The Lost De'Luca

Chapter Seventy Eight

Third person's pov-

The door burst open, and the former Don of the Russian mafia barged in. Despite his age, he looked strong, and muscular, the only telling sign of his age was his grey hair. His eyes scanned the room before landing on Gabriella. He froze, his gaze fixed on his granddaughter. "Avrora," he whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of longing and pain. His throat felt clogged, as he struggled to control his emotions.

Antonio's hand instinctively went to his gun, pointing it at him, his eyes narrowing. He knew exactly who he was, but where Gabriella was concerned he didn't care.

"Put your gun down, boy," Vladimir said calmly, his eyes gaze never leaving Gabriella. "I am your grandfather."

Antonio's grip on the gun tightened. "I don't care. If you're here to cause trouble, I suggest you leave. Now. Or I won't hesitate to pull the trigger." He snapped

Vladimir finally tore his gaze away from Gabriella, his eyes locking onto Antonio's. A small smile spread across his face.

"You caused quite the stir before you were even born, boy," Vladimir said, his eyes clouding over with old memories.

"Your mother, my daughter, had to leave my house because of you." His voice was laced with a mix of regret and resentment. His eyes still held pain even after so many years.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?!" Antonio growled, his finger inching closer to the trigger.

"Tony, calm down. If he wanted to cause trouble, he would've done it already." Gabriella tried to reason with him.

Vladimir's looked at Gabriella again, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Just like my Avrora," he said softly. His eyes shining with undeniable love.

"I asked you a fuckin' question!" Antonio growled, his anger growing with each passing minute

"Put your gun away, and we'll talk, boy." Vladimir said, seeming rather amused instead of threatened.

After a moment, Antonio hesitantly lowered his gun. Vladimir sat down comfortably in the chair opposite Gabriella, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and caressed her hair softly. Gabriella reminded him so much of his Avrora.

"I apologize for what Viktoria did to you" Vladimir said to Gabriella, his voice laced with regret.

"You knew?" Gabriella asked, her eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, I did. I tried to stop Viktoria from acting foolishly, but she was consumed by her desire for revenge. After all, your brother here did murder her father." He said, his eyes distant like he was reliving a horrible experience.

"That's because that bastard tortured my siblings! He deserved to die, and I'd kill him over and over again if I had the chance." Antonio defended himself.

"There are two sides to every story, boy. Don't jump to conclusions based on what you were told or what you saw." Vladimir's words hung in the air.

Gabriella's brow furrowed, her eyes darting between Vladimir and Antonio. What did he mean by that?

"Let me tell you something, boy. Maxim loved his sister with every fiber of his being. Do you really believe he would try to hurt her children, whom he knows she loves so dearly?" Vladimir said as he looked at Antonio, his gaze unwavering.

"My siblings would never lie!" Antonio snapped, his grip on the gun tightened from anger.

"I never said they lied, boy. But remember, sometimes things aren't always as they seem." Vladimir said with a shrug causing both Gabriella and Antonio to frown.