Debt To The Mafia King

Chapter 19

I was shattered and just wanted to crawl into bed but I still had one more promise to keep. I had Danielle escorted to my office so that I could chat to her about her mother. She was extremely hostile towards Alexandra when she tried to explained about her past but I know that she won’t test me. She was already dressed in her pyjamas and had her hair up in a high pony tail. It looked like I had disturbed her sleep and I kind of felt bad. However, this might be the only opportunity I get to sort this out before I am swept into the drama which was to come. 

“You wanted to see mr?” She asked, sitting where Nico had sat 20 minutes earlier.

“I wanted to check in with you to see how you are doing”. Danielle shrugged and pulled a funny face.

“Eh, can’t complain” she replied.

“Is everyone treating you well?” I asked, beating around the bush. 

“Yeah, great actually. Ricco took me out for my first driving lesson yesterday, that was pretty fun” she smiled as she thought about it. 

“I hope I don’t have to pay for any damages” I joked and she sniggered to herself.

“I’m not that bad!”. 

I chuckled with her and then leaned back on my chair. She stared at me, waiting for me to speak whilst I thought about how to approach the situation. I needed to do it sensitively because Danielle is a sensitive girl.

“Listen, I heard about what happened between you and Alex and...” she rolled her eyes mid sentence and her smile dropped.

“Wow, she’s already come running to you like the little b***h she is then?” She asked with attitude.

I tried to hold back a little so that I didn’t react aggressively. I didn’t like how disrespectful she was to her older sister and she needs to be taught some manners. I know however, she is a teenager and whenever an adult starts trying to speak to a teenager with authority, they shrivel into a ball and end up exploding somewhere else. I didn’t want her to go away and then lash out later on, getting herself into serious trouble with the wrong person. So I decided to try and take the understanding approach with her.

“Actually, I wanted to make sure that you were okay” I finished and she widened her eyes.

“I couldn’t imagine finding out that I wasn’t an only child, having to meet my sibling for the first time at 16 and then being told that my mother was a complete waste of space. I get that it was probably a lot to deal with all in one go and Alexandra should have probably given you time to adjust”. 

“Exactly!” She sighed dramatically and I smirked to myself, thinking how easy that was to change her attitude. 

“Mum was always good to me, she took care of me and showed me nothing but love and affection. I shouldn’t have to hate her because she didn’t do the same with Alexandra” she said immaturely. 

“I completely get it” I said and stood up to perch myself on the desk in front of her. She watched me intensely as I leant against it and towered over her with my arms crossed. 

“But I need you to try and see it from her side too. She was a baby when her mother left and blamed Alexandra for ruining her life. She abandoned her with a friend and never came back. She was lucky that my mother was a kind hearted woman because if that was someone who intended on making her life a living hell then she would have turned out a lot worse than she is now, she might not even be here at all” I said gently. 

“Alexandra grew up around people who weren’t her biological family. When she turned 18, she found the letter that Maggie wrote for my mother, explaining why she needed to leave and the feelings of shame and embarrassment that Alex had brought her. It’s not something you would expect your birth mother to admit” I continued. I saw a hint of guilt in Danielle’s eyes and I could tell she was starting to feel sorry for Alex.

“Your mum is probably an amazing woman now and she seems to do everything she can to make you happy. I can see that she’s changed from the person she was when she had Alex and she’s matured properly. I just need you to try and understand that she wasn’t like that with Alexandra and it’s not actually her fault at all. She never knew about you, but when she finally found out, so did my enemies and they used you to get her to do what they wanted. They threatened your life and Alexandra did everything she could to keep you safe” I finished. 

Danielle looked upset about the situation and a tear rolled down her cheek as she fully put herself in Alexandra’s shoes. I let her have a moment to let it all sink in before taking her hand gently, causing her to glance up at me. 

“She wants to work things out with you and make up for lost time”. Danielle wiped her tear away and smirked ever so slightly. She sniffed a few times and then stood up to give me a hug. I embraced her to comfort her. 

“Sleep on it and then maybe you could try talking to Alex again... calmly” I advised and she let go. She nodded positively and thanked me. 

“You’re a good friend to her” she grinned and headed towards the door.