Chapter 380 - Maybe Not Right Now

Gael came back in the car while Giovanni was still somewhere behind the hospital doing God knows what with Lia. When Angela told him where Giovanni was, he frowned and muttered something in Italian which sounded something like a curse. But he didn't go after his uncle—instead, he sat in the driver's seat and glared in the direction they disappeared.

Angela asked Gael why he didn't try to stop them if he was so worried. Then he paused for a second before answering, "Because if it were me, I know he'd let me. The asshole." He shook his head and scoffed.

They watched the corner until Lia came out and went straight to her car, then Giovanni emerged from the alley as well, his eyes following her until she turned the next block. He was in a pissy mood when he got back in the car.

"I don't want to talk about it," muttered Gio as he wore his cap and pulled the visor down, covering his face as he leaned back and shut the world out.

Gael and Angela exchanged looks. They didn't have to say anything to understand what the other was thinking, and they both decided it was better to leave Giovanni be for now.

The ride to the airport took about a little over an hour with the traffic. With Giovanni being in a sour mood, Gael and Angela kept their conversation light. They bypassed the security and headed to the tarmac where Gael and Giovanni talked to some officers before they went up to a private plane that's a little bigger than Gael's. It had the letters SVR printed on the side.

Gael and Giovanni exchanged a brotherly hug, and when Gio turned to Angela, he gave her a small smile. "Wanna come with me and visit the Queen, Homeslice?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and jokingly responded, "Depends. Do they have happy cookies?"

He threw his head back and laughed, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sure we could sneak in something."

Angela returned the gesture, feeling like a little girl in his arms. It made her remember Oliver. "Gio… It's going to be okay. From someone who has been through some crap, trust me. Maybe not right now or tomorrow, but it will."

Then she swallowed, thinking if she was actually telling him that, or reminding herself.

He stiffened for a split second before his shoulders dropped. Then he pressed a chaste kiss on the side of her head. "Thanks. Take care of him." He pulled away and waved before walking up the ladder and disappearing inside.

Gael pulled her to his side, placing a protective arm around her as they watched the plane take off. "Thank you for being nice to him," he whispered to her ear.

She looked up and kissed the corner of his lips. "He's your family. Your family is mine. And…honestly, he grew on me." She shrugged, and he grinned, kissing her once more before guiding her back to the car.

After their trip to the airport, Gael thought they could go back to the hospital so Angela could meet J's sister. He told her more about them, and she was amazed at how he took care of two strangers. When they got to the girl's private room, they had to wear a mask. Angela remembered that Gabriella sent her a photo one time with a sick girl smiling next to her. The girl in the photo and the one she met in the hospital were the same person. So Angela guessed that the "someone" Gabriella said she was close to must be J. She wondered if there was something between them.

Mika, J's sister, was a sweet girl. She was sixteen years old and had cystic fibrosis, so her immune system was quite weak. Though she had oxygen attached to her nose to help her breathe, she snickered and coughed whenever Gael cracked a joke. He didn't overdo it, though, knowing she had trouble breathing and laughing would only make it worse. He just wanted her to smile and not feel lonely. 

Angela learned that Gael didn't just become their legal guardian. Mika struggled a little when she talked, and she ignored Gael's scolding to take it easy as she went on and on about how he helped her and her brother. According to Mika, she was only around eight years old when Gael took them in and bought them an apartment in the city, a car, put her in the best healthcare coverage, paid for her and J's tuition, and other living necessities. He became their provider for nearly a decade. 

The whole time that Mika narrated what Gael did for her and J, Gael just sat quietly in an armchair with a phone in hand, checking his emails—and probably not knowing how to take Angela's gaze due to the newly found appreciation of his generosity. He fathered the two kids and took responsibility for them even though he wasn't expected to since they weren't blood-related. Her heart swelled, knowing that one day…when he would have children of his own, he'd be a great father.

Even though she hardly heard about J and his sister from Gael—she actually only knew about them recently—she somewhat understood why Gael didn't mention them. He had always been like that, keeping a lot to himself—especially when it came to his family. And he was humble despite all the money he had—well, mostly humble and cocky when he wanted to be.

Come to think of it, Angela noticed that the De Lucas were pretty much low profile despite the obvious wealth they amassed. They weren't flashy like the nouveau riche.

She just wished that he would share more stuff like this with her.

Mika looked between Angela and Gael from her bed, a glint of mischievousness passing in her eyes. The room had been quiet for a few minutes and Angela realized that she was staring at him for a while now. "So…" Mika began, her smile reaching her ears. "Can Jino come back for a few days? I think I earned some brownie points for making your girlfriend fall in love with you some more. Huh? What do you think?"

Gael snapped his head up, meeting Angela's gaze who swallowed before laughing. And then he furrowed his brows at Mika. "You little shit. Is that what you were doing?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Mika glanced at Angela.

Clearing her throat, Angela got up from the couch and grabbed an apple and a paring knife. She didn't want to be in between the two. "I don't know what you're talking about. Do you want an apple? I'll slice some for you."

Mika rolled her eyes and then grinned at Gael. "Pretty please?" She coughed, pressing her hands together in a pleading gesture. "He already missed Christmas and New Year with me. I'm turning seventeen. I miss him."

His jaw clenched as he stared at Mika and contemplated. "It's not safe for him to come back at the moment."

Mika pouted, her shoulders sagging as she slumped back in bed. "I wish I weren't so sick so I could go visit him instead," she muttered in almost a whisper.

Angela glanced at Gael and saw the defeat in his expression. He stared at Mika for a few beats before closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh. 

"God damnit, Mika." He brushed a hand down his face and then began tapping his phone screen. "Fine."

Mika's eyes sparkled as she watched Gael call J, telling him to return to New York. When the phone call ended, he got to his feet and gave Mika an eye. "Happy now?"

The girl nodded frantically, her eyes brimming with tears as she pulled on his arm and hugged it. He scoffed and mumbled, "You two are such a pain in my ass."

"You love us anyway." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he just smiled down at her, shaking his head and then ruffling her hair. He couldn't believe he let her talk him into allowing J to come back. 

Watching their interaction from the side, Angela saw an entirely different shade of Gael. Her heart raced a little, and its beating became louder that she could feel it in her throat. He was such a caring and loving man despite the harsh truth of his brutal background. She thought she knew him already, and yet every time, she'd learn something new. And every time, her heart would skip a beat.

How much more love could she take in her chest? She felt like she would explode any minute now as she fell deeper each time.

That's when Angela realized there was no going back.

Not like she wanted to. Not that she would ever try.