The Missing Princess

25: Forgiveness

Chapter 25

-Giovanni Di Luca-

I let out a heavy sigh as I watched Kirill run after Isabella.

I want to go and run after her as well; all of us do, but our cousin was right—we need to stay here and fix all of this shit. I don't know if this is still fixable, but what I do know is that I needed to talk and apologise to my fratellino.

"Get out of the room for a minute, Fratello." I patted Lorenzo's back, and he turned to face me. He looked absolutely conflicted and, at the same time, seething in anger and pain.

"No... Non posso." (I can't.) He mumbled, seeming so out of himself for the first time in his life.

I turned my head to look at our fratellino, and I frowned as I saw him curling into a ball in the corner again and quietly crying.

Both of them just look so out of it, and I guess it's up to me to try and snap them back. I need to speak with the youngest first before I move on to the eldest.

"Lorenzo, I am asking you to step out of the room first to give me and Niccolo some privacy. At the same time, you also need some time to yourself to gather your thoughts and cool your emotions down. Per favore." (Please) I gently asked him.

Lorenzo looked hesitant and wanted to argue with me, but he turned his head and looked at our fratellino, and after a few moments, he let out a sigh of defeat and eventually nodded his head.

"Va bene." (Okay.) He was about to walk through the door, but I called him again, knowing what he was about to do and where he was about to go.

"E non seguire Isabella e Kirill! (And don't follow Isabella and Kirill!) Leave them be for now; Kirill knows what to do and say to her. At the moment, he's the only one who is best suited to talk to her and get her to understand that what happened to our parents wasn't her fault. Our principessa needs Kirill more than she needs us right now, so please don't, fratello." I told him, and I know that he understands exactly what I'm talking about.

"I know. I'm going to my room. You and I are going to talk later, Fratello." he said, looking sadly at Niccolo before exiting and closing the door behind him.

We definitely need to talk. There's a lot for us to talk about.

After Lorenzo left, I walked to Niccolo's curled-up figure and crouched down in front of him. My whole body was swarmed up in guilt; I couldn't even bring myself to look at my baby brother.

He's been alone all this time, despite being home, despite having two of his older brothers here, he has utterly been alone and ignored.

We really hadn't been a proper big brother to him, so why the hell do we expect him to be a proper big brother to Isabella?

"I'm so sorry, Fratellino."

"You are four years too late, Giovanni."

I guess I am. I was so consumed with my hatred towards our father, our older brothers, the illegal businesses, and the mafia that I somehow managed to drag Niccolo along with it. I was just so disappointed in him when he chose Lorenzo and the stupid mafia over going to the UK with me, but I know now that wasn't an excuse to just ignore him altogether for four years.

My baby brother needed me, but I left him; we all left him.

*FLASHBACK*

(4 years ago)

(Gio was 22 years old and Nicco was 13 years old)

"I've got a cool and spacious apartment here in London where the two of us could live. I've also checked their private schools, and it's really great, along with their football team that I'm sure you're going to easily get into." I excitedly told my fratellino on the phone, hoping and praying that he'd finally come to his senses.