Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Serpent's Kiss: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

My lips twitched as those words were said. Eliza Vecchio always knew how to be dramatic and cunning. The hall was already filled with the family council members who bore grave looks, glancing my way and then back at grandfather. I noticed, and so did Angelo, by the way he clenched his hands into fists. Even now, even with Angelo being the true Don, grandfather still remained the Head of the Family, enough that no one dared to speak without asking for his opinion, be it covertly or overtly. But grandfather didn't speak for a time and then, slowly, turned to Damiano. “Is Nero not your son, or have you forgotten the rules of this family?” he asked. Damiano’s expression which had previously been anticipatory, shuttered and he took a defensive step back. “Father, I only think that certain matters should not be spoken in front of him. He has long left our family–” “Damiano. This

Chaos. Utter chaos reigned.The gavel was not used instantly. Even Antonio Vecchio appeared to be in a state of shock.Eliza Vecchio’s face was ashen, and her eyes were red. From where I sat, she had never appeared so small before, but then again, she had never seen Alphonse Vecchio this way before. Damiano, standing beside her, shook, be it from rage or something else, I had no idea. But Angelo’s expression was the most satisfying, because for the first time since this meeting started, there was no triumph in his eyes. There was, instead, hesitation. A hint of retreat. He looked from grandfather to his mother, and then away, blankly, hands clenched at his side into fists.In a show of weakness unprecedented from his prideful self, he placed those hands into the pockets of his trousers.Whispers had broken all around.“So the rumors are true, Angelo is not Mattei’s son.” someone whispered a little too loudly.

No one spoke and I turned to Antonio from where I stood, who sat still beside grandfather. I didn't need to speak, he could tell by my expression that I had something to say. A flicker of approval passed through his eyes, then he nodded once, sharply enough that many others noticed.Beside me, Daniel coughed lightly once.“I speak now as a Vecchio to the Council today, not because I find this amusing, but because our family deserves dignity preserved.” I began, speaking fully in Italian, “We are aware of family law. The family must come before the individual. And Angelo Vecchio broke that the moment he accused the former Don Alphonse Vecchio in order to unseat him from a position of power. His motives were impure. It must be judged. That is why I must agree with one thing, Angelo cannot be judged as an outsider, and neither can Eliza Marta. Before he died, my dear uncle Mattia gave Angelo the last name Vecchio. Regardless of their crimes, they may not be judged otherwise.”A beat pas

I knew something had happened in the Vecchio family estate. It wasn't simply because of the fact that the meeting had lasted nearly three hours, but the aftermath.And now…I was even more anxious.Nero had not left the house in three days.I stared at the door of his study, pondering silently on the merits of walking in and demanding answers.Angelo had gone silent as well. The burner phone sat in its hiding place, untouched.It felt like something was changing in the city.For me, this was nerve wracking because I didn't even know what to prepare for. It wasn't until this afternoon in Nero's home that I received a familiar visitor.“Why hello there, beautiful.” Avi winked and waved at me as soon as he traipsed into the foyer. I paused, raising my head and blinking curiously at him. “What?” “You have never been this enthusiastic about meeting me before. I’m processing,” I replied in a deadpan tone.

I walked in on their conversation and it was just as I'd feared. The knot in my chest wound tighter when I saw how close they were, but I tried to not let it show. I wasn't going to contribute to the awkwardness, even though I wished I was brave enough to do so.“Are you staying for lunch?” I asked Avi, ignoring Nero’s gaze on me. Avi coughed lightly and pulled away from Nero’s, straightening.“Ah, I'm afraid I have a date to meet up with, Dante. Next time perhaps?” He said in a rush, eyes flashing with something I recognized oddly as guilt.Before I could say anything else, he rose to his feet and rushed past me, heading to the front door. I gaped at the sight of him fleeing, wondering if I had done anything wrong.“Let him be,” Nero had gotten up and was closer without my noticing. He reached for me and I unconsciously stepped back. That weight in my heart did not release, and I was unsure of why but I couldn't stand looking