Dino and Kacper got their backpacks and phones back from Helio. To Dino's delight, Helio had spent hours in Don's office discussing what he had done. Dino didn't know what Don had said to Helio, nor did he want to find out. What mattered was that Helio received a fitting punishment for his actions.
Dino waited in the den, eager to see Helio's face when he emerged. Finally, Helio walked out, his face flushed. It was clear he was furious, his eyes glistening with angry tears.
"Hey Helio, looks like you had a long conversation with Grandpa," Dino said, forcing a smile that felt more fake than excited. Helio didn't respond, shooting a glare at Dino instead. He rushed out of the house, leaving Dino to laugh at his phone as if something amusing were on the internet.
"Dino, what's so funny?" Pietro's voice cut through the laughter, stopping him in his tracks.
"Papa, it's just a funny video," Dino replied, trying to sound casual.
"Is it that funny, huh?" Pietro asked, skepticism lacing his tone. "Show me."
Dino felt a flush of embarrassment wash over him. He hadn't even been watching anything funny; the video on his screen was dull at best.
"Oh, it's gone. I accidentally refreshed it," Dino said quickly. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, the tension thick in the air.
"What was it then?" Pietro pressed, curiosity piqued his interest.
"It's a... it's a... cat video," Dino stammered. "A stupid one."
"Hmm." Pietro lost interest as Dino failed to provide a satisfactory answer. "Wait, were you watching—give me that phone." Pietro grabbed Dino's phone and began to scroll through it.
"No, no! I wasn't! Do you think I'm stupid enough to sit in the den laughing at cat videos?" Dino protested, raising his voice.
After checking Dino's phone, Pietro handed it back. He didn't care about his son's personal space or privacy—after all, Dino was under 18 and depended on him. Pietro's father had kept a close eye on him until he reached adulthood, and he intended to do the same with Dino.
"Well, I have to tell you something. I'm not going to buy you a new car again until you prove you deserve to have one. You can take one of mine. If you maintain it properly, I'll consider getting you a new one," Pietro said firmly.
"Am I allowed to go alone without Luca?" Dino asked, hopeful.
"Yes, you are," Pietro replied. He hesitated, wanting to warn Dino that if he did something stupid like before, he'd have to go with Luca. But then he second-guessed himself. What if saying it out loud made Dino hide things from him to avoid going with Luca? Dino had already proven that he was smart with schoolwork, but not so much with real life. Pietro couldn't shake the worry that Dino might get into more trouble.
—----------
"So, was your phone and backpack okay?" Dino asked Kacper the next day at school.
"Yeah. Nothing's missing. No damage," Kacper replied.
"Did you tell your mom about what happened?" Dino asked.
"No. She and my stepdad are not home these days. They're on vacation. My two little sisters are just five and four, so they don't go to school. They all traveled together," Kacper said, and Dino noticed the pain behind Kacper's eyes.
"I'm sorry, man," Dino said sincerely.
"I'm okay. I'm actually happy to be alone. My little sisters are so annoying. It's peaceful without them," Kacper said, forcing a smile. But it didn't quite reach his eyes; his voice cracked slightly, and his lips trembled as if he were trying not to cry. "Maybe you can come to my step dad's house sometimes."
"That's great! I'd love to come," Dino said happily. Kacper's face lit up.
"So, what happened to Helio after the incident?" Kacper asked, and Dino recounted the punishment Helio received from his grandpa. Dino never referred to his grandpa as Don in front of others; to everyone else, he was just a businessman. Only a few close partners knew Giuseppe Lombardi was the real Don.
"What if he bullies us again?" Kacper asked, concern evident in his voice.
"He won't," Dino said, laughing.
Meanwhile, Johnson's...
"Robert, how many days are we going to wait at this lakeside for that brat? We've been here for a whole week now, and he never came," Emily said to Robert. Both of them were sitting on a bench by the lakeside of Verdant Heights.
Emily wore a cheap old scarf around her head and huge sunglasses, as if she wanted to hide her face. Her husband wore a hat and sunglasses too.
Suddenly, Robert's phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and was shocked to see the number.
"Oh, wait, wait. It's her," he said, getting up from the bench to answer the phone.
"Hello, madam," he said, sounding like an obedient dog. It was almost as if he had a tail he would wave like a dog wagging its tail for its master.
"Madam, we've been here for seven days, but he hasn't come yet. Okay, madam. Okay, okay. Have a good day, madam," Robert said, bowing a few times as if the person he was talking to was actually in front of him. Two ladies passing by stared at him curiously.
"What did she say?" Emily asked as soon as Robert ended the call.
"She asked us to find him, any way we can," Robert said. "She asked us to stay here until he comes back." He looked frustrated.
"Oh, shit," Emily snapped. "I'll kick that brat as soon as I find him. All this trouble is because of him. He destroyed our lives," Emily shouted. A passerby, startled by her sudden yell, stumbled and nearly fell.
"Are you okay, lady? Is this weirdo trying to hurt you?" the man asked, pointing at Robert.
"No, he's not. He's my husband," Emily said, feeling embarrassed. Robert was speechless. The man blushed.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said, quickly leaving them.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Lombardi
قصص عامةThis is a family type of story and not a BxB story. Dino had always dreamed of escaping his miserable life with his foster family, who constantly mistreated him. As an adopted child, he never felt loved or wanted, but he had a plan: work hard, fini...
