The Indifference of a Man Forgotten (BOOK I)

BONUS CHAPTER #1

--Marcos POV--

"Can I sign the-"

"-No." I didn't even hesitate in cutting him off.

"But why not?" Gio complained. You would think that as he grew older, his resolve to send me into an early retirement would diminish, but if anything, it's only grown by the year.

"Because I'm the owner of this company, and this document requires the owner's signature. Not the owner's son's signature." I found myself having to explain for the umpteenth time as he frowned, grumbling complaints under his breath.

"Even if I'm one day going to be the owner?" He curiously asked, raising his brows.

"Yes, that day isn't here yet, and won't be here for over another ten years. Keep waiting, Gio." I couldn't hide the laugh as I replied, ruffling his hair, something I knew he didn't like since he already had hair that refused to listen to him, something he got from his mother, so styling it was difficult enough as it was.

"Why don't you try hanging out with kids your age instead of me? Aren't kids your age supposed to think it's uncool to hang out with their parents or something?" It was my turn to curiously ask as I finished signing off the last document at hand.

"I'm not like other kids."

"Of course. You're different." I scoffed with an eyeroll.

"Anyways, my work here is done. And just in time for our flight back to Rome, it seems." I said, catching sight of the time on my wristwatch.

"It was such a waste of time." He mumbled, following me out of the office.

"No one told you to follow me. In fact, I remember telling you to stay with your mother and sister to sightsee, but you insisted on following me," I had business with one of my companies in Berlin, that's why I'm here, and while I was at it, I decided to bring my family for a small vacation, but Gio here didn't see it as a vacation, clearly.

"I didn't want to miss the opportunity to learn something useful for when I become the Chairman of this corporation," He defended himself as we left the building, being hit with the cold German air which was quite the opposite of the usual Roman temperatures that we were used to.

"Well, you've ended up missing the opportunity to sightsee instead," We stood at the front of the building, waiting for the valet to bring my car around to take us back to the penthouse I owned in this city.

"There'll be more opportunities," He didn't make any sense sometimes. He's ten years old right now, and his little sister, Lilliana Romano, just turned three about a month ago, we were a happy little family, although, quite odd.

Gio was such a stoic child who rarely smiled, and his smile's diminished even more after a certain traumatising event that took place a few years ago, but that was a topic for another time, something he hated talking about. And his sister was a quiet, shy little girl who was always smiling but hated sharing her thoughts. Nevertheless, both Dahlia and I loved them with every fibre of our being.

"Look! We caught them just in time." At the familiar voice, I picked my head up, smiling at the sight of my wife and daughter climbing out of the taxi that just dropped them off.

"What are you both doing here?" I found myself asking as Lilliana ran towards me as I picked her up in my arms, spinning her around as I kissed her cheek, my wife following her at a more calming pace, and once she was close enough, I leaned down to steal a quick peck before she went to hug a waiting Gio.

"We were looking around the town square while we waited for you to finish with work. We've still got a few hours left before the jet's ready to take us home, and there was a beautiful park that we thought we could enjoy while we waited."