Bound By Tragedy

Chapter 32 - Total chaos

"Shut up. Why don't you try dating someone? Then you'll see how it feels to be stricken by love."  I chuckled.

Niccolò has never dated anyone in his life. He gave up on love when his parents marriage fell apart. They got divorced. It affected him as a kid. His dad remarried another woman who was a complete bitch to Nico. She accused him of raping her and his dad sent him out of the house. Since we were friends, I invited him to live with me.

His mom was never heard from again.

"I don't do relationships, man. I fuck. I can never fall in love with any woman. That's just how it is. Love ain't my thing." He said with a smirk and stood up. "I gotta go. I just scored a one night stand with a blonde bimbo. Don't wait up for me."

"Trust me, I won't." I mumbled. He gave me the middle finger, stole my drink and walked out. Motherfucker. I glanced at my laptop to see that Aran wanted to FaceTime me.

Oh Fuck! What does he want now?

I begrudgingly answered it and his annoying face came into view. He seemed to have aged a bit since I last saw him. He was in his early forties. Based on his surroundings, I could tell he was at his casino.

"Yo! Let's make this quick old man. What do you want?" I grumbled with a huff and twirled Aaliyah's earrings with my fingers. I still found it hard to believe that she could do this to me. My friend. I chuckled harshly at those words.

Aran glared at me and retorted coldly, "Mind the way you speak to me, kid. You've got to learn some respect."

I rolled my eyes and spoke sharply, "Did you call to lecture me about respect or talk business?"

A barely dressed lady came into view on the screen and whispered something into the Don's ear. He whispered something back to her and slipped a dollar bill into her bra before turning back to face the screen with an annoyed look on his face, "I wouldn't call you if I didn't have something important to say. Now will you drop the fucking attitude and listen to me?"

"Whatever. I'm listening," I straightened.

"Who kicked your ass?" He asked when he noticed the bandage on my shoulder. He smoked a pipe and hollered for someone in Chinese to get him a drink.

I glowered, "Get straight to the point before I end this FaceTime."

Aran took a deep breath and decided to let it slide. Then he said something that I didn't expect, "Your dad was here earlier."

My sudden anger at him melted. I accessed the expression on his face but he didn't seem to be joking.

"What did he want?" I asked.

The person returned back with his drink. He sipped it and smoked his pipe again, "I don't know. He wanted to make a foolish deal with me about the Armani empire. I'm the overall ruler and for him to get back to being the Don again, he needs my approval."

I swallowed hard. I definitely didn't expect that. Once my dad regains control of the empire, everything will be in total chaos. Deep down, I was hoping Aran didn't agree to it but who am I kidding? The man is heartless.

He answered my unspoken question with a shrug, "Just to make this clear, kid, I don't like you. I don't give a fuck about your wellbeing or your feud with your shitty father but still..... I didn't agree to him."

That wasn't a surprise. The man hated my guts. He never loved his wife or the sons he disowned. He cared about no one but himself. I'm just shocked that he didn't approve of my dad's proposal to take back the Armani empire.