Mafia's Only Daughter ✔

62. When Joy Turns Bitter

THIRD PERSON POV:

Anthony hugged the girl tightly, and she wrapped her arms around his torso. He gently caressed her hair and kissed her forehead before pulling back.

"Nonno." She said, smiling up at him.

"My Only Granddaughter." Anthony responded warmly as she removed her shades, revealing her eyes.

"Dad, let me meet my daughter." Leonardo said, stepping forward to pull her into a heartfelt embrace.

"Papa." She murmured softly as they pulled back.

"Look at her she's grown up so much in just a few months." Eleanor said, approaching her with affection.

"She doesn't look the same as before." Aubrey remarked, kissing her forehead lovingly.

"Won't you hug me, Uncle Seb?" She asked Sebastian after greeting her other uncles and aunts.

"I'm angry." Sebastian replied gruffly. "You left for India, when you could've come to America or even Canada, but you chose India. WHY?"

"Uncle Seb, if I had worked here or with any of you, I wouldn't have learned how to handle pressure. You all would have treated me too specially and that's not what I wanted, you know?" She explained with a smile, trying to ease his temper.

"But still, you could have told us. We would have done something to help." He said stubbornly and walked off.

Tears welled up in her eyes at seeing him upset. The other brothers watched with amused smiles, except for the eldest and Isandro. Anthony, noticing her distress, darkened his gaze and said in a firm, commanding tone.

"SEBASTIAN ANTHONY ROMANO, GET YOUR ASS BACK RIGHT NOW!"

The boy standing beside Isabella flinched, and so did she. Seeing her tears finally fall, Sebastian rushed back and enveloped her in a tight hug. She sobbed against his chest, her shoulders shaking with emotion. After pulling away, Aubrey promptly kicked Sebastian's rear, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Eleanor burst into laughter at her son's predicament while the other Romano boys stared in shock.

"Aubrey, leave him, my child. He's dumbed." Anthony said, shaking his head at his daughter-in-law.

Leonardo stepped forward; his tone gentle. "Let's go and have something, Stella. You must be hungry, my dear."

"No, Dad, I had breakfast outside already." She replied politely.

"Okay, then." Leonardo sighed, knowing how stubborn his daughter is.

"I'll be in the library I have a meeting." She said politely, looking at her grandparents.

"I'll join you in a bit, Dad. I have some work to complete." She added with a small nod.

Leonardo smiled and nodded back before leaving.

"Who is this boy?" Liam asked, pointing toward the young man beside her.

"He is Advay Joshi, my brother." Isabella said with a smile. The elders collectively sighed in relief at the clarification.

"Isabella, let's go. We'll be late for the meeting." Advay said, grinning at her.

"Wait." Eleanor interjected firmly. "You both can work here. No one will make any noise."

Neither Isabella nor Advay dared to disobey Eleanor. They nodded in agreement and settled down beside each other at the large table. Soon, a young girl entered the room carrying some files and a laptop.

The meeting began. Most of the time, the other party did the talking. After about twenty minutes of listening, Advay started speaking confidently while Isabella remained focused, working on something on the tablet Advay had been holding earlier.