Chapter 23：Gael Santi Rivera (1)

"Son? I only have one parent and she's lying cold inside that box," Gael's icy, toneless voice pierced through Alessandro's heart.

He was in no mood for a reunion—especially not with some stranger who appeared in his life after sixteen years of absence. For Gael, Alessandro was nothing but a sperm donor. He had no father.

Alessandro lowered his head and kept his stare at his steepled hands. He couldn't blame his son for being cold towards him. He had expected this reaction, but what he did not expect was to meet his son under this circumstance. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Fair enough." Alessandro took a deep breath and leaned against the backrest of the chair. He no longer spoke after that yet he stayed seated next to Gael for the rest of the afternoon. He was an unwanted guest inside the house—the house that he bought with his own money—dirty money from the Mafia businesses his family managed and owned.

Gael briefly glanced to his right where Alessandro sat and he wondered why the man didn't leave. He had so many questions in his head but none of them seemed to matter at the moment. He had thought that he would feel something—anything—when he would finally meet the man. But nada.

No throbbing.

No happiness.

Not even heartache.

Nothing.

He felt empty.

This was why despite wanting to hate, he couldn't even do so because he felt nothing but numbness in his heart.

He never wanted to imagine life without his mother. Even after the countless hospital trips for the past years, he refused to accept the fact that she could die. He never wanted to believe it. He couldn't accept it.

But reality proved him wrong. Reality slapped him across the face heavily and painfully as if it was saying, "Life is not a fairytale. Everyone dies. So suck it up!"

Gael was in a dark place where he couldn't see beyond what he was supposed to do the next day. Heck—he didn't know what to do the next hour. His old grandmother who was also mourning over the loss of her daughter was no better. And he couldn't think of ways on how to cope up with the loss. All his life, he was taught how to live… No one ever taught him how to accept death.

The rest of the people around them who attended the wake went back to how they were before Alessandro De Luca arrived. None of them dared to even talk about the man behind his back for fear of the unknown. While the others, who weren't familiar with him, were dying to know what kind of man he was and why he was earning so many stares.

In the De Luca family, Alessandro was one of the 'Caporegimes or Capo'—a family head. While the De Lucas had several family businesses in New York, Alessandro spent most of his time in Italy where his father—the current Don or Big Boss—was staying.

Eighteen years ago, he met Isabella Rivera at a diner where she used to work as a waitress. She was still twenty-one years old back then and struggling to work and finish nursing school at the same time. He and his brothers frequented that diner and noticed Isabella. But with a six-year age gap, Alessandro was hesitant to make a move on her. It was only a year later when they actually hooked up and started seeing each other.

Isabella heard rumors about Alessandro and their alleged connections with the Mafia but she never felt scared around him and his brothers. It was probably why when he asked to take her out, she couldn't say no—she was also attracted to him; she had been for a year. Several months later, she got pregnant and had to take a break from her studies.

At that time, the Morellis wanted to take over New York. They were ambitious and stupid to think that they had the chance to even do so. War had ensued that cost many lives and it was then that Isabella got truly scared. Not for her life but for her baby. Her pregnancy wasn't planned as she and Alessandro had been careful but because of her new circumstance, she didn't want to be part of the mess anymore.

He couldn't blame her and he didn't want to put their baby in danger either. Which was why many months later when Gael was born, the two agreed to separate. A mutual decision that was led by careful consideration, fear, and love. And from that, they went through the heartache of separation to acceptance that it was how it was going to be from then on. Both thought that it was for the best. That what they were doing was for their child.

Isabella didn't want to accept Alessandro's financial help at first but practicality wise, she needed it. She had lost her job and had stopped her studies. And with the baby, there was no way she could raise him without any help. She pushed her pride aside and accepted the aid. He bought her a house and set up a school fund for his son.

With his help, she was able to finish nursing school which was supposed to happen had she not gotten pregnant. Apart from financial help for their son, Isabella refused to accept any more help from him. She did love Alessandro… but she loved her son more. As much as she could, she tried to raise Gael with good morals and be both the mother and the father in the family.

Alessandro's past with Isabella played in his head while he stared at her coffin. He had blamed himself for getting her involved in their family's mess. He dragged an innocent woman to his life and caused her too much trouble.

He was all kinds of evil. A man who wouldn't even blink if he had to take someone's life. But he was a responsible man. He may not be the most affectionate person in the world and he knew he had responsibilities as someone's father, but he couldn't be there for Gael as he grew up. However, he tried his best to help in any way he could.

He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. He knew he was going to hell for all the sins that he had done. But for all the lives that he had taken with his own hands, Isabella's life was the only one he felt regretful… even if she didn't die because of him or his family.

A sudden bump on his shoulder distracted him from his trance and he turned his head to the side to find his son Gael had fallen asleep. Gael's head rested on his father's shoulder.

"Sandro…" an old woman's voice came from behind.

"Mrs. Rivera." Alessandro wanted to stand up to greet Isabella's mother but remembered that his son was asleep and he didn't want to wake him up so he froze on the spot.

"Careful… Don't wake him up. He had been awake for almost forty hours. I have been telling him to take a nap but he refused to leave and wanted to stay here."

He looked at his son again and felt that his heart was being crushed. Gael just lost his mother and yet he tried to look and act all strong.

"Would you mind bringing him up to his room?" Mrs. Rivera asked.

Alessandro nodded. Even if she hadn't requested it, he would have already suggested doing so. Wordlessly and carefully, he lifted his sixteen-year-old son up in his strong arms and carried him to his bedroom on the second floor.