.

"Of course not," she snaps. "Because it's ten years later, and you're still a fucking asshole with an irritating god complex who doesn't give a fuck about anyone else."

I cock my head to the side at that. "Exactly why are you getting so emotional?"

She doesn't usually lose her cool. The majority of the time, she's got a good head on her shoulders. She's usually focused singularly on getting what she wants. It's a quality that I can relate to well. It's why we used to be such good friends.

Friends . The friendship has burned to ashes now. For a plethora of reasons, not the least of which is the hate currently pouring out of Aurora and filling the entire space. It's like she wants me to choke on it. I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of being bothered by her volatility. I'm here on a mission. And I'm not fucking leaving until I get what I want.

Aurora scoffs, "You're in my space without invitation, threatening my very existence, and I'm being emotional? What the fuck else am I supposed to do?"

"Dramatics are another thing you've managed to learn these past few years," I drawl. "How exactly am I threatening your existence?"

"By standing in front of me," she replies easily, her tone biting. "By showing your face and making me even remember your existence."

That stings more than I'll ever admit. Because it means she forgot me, and that's unacceptable.

"Why are you here?" she asks. "What do you want?"

"Finally. Now you're asking the important questions," I state.

"Answer them and get out. And while you're at it, tell me why Adrian Rossi showed up in my office earlier today."

I arch an eyebrow in surprise at that. I know he threatened to approach her, but I didn't think he'd actually go through with it. Especially since we had that conversation a month ago. And, in that time, he didn't make any moves. So why did he choose to do so today?

The only logical reason would have to be that he knew I was coming to see her. That shouldn't be fucking possible, though. Not unless he has a spy among my men. I grit my jaw hard enough to crack it.

Aurora snaps two fingers in front of my face, and I'm surprised by how close she's gotten. Granted, she had been inching closer the entire time she was yelling at me.

"Hello! Earth to sociopath. Tell me what's going on."

I roll my eyes. "So fucking bossy. I see that hasn't changed, princess ."

She glares even harder. She hates the title and everything it stands for. She has hated it for her whole life. Instead of rising to the bait, she steps away, toward the sofa. She takes off the coat hanging on her slim frame and places it on the arm of the sofa. I watch as she takes a seat, crossing her legs and arms.

"Well, go on then. Tell me exactly what chaos is brewing that's suddenly making all the rats skitter out into the daylight."

A muscle clenches in my jaw. "What do you want? A presentation? Should I go buy a whiteboard and some markers in order to explain to you what the fuck's going on?"

"If it'll make you leave, then sure, by all means," she states with a pleased smirk.

"Nice try, Aurora. But I'm staying and you're going to shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say, understand?" I ask, my patience fraying at the edges.

She arches an eyebrow but keeps her mouth shut.

Thank fuck for small mercies.

I open my mouth to speak, and then I close it. I shut my eyes in frustration. Because it's suddenly hitting me, the reason I'm here. The past five minutes have created an atmosphere that's going to make delivering this news much worse than I planned. I didn't want it to be this way.

Fuck .

"Your father's dying."

The words come out in a cold, unfeeling way. Sympathy eludes me, especially considering the way she's acted in the past few minutes. It turns out that sympathy's unnecessary, because Aurora takes the news with a stoic expression.

"I see," she says after a moment.

My jaw twitches. "You see?"

"Yes, I see. You said Valerio is dying. I said I see."

"I see," I say again, my words a murmur.

My gaze trails over her face, searching for any trace of emotion. A few minutes ago, she was yelling at me, her brown eyes bright with fury. And now, at the news of her father's death—nothing. I'm not sure how that makes me feel.

"Did you come all the way here to tell me that? That's a little melodramatic," she says.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I ask after several seconds pass.

She shrugs. "What's wrong with me is that there's an asshole standing in my home acting like he owns the place."

"Quit the bitch act. It doesn't suit you."

She glares at me. "You don't have a clue what suits me or not, so don't act like you do."

I inhale once, then exhale. I fix her with a hard look.

"You're coming with me."

"I can assure you, I am not," she says calmly.

"Aurora, your father's going to be dead in fucking days."

"Why the hell should I care? Why the hell do you? I know for a fact that he didn't ask you to bring me to his deathbed or make any similar requests. So why are you here, Nico?"

That gives me pause. She's right. Even in his last days, Valerio hasn't said a word about seeing his two daughters. He has no idea that I'm here. He went through great pains to erase them from his life. Like they never even existed at all. And it seems his daughter shares the same sentiment.

I'm not going to even try and pretend to understand the concept of family. I've lived without one of my own for most of my life. But one thing I'm sure of, is that no matter how much pain or torment is hanging over their heads, family shows up for one another. I knew there's a rift between Valerio and his daughters. After all, he hasn't spoken to either of them in a decade. I just didn't think it was this wide.

"He has a heart condition," I find myself informing her. "A few years ago, he got a bypass surgery which was successful. But two months ago, he suddenly had a heart attack, which is when the doctors told him he only had two months to live. As of yesterday, I was informed he only had mere days. He's been slipping in and out of consciousness in the past week, barely surviving."

Not a lot of people are aware of the Don's condition. Only the made men who sit at the table and a couple of trusted capos know. We've been keeping things quiet, and we plan to do so until his eventual passing.

Aurora doesn't even blink at my words. "That doesn't answer my question as to why you're here, Nico."

She's being fucking cruel. And I hate it. I hate it even more because I know it's all a front. This isn't really who she is.

"You're his daughter. You should see him before his death."

"I'm not going," she says resolutely. "I have nothing to say to him."

"I didn't ask you to say anything. But he at least deserves to see his daughter before he passes. Both of them," I add meaningfully.

That gets a reaction out of her, just as I was expecting. Her body tenses.

"Where's your sister, Aurora?" I ask.

"None of your business."

"She left New York a couple of hours ago," I say, answering my own question. "Lucia's currently on a flight to Brazil. Let me guess, to see your aunt? Did you honestly think I wouldn't know, Aurora?"

"Leave Lucia out of this," she hisses.

"It was a smart call. Getting her to leave so quickly. But remember, there's nowhere in this world that I wouldn't go to get what I want. If I wanted to get Lucia back in this city, I could do it so easily," I say confidently.

"Are you threatening me into going to see my father?"

A low laugh escapes me at that. It's humorless, entirely without feeling.

"No, sweetheart. There's no reason for me to do that. I only wanted to inform you about his death out of courtesy. Because I thought you deserved to know and have a chance to see him one last time. I was trying to be humane."

"Nothing could ever make you humane, Nico," she murmurs.

"Be that as it may," I continue. "I'm going to ask you one more time, Aurora. Are you coming with me or not?"

"No."

"All right. According to the doctor, Valerio only has four days to live, maybe less. Which means you have four days to think it over. Find a place in that cold, dead heart of yours to start caring about your father's death."

"I'll let you know if that happens," she grits out.

"We'll talk again after your father passes, princess ," I say, my tone mocking.

Her eyes narrow. "What more could you possibly want from me?"

I smirk at that, because while I might have come here in order to speak to her about matters much bigger than her father's impending death, there's a lot more riding on this little reunion of ours. I didn't end ten years of silence simply because of I wanted her to see her father. I'm not a fucking saint.

"You have no idea, sweetheart."