Ties of Blood (Book One)

Chapter 42 ~ Matteo

Matteo Moretti 

I was home again, Gianna's shift ended at 3pm today so I had time to do some work, which I had pretty much be doing like a robot for the past few days.

I settled at my desk for, it felt familiar this was what I was used to but I missed Gianna so much. My ears used to be filled with her laughter now the low hum of the radiator was all I had.

30 minutes later, I was all caught up.

Ironic, I had enough money to live in luxury for the rest of my life but I couldn't without Gianna. I was a billionaire and couldn't buy the one thing I wanted most in the world.

I continued working still, I worked because I could and I had nothing else to do, not because I enjoyed it.

Being in my father's place was what I'd always wanted, but now it wasn't.  I didn't care what I was as long as it was with Gianna.

Alonso knocked on the door pulling me out of my state, "Come in," I say not looking up from the screen.

"Mr Morreti? You have a visitor,"

That piqued my interest. I half expected it to be Alessandro go update me on all the planning for his and Camilla's wedding. I stood from my seat, ready for who ever was behind the door, only I wasn't. I only took a few steps but my heart stopped for a moment.

It had been 22 years yet I could recognise her brown eyes anywhere. It had been 22 years yet she still had that habit of pushing her glasses up her nose when she was nervous.

My mother. Lucinda Connors.

I recognised her from the picture, she stood in silence for a moment, like she was shocked I was even here.

She took a shaky step forward and Alonso read the room exiting the awkward moment immediately.

She took a few steps closer to me, her bottom lip was trembling. "Matteo," she breaths my name out.

"Lucinda," I saw, dryly.

She sinks back at me calling her by her first name, "I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here, um," she wets her lips.

I keep quiet, just staring at her, a flurry of emotions boiling beneath my skin.

"I've missed you," she says softly.

"Where the fuck have you been?" I ask, I wasn't sugarcoating shit for her.

She hesitated slightly, "I didn't want to, I love you and Nico and that will never change. But, me and your father had some issues. He was rich, I wasn't, we fell in love and did some stupid things. He went against his family to be with me and I thought he was the one. But, one day, on my birthday to be exact, I walked in on him having-," she choked on her words.

"Let's just say, I wasn't his one. I tried to say something about it and he promised he would change but he didn't. I found out about it when I was pregnant with Romano, you were two, and just a sweetheart, but he didn't change, and after 5 years I had enough and I left," she found my eyes again, hers wer blurry with tears, "I didn't want to be with a cheater Matteo, but it was selfish and-" she sniffed, "I didn't have any money, and your father could provide for you way better than I ever could."

I kept quiet, letting it sink in. So that what why my father was so vivid when I asked him who or where my mother was.

She used a shaky hand to dry her tears and takes a deep breath, I'd dint even notice she was crying, "You're so grown up now," she smiles weakly and places her hand at her side.