Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 1024 : Al vs Leo

*Leo*

“Come on, stop making that face,” Bianca grinned widely as she handed me a cup of freshly brewed coffee - filled with sugar just like I liked. I turned my tired scowl on her though I knew she didn’t deserve it.

Luckily, Bianca just gave me a smile like she found my annoyance endearing. I normally wasn’t so grumpy but a talk with Al at six in the freaking morning was not on my bingo card this morning.

“They’re here!” Bianca lit up as we heard a car pull into the driveway and I grumbled curses lowly under my breath as I followed my heavily pregnant fiance into the entryway. I had wanted to spend my morning cuddling in bed with her by my side but stupid Al had ruined it.

He owed me big for this.

“Bianca!” Mia burst through the front door with a huge beaming smile and spared no time in pulling her cousin into a big hug, mindful of the baby though. Her eyes widened as she stepped back to see how big Bianca’s belly was. “Wow, you really weren’t kidding- your baby is going to be a big one, that’s for sure!”

“Yeah, well, I just hope the circumference of his head isn’t as big as his daddy’s,” Bianca snickered, sending me a teasing look. I rolled my eyes.

“Why blame me? It’s probably your family’s genes,” I regretted it as soon as the words came out of my mouth because both Bianca and Mia turned to me with deadly looks. I sighed, turning away with a soft, “Never mind.”

“You know, it is a bit concerning though,” Mia said as the pregnancy attracted her attention again. “I don’t remember Aunt Rosa’s belly being this big except for when she had the twins. Even then, I still think you take the cake.”

“Well, the doctors looked and it’s definitely only one baby,” Bianca chuckled, rubbing her belly lovingly. “My belly does make it hard to move anywhere but from the kitchen to the couch but I’m making it work. I couldn’t even imagine trying to deal with twins. I love Chiara and Cesare but they are little troublemakers.”

“That’s the truth,” Mia sighed, looking tired just at the thought of the twins. “Anyway, Al should be here in a second. He’s getting the gifts–”

“You didn’t have to get gifts, Mia,” Bianca protested but her smile told another story as she squeezed her cousin’s hand in thanks.

“For my favorite cousin, of course, I did! Anything for my little niece or nephew, after all,” Mia cooed, leaning over to the belly like she was talking directly to the baby. I didn’t mention the fact that due to them being cousins, our child wouldn’t be Mia’s niece or nephew. Knowing how close-knit their family was, that would just end badly for me.

I drank the rest of my coffee, glancing at my empty mug with a bit of regret. However, my mood lifted as soon as Alessandro came in. I could barely see his head over the tower of gifts he was carrying, dozens of boxes and bags with designer labels and looking incredibly expensive and to my satisfaction, heavy.

I smirked at him as he passed by me.

“Not a word,” He growled but I already let out a snicker as Bianca directed him to the nursery upstairs. Mia and Bianca chatted as they headed after him and I followed behind at a lazy pace, making sure to keep an eye on Bianca as she slowly climbed the stairs one at a time.

I’d already tried to minimize her climbing the stairs as best I could but I knew she refused to listen to me. All I could do was stay behind her and hope that if something happened, I could catch her or at the very least break her fall.

Before Al and I could follow Mia and Bianca into the nursery, however, Mia whirled on us with a glare, blocking the door with her body.

“Nuh-uh, girl-time. You two go do the hard stuff!” Mia smirked, then winked at her husband before shutting the nursery door in our faces. I could hear the giggles from inside and I knew that they had planned this.

“This way,” I sighed, directing Al to the office. I’m sure he knew its location better than I did since he was an actual Valentino but Al just nodded as he followed me. I didn’t hesitate in the slightest as soon as I entered, grabbing two glasses and the finest whiskey I had.

I poured two glasses, not caring that it was six-thirty in the morning as I reclined back into the office chair with my drink. I sipped on the alcohol, the taste burning down my throat as I watched Al down his own glass in one go.

He looked exhausted, older than I remembered. He threw himself down into the aging chair, swirling the ice cube in his glass around as he stared pensively at the floor.

“Better to just get this over with, Al,” I sighed.

Alessandro nodded, glancing at me with his dark eyes. “You’ve been reckless lately.”

“Yes,” I didn’t deny it.

“It’s time to tell me everything that’s been going on,” Alessandro demanded, coldly. I could see the Don in him rising up, the pressure of his glare revealing just how angry he was. I knew he would be. Especially after the failed trap.

