Lost Lombardi

Chapter 28

Meanwhile, in Johnson's house...

"Wait, wait, wait... you saw Dino where?" Robert asked Christy, taking another drink. Robert didn't usually drink like this, but ever since he lost his money, things had changed. The person who paid them to keep Dino stopped sending money. Furious about losing Dino, that person ensured Robert lost his job as well. With all these problems, Robert turned to drinking.

"In Verdant Heights," Christy said.

"Verdant Heights? Did you go to Verdant Heights? That's like... five hours away! Why the hell did you go there? You didn't even tell us!" Robert, now drunk, shouted, smashing the glass on the floor. He had never spoken to Christy like this before, but he became a different person after their money problems.

"Robert, why are you yelling at her? She told me where she was going!" Emily shouted. Her pink blouse no longer looked fresh and clean. Her hair was untidy, and she wasn't wearing makeup like she used to. Christy started crying and ran to her room.

"Christy, where the hell are you running to? Come back here and answer me!" Robert screamed.

"ROBERT, SHUT UP!" Emily shouted, but Robert slapped her, and she stumbled into the counter. She steadied herself, holding onto the counter to avoid falling.

"You two are planning things without telling me? Wasting money?" Robert pointed angrily at Emily.

"Why are you treating us like this? What did we ever do to you? It's that stupid boy! Why don't you take revenge on him?" Emily yelled, and a sudden gleam appeared in Robert's eyes as if he had just gotten a brilliant idea. Emily didn't care what Robert thought. She never did. He was a loser now, out of control.

Emily hated Dino. She always had. Emily and Robert had received a lot of money from a stranger for keeping Dino with them, and now, because of that boy, they had lost everything. She heard that Dino was with his real parents, though she didn't know who they were. The only clue they had was a few weeks ago when someone came to their house and beat her and Robert, saying it was "payback time." Emily assumed the guy was a hired thug.

Emily denied that Dino was from a wealthy family. She wanted the worst for him. Emily never wanted Dino to have a better life than her daughter, Christy. She imagined Dino came from a family of street thugs, and it made her feel better to think that way. She wished Dino would grow up to be a street thug too, end up in jail, or get killed by the police one day.

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Dino wasn't able to go to rugby practice until his ankle healed. It took about a week for him to recover fully. When he finally returned to practice, it was just as horrible as the first day. It was obvious the coach didn't like him, but he had no choice because Dino was Don's grandson. Helio was also Don's grandson, but he was good at rugby.

Sometimes, Dino felt like Pietro was always interfering in his life. He seemed to watch everything Dino did. At first, Pietro wasn't comfortable letting Dino go anywhere alone, even though he ensured Dino obtained his driver's license and bought him a car. After a long conversation, Dino was finally allowed to drive by himself. Now, he commuted to school alone in his new car.

"Wow! Your dad is so cool for buying you a car," Kacper said, looking at Dino's car parked in the school's student lot.

"Do you have a car, Kacper?" Dino asked.

"I don't have one," Kacper said sadly.

"Do you know how to drive? Do you have a license?" Dino asked.

"I have a license. They let me drive my stepdad's or my mom's car, but I don't have one of my own," Kacper replied.

"Why don't you ask your mom? Maybe she'll buy you one," Dino suggested.

"I don't think so. And I'm not really comfortable asking her for things. We're not as close as we used to be. We once shared everything and had no secrets between us. We enjoyed fun activities together, but now she doesn't have time for me. Maybe I'll buy a car one day when I get a job," Kacper said, looking upset, and Dino felt bad for him.

"Looks like someone got a new car," Helio said, parking his car nearby and eyeing Dino's.

"Don't touch it, or I'll tell my papa," Dino said, scared Helio might damage his car.

Helio laughed loudly. "Oh, Dino, you poor thing. Are you really that scared of a little damage to your car? Don't embarrass our family by letting everyone know how poor you are. I don't know why Uncle took you in instead of letting you rot in that mud puddle," Helio sneered, leaning close to Dino's face.

"If you're going to whisper that close, make sure to brush your teeth properly next time. Your breath stinks, Helio," Dino said, lying to provoke Helio and make him feel humiliated. In reality, Helio took great care of his hygiene.

Kacper couldn't help but burst into laughter. Furious, Helio punched Dino hard, sending him to the ground.

"Dude, it's early in the morning. Can we do this maybe in the evening?" Dino said firmly, his voice filled with anger.

Helio kicked some dirt at Dino, and it got into his eyes. Dino squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to open them.

"You jerk!" Dino yelled.

"You bottom feeder," Helio sneered.

Dino was furious but still couldn't open his eyes properly.

"Hey, Helio, where's your mom?" Dino said, still trying to clear his vision.

"Stop, Dino. He'll beat you," Kacper murmured in fear.

"Move away," Helio's voice got closer, followed by Kacper's painted gasp. Dino guessed Helio had pushed him aside. Then, Helio grabbed Dino by the collar, yanking him to his feet.

Dino knew Helio was about to punch him.

"Fair fight, right? Coward," Dino said.

"Stop! He can't even see. That's not a fair fight," Kacper shouted.

"Oh, is this your boyfriend, Dino?" Helio taunted, and Dino heard laughter from the crowd. He realized they had an audience.

"Ever heard of something called 'friends,' Helio? I doubt it, and I'm not surprised," Dino said.

Helio punched him, and Dino fell to the ground, hearing more laughter around him.

"This is how Helio Lombardi fights—only when he knows he'll win," Dino snapped.

"Dino, shut up. You can't even fight him," Kacper murmured in concern.

"Oh really, Dino Lombardi? Do you want to schedule a fight? Fine, let's do it," Helio said.

Finally, Dino managed to open his eyes after they watered up for a while.

"Okay, but let's invite our parents to watch it too," Dino said with a smirk.

"What kind of joke is that? You know I'm not fighting in front of them. You coward. Let's fight after school. Be prepared," Helio said, and the others cheered. "In front of the girls' school," Helio added.

"In front of the girls' school?" Dino looked at Kacper, surprised.

"Happy now, idiot?" Kacper said, annoyed.

"I can't keep my mouth shut like a coward when he bullies me," Dino replied.

"Okay then, be prepared for the fight in front of the girls' school," Kacper said.

"I'm not going to fight. I'll go home," Dino said, deciding to pretend he was ready for the fight all day but sneak home secretly instead.