“Don’t you already know everything already? I’m sure you got an update from your loyal spies,” I said sarcastically, staring at the wall over his head. I sealed my lips shut in a tense frown, not letting Al pressure me to talk.

“There’s no smooth-talking your way out of this one, Leo,” Al said, slamming his glass onto the desk as he got to his feet. His narrowed eyes felt like blades on my skin. I swallowed uncomfortably, finally meeting his eyes though I regretted it just as soon as I did.

I felt like a child again, when Elio and I would misbehave back in the Italy compound, getting lectured by Alessandro until it felt like our ears would bleed. His gaze felt like he was looking at the same immature brat as back then.

My skin prickled with annoyance, my irritation at being treated like a child fueling my temper.

“You want to take over the position and then you want to quit. I send you Darion, dragging him half across the world so you can whip him into shape and you complain about him. You want me to exclude him then you want to keep him on and name him the Don. You get rid of one annoyance and then end up pissing off another one,” Alessandro ranted, listing off each offense as he paced in front of me angrily, “Then you fail to deploy a basic trap, which you did without even consulting me and using yourself as bait but then let the assailant get away!”

“Enough!” My patience snapped as I got to my feet, glaring at him furiously just as he turned to me coldly. “I have been doing my best as the leader–”

“If this is what you call being a leader then perhaps I made a mistake in giving you that position,” Alessandro snarled.

I stiffened, bristling with the weight of his anger and disappointment and then like a bag of air, all of it just drained away. My shoulders slumped as I slid back into my chair like the weight of the world was crushing me all at once.

I stared emptily at the desk.

“Leo,” Alessandro said, his voice softening. I gave him a tired look and he rubbed his forehead like he was nursing a headache. “Sorry. That was out of line. I gave you the Don position because I trust you and I still do.”

I nodded numbly, but as he sat back down, I could see for the first time how much extra stress I’d been putting on his shoulders. Looking back at my actions from his perspective, I knew where he was coming from. Having that distance made me see that I had been truly careless. Reckless, like he said.

A flash of blue eyes came to my mind and I suppressed a flinch.

“I talked to Darion,” Al broke the silence, giving me a wry smile. “He was eager when I asked if he felt he was ready to take over. Excited. Explained to me all the policies he wanted to implement, and how many changes he wanted to start on.”

I groaned, throwing my head back onto the chair. “Of course he did.”

“He’s clearly still too immature,” Al determined bluntly. “He’s gotten better, I’ll give you that. Some of the things he was saying weren’t too bad and he was actually thinking about the people under him. But he’s still not ready yet.”

“I know,” I said softly, shutting my eyes as I remembered Bianca’s sweet smile. Her touch and encouragement as we’d discussed this only last night. I knew it had been a long shot to get Darion to take over but even I could see that Darion was still too new to all of this to truly consider everything.

I shook off my disappointment, turning my gaze back to Al who only watched me carefully. Like a wolf waiting for any sign of weakness to pounce. I hardened my gaze, not willing to give him that opening.

“Bianca and I discussed it,” I told him honestly. “I’m willing to remain as the Don until we’re both comfortable that Darion can take over. Bianca is going to be staying on the sidelines- she’s been helping me with the real estate company since Darion isn’t interested in keeping it.”

“Good,” Al smirked but that roughness to him hadn’t yet faded and I knew that wouldn’t be the end of it. He eyed me coldly, eyes glinted with frustration as he continued, “Now about that failed trap of yours.”

“It wasn’t a failure. We gained their blood,” I said beneath my mask of indifference. I hoped to God he would just leave it there but of course he couldn’t.

“Not a failure?” Alessandro snorted, slamming his fist onto the desk, “What else would you call it, Leo? You let a culprit escape right out of your fingertips! What the hell was going on in your head? Were you too much of a coward because she was a woman or was she just too pretty for you?”

“We have her blood,” I snapped defensively, “We’ll get a name soon enough so get off my fucking back! I know what I’m doing.”

“You fucking better,” Alessandro got to his feet again, towering over me as he straightened out his suit. He glowered down at me with a gaze as sharp as a knife. “Because I don’t want to clean up any more of your messes.”

“You won’t,” I said lowly, fuming as Alessandro left, slamming the office door behind him. I was left alone in the silence, nothing but me and my own demons that loomed behind me